Don’t Fall for the “Digital Native” Myth: Lessons from a Digital Storytelling Project

October 2026--Making Media, TT Article Leave a comment

Don’t Fall for the “Digital Native” Myth: Lessons from a Digital Storytelling Project

By: Sean H. Toland

At educational technology conferences, there are usually a few presenters who have the enthusiastic zeal of an itinerant preacher, moving from venue to venue proclaiming the transformative potential of the latest digital innovation. More often than not, these individuals report on small-scale qualitative studies conducted in their own classrooms, which always appear to be utopian sites of learning. The information and communication technology (ICT) tools they use seem to work flawlessly; the English language learners are highly engaged; and their technology-based initiative produces impressive results. What tends to get glossed over are the inevitable technological glitches, frustrated students, abandoned activities, and projects that simply did not unfold as advertised. Anyone who has spent enough time teaching with technology in Japanese university academic English classrooms knows that things can and do go off the rails quite quickly.

In an earlier study, albeit one that is particularly relevant in our generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) era, Selwyn (2016) argued that “technology use in the university context is inevitably complicated, ‘messy’, ambiguous and not wholly satisfactory” (p. 1019). I discovered, much to my chagrin, just how accurate Selwyn’s words were the very first time I integrated a digital storytelling (DST) project into a Japanese university academic English course. Before launching this multimodal initiative, I shared much of the enthusiasm and technological optimism displayed by the conference presenters mentioned above. When a colleague later asked me how the “video project” went, I said that “it turned out a little differently than planned.” In reality (and with the benefit of critical hindsight), it was an unmitigated disaster. However, this experience taught me several valuable lessons about the importance of effective scaffolding and how “messy” and complex technology-enhanced learning can actually be. It also reinforced a key principle that has subsequently guided my teaching practice: “Don’t put the technology before the pedagogy!”

This article begins by exploring the potential benefits and challenges of DST in a foreign language learning context. It then briefly touches on the “digital native” (Prensky, 2001) myth and technological determinism (Selwyn, 2022). Attention then shifts to how these two assumptions influenced my first ill-fated foray into DST and ultimately undermined the project. Finally, I share six practical pedagogical pointers drawn from more than a decade of experience using multimodal activities with English language learners in Japan.

Digital Storytelling: The Promise and Pitfalls

In our current technology-saturated age, many people might be inclined to think that DST is a relatively recent phenomenon. In fact, educators have been using digital stories for over four decades across a wide array of fields and for a variety of purposes, including Indigenous cultural preservation (e.g., Shiri et al., 2021) and English language learning (e.g., Toland, 2025a).  A typical digital story, which is created with video-editing software (e.g., iMovie) or online platforms (e.g., CapCut), merges different modes such as images, graphics, video clips, spoken narration, text, and music into a cohesive multimodal narrative (Yu & Wang, 2025).

It is easy to understand why DST has attracted considerable attention in the foreign language learning field. When thoughtfully designed and scaffolded effectively, multimodal projects provide students with opportunities to develop their language skills alongside twenty-first century competencies such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and digital literacy (Gedera & Zalipour, 2021; Quah & Ng, 2022). While students can reap a host of benefits from crafting their own digital stories, educators must be aware of potential pitfalls. DST can place substantial demands on English language learners’ time as they must combine the four core language skills (i.e., speaking, listening, reading, and writing) with the technical aspects of video production (Oskoz & Elola, 2016). The success of a DST project can also be undermined by poor time management, intragroup tensions, and audience frustration caused by unfamiliar lexical items and inadequate sound quality (Hwang et al., 2016; Kasami, 2018, Toland, 2023). Another concern is that some students may become overly fixated on the digital elements (e.g., music, transitions) to the point that the actual story becomes little more than an afterthought (Barber, 2016). Finally, teachers must recognize that not every English language learner will embrace the process of crafting a collaborative digital narrative. In fact, several researchers (e.g., Sunderland et al., 2021) consider DST to be a “pedagogy of discomfort” that can generate anxiety when students are pushed beyond their technological comfort zones.

The “Digital Native” Myth and Technological Determinism

In 2001, Marc Prensky coined the terms “digital native” and “digital immigrant” to distinguish between young people who had grown up surrounded by technological accoutrements and older generations who encountered them later in life. He argued that students were “native speakers” of the digital language, and their brains processed information differently from their digital immigrant counterparts (Prensky, 2001, p. 1). The premise was that young people were naturally more comfortable and competent using technology and multitasking because they were born in the digital age. Over the years, many researchers (e.g., Kirschner & De Bruyckere, 2017) have challenged Prensky’s premise by arguing that digital natives and human multitaskers are mythical creatures who do not exist. However, twenty-five years later, Prensky’s (2001) ideas still linger in the educational arena, particularly the assumption that students are competent users of ICT tools simply because they have grown up immersed in digital technologies. The digital native myth is also closely intertwined with technological determinism. For the purposes of this article, technological determinism refers to the assumption that technologies themselves drive change, regardless of the social context in which they are used (Selwyn, 2022). In education, this concept can manifest itself in the belief that simply introducing a new technology into the classroom will somehow improve learning (Jandrić & Knox, 2022).

