In this session participants will be guided through exploration of how techniques for storytelling in documentary film-making translate into the world of effective online teaching and learning.
The session will begin with participants engaging with several samples of documentaries and podcasts. After each sample, the participants will be asked to identify elements of that sample that struck them, were particularly relatable, or that they easily connected to. Several participants will be asked to share aloud what they identified and why they think they were able to connect to that component.
We will then probe several patterns of approach that are common to documentaries or podcasts (which are extremely popular today) and see how those patterns might be contributing to the popularity and impact of these stories.
Next we will explore why these strategies/approaches used in documentaries work so well. Universal Design for Learning and its framework, as researched by minds such as Sheryl Burgstahler, point to strategies that seem to coincidentally align with what also works in documentaries and podcasts. We will dive into the basic principles of UDL and engage in discussion on how those principles relate to the patterns we see in documentaries.
The final portion of the presentation will be to close the loop and explore concrete strategies for applying what works in documentary film-making to course design through explicit examples.
Burgstahler, S. & Cory, R. (2008). Universal design in Higher Education: From principles to practice. Harvard Education Press: Cambridge, MA.
CAST (www.cast.org)