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Digital Stories
   
       
   

The Foreign Language Technology Center (FLTC) will be holding a competition of student digital stories for students enrolled in study abroad programs at WSU. The winning entries will receive an award. Furthermore, winning entries (and possibly others) will be screened at a Student Film Festival.

Purpose
Digital stories will serve to document students’ study abroad experiences and provide an avenue to them to reflect on their study abroad experience, make meaning of it, and present it to fellow study abroad students and prospective students. It may also serve course requirements such as a final report, a journal, or a paper; students should check with their individual instructors about this.

Eligibility
Students enrolled in Study Abroad programs at WSU for the Spring/Summer 2008 may participate in this competition by submitting digital stories of their stay overseas.

Requirements
Students must register for participation in the FLTC Digital Stories competition prior to departure, work on their stories during their stay overseas in the Summer and submit their digital stories after they return.

Students will work in groups to create the stories; groups can have 2 – 4 members. Students could select group members themselves; alternately, the FLTC could also facilitate in matching group members. Student groups must complete a registration form for participation in the Digital Stories competition. Registration forms are available online at: www.langlab.wayne.edu/

Groups must turn in a 1-page ‘Treatment’(An Outline) before departure.

Each group participating in the competition would have the option of checking out a digital camera from the FLTC for their stay overseas. However, groups must return the camera equipment to the FLTC on their return from abroad.

The FLTC will provide an orientation about fulfilling academic expectations, making digital stories, and using camera equipment and film editing software prior to departure. The FLTC will also offer the use of its Editing Suite for students’ use after their return from their stay overseas.

Students must participate in this orientation.

Criteria for judging digital stories
Digital stories created should reflect the attainment of one or more of the following goals for foreign culture:

Understand and appreciate cultural differences in human behavior, thought and values
Develop an in-depth knowledge of one or more cultures through a study of its humanities, history, or socio-cultural institutions
Compare the ways in which other cultures are similar or different from your own
Examine theory and methods used in analyzing the features of another culture
Learn about concepts not previously encountered
Develop skills of analysis, reasoning and/or evaluation
Enlarge understanding of societal and other issues

Digital Stories submitted will be judged for their Creativity, Storyline/Editing, Visuals and Capturing the essence of the country and its culture as described above. Examples of categories for Digital Stories include Representation of Life, Fictional Representation, Documentary, Advertisements and Travelogues. Digital Stories can have a maximum length of 15 minutes only.

Timeline and Important Deadlines

Pre Departure for Trip

 
   
1.
March 31st, 2008 – Student groups interested in participating in the digital story competition should complete Registration Form and submit to FLTC
 
   
2.
Week of April 21 – FLTC will conduct an orientation for students participating in the Digital Stories Competition (exact date to be announced).
 
   
3.
May 2, 2008 – Students submit a 1-page Treatment of their Digital Story
 
         
    Post Return from Trip  
   
4.
End of August – Middle of September – Students return from their Study Abroad Programs and finish working on films
 
   
5.
September, 15th, 2008 (Monday) – Students submit Digital Stories for the competition to the FLTC
 
   
6.
Middle of October (exact date to be announced) – Awards will be announced by the FLTC
 
   
7.
Middle of October (exact date to be announced) - Digital Stories Film Festival
 
       
   

Equipment Check-Out
Student groups checking out a camera from the FLTC would be responsible for the camera, and its safe return to the FLTC. Failure to do so could result in academic hold on the grade for all students in the group.

Questions about the FLTC’s Digital Story Competition should be addressed to:
Sangeetha Gopalakrishnan
Director
Foreign Language Technology Center
Phone: 313 577 3022
Email: sangeetha@wayne.edu

 
   
       
 
 
Foreign Language Technology Center, Wayne State University, 385 Manoogian Hall - 906 W. Warren - Detroit, MI 48202, Tel: (313) 577-3022, Fax: (313) 577-3041
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