Dissertation Defence: Leveraging Digital Heritage Storytelling to Promote Global Citizenship Education
June 12 at 7:30 am - 11:30 am
Amira Mahmoud Shaban Ahmed, supervised by Dr. Aleksandra Dulic, will defend their dissertation titled “Leveraging Digital Heritage Storytelling to Promote Global Citizenship Education” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies – Digital Arts and Humanities theme.
An abstract for Amira Mahmoud Shaban Ahmed’s dissertation is included below.
Examinations are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Please email aleksandra.dulic@ubc.ca to receive the Zoom link for this exam.
Abstract
In an increasingly globalized world, there is a pressing need to adopt new ways of thinking about citizenship. It is crucial to integrate an interdisciplinary and global perspective on citizenship in response to the ongoing armed conflicts and the overflow of migrants and refugees around the world. Global Citizenship Education (GCED) is an ongoing research area of increasing interest worldwide; however, its theoretical concepts need to be practically implemented within higher education institutions. Recently, research studies have investigated the role of heritage education in promoting global citizenship and constructing global identities. Digital heritage storytelling can be a valuable tool for promoting global citizenship in higher education classrooms. Hence, this study investigates how implementing digital heritage storytelling experiences can serve as creative and practical methodologies to enhance global citizenship in higher education.
The data was collected through three interconnected methods: (a) semi-structured interviews with multidisciplinary higher education educators (n=23), (b) autoethnographic close reading analysis of personal storytelling approach in virtual reality experiences, and (c) design-based research-creation of immersive environment. The Educommunication framework, a constructivist educational approach, informs the thesis structure, which is divided into three main chapters that focus on analysis and creation, blending theory into practice by investigating the practical implications of digital heritage storytelling from the perspectives of multidisciplinary educators and practitioners. Each chapter incorporates creative and analytical dimensions, along with related educators’ insights, to address the research questions.
Findings suggest that global citizenship frameworks and applications in higher education can benefit from the Educommunication framework to enhance their practical implications. Global citizenship practices are context-dependent (discipline-, time-, place-based); hence, digital heritage storytelling practices should be situated locally but globally oriented toward a sustainable future. By investigating how educators incorporate digital heritage storytelling and project-based learning into their teaching practices, this study contributes to the literature by providing practical examples and recommendations on the implementation of digital heritage storytelling in higher education institutions, addressing the opportunities and challenges to integrating virtual reality and immersive environments, as well as interdisciplinary and community collaborations to promote intercultural learning and global citizenship.
