GLBL202 A World of Stories: Global Storytelling in the Digital Age

Overview

A cross-cultural journey into storytelling—human and AI, oral and written, real and imaginary, personal and political—in today’s digital world.

Digital storytelling is everywhere: everyone has a story to tell. But who is telling these stories—humans, AI, or both? What kinds of stories emerge—personal or political, real or imagined—and who is listening?

In this course, we examine storytelling as a fundamental human trait, central to how we understand, interpret, and transform the world. We explore how stories take shape across languages, cultures, and media—from oral traditions, folk tales, and theatrical performance to blogs, films, songs, animation, and digital art. Along the way, we ask how storytelling empowers some voices and silences others, how it makes certain realities visible while pushing others into invisibility. Through case studies from Aotearoa, the Pacific, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and Africa, you will engage with diverse storytelling practices and create your own “global” story, reflecting on the tensions between human and machine, the written and spoken, the personal and collective.

About this paper

Prerequisite

36 points

Restriction

GLBL 302

Schedule C

Arts and Music

Eligibility

Suitable for students of all disciplines who seek to develop the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in intercultural situations, be it at home or in international settings.

Contact

languages@otago.ac.nz

Teaching staff

Professor Paola Voci

Paper Structure

This project-driven paper is organised into one- or two-week modules. The modules are linked by three key concepts - identity, history and social change - which provide the basis for understanding the effectiveness of stories told at different magnitudes (by individuals, groups, nations or even broader transnational communities).

Coursework is directed towards the completion of a storytelling project, supported by a series of focused readings and the analysis of a number of case studies.

Teaching Arrangements

The paper is delivered through two 1-hour lectures per week and a weekly workshop or tutorial.

The course will also involve field-work, round-table discussions with the class and other participants, and a limited number of guest visits.

Textbooks

All reading material for this course is provided to students as e-readings via Blackboard.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised

Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Information literacy, Research, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of fundamental concepts and principles of communication between people from different social and cultural backgrounds
2. Generate insights into social, cultural and historical dimensions of cultural and subcultural groups around the world
3. Reflect critically upon the influence of their own culture on how they view themselves and others
4. Compare communication behaviour, verbal and non-verbal, of different cultural groups, and interpret the behaviour through culture
5. Demonstrate an ability to acquire, organise, analyse and evaluate information both in writing and orally
6. Understand how stories can strengthen strategies for social change and to apply those skills to your specific interests and passions
7. Demonstrate creative teamwork abilities through group discussion, giving and responding to feedback, and collective brainstorming
8. Develop a stronger awareness of how different narrative frames are being increasingly used in many academic and practical areas, including Psychology, Science, Education, Marketing, and Sociology

Timetable