The Evolution of Digital Storytelling Technologies:

From PCs to iPads and e-Books

Bernard Robin
University of Houston
United States
brobin@uh.edu

Sara McNeil
University of Houston
United States
smcneil@uh.edu

Abstract: In this paper, we present an overview of how digital storytelling

technologies have evolved over the last decade, from software used on a desktop or
laptop computer, to web-based applications, smartphones and tablet computers. As
digital storytelling is being integrated in classrooms and other educational settings
around the world, new tools have been developed that employ easy to use, cross-
platform interfaces tied to cloud-based storage and online sharing. This paper
concludes with a look ahead as educators begin to create their own e-books that contain
digital stories as well as having students use the next generation of digital storytelling
tools on smartphones, tablets and other devices that will increase the global popularity
of digital storytelling as an effective technology for teaching and learning.

Introduction
Storytelling is an ancient art form that developed even before the printed word, and digital
storytelling has been popular almost since the beginning of personal computers. Over the last
decade, however, digital storytelling has evolved dramatically, from its early days as a
pioneering art form in California in the 1980s (Center for Digital Storytelling, 2012), to a widely
used instructional tool in todays classrooms. As new software options for creating digital stories
have become available, the ease of use and increasingly intuitive nature of the programs has also
rapidly improved. Today, the stunning growth of Web 2.0 tools and resources has given users
worldwide access to totally online programs, most free or low cost, available to anyone with a
web browser and an internet connection.

In addition, an increase in the number of smartphones and tablet computers has spurred the
development of low cost applications, also known as apps that can be uses to take pictures, add
text, record audio, shoot video and combine these multimedia elements into a digital story. This
has resulted in almost anyone, from kindergarteners to senior citizens, being able to create a
digital story and share it globally with the touch of a few buttons. In this paper, we present an
overview of how digital storytelling technologies have evolved, share the benefits and limitations
of digital storytelling software, and discuss how educators and their students may create their
own e-books with software that may offer real-time interactivity and collaboration between
storytellers in various locations around the globe.
In the most basic differentiation of software available for creating digital stories, there are three
different types: software programs that can be installed on a desktop or laptop computer,
software that can be used through a web-based interface and applications that run on
smartphones and tablet computers. In the following sections, we will explore each of these types.

Software for Desktop and Laptop Computers

PC Only
Microsoft Photo Story 3
For many years, Microsofts Photo Story 3 (PS3) software has been one of the most popular
choices for PC users who want to create digital stories (Sadik, A, 2008). PS3 is a free, easy-to-
use software application that lets users create slideshows composed of digital photos they have
taken, images download from the web or scanned images from old photographs, documents,
books, magazines or newspapers. The software includes the option to touch-up, crop, and rotate
pictures, add special effects and transitions, titles and even computer-generated music. One of
the major features of the program is it automatically adds pans and zoom to images imported into
the application. This technique, known as the Ken Burns effect (Ken Burns effect, n.d.), in
honor of the documentary filmmaker who pioneered this effect, gives users the ability to create
lively and interesting digital stories with just a brief introduction to how the program works.

In addition, users can connect a microphone and record audio narration from within the program.
Photo Story 3 does have some limitations: it is only available for computers running the
Windows operating system, there is no version for Apple computers, the stories created with the
program can only be saved in the .WMV format and these video files can only be played back
with Windows Media Player on PCs running Windows. And perhaps most importantly, PS3 only
supports the used of still images, so full-motion video clips cannot be added to a digital when
using this program.

However, despite its limitations, it remains very popular since it is free and easy to use, making it
a very useful program for novice digital storytellers who are using a Windows PC and just
beginning to create their own digital stories. In addition to the program being extremely simple to
master, it is also easy to teach others to use the program, and many digital storytelling workshops
rely on this program with audiences that include students, teachers, parents, senior citizens and
just about anyone interested in creating simple, but effective digital stories that rely on still images,
audio narration and music. Another advantage of PS3 is that it allows users to save an unfinished
project file that contains all of the images, text, transitions, sounds, and effects that have been used
in developing the digital story. This feature makes it simple to save the unfinished file on a thumb
drive, an external hard drive or to a folder on a cloud storage site, such as Dropbox, and then
continue working on it at a later time and even on a different computer, as long as it is one where
the PS3 software has been installed.

Since the PS3 application was originally developed for the Windows XP operating system and
there has been a good deal of confusion among users about whether or not Photo Story 3 will work
on PCs running more recent Windows operating systems, such as Windows 7 and Windows 8. In
our experience, the program works fine on most desktop PCs running Windows 7, however, we
have seen cases on some Windows 7 PCs where the customize motion feature that lets you adjust
the panning and zooming of an image, sticks and is difficult to use.
Microsoft Windows Live Movie Maker and Windows Essentials 2012
Windows Live Movie Maker was released in 2011 and was designed to replace the earlier version,
Windows Movie Maker 2.6. Unlike Photo Story 3, which was designed for Windows XP but still
works when used on newer Windows operating systems, Windows Live Movie Maker is only
compatible with Windows Vista, Windows 7 and the latest version of the operating system,
Windows 8. Although many users of this program like its simple interface and the variety of
features it offers, many users are frustrated that both the timeline and the ability to record audio
narration, two key features for many digital storytellers, have been removed from this version of
Movie Maker. It is for these reasons that many users still prefer to use Windows Movie Maker 2.6
instead of this more current version. Windows Movie Maker 2012 for Windows 7 and Windows
8 was released at the time of this writing, with the re-introduction of audio narration capability.
Now called, Windows Essentials 2012, the program includes an updated set of features, including
much more flexibility in recording and editing audio, video stabilization and support for additional
video file formats, with MP4 now used as the default format for saving videos.

