Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 7, No. 1 Nov. 2014

Designing Digital Storytelling Workshops for Vulnerable
People:A Collaborative Story-weaving Model from the “Pre-story
Space”
Keywords:
Digital Storytelling, participatory media, story-weaving model, dialog, photo-taking

Akiko OGAWA, Nagoya University
Yuko TSUCHIYA, Hiroshima University of Economics

Abstract
Digital Storytelling (DST) is a grassroots movement and a workshop-based practice throughwhich people are taught to use digital media to create short video stories, usually about their own
lives. Although DST practices are spreading throughout the world, it seems that little attention
has been given to the story-generating process. In running several workshops, we presumed that
it was difficult for many people to express their experiences and thoughts in a clear, coherent way,
and it is important to rethink how they generate their stories. In this paper, we propose a digitalstorytelling workshop model for vulnerable people that entails establishing key concepts of “thecollaborative story generation” from “pre-story space.”1
First, we examined two game-like workshop methods. One of them was a DST program “Media
Conte,” in which participants and facilitators co-created the stories primarily through dialogs andcard games. The other was “Photo Karuta,” in which participants were required to take photos
and interview others to find new perspectives through fieldworks. Both workshops shared theconcept of focusing on pre-story space to generate stories. These workshops were developed andmodified through numerous attempts, which were conducted by the methodology of “critical
media practice.”2
At the end of this paper, we depict how the collaborative story-weaving model is developed fromthe pre-story space and discuss the advantages for vulnerable people using these storytelling
methods.

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Designing Digital Storytelling Workshops for Vulnerable People: A Collaborative Story-weaving Model from the “Pre-story Space” OGAWA et al

logically express themselves. In our society,1. Background and objectives

since passionate groups promoted these media,

1-1. Why should we focus on pre-story Space?

they

unintentionally

tend

to

excludethe

Typically, a Digital Story is a two-to-three

engagement of the everyday people. That is,minute video clip that combines photo images

participatory media still has not become awith a storyteller’s voiceover. It is produced

familiar presence for vulnerable people.4 In thisthrough intensive workshops during which eachcontext, the examples of global DST practices,

participant speaks freely to constructively address

which are aimed toward laypeople’s expression,

the stories told by each other participant (“story

are shown to benefit participatory media

circles”). Stories told in this format focus onpractices throughout Japan as well.

everyday life, such as memories of school days,

Certainly, DST is a unique form of media,

personal experiences, and family histories. These

allowing laypeople to simply and richly express

videos can be likened to sonnets or haiku for thetheir thoughts and everyday lives. However, we

digital age (Hartley & McWilliam, 2009). This

have a question about their premise thatprocess was inspired by the performances of“everyone has a story to tell,” which is often

artist D. Atchley, and the California-based Centerassumed in basic Californian practices. We

for DST has continued his activities, implementing

attempted a couple of trial workshops based on

his practices worldwide. Many individuals andthe DST approach, and it proved difficult togroups conduct the workshops over a wide range

develop meaningful stories. In our experimentalof locations and in various fields of interest, suchworkshops,

as education, empowerment, and public history

3

vulnerable

participants

seemedunable to voice what they desired to say in(Lambert, 2013; Tsuchiya, 2013).

individual situations and were not conscious or

While participatory media or public accessself-aware of the own stories. In the Western

television have attracted increased attention

model, it seems that little attention has beenacross Japan, most citizen media practices havegiven to the story-generating process. Bybeen developed for “healthy” citizens, who are

conducting several workshops with vulnerable

viewed as having clear opinions and the ability togroups, Ogawa & Ito’s previous paper pointed

1This is a study to explore people’s media creativity by designing and examining experimental workshops, which
are based on an approach of the Critical Media Practice proposed by Mizukoshi (Mizukoshi, 2011).

2 In Critical Media Practice, we will design a system or program to facilitate citizen media expression and planand hold a workshop to implement the system. We will then analyze and evaluate the results of the workshop,
based on which we will develop an improved workshop plan. By repeating this cycle, we will incrementally
improve the performance of workshop program (Mizukoshi, 2012).
3 Of particular note is the Capture Wales project in the UK. The project attracted attention as a high-profile
example of this type of activity in which the BBC, which operates under the banner of objective reporting,transferred editorial authority to general audiences (Meadows and Kidd, 2009). Lambert, the founder of theCenter of DST in California, notes that over 15,000 people were trained in the art of DST (Lambert, 2013).
4

In this paper, we define “vulnerable people” as the voiceless in society such as marginalized people and laypeople
who are inexperienced in expressing themselves in public.

