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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 selfefficacy. 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,