Microsoft Windows Movie Maker

An earlier version of Windows Movie Maker, the video editing software application that has
been included as part of the Windows operating system since 2000, is still available and widely
used. This program is a popular choice of many educators and students for creating edited
videos, including digital stories, because it is readily available and generally supported by
school technology services. One limitation of Movie Maker is that it only outputs files in the
AVI and WMV formats. Windows Movie Maker 2.6 was released in 2007 but is still a good
choice for Windows users who want to use a basic timeline-based video editing program.

Adobe Photoshop Elements (Create a slideshow option)

The PC version of Adobe Photoshop Elements contains an easy-to-use slide show creation
module that works very much like Photo Story 3, allowing users to create slide shows that can
contain zooms and pans, recorded narration, added text and transitions, such as fading images in
and out. However, unlike Photo Story 3, Photoshop Elements does allow users to add full-motion
video clips to their slide show, and does not confine users to just using still images. This is a
major advantage of using this software application for digital storytelling since many users will
want to include video clips in their stories.

But, there is one very significant problem with this program that may affect many users: the project
file cannot be saved easily as with Photo Story 3's .WP3 file. With Photoshop Elements' slideshow
tool, you cannot begin working on a digital story on one computer, save the project file on a thumb
drive or external hard drive and then transport it to another computer to continue working on the
story. This is a significant disadvantage for educational use, since the program does not allow
students to begin working on a digital story in class, save their work on the unfinished product and
then complete the story on their computer at home.

However, if you are able to confine your work with Photoshop Elements to the same computer,
such as a home desktop or a laptop computer, this program may be a good choice for creating
digital stories that contain video clips. And unfortunately, the Mac version of Photoshop Elements
does not include the slideshow option, so this capability is limited to those who use the program
on a Windows-based PC.

Software for Mac & PC

Microsoft PowerPoint (Save as video option)
PowerPoint is the widely available presentation program that comes as part of Microsoft Office
and it too may be used to create multimedia-rich digital stories. Beginning with PowerPoint 2010
for Windows and 2011 for Mac, the software now allows users to save their presentations as a
movie, which makes PowerPoint another useful option for creating digital stories on a desktop or
laptop computer. And since many computer users are already comfortable with the mechanics of
creating slides and inserting text, images, audio and video content, as well as including
animations and slide transitions, the jump to using PowerPoint to create digital stories is a
relatively simple one for many users.

Users of PowerPoint 2010 for Windows or 2011 for Mac can create digital stories by developing
a standard presentation that includes all of the content of their story in a set of slides and then
choosing to save their presentation as a movie, rather than as a standard PowerPoint presentation.
The video files that are created are saved in the WMV format when using the Windows version of
PowerPoint and in the QuickTime format as MOV files when using the Mac version.

Adobe Premiere Elements

Premiere Elements video editing software from Adobe is a scaled-down version of the more
expensive and more feature-filled Adobe Premiere, a video editing software application that is
used by many digital video professionals. The Elements version of this program is filled with just
about all of the features that digital storytellers could want, however, users should be aware that
the learning curve for Premiere Elements can be greater than for most of the other applications
used to create digital stories. Premiere Elements is not free, although it often comes bundled with
the purchase of some digital video camcorders and discount pricing is available for educators and
students, through Adobe's online education store and other software resellers. Premiere Elements
is available for both Windows and Mac.

Mac Only
iMovie
iMovie is Apple's alternative to Photo Story 3 and is a good choice for Mac users who want to
create digital stories. This digital movie creation and editing program has most of the same
features as Photo Story 3, however, it also supports the use of full-motion video clips. Like Photo
Story 3, iMovie lets users add titles, effects, and transitions to their digital story projects. iMovie
has one limitation in that it only runs on computers and tablets that use the Macintosh operating
system, so it is not an option for using PCs or other Windows-based devices.

