Using digital storytelling to externalise personal knowledge of research processes: The case of a Knowledge Audio repository

Abstract

While articulation gap describes skill deficiencies displayed by university entrants emerging from underperforming schools, the high attrition and articulation gap at postgraduate levels demonstrate inadequacies of the entry-level intervention programmes implemented to address these challenges. Since inadequate socialization into postgraduate research and limited supervisor support contribute to the articulation gap and attrition rates at South African universities, digital storytelling (DST) potentially addresses these challenges. DST tends to foreground rigorous research, script writing, collective engagement and public expression of subdued voices to ensure effective participation in higher education. The research explores the potential of DST to externalize personal knowledge among postgraduate students at a South African university. It employs a Knowledge Audio Repository (KAR) for the generation and archiving of knowledge for future access and reuse. Findings suggest that DST is ideal for information generation, collaborative engagement and tracking of the developmental trajectory of postgraduates involved in cognitively-demanding research activities.