Our Stories - Online Oral History

OurStories Online oral history proposal Suna Gurol, Helen Pitlick, Amy Rainey Dec. 13, 2009 UW Communications in Digital Media COMM 597C – Interactive Design

What is oral history?
Oral history is "a field of study and a method of gathering, preserving and interpreting the voices and memories of people, communities, and participants in past events. Oral history is both the oldest type of historical inquiry, predating the written word, and one of the most modern, initiated with tape recorders in the 1940s and now using 21st-century digital technologies."
- Oral History Association

Why is oral history important?

With advent of digital media, printed media (photos, films, written diaries) are disappearing.
Oral history - storytelling - shares individual perspectives that otherwise might be left off the historic record.
Digital media literacy is important in an increasingly online world.

Why is oral history important?
Many adults realize that their time with their parents, grandparents and community members is fleeting and want to capture their experiences before they pass.
Oral History brings people together in their family and in their community.
Our site, OurStories, will help with all of this.

Oral History and Storytelling Sites

OurStories
OurStories is an educational website that helps people create and share online oral history projects.

OurStories combines the personal interviews of StoryCorps with the historical preservation of the Shoah Foundation and the accessibility of Witness to War’s online videos.

OurStories

Site Features
Tips and Tutorials : How to use the technology and software used to produce an online storytelling project; how to find and approach an interview subject; how to prepare for and conduct an interview; how to edit the video; how to budget time; where to look for oral histories.
Tags: Categorize content, making organizing and searching for content easier.
Links: Links to relevant digital media, history and storytelling sites.
Resources : Suggested readings on oral history, interviewing and more.
Lesson plans: Sample lesson plans covering a variety of disciplines and academic levels.

Usability Study Plan
Survey of educators

Detailed review of other oral history websites
Card-sorting
Personas
Wireframe usability testing

Design usability testing
Prototyping
Alpha, Beta tests

Survey of educators
"Would bringing video technology into the classroom enhance your teaching?"

Survey of educators

Personas
General User Barbara
Student Maya Teacher Cameron

Site Map

Homepage - wireframe

Video page - wireframe

Student Project page - wireframe

Resources page - wireframe

Tutorial page - wireframe

Questions?

Photo Credits
"The man, the myth, the legend: My favorite Man in the World, now residing in all our hearts. (and the moon and sun.)": http://www.flickr.com/photos/globetoppers/2362117307/ by Globetoppers

"100 strangers #36 woman": http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmiehomeschoolmom/3625137504/ by jimmiehomeschoolmom

"Grandparents Virji visit Laila": http://www.flickr.com/photos/salim/3392571449/ by Salim

"Laptops 2nd Grade": http://www.flickr.com/photos/elemitrt/3276675958/ by tcoffey

Personas

"Jeffrey": http://www.flickr.com/photos/judybaxter/2176319100/ by OldShoeWoman

"Barbara": http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/3218880774/ by mikebaird

Our Stories - Online Oral History

by Suna Gurol

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