Web 2.0 Tools

Web 2.0 tools for communication, collaboration, productivity, presentation, social networking
and critical thinking have been adopted not just by educators and students, but by web users from
all walks of life, throughout the world. This is dramatically seen in the massive popularity of
such household named online tools such as YouTube, Facebook, Flickr, Skype, Twitter, and
more (Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2012). However, a less publicized set of powerful
and affordable Web 2.0 tools make it possible for anyone to create, publish, and distribute
compelling content with nothing more complex (or expensive) than a web browser (Levine,
2009). Alexander and Levine use the term Web 2.0 Storytelling (2008) to describe the current
practice of using various online tools and resources to mix together images, text, audio and video
to produce digital stories that can be shared, explored and discussed. A few popular Web 2.0
tools are presented here, but a more comprehensive list of Web 2.0 tools that can be used to
create digital stories are described on Alan Levines 50+ Ways to Tell a Story site, at:
http://50ways.wikispaces.com/

A Few Popular Web 2.0 Digital Storytelling Tools

Animoto
http://animoto.com/
Loopster
http://www.loopster.com/
Prezi
http://prezi.com/
Voki
http://www.voki.com
WeVideo
https://www.wevideo.com/
Xtranormal
http://www.xtranormal.com/
Table 1. Web 2.0 Tools for Creation of Digital Stories

A growing number of Web 2.0 tools are also available for younger students to use to
create their own digital stories. These tools are generally user-friendly, especially for younger
children, and like the other Web 2.0 tools mentioned above, they use a web-based interface that
works on both PCs and Macintosh computers.

Web 2.0 Storytelling Tools for Younger Students

LittleBird Tales
http://littlebirdtales.com/
My StoryMaker
http://www.carnegielibrary.org/kids/storymaker/embed.cfm
Storybird
http://storybird.com/
StoryJumper
http://www.storyjumper.com/
Voki
http://www.voki.com
Table 2. Web 2.0 Tools Children Can Use to Create Digital Stories

Tools for Mobile Devices

In addition to the revolution that has taken place as Web 2.0 tools have replaced some traditional
software applications and created new ways to accomplish computer-based tasks, another
revolution has been occurring with the amazing growth and popularity of both smart phones and
tablet computers. At the time of this writing, the number of iPhones and iPads sold is in the
hundreds of millions and these numbers will surely increase as new models are released and
prices become more competitive. In addition, similar devices from competing manufactures are
making these mobile devices even more ubiquitous and affordable for many students and
teachers.

Many of these mobile devices are being used for a variety of purposes, as they benefit from
personal learning that can take place anywhere and at any time. Originally thought of as primarily
a content consumption device, the iPad has quickly become known as a production device, with a
large selection of apps that provide many of the same capabilities that until recently were found
only on desktop or laptop computers. Below is a brief list of apps that can be used on mobile
devices to create digital stories.

iPhone Apps
StoryKit
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/storykit/id329374595?mt=8
Storyrobe
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/storyrobe/id337670615?mt=8
iTalk
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/italk-recorder/id293673304?mt=8
Fotobabble
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fotobabble/id353078443?mt=8
ReelDirector
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/reeldirector/id334366844?mt=8#
VivaVideo
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vivavideo-free-video-
editor/id738897668?mt=8
Table 3. iPhone Apps for Creation of Digital Stories

iPad Apps
8mm HD for iPad
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/8mm-hd/id441875100?mt=8
Audio Memos
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/audio-memos-free-voice-recorder/id304075033?mt=8
Hokusai
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hokusai-audio-editor/id432079746?mt=8
iMovie for iPad
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/imovie/id377298193?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
SonicPics
https://itunes.apple.com/app/sonicpics/id345295488?mt=8
Videolicious
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/videolicious/id400853498?mt=8
Table 4. iPad Apps for Creation of Digital Stories
A new version of the authors Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling website
(http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/) was released in 2013 and includes more emphasis on
traditional software, Web 2.0 tools and mobile apps that are options for educators and students
who want to create digital stories. A new feature of the website is a Suggest an App form that
allows visitors to share apps that they feel are useful for digital storytelling.

Figure 1. The Suggest an App Feature of the Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling Website

e-Book Tools
iBooks Author
With the dramatic growth of the iPad has come new tools for creating content that can be viewed
on a portable tablet. iBooks Author is a free app for Mac computers that allows users to create
books for the iPad using pre-made templates and a drag and drop interface. These eBooks can
include video files of digital stories, as well as other multimedia content such as image galleries,
glossaries, pop-up windows and other interactive elements. Still in its early stages, applications
such as this one will undoubtedly lead to an increase in user-generated digital stories being
produced and shared online. For educators, the ability to easily develop digital storytelling
content for a touch-screen tablet environment holds a great deal of promise for bringing new
technologies into the curriculum. However, we have witnessed exciting new technologies that
never quite lived up to the expectations they promised, so it remains to be seen how user-friendly
this technology becomes and how quickly it is adopted in classrooms and other educational
settings.
Conclusion
Software that supports digital storytelling has evolved over the last two decades, with more
choices now available to educators and their students than ever before. Originally limited to
working on a desktop computer or laptop, digital storytellers of all ages can easily find and learn
to use web-based tools and resources as well as smartphones and tablet computers. With the
growing popularity and affordability of mobile devices, we are sure to see more apps become
available that can be used to create digital stories. We should also expect to see more powerful e-
book authoring tools that educators and students will be able to use to create and share digital
stories with users around the world.

References

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History of the Center for Digital Storytelling. (2012). Center for Digital Storytelling. Retrieved
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Ken Burns effect. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Burns_effect

Levine, A. (2009). It's the craft, not the tools: 50 web 2.0 ways to tell a story. In G. Siemens & C.
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