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Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 7, No. 1 Nov. 2014

out the importance of focusing on the “pre-story

By comparing these two workshops andspace.” The term refers to a space in which only

clarifying their common and contrasting points,

small fragments of ideas, experiences, or untold

we attempt to extract a model that could facilitate

complaints, or laughter, —“story seeds”—arevulnerable people to generate stories, andjumbled together prior to verbalization (Ogawa &examine a new digital storytelling perspective. In

Ito, 2010). It is important to rethink how they

addition, we want to emphasize that our goal isgenerate their stories and to start practices fromnot to analyze and verify experimentally andthe pre-story space.

demonstratively subjects such as the reactions toor changes in the participants or the works they

1-2. Objectives of this paper

have created in workshops. Rather, the goal of

In this paper, by developing the concept shown

this paper is to devise a storytelling program forin previous paper about pre-story space andeducational and societal practice to present new

examining and comparing our two workshop

possibilities for digital storytelling.

5

methods and results, we propose a new model of

2. In the case of Media Conte

story generation for vulnerable people.
First, we re-examined our workshop programs
to determine how we intended to generate

2-1. General information about Media Conte

stories. The first workshop method (MediaAs an attempt to seek out a DST model that

Conte) included finding story seeds inside of aadhered to Japanese society, we have continuously

supposed storyteller and combining the picked

improved our two-to-three day workshop program,seeds to rearrange them into a storyline. The

named “Media Conte,” since 2008.6 With our

examined second workshop (Photo Karuta)

project, more than 10 workshops have been

included seeking story seeds in the outside

conducted

world. It set up fieldworks during which

nationalities, senior citizens, disabled people, andstorytellers visited unfamiliar locations equipped

students in Fukushima; over 100 Digital Stories

with cameras. While photographing the location

have been created thus far. Setting aside theand witnessing others, the storytellers picked up

Western assumption that “everyone has a story

story seeds. Those seeds were selected and used

to tell”, we designed workshop programs thatto create a set of game cards, called “Photo

would enable laypeople to generate stories that

Karuta,” which displayed local features that werefocusedin line with participant’s established theme.

dissatisfactions. This program intends to develop

on

among

their

teenagers

everydaywithforeignthoughts

and5 Media Conte workshops are mainly conducted by A. Ogawa, M. Ito, and S. Mizojiri, who collaborate withmembers: K. Sakata, S. Mizukoshi, A. Kikuchi, and Y. Tsuchiya. Photo Karuta was designed and conducted by Y.
Tsuchiya.
6 We have been conducting workshop, since 2008, with teenage children of foreign workers of Japanese descent,senior citizens, women, disabled persons, and university students in Iwaki, Fukushima (Higashi Nippon
International University). For more details, see http://mediaconte.net/. Most of the stories are available on
the “Theater” page. Some have English scripts.

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Designing Digital Storytelling Workshops for Vulnerable People: A Collaborative Story-weaving Model from the “Pre-story Space” OGAWA et al

the marginalized participants’ Digital Stories,

perspectives similar to the theories and practices

which empowers the creation of self-narrativeof narrative approach7.

through dialogue and story generation.

2-2-1. The “combining-photos-into-stories”

During these workshops, we focused on the

game8role of facilitators to reveal the participants’ story
seeds. Then we established a service-learning

The “combining-photos-into-stories” game iscourse at the Community Collaboration Center ofan icebreaking, story-focused workshop. With

Aichi Shukutoku University, and the students

this game-like program, each participant chosemajoring in media studies were expected to act as

one photo from a diverse collection of photos

facilitators and listen to the participants’ unvoiced

relating to a single subject, such as a frog, or aexperiences and thoughts to help generate theirpiece of cake. The participant attached the photostories and produce videos.

to a base card and then partnered with anotherparticipant to create a story linking their two

2-2. Basic workshop method

motifs; this was performed within a time limit.

