Globally academic libraries exert great efforts towards enhancing information literacy among higher education students. Academic Libraries in the United States of America boast several examples of the use of digital storytelling in libraries. One such example is the University of Reno, where librarians are deeply embedded into the process of digital storytelling. There various instructors in the college have begun incorporating digital storytelling into instruction in response to a broader push towards strengthening students’ communication skills. In Africa and southern Africa information literacy workshops still concentrate mainly on text, while visual media must also be used accurately and ethically. Regrettably, in many instances visual literacy is rarely addressed in greater depth. Visual literacy entails experiences, attitudes and orientations and are shared via images, video, and other forms of multimedia. Digital storytelling requires high levels of visual literacy. The American Library Association (ALA), the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) as well as the International Association of Visual Literacy (IVLA) describe and explain visual literacy. Visual literacy skills equip a learner to understand and analyse the contextual, cultural, ethical, aesthetic, intellectual, and technical components involved in the production and use of visual materials. The research question is what is the current utilisation of visuals among academic library services in the target group? This study sets out to explore the perceptions, challenges, and experiences of academic information specialists in enhancing visual literacy as a sub-literacy. Through the lens of a critical digital literacy frameworks and informed by recent research, the study looks at the potential value of visual literacy skills to the support of active learning in diverse student communities The study consists of three case studies in three South African higher HEIs. The three selected HEI Library and Information Services all responded and participated fully. Qualitative data were collected from semi-structured survey questionnaires and follow up interviews sent to three institutions of higher learning in southern Africa. Thematic analysis was conducted to code and analyse collected data. The focus of the questionnaire was on their current use of DST in facilitating a range of literacies. Follow-up interviews were conducted at the selected HEIs. Thematic analysis was conducted to code and analyse collected data. In total three (3) participants from each HEI responded in answering the online survey questionnaire, making the total sample size nine (9) participants. When prompted about the Seven Steps of designing and creating a digital story, all participants conceded to lacking the foundational skills, knowledge and understanding of designing and using a digital story. They further shared that their HEIs all have instructional designers responsible for creating storyboards and digital content, but that these were mainly used for discipline-specific instruction only. None of the HEIs had a grounded understanding of metaliteracies and admitted guidelines towards best practice models in enhancing visual literacy. The value of the study lies in adding new knowledge of visual literacy skills, since they are still conducting information literacy training unchanged these past two decades, utilising PowerPoint presentation with limited use of digital storytelling techniques. The study offers communication and literacy awareness pertaining to an unexplored area and to propose best practice models.
Brenda Van Wyk
University of Pretoria, South Africa
English 
French