Implementing Multimedia Resources: Creation of Digital Stories in the Anthropology/Sociology Department at Seton Hall University Mary Zedeck and Shayle Abelkop, Instructional Designers Introduction Students often have the misconception that cultural artifacts are the exclusive purview of a "tribe" or ethnic group. In reality, these items tend to travel long distances and take on different meanings in each place they are adopted. Seton Hall University implemented a digital storytelling project in the Anthropology/Sociology department. This poster highlights the students’ finished projects, which required them to conduct research, plan, design and build digital stories that track Southeast Asian textiles through time. Project Description The pedagogical concept of collective knowledge gathering and research was used in a course entitled Peoples and Cultures of Southeast Asia at Seton Hall University through a digital storytelling student project. This project allowed for the development of student technology skills while fostering the melding and combining of many different types of multimedia resources to create new artifacts. The digital stories viewable here were created by students and demonstrate the connection between various pieces of information. In addition, the stories illustrate the application of critical thinking skills to identify, define, compare and relate seemingly discrete/bounded cultural identities to better understand the dynamic relationship between cultural change and cultural continuity. This digital storytelling project resulted in resources that can be used by students, faculty and researchers in the larger academic community across various disciplines and can be enhanced by future classes, encouraging the collaborative construction of knowledge using shared spaces. Final Projects Students posted their final projects in the blog and then uploaded the video files to YouTube. Acknowledgements Many thanks to Dr. Cherubim Quizon, Assistant Professor of Sociology/Anthropology and instructor of the Peoples and Cultures of Southeast Asia course, and to her students who shared their projects for this poster. Also, we appreciate the assistance of Chris Petruzzi and Mike Soupios of the SHU Digital Media Services department. Process Project planned with faculty member and instructional designers (including timeline and deliverable plans) Faculty member trained on video and audio editing tools Faculty member developed digital story example for class Students introduced to digital storytelling and class project Students trained on the software tools through in-class sessions Students submitted milestone assignments throughout the semester Assignments submitted through the blog tool in Blackboard Several open lab sessions held with instructional designers Students posted final projects to the Blackboard course blog Students provided consent for public display of their projects Faculty member created YouTube channel (“seasianistas”) Students uploaded projects to YouTube channel Projects added to SHU iTunesU and SHUTube SHUTube is a collection of videos relating to Seton Hall on the YouTube site. This collection includes videos made by the University and students, alumni and friends to share with the University community as well as with the outside community. Seton Hall University on iTunes U provides Seton Hall content delivered straight from Apple's iTunes. Seton Hall offers a wealth of video and audio content in iTunes U (in both private and public areas), including campus events, audio and video related to course material, and various podcasts from around the University. All content is free and readily available within the iTunes U section of the iTunes Store and is sponsored by the SHU Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center. Student Feedback “ The digital story project helped me approach learning differently and definitely in a more interesting and fun way.” “ It was a welcome change from writing a term paper.” “ I feel confident with sharing my story with the larger academic community. It was interesting to complete and I feel that it would be great to share.” One of the students in the class, Gurvaneet Sahota, won first prize in the Multimedia category at the Seton Hall University Annual Student Technology Showcase for her digital story entitled Malaysian Textiles . Each year, the showcase highlights student work and projects in the following four categories of technology: Digital Images, Multimedia, Website Design and Presentation. SHUTube and iTunesU Blog Assignments & Student Instruction

Project planned with faculty member and instructional designers (including timeline and deliverable plans)

Faculty member trained on video and audio editing tools

Faculty member developed digital story example for class

Students introduced to digital storytelling and class project

Students trained on the software tools through in-class sessions

Students submitted milestone assignments throughout the semester

Assignments submitted through the blog tool in Blackboard

Several open lab sessions held with instructional designers

Students posted final projects to the Blackboard course blog

Students provided consent for public display of their projects

Faculty member created YouTube channel (“seasianistas”)

Students uploaded projects to YouTube channel

Projects added to SHU iTunesU and SHUTube

“ The digital story project helped me approach learning differently and definitely in a more interesting and fun way.”

“ It was a welcome change from writing a term paper.”

“ I feel confident with sharing my story with the larger academic community. It was interesting to complete and I feel that it would be great to share.”