During our workshop, we aimed to make story-

Simply attempting to link the two photos as-is would

generating possible using dialogues and game-not have yielded successful results; however, by

like programs instead of writing scripts. We

recording the symbols and connotations thatdesigned the workshop by keeping in mind thesprang to mind while viewing the photos andstory-making theory proposed by Ohtsuka (2003).

writing these on sticky notes, which were then

He proposed one antithesis of a storytelling theory

attached to the photos, participants were able tofromindividuals’

identify and visualize the structural elements ofconfessions, which coincides with the Western or

potential stories. Another intention of thistheperspective

of

the

modern story theory. What has been cited here
as the means of producing stories within nonWestern or postmodern story-making theory is
not the novel or film, but card games. With a card
game,

deconstructing

experiences

andimpressions, and linking and combining theminto stories are made easier. Moreover, they are
directly experienced as physical actions. While
the participants and facilitator students engaged
in the dialogic card game, they would identify thehidden voice fragments and withdraw their story

Photo 1

“Combining-photos-into-stories”

seeds. In addition, this deconstruction andgame. Start from a frog and end

construction method of storytelling employedwith a piece of cake.

7 In narrative theories, story is often defined as “describing the plot of two or more events”. It means stories are
generated by linking pieces of information.For more details, see Yamada (2000).
8 Workshop methods and tools are available at the website: http://mediaconte.net/workshop

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Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 7, No. 1 Nov. 2014

program was to show the participants thatof stories were presented, all participants andstorytelling practice was a freewheeling activity infacilitators exchanged feedback−questions, –which, unlike their schoolwork, there were no rightcomments–and advice− about what kinds ofor wrong answers.

photo images would be effective to use in thestories.

2-2-2. Interview time
2-2-4. Storyboard productions and editing

Starting with this program, each participant
would move forward to generate his or her own

This process began by printing the photos andstory. First, five small cards were prepared. A

attaching them to the picture-script cards, which

single theme, such as “annoyances,” ”my mostincluded rough scenarios consisting of shortmemorable event,” or “my treasure” was written

sentences. Each picture scene required one oron each of them. These questions were intended

two sentences. Since it was much easier andto guide participants in voicing their experiencesmore impressive, participants were encouraged

and thoughts. A facilitator placed one of theseto speak in monologues using a colloquial style,cards in the middle of a sheet of paper and asked

conversational tone. Finally, they combined thequestions related to the subjects on the card. The

photos and voiceovers using Windows Movie

participant’s experiences and thoughts, which

Maker or iPad application software.

were voiced in response to the questions, were

2-2-5. Preview and media coverage

written on sticky notes and attached around thecard; these served as motifs that could potentiallyCompleted Digital Stories were screened at

generate a story. If the subject on the card did not

the conclusion of the workshop. The participant-seem to activate discussions, then the processfacilitator pairs introduced their works prior to

was attempted again with a different card. Finally,

the screening. In order to share these stories

if an interesting topic arose, the card in the centerwith the local community members, most of thewas replaced with a note recording the main

works were later broadcasted on local cable

topic or episode; this note was coupled with the

television.

sticky notes gathered from keywords during the

2-3. Workshop results

question time and was used to assemble a story.

Although we had to partially rethink and2-2-3. Storytelling by five picture cards

reform the program, it proved functional during

From the collected notes with key concepts

each session. Every participant was successful inwritten on them, participants and facilitatorsdeveloping a story.

created the outline of a story by selecting notes

First, in each session, most of the story seeds

and attaching them to five picture cards. On eachwere found in seemingly unimportant chats withcard, a square for attaching sticky notes andfacilitators about every day matters. The

some dots for main ideas were printed.

facilitators accomplished this through continual,Participants and facilitators put their notes withdiligent questioning, listening, and nodding, andkeywords on sheets of paper, and they wrote

by mobilizing the frameworks of their own

down keywords for each scene. After the outlines

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Designing Digital Storytelling Workshops for Vulnerable People: A Collaborative Story-weaving Model from the “Pre-story Space” OGAWA et alsessions evoked participants’ motivation to self-

dialogic “story-weaving” method proves to be very

disclose.

effective in empowering participants.

