Nineteenth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

This paper explores the use of digital storytelling in a group of adult learners with intercultural characteristics in Patras “Second Chance School” (SDE) educational structure. More specifically, the aim of the research is to evaluate this educational practice in terms of enhancing intercultural communication and ability and in terms of conceptualising the learning process through the experience of participants from different cultures, resulting in the creation of a multimodal learning community. SDE, a typical institution of adult education grounded on adult learning theories, displays an open and flexible curriculum determined directly by learners’ needs and experiences. The presented methodology was applied in the context of the teaching method of the “Project”. In particular, the learning component of the “Project” emphasises the interdisciplinary approach of knowledge, the aim of which is to understand the world and the self, and to seek knowledge in an experiential and exploratory way. Adult learners were invited to create a story with autobiographical features and then use computers to dramatise and present their narrative, using image, text, music, and their own voice. This paper presents all stages of the development of this teaching methodology: the organisation, design and evaluation of the project by the learners themselves. The findings of the study are expected to highlight the importance of autobiographical digital storytelling in illuminating interesting aspects of self-identification through the lens of otherness and in shaping (a) the conditions of mutual social interaction and understanding, (b) self and global awareness, and (c) cultural diversity and pluralism acceptance.