New ways to organize the educational space of a lesson: digital local history storytelling

Abstract

The article discusses the burning issue of transforming teaching methods and modes in the context of the main trends in philological education based on the use of digital tools. The article aims to show how the modern educational space of a lesson is organised employing digital storytelling. This technique was used as a basis for developing an innovative philological project foregrounding A. S. Pushkin’s biographical information, the content and language of his works on the eve of the great poet’s jubilee. The major focus is on Pushkin’s name in the realities of Kaluga and Kaluga Oblast. Research methods include analysis of the main teaching modes and technologies in problem statement in conjunction with modelling a lesson based on project work, systematisation, and generalisation. As the main result, we propose a methodological description of the Abducted Bride project, including its main stages. They are as follows: constructing the plot of the story; designing assignments during the quest; determining the format of interaction between schoolchildren and the teacher and the learning environment; selecting multimedia and digital resources to visualise the story. Due to the extensive use of different types of information (visual, auditory, practical), interactivity, an interesting plot, and familiar characters, the developed project enabled us to increase the school students’ motivation for learning the Russian language, literature, history, information technology. Moreover, it also aroused interest in studying their birthplace, made the schoolchildren pay attention to objects in urban space. Through such landmarks, the school students once again turned to the great Russian poet’s personality and work. Thus, digital local history storytelling is a new way of organising the educational space of a lesson. This technique meets the modern requirements for the formation of students’ project thinking and project competencies.