Digital Storytelling

I taught this course at the Manship School of Mass Communication in Spring, 2016. 

Course Description: The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the basic skills and knowledge required of a digital communicator. We will explore digital storytelling, especially in new media environments. Throughout this course, students will choose a ‘beat’ or area of interest (e.g. science communication, environmental communication, health communication, political communication, sports communication, etc.), and will learn how to communicate this ‘beat’ to a non-specialist audience. Students will get hands-on experience communicating this ‘beat’ in a variety of mediums, and develop a fundamental knowledge of how people view, understand and interpret information and stories related to this ‘beat.’ 

In-class storytelling exercises and creative assignments will reinforce the basic elements of digital writing/storytelling, including story idea creation, finding sources, interviewing digitally, pitching stories, using social media to tell and distribute stories, data visualization, and ethical issues surrounding digital storytelling. We will also discuss the psychology of how people interpret information and stories, such as in the context of science communication.

Syllabus Link