COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ON INCORPORATING DIGITAL STORYTELLING FOR DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS IN ENGLISH CLASSROOM

Abstract

In the era of rapid technological advancement, access to digital opportunities makes it possible to prepare students for the jobs of the future and have a positive influence on the development of their future-proof skills, which will be of paramount value. Amid unpredictable changes in the labor market, critical thinking skills are becoming increasingly strategic and enabling labor market entrants to think independently and make informed decisions. Although numerous studies suggest that digital technologies can enhance students’ engagement and motivation, the current academic literature lacks research that captures students’ perspectives on developing critical thinking skills through digital storytelling. To address this gap, the study aims to investigate students’ perspectives on incorporating digital storytelling for developing critical thinking skills in the English classroom. To achieve this aim, the researchers developed a questionnaire containing both open- and closed-ended questions and surveyed 397 computer science undergraduate students from two Ukrainian universities. The findings demonstrate that all students surveyed consider digital storytelling an effective way to develop their critical thinking skills, and digital tools are convenient for creating, visualizing and presenting ideas. To draw well-founded conclusions, the researchers use both qualitative and quantitative data analysis. This study is limited to computer science undergraduate students studying English.