Unit 4: The Power of Language
4.3 Digital Storytelling with Senior learners
In this activity, you are going to find out about the Our Story App produced by the Open University, a digital storytelling tool initially produced for working with children at primary school level. However, much of the way in which this app has been used shows that it can prove extremely useful for:
- Engaging senior learners in the use of digital tools,
- Developing their IT literacy skills on basic levels,
- Supporting reminiscing activities,
- Bringing fun activities to the class,
- Helping them have a strong sense of achievement.
To get to know the app and how it can be used with young and old, please work through the following activity steps.
Read the introduction to the app.
Find out how the app can be used for story making with children. Find ideas here that you could transfer to language learning sessions with senior learners and take a note of these in your learning diary. Then compare your notes with our model answer.
This is a research report about a project using Our Story with older people.
You may also want to download Our Story and try it out yourself:
Once you have downloaded the app, have a look at the guidance on how to use it.
Please note: If you want to use the OurStory app in the setting of a care home, you will need to gather approval for this from the care home management and/or the residents or their families. You will need to have clearance to be allowed to take pictures in the care home with the app or record audio or video in this setting.