Digital Storytelling in an Academic English Course

More than a decade ago, I was excited to launch a DST initiative in a Japanese university first-year academic English course because I was quite comfortable with video editing and felt that it would be a great way to develop my students’ twenty-first century skills. In retrospect, I became tangled up in the myth of the digital native and stuck in the quicksand of technological determinism. First, I assumed that since most learners seemed to have a smartphone permanently cemented to their hands and could surreptitiously text their friends with ambidextrous flair and check their social media feeds during lectures, they would have no problem creating a digital narrative. Second, I thought guiding my students into the video-production realm would automatically make their English learning experiences more engaging and meaningful. 

Before venturing on, I should provide a bit of background about the assignment. As part of the coordinated academic English curriculum, students worked in groups to research a social issue (e.g., online bullying) and produce a short video. They had only four lessons over a two-week period to complete the project, which meant that a considerable amount of work had to be done outside of class. Not surprisingly, the students were disgruntled right off the bat with the tight deadline and limited topic choice. Although they selected their own groups, it did not take long for signs of intragroup friction to surface, especially with regard to social loafing (i.e., lazy teammates). Cracks also began to appear in my assumptions about digital natives and technology-enhanced learning. Many learners struggled with basic video-editing tasks and did not seem particularly enthusiastic about using ICT tools in their academic English class.

Lessons Learned

After critically reflecting on this experience, I agree with other researchers that integrating technology into a language learning context can be “messy” (Selwyn, 2016) and “surprisingly complex” (Stockwell, 2016, p. 303). I also discovered that English language learners are not necessarily willing and competent users of digital technologies in the classroom despite being smartphone savants. These days, my technology-enhanced learning initiatives are anchored in the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. This educational framework was created to make learning more accessible by providing all learners with multiple ways to engage with course content, access information, and demonstrate what they have learned (CAST, 2024). Readers interested in learning more about UDL can find additional information here: (CAST, 2026; Novak & Rodriguez, 2023). I will now highlight six practical strategies informed by the UDL framework and drawn from my frontline teaching experiences that can help teachers create more accessible and inclusive DST experiences for their students.

Strategy 1: Give Students Meaningful Choices

One of the simplest ways to make a multimodal project more accessible is to provide English language learners with meaningful choices. Instead of imposing a cookie-cutter assignment, I give students a certain amount of control over how they can develop and complete their digital stories. More specifically, they can choose their own topics, preferred video-editing platforms, and digital devices. Problematic group dynamics can undermine the success of a collaborative DST project, so students can decide who they would like to work with and how roles and responsibilities are distributed within their teams.

Strategy 2: Show Students What Success Looks Like

I’ve always been a big believer in the old adage “seeing is believing.” Therefore, it is important to showcase exemplary videos and model scripts at the outset of a collaborative multimodal project so that learners have a clear idea of what they are working toward. I also give the students an easy-to-follow assessment rubric and walk them through the grading criteria so they understand how their digital narratives will be evaluated. In addition, I provide them with a project checklist that breaks the video-composition process into more manageable steps and helps them keep track of their progress.

Strategy 3: Build in Sufficient Time and Flexibility

Whenever digital tools are thrown into the classroom mix, even carefully planned activities can take unexpected turns. Therefore, I try to build sufficient time and flexibility into my technology-enhanced learning assignments. I allocate time and space during lessons for learners to meet with their teammates and work on their digital stories rather than expecting them to complete everything outside class. I also invite tech-savvy students to spearhead short, informal mini-workshops on video-editing platforms (e.g., CapCut). Finally, I provide a bit of leeway with the project deadline by asking the class to vote on the final submission date.

Strategy 4. Make Individual Contributions Count

In any collaborative assignment, there is always the possibility that social loafers and free riders will emerge from the shadows and make extremely limited contributions to their teams. Free riders expect to receive the same grade as their teammates even though they do very little themselves. While a lack of motivation, excessively busy schedules, or other issues may contribute to this problem, the end result is usually the same. The uneven distribution of work can generate considerable friction and resentment among group members. Throughout a collaborative project, I regularly remind students that their individual contributions will be evaluated by their teammates and factored into the final grade. Before the last class, each student evaluates the members of their group using a simple paper-based form and deposits it in a box. In addition to assigning each teammate a score, there is space for students to provide a brief rationale for their ratings. I encourage English language learners to use their first language for these comments so they can express themselves clearly. The peer-evaluation scores and comments remain confidential. I have found that including a peer-evaluation component in a DST assignment greatly reduces social loafing and free riding.