For

example,intheyoungest

participant’s case,9 a female student facilitator used

These new stories also help participants makea question card with the theme “Annoyances,” andsense of their lives. The participants pondered

she encouraged a boy’s complaints about chores

about their pasts and rethought their futuresand his brother by asking numerous questions,through the story-weaving process. In the case ofproviding various options of how to combine

young participants who created future self-

identified story seeds, taking photos, andstories, it seemed some of the dream stories

combining these elements that reflected theiractually came true.

own past experiences. Achieved here were

Finally, as a side effect, the collaborative story-

stories created together, with the teenagers andweaving workshop provides both participants

facilitators serving as catalysts for each other. In

and facilitators with a strong sense of empathy

contrast, unlike the workshop with facilitators,

toward their workshop partners. In order to help

the stories, which are generated without

generate the participants’ stories, facilitators

facilitators’ help, tended to be elusive. Also, in thewere required to understand each participant’scase where we skipped the “combining-photos-

unique situation. As stated earlier, the facilitators

into-stories” game, it took longer for participants

were required to listen to the participants’to understand how to generate meaningful stories

voiceless thoughts, imagine the situation their(Ogawa et al.2010). This proves the effectivenesspartners were in, and try to interpret theirof our card-game- like and conversational story-

narratives using their own past experiences; thisgenerating method (Ogawa & Ito, 2010; Ogawa etcalled for them to demobilize their own frameworks

al., 2010; Ogawa et al., 2012; Mizojiri et al., 2012).

and perspectives to understand others with different

Second, our collaborative model encouraged

backgrounds. Printed photos were also effective inparticipants to “re-present” their new story of self

encouraging empathy toward others and to(Ogawa & Ito, 2010). “Self” came to be theorizedinterpret the background situation of eachas “a perpetually rewritten story (Bruner, 1991)”

participant. Through story-weaving processes,

in cultural psychology, and the self-narrative isfacilitators

recognized as essential when a person constructs

partners desired to say by reflecting on their own

and reconstructs one’s identity. However, as

experiences and feelings. Many student facilitators

narrative theories stipulate, people do not find it

mentioned their newfound interest in news

easy to write or rewrite their self-narrative without

regarding the vulnerable groups with which they

someone’s conversational help. In our workshops,

became involved.

frequently

interpreted

what

the

many stories concerning the self were generated
through the facilitator’s questioning, and selecting

2-4. Problems

and connecting story seeds. Since our identities

Althoughtheprograms

wereprimarily

and those we attribute to others are relational andfunctional, the collaborative story-weaving model

constructed in conversation (Gergen, 2009), thepresented two problems. First, we absolutely

9 Their stories are available at the website: http://mediaconte.net/theatre/?cat=8.

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Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 7, No. 1 Nov. 2014

needed the facilitators to maintain positive

haiku, and were interpreted as a group of short

attitudes toward their participating partners.

and fragmentary digital stories. We referred toWithout positive attitudes, interview sessions didthem as “story sprouts” in the pre-story space.

not prove to be effective, and the story seeds

Karuta is traditionally a popular Japanese card

were not properly gathered. In addition, thegame with roots dating back to a shell-matchingprocess worked best when the facilitator’sgame played among aristocrats of the Heianbackground differed from that of the participant’s.

period (794-1185).10 Today, Karuta uses two types

The differences seemed to raise more questionsof paper cards: which are pairs of picture cards,

despite the fact that they had difficulties inor “e-fuda,” and written cards, or “yomi-fuda.” A

understanding their backgrounds.

yomi-fuda is written in a short poem of 17

Second, since participants sometimes relied

syllables arranged in a 5-7-5 pattern, similar to a

too heavily on the facilitators’ help, which washaiku.11 A karuta set often consists of 46 pairs ofespecially the case with the more vulnerable

cards, the same number of letters in the Japaneseparticipants, the facilitators tended to holdalphabet, called “hiragana.” During the game,stronger initiatives when generating stories. This

while a facilitator reads aloud the written yomi-

was inevitable to some extent, but the facilitator

fuda one by one, players attempt to snatch theshould always avoid too much interference.

e-fuda associated with it from among all the othercards before the other players can. The player

3. In the case of Photo Karuta

who gains the highest number of e-fuda isdeclared the winner. A karuta set has a single

3-1. General information on Photo Karuta
Photo Karuta combines photo-taking researchwith the making of a Japanese traditional card
game, called “karuta.” Even though it is not
identical to DST, developed by the Center of DST
in California and others, the Photo Karuta
workshop guides participants in exploring a prestory space and gathering story seeds. With thisworkshop, participants took photos and wrote
short poems similar to haiku that related to each

Photo 2 Photo Karuta

photo. These pair cards included the photo and

10 The Japan Kyoto Karuta NPO introduces history and basic description of karuta. See http://www14.plala.
or.jp/hpmsmiki/englishpage.html.
11 Haiku is a form of traditional short poetry with 17 syllables in Japan. As a conservative rule, it requires a season
word “kigo” and focuses on natural subject matter. “Senryu” is also a form of poetry written with the same
number of syllables without a kigo, and deals with humor and human nature. Now, however, senryu featuresappear in haiku, and the differences are sometimes blurred. In the Photo Karuta workshop, it did not matter if
the strict rule was followed, so the students wrote the haiku in freer way.

