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Part V. Digital Media and Storytelling in University Courses ] 175
context, where the stories of the clients were directly presented to students
specializing in elderly care within the health and social care field. Following
the film screening, teachers, students and practicing elderly care professionals
received DST facilitator training to apply the method in their own work.
The experiment showed that through shared storytelling and video-making,
elderly people living with chronic illnesses experienced a sense of agency
and rediscovered their identity. The stories also changed the perceptions of
family and friends, and caregivers became more attentive to the people they
cared for in the nursing home (Jenkins, 2017).
The Patient Voices program has also led to a change in attitudes among
health professionals. After taking part in a DST process, the doctors, nurses
and health professionals involved developed a patient-centered approach
instead of solely focusing on the treatment of symptoms (Hardy, 2017).
Over four years, Anderson (2017) developed similar reflective habits among
Irish social work students (n = 45) who were studying in a master’s degree
program. The students created digital stories about situations that were causing
difficulties in their own lives. The workshop included topics such as domestic
violence, sexual abuse, poverty, racism, learning difficulties and mental illness.
The process, drawing from the Patient Voices project, involved the creation
of a safe place, a circle of trust, and appropriate information on copyright
and informed consent. In the longitudinal action research, the researchers
collected data during and after the process, and participants’ reflections on
the process and their videos were analyzed using thematic content analysis.
The qualitative research revealed that DST had a transformative effect on the
students’ personalities and professional knowledge. Students became aware
that change can be achieved even when it seems impossible. Recalling and
articulating events gave them a sense of control and observing and analyzing
themselves also helped them to better understand others, which led to a change
of perspective. At the same time, the students also developed professionally,
as they were able to address, openly thematize and critically evaluate the
problems of others. They also felt comfortable using the method with their
clients to process challenging situations. The results of the experiment show
that DST deepened the students’ critical thinking and increased their self¬
efficacy.
In addition to its personality and skill-building effects, DST is also an
excellent research tool for exploring difficult situations. Lindveg (2017)
argues that DST is a discovery-based, dialogue-oriented participatory
research approach that includes process, products, and dissemination. The
researcher takes the role of an active participant in the whole process; not
as an external observer, but as a participant who, while facilitating activities,
also collects empirical data and interprets them. The story that emerges is the
case itself, which is the result of a dialogue between the group members with
the researcher and the research participants, interacting as equal partners in
the process. During the dialogue, the parties interpret the emerging themes,