Introduction and Research Purpose
The article to be summarised in this paper is āUsing Digital Storytelling to Build a Sense of National Identity Amongst Emirati Studentsā by John Raven and Karen OāDonnell. The topic of the research as indicated by the title of the journal article is about the application of digital, storytelling in enhancing a sense of national identity among Emirati students. The topic of the research is relevant and important as it leads to a study, which provides insight into the benefits of using digital storytelling to boost unity within the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The purpose of the research is to investigate the concern that the UAE national identity is under threat of being undermined and it suffers the risk of eventual; it also establishes how digital storytelling competition can be used to address this concern, especially among Emirati students. Although not openly stated, the research questions for this study were: 1) Is creating digital stories interesting and enjoyable? II) Does creating digital stories help Emirati students learn and understand their country better? and, III) Does create digital stories increase the studentsā pride and interests in their country? The study used a total sample of 150 Emirati students, who were asked to develop digital stories on the topic āProudly Emiratiā. The data in the research was collected through a survey.
Literature Review
The article cites various studies and literature to bring out the following concepts: national unity and national identity, the importance of the latter, and the way it can be enhanced among college students through digital storytelling. For example, the article cites a study conducted by the UAEās Ministry of Culture in which the Youth and Community Development found out that national identity is eroded by factors such as globalization, and it needs to be restored by digital storytelling. The literature used in the article point out that the UAEās government education system is to blame for the poor quality of education that does not foster national unity among the Emirati students.
The literature review describes the concept of promoting national identity among Emirati students through digital storytelling. The review outlines the items that need to be included in digital stories to make them very effective and enable them to achieve the goal of fostering national identity among Emirati students. According to the literature review, an exclusively and well-designed digital story should touch on aspects such as traditions, family treasures, cultural architecture and landscapes, important personalities in the history of the UAE, and using past events to shape the present. According to the literature reviewed in the article, these aspects are the items that digital stories should revolve around to help enhance national identity among Emirati students.
Methodology
The methods used in collecting data in the study conducted in this article include focus-group interviews and a survey. The study was conducted in February 2010, through an online survey that applied the Blackboard Vista Learning Management System. The survey was designed with one open-ended question and it included several items of the Likert Scale. The sample comprised 150 students drawn from various colleges in the UAE. Out of the 150 participants, 104 of them completed the study.
Apart from the survey, focus-group interviews were also used to collect data from the participants. The interviews were conducted on a total of 4 groups of students. The interviews conducted were meant to obtain more information on the topics given to the individual participants of the survey. The interview specifically probed the students on what they have learned about the country in their regular classes and the importance of such lessons. After the interviews, all the participants were then asked to give their comments regarding the study.
Results and Findings
The online survey revealed that students have a very positive opinion regarding digital storytelling; this can improve their sense of national identity and the pride they have in their country. All the participants of the study admitted that the competition on digital storytelling did a lot in improving their interests and pride in the nation. The participants also agreed that the digital storytelling competition gave them a good opportunity to learn about their country. Lastly, the participants cited that the competition made them learn more about their culture and said they would use the knowledge they gathered from the competition to help others improve their national identity.
Although the study was well conducted and the objectives achieved, it had a few limitations. Firstly, the study failed to address ethical issues such as informed consent and privacy, which might have prevented the students from participating freely. Secondly, the study used a small sample size in the focus-group interviews, which is not representative of the entire population. Apart from the few limitations, the study obtained exclusive results that could be used to draw a strong conclusion. The findings of the study imply that digital storytelling is an effective tool that can be used to enhance peopleās pride, identity, and interest in their country.
Evaluation and Reflections
The article is well organized and its abstract and introduction provide the readers with what they should expect in the study. The purpose of the study described in the article is properly illustrated in the abstract. As described in the abstract and introduction, the study in the article is meant to establish how digital storytelling can be used to foster national identity among Emirati students. The topic of the study is not only relevant, but also important as it enables the researchers to choose the most suitable sampling, data collection, and analysis techniques. Although the abstract and introduction are well written, they fail to provide well-defined research variables, terms, questions, and hypothesis against which the findings can be evaluated.
Apart from the introduction, the literature review section is also well organized. The review only contains studies that are relevant to the study topic. Most of the studies talk about national identity and digital storytelling, and how the former can be enhanced through the latter. The studies provide information that supports the purpose of the current study. The references used in the review are properly analyzed and they provide the required details concerning the topic of discussion. Also, most of the literature used in the review is current, implying that the information contained in them is reliable. However, the literature review lacks a section where findings, which are relevant to the study, are summarised. This makes it difficult for readers to figure out the major findings of the literature review.
The methodology used in the study is also well described. The research design describes the data collection method and characteristics of the sample used in the study. The study also clearly describes the participants of the study and the sample used in terms of its characteristics and size. The instruments, which include surveys and interviews, meet the set guidelines for ensuring that the participants are well protected. However, the study does not provide the rationale for using the design.
For instance, it does not give any reason for using a sample size of 150 and not less or more than that. Procedures for analyzing and interpreting the data obtained are also not outlined in the study. Although the instruments are described in relation to their content and purpose, their reliability and validity are not outlined. The study also fails to describe data collection procedures and the types of data to be collected.
The results are in line with the purpose of the study, research questions, and the literature review. The results have been presented not only by text but also by means of tables. This helps to make the results orderly and decipherable by the reader. The results agree with the research question as they show that digital storytelling is effective in enhancing national identity among Emirati students. The results and the discussion have implications on my teaching environment. They enable me to understand the aspect of national identity and how to enhance it.
The discussion is in line with the literature review as both of them address the aspect of national identity and state how to enhance it through digital storytelling. The discussion also outlines the implications of the study, which are specifically designed for practice and learning environments. The implications outlined by the study are also designed for future research. However, the discussion does not outline the limitations of the study.