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Designing Digital Storytelling Workshops for Vulnerable People: A Collaborative Story-weaving Model from the “Pre-story Space” OGAWA et al

theme, such as proverbs, dialects, historicalfigures, local specialties, and so etc. Therefore,
karuta is often played among children as an
educational exercise to grasp fundamental
knowledge home and in schools. Kids enjoy
using the game to learn. Additionally, because of
its popularity, karuta is often designed to promotelocal culture. One of the well-known examples is“Jomo karuta,” which was made to introduce

Figure 1 Design of Photo Karuta workshop

historical characters, famous locations, andproducts of Gunma, one of the prefectures inmakes a karuta set consisting of 46 pairs of cards.

Japan. Citizens participate in large competitions

The groups are required to establish one uniqueeach year.

theme for their karuta based on the attractions
that they find from the field.

3-2. Basic workshop method
Duringthe

Photo

Figure 1 displays the full design of the Photoworkshop,

Karuta workshop as a pre-story space. To findparticipants tried to make the karuta themselves

story seeds, participants visited a location andto introduce their local places. They took photos

photographed

for the picture cards and wrote haiku on theexperiencing nature and the local atmosphere.

written cards. In the process of making the karuta

The also heard explanations given by a local

sets,

individual

volunteer guide, and held conversations withperspectives to discover charming points of these

locals. After that, participants attempted tolocations. Because this activity resulted in 46

generate story sprouts by creating Photo Karuta

pairs of photo-haiku cards, it had the potential toaccording to their set theme. This process

produce 46 story sprouts.

included: choosing 46 photos for the picture

participants

used

Karutatheir

eye-catching

scenes,while

Since 2008, Photo Karuta has been used in thecards and printing them, considering haiku forcourse “Watashitachi no Hiroshima-Photo Karuta

the written cards by finding adequate words todukuri (Rediscovering Our Hiroshima-A Photomatch the photos, comparing their works with

Karuta Production),” which is an active learninggroup members to modify them, and studying

programs at Hiroshima University of Economics.

local matters. Through these activities, they

The course aims to enhance planning abilities

found and expressed various attractions relating

and other social skills, such as cooperation andto the location.

presentation. For six years, we have made karuta
cards for local towns and islands in Hiroshima

3-3. Workshop results

prefecture: Hiroshima-shi, Okunojima, Miyajima,

3-3-1. Story sprouts generated in the workshop

Osakikamijima, Onomichi-shi, Sandankyo Valley,

Story sprouts, that is, pairs of karuta cards

and Osakikamijima. Every year, there are about

generated by participants, were multi-faceted and

20 to 30 attendees, divided into four or five groups

richly expressive. They were divided into fourcomprised of three or four members. Each groupcategories: description, knowledge, thoughts,
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Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 7, No. 1 Nov. 2014

and imagination.

photos were not directly related to the haiku’s

The first category, description, described andmessages. For example, seeing a photo of a

explained scenes and people that students tookscenic waterfall, a student wrote the haiku: I feel

notice of while working at the location. For

ridiculous myself, why I was worrying, until

example, one photo card captured an image of

midnight yesterday. The writer did not the mention

autumn maple leaves turning fiery red. On thewaterfall at all, but, instead, wrote what came topaired haiku card, the student wrote a realistic

her mind as she witnessed the natural creature.

and rhythmical poem: Very red, autumn leaves,

Taking photos of the waterfall reminded her ofvery red (This text is translated to English by

everyday annoyances and awakened her to its

Tsuchiya. The same applies to the following

minuteness.