Strategy 5. Scaffold Digital Storytelling Projects Step by Step

Asking English language learners to jump headfirst into a complex multimodal project without adequate preparation is a surefire recipe for frustration and failure. As noted previously, imposing a “sink or swim” mindset on academic English students resulted in my first DST foray floating about as successfully as the proverbial lead balloon. Before tackling a full-fledged digital story on a more challenging theme (e.g., food waste), I ease learners into the process through a series of carefully scaffolded activities. For example, students first analyze several viral marketing videos (e.g., Red Bull, 2016) to identify the features that make them engaging and memorable. They then brainstorm an original video idea using a paper-based mind map and share their concept with classmates to receive feedback. Finally, they transform their initial idea into a 10-scene storyboard and accompanying script that map out their envisioned viral marketing video from beginning to end. Once students have become comfortable with the pre-task planning process, I gradually introduce the digital dimension. Over the years, I have had students digitize simpler projects such as kamishibai (traditional Japanese storytelling) or PechaKucha presentations (see Toland, 2025b). These smaller-scale activities reduce the cognitive demands associated with research-based multimodal assignments and provide English language learners with opportunities to experiment with different digital tools. By the time students tackle a more complex digital story, they have already practiced many of the planning, storytelling, and technological skills needed to bring their ideas to life.  

Strategy 6. Provide Ongoing Guidance and Feedback

Scaffolding should not end once students start the video-production phase. Throughout the project, I regularly check in with groups and provide feedback as their digital narratives gradually take shape. One particularly important checkpoint occurs at the scripting stage. Given the ubiquity and convenience of GenAI platforms, many English language learners will be tempted to use AI-generated scripts. While GenAI tools can help groups create engaging images for their digital stories, the narrative itself needs to be accessible to the rest of the class. Scripts filled with sophisticated vocabulary and complex grammatical structures can quickly cause an audience to tune out. Therefore, I check each team’s script and flag areas that might need to be reworked.

Peer feedback is also an essential ingredient in the video-production process. At different stages of the project (e.g., storyboarding, first-cut video), students use simple checklists to evaluate each other’s work. The checklists avoid technical jargon (e.g., image resolution, audio levels) and instead focus on questions the peer reviewers can easily answer, such as:

    • Is the language easy to understand?
    • Is the background music too loud?
    • Are the narrators’ voices clear and easy to hear?
    • Do the images match the narrators’ words?
    • Are the images blurry or difficult to see?
    • Is the text large enough to read?
    • Can you easily see the text against the background?
    • Is the content appropriate for the audience?

Rather than simply having students submit their finished projects for a grade, I hold a class “film festival” at the end of the project. Peer feedback plays an important role during this relaxed and supportive event. The students have snacks and drinks, watch each team’s digital story, and celebrate their creations. I do not formally evaluate the projects during the class screening. Instead, the students take part in a mingling session where the video-makers can share the challenges and rewards they experienced. The audience members provide their classmates with plenty of informal feedback. This sharing session gives students an authentic audience and allows them to hear how their classmates respond to their videos. I believe that both peer feedback and ongoing instructor guidance can help English language learners not only improve the overall quality of their digital stories but also develop greater confidence in their ICT skills throughout the video-composition process.

Conclusion

In the world of sports, it is common to hear athletes say that they learned more from losing a game or contest than if they had actually been victorious. This is exactly how I feel about my first ill-fated attempt at DST in an academic English course. After critically reflecting on why the project went spectacularly off the rails, I realized that some of my assumptions about technology-enhanced learning were highly misguided. In essence, I had fallen into the trap of technological determinism and bought into the enduring myth of the “digital native.” That DST teaching experience, combined with exploring the work of researchers (e.g., Selwyn, 2022) who take a more critical stance on educational technology, fundamentally changed the way I approach integrating ICT tools and emerging technologies (e.g., GenAI) into my English classes. In our current technology-saturated, algorithm-driven era, it is essential that educators help students develop critical digital literacy skills and design learning activities that are inclusive and accessible to all learners.

References

Dr. Sean H. Toland is a Professor of English at The International University of Kagoshima. He has taught English as an additional language (EAL) at various levels in Japan and Korea and worked as a high school teacher in Canada’s Far North. His research interests include technology-enhanced learning, critical thinking, teacher training, and neurodiversity in language education.

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