The document discusses how to make digital storytelling through mobile phones. It begins with background on creativity, narrative, and mobile devices. Mobile storytelling is defined as stories conducted through mobile devices and social networks. The main steps of design, development, implementation and dissemination are outlined. Design involves generating ideas and selecting a theme, characters, setting, plot and conflict. Development includes storyboarding, acquiring multimedia content, and selecting content. Implementation uses apps for editing content and publishing stories. Dissemination shares the final stories. Examples and hints for effective storytelling are also provided.

1. How to make digital storytelling
through mobile phones
October 8th, 2013
Maria Ranieri
Department of Education and
Psychology,University of Florence
maria.ranieri@unifi.it

2. Table of Contents
 Background - Creativity, Narrative, Mobile
devices, storytelling
 Definitions – Mobile storytelling
 From theory to practice: design,
development, implementation,
dissemination
 Examples
 Some hints for effective storytelling

3. Storytelling through
mobile devices.
Key concepts

4. Background/01 - Creativity

5. Background/01 - Creativity

6. Background/01 - Creativity

7. Background/01 - Creativity
 Creativity entails originality, novelty and
value (Sternberg, 1999)
 Creativity is not limited to individuals, but it
lies in the interaction between them and the
socio-cultural context (Gardner, 1995)
 Creativity as transformative process of both
culture and the self (Vygotsky, 1931/1978)

8. Background/02 - Narrative

9. Background/02 - Narrative
 Narrative is a fundamental structure of
human meaning making (Bruner 2002)
 “Stories not only help us make sense of the
actions of others, they serve to shape our
own identities” (Bird 2007)
 “There have been great societies that did not
use the wheel, but there have been no
societies that did not tell stories” —Ursula K.
LeGuin

10. Background/03 – Mobile phones
Multi-
functional
Portability,
Always available
Digital
memory
Cultural
resource

11. Mobile storytelling.
A definition
Mobile storytelling, a subset of 'digital
storytelling', conducted through mobile
devices in combination with social network
sites (Ranieri & Bruni, 2013).
Digital storytelling was used in California in the
late 1980s to connect communities through
stories. Nowadays, it is adopted for
educational purposes as a technique to
produce multimedia narratives.

12. Storytelling through
mobile devices.
From theory to practice

13. Main steps
•Design
•Development
•Implementation
•Dissemination

14. Design – The process
Generation of ideas through collaborative
brainstorming
Selection of ideas
Connections between ideas
“A good story has
single theme which
is well defined with
a good plot”
http://www.storytellingday.net

15. Design – The content
 Character - A person (or a group) who takes
part in the action
 Setting - Time and place in which the story
happens
 Plot - A series of events and character actions
that relate to the central conflict or problem.
 Conflict - A struggle between two people or
things
 Theme - The central idea

16. Development
 Create a storyboard of the story
 Acquiring multimedia contents (images,
sound,video etc.)
 Selecting multimedia contents

17. Source: http://programming.mrmclaughlin.com/storyboardtemplate/

18. Implementation
 Selection of the editor
 Editing and implementation
2 3 4 5 6
Start a
new project
1
Select content
or develop
content
Modify contents
(cut, copy, paste,
move, delete, or
resize content etc.)
Save
Publish
Share

19. App for iOS
iOS is the operating system developed and distributed by Apple
for iPhone, iPad etc.
 Story Kit (free) See features here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/storykit/id329374595?mt=8
 Sonicpics (free light version, $2.99 full version) See features
here: http://www.sonicpics.com/public/index.php
 Storyrobe ($0.99) See features here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/storyrobe/id337670615?mt
=8
 Splice – Video editor (free) See features here:
https://itunes.apple.com/it/app/splice-video-editor-
free/id409838725?mt=8

20. App for Android
Android is the Linux-based operating system
 Animoto (free 30 second videos) See features here:
http://animoto.com
 WeVideo (free) [also available for iOS] See features here:
http://www.wevideo.com/
 Storyrobe ($0.99) [soon available for Android] See
features here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/storyrobe/id337670615?
mt=8
or any other app that you found/like/prefer useful to
create digital stories

21. Dissemination

22. An example of procedure
1. Click on Plus to create
a new project
2. Click on Title to add a title

23. App for iOS
3. Click on Add+ to add images from your photo library
or to rake new pictures

24. App for iOS
4. Click on Edit to order (or delete) the selected images as you like

25. App for iOS
5. Click on "Record" to record the voiceover
while commenting on your images

26. App for iOS
6. When you finish, save your creation!

27. App for iOS
7. The final product can be shared through Youtube!

28. An example
Personal picture Home country University
Mobile self-presentation
Designed and developed within the workshop Mobile 2.0 to support visibility and job search, realised in the context of
the project MyMobile-Education on the move, Grundtvig Programme 2010/2012. Further information available at:
http://www.mymobile-project.eu, and http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2010-1-DE2-
GRU06-04703 [European Shared Treasure].

29. Some hints for effective storytelling
 Focus on one idea/theme
 Develop a well defined plot
 Give an idea of persons and setting
 Take care of the rhythm
 Remind that “more” doesn’t mean “better”,
that is avoid to combine too many media
elements
 Have a look at some technical tips:
http://desktopvideo.about.com/od/homevideotips/
tp/phone-video.htm

30. What’s
your
story?

31. Some references
Ranieri, M. and Pachler, N. (forthcoming) ‘Inventing and re-
inventing identity. Exploring the potential of mobile learning
in adult education.’ Submitted to Prospects
Ranieri, M. and Bruni, I. (forthcoming) ‘Empowering creativity in
young people through mobile learning: an investigation of
creative practices of mobile media uses in and out of school.’
Submitted to IJMBL
Ranieri, M. and Bruni, I. (2013) ‘Mobile storytelling and informal
education in a suburban area: a qualitative study on the
potential of digital narratives for young second generation
immigrants.’ LEARNING, MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY, 38(2),
217-235.

32. Thank you! 
My online social presence
e-mail:maria.ranieri@unifi.it
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