haiku). Another example of a card included the3-3-2. Narratives composed from 46 story

words: On the canvas, a gentleman draws, also

sprouts

autumn leaves. This haiku described a photo ofDuring the workshop, as mentioned earlier,colored leaves at a valley and an elderly man who

each group was required to set up one theme forsat riverside to paint those leaves.
The second category of karuta card provided

their karuta, which specified an attractive featureknowledge relating to the area, includingthat the group discovered while visiting theinformation and history that the student learned

location. In a completed karuta set, the theme

while working at the location. It was based on thewas elaborately depicted by 46 story sprouts withparticipant’s thoughts and interests during

various expressions of individual members. This

activities. As an example, the following haiku

proposed theme acted as a unique local narrative

introduced the biological reason why the

relating to their original view, which waswaterfall appeared red, taught by the local guide.

collectively and collaboratively weaved.
In the case of the karuta created from theSuch a mysterious, red color of waterfall, the reason

Sandakyo-valley in 2012, five groups of students

is bacteria.
The third category included the thoughts andspecified their themes: 1) the healing effect ofemotions that came to mind when the students

the visit, 2) a romantic location for dating, 3) rich

took the photos, listened to others, and exploredhistory built by people’s endeavors, 4) a charming

the nature. These were not merely explanations

combination of many natural aspects, such as theof what they saw and heard, but were expression

sounds of a river, fresh air, scenic valleys, andof their thought processes. On a photo card

autumn leaves, and 5) an enjoyable place for

depicting a flower and autumn leaves in a valley,

children. During the workshop, varied narratives

students wrote the haiku: It is the lovely, thewere raised, composed of diverse images andforgettable flower, blossoms quietly.

words proposed by each group.

The forth karuta category included theimagination and inspiration that the participants

3-3-3. Effectiveness of the workshop design

drew when they were inspired by the photoWith the design of this Photo Karuta workshop,

cards. It allowed for a freer mind than category

we focused not only on dialogues but also on

three, and the objects and scenes shown on theexperiencestogather

story

seeds.

The

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Designing Digital Storytelling Workshops for Vulnerable People: A Collaborative Story-weaving Model from the “Pre-story Space” OGAWA et al

photographing activity allowed participants to

4. The story-generating model from pre-story

easily discover their interests and individual

space

points of view. Moreover, the photos wereeffective when the participants were asked to

By reflecting and examining both activities ofreflect upon and evoke their associated ideas.

Media Conte and Photo Karuta workshops in

Additionally, visiting the location for the fieldwork

accordance with the concept of the pre-story

caused the participants to feel the experience

space, we elaborated a model to generate stories

through their bodies; that is, they not only werefor vulnerable people. The extracted model isable to see the field, but they were also able toshown in Figure 2. Both workshops, basically

hear, smell, touch and taste the experience.

followed three steps when weaving these stories:

Those experiences facilitated participants to1) pick up story seeds, 2) select and classify themore sensitively perceive and to create haikus,

story seeds, and 3) transform the seeds of stories

story seeds, and sprouts as categorized in 3-3-1.

into coherent stories.

Surely, it is relatively easier to develop story

In the case of Media Conte, participants picked

sprouts - pair cards of the photos and the haiku -up story seeds from their memories and internalthan rationalized stories. For vulnerable people,

voices through a workshop exercise called

the ease of story sprouts acted as effective“interview time.” Through conversation withstarting points to raise their voices freely.

facilitators, they were inspired by the use of

Moreover, a form of karuta does not have a linear

question cards. In the next activity, “storytellingstoryline, but can generate unique narratives as awith five picture cards,” story seeds werewhole based on the 46 story sprouts. It may aid inselected, classified, and arranged in a timeline,

the discovery of local features and attractions in aand edited into a story. In the Photo Karuta

wider perspective. In addition, the story-making

workshop, story seeds were picked up from fieldprocess was more interactive and community

experience.

based, allowing the participants to help eachmemories participants gained on location played

other.

a role in gathering story seeds. To make karuta

Thephotos,knowledge,

andThe form of karuta could be interpreted as“cool media” that Marshall McLuhan named
media which demand audience participation(McLuhan, 1994=1964). A haiku is a very shortpoem and requires readers to use their
imagination to make sense of the words. Karuta,
which is an aggregation of such haikus andimages, is considered to be cool media as well.
The form asks players to read between the cards,
and to interpret and appreciate local attractions
while enjoying the game.

Figure 2

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Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 7, No. 1 Nov. 2014cards and story sprouts, they selected andstories were not complete “stories” in terms ofclassified those seeds. Though the process ofthe causal nexus that is usually required forreflecting on their experiences and creating

coherent stories. However, