Understanding The Reading Responses And Creative Processes Through Digital Storytelling Among Readers With Different Reading Achievements In A University

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Date
2015-09
Authors
Aboo Bakar, Rofiza
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Abstract
The 21st century global market demands highly skilled workforce who are articulate in English and creative. However, in a university where this study was administered, the participating engineering students were found to be the least proficient students in English. Their poor results may give an indication that the majority of them may have not employed the cognitive, metacognitive and affective elements in reading well. Malaysian employers have also complained that engineering graduates lack creativity skills. Therefore, engineering students need to be exposed to a learning means that can help foster both their reading comprehension and creativity. As such, a rational action would be requesting them to develop digital storytelling since literature has claimed it to be influential in enhancing students’ reading comprehension and creativity. However, what previous studies have not discussed are the different responses readers of different reading abilities have produced in their digital stories in achieving good comprehension. The previous studies have also not discussed the creative processes that students may exhibit while they are developing their digital stories. Understanding students’ creative processes is necessary as creativity is the byproduct of these processes. Thus, this study sought to understand the reading responses and creative processes through digital storytelling among the above-average and below-average readers of diploma in engineering students in a university. Rosenblatt’s (1978) reader- response theory, Wallas’ (1926) creative process model, Lindstrom’s (2006) creative process criteria and Lambert’s (2003) digital storytelling elements were used as the theoretical framework for this study. The detailed nature of the information required in this study indicated the need to apply a qualitative case study research design. A purposive sample of two above-average and two below-average readers was selected based on their reading performance in an English reading placement test. The duration for the digital storytelling project was three weeks. Data sources included class observations, respondents’ documents, interview transcripts and digital stories. Findings indicated that by developing digital stories, above-average and belowaverage readers alike who had utilized a repertoire of cognitive, metacognitive and affective reading elements could achieve meaningful understanding. Findings also indicated that creative processes were exercised more by highly interested, resilient and disciplined respondents, and were not necessarily influenced by one’s cognitive abilities alone. Now that it is understood that multiple reading responses and good creative processes can be exercised through digital storytelling regardless of one’s reading achievement, it is hoped that digital storytelling will have its place in the Malaysian educational system.
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Education , English language, Study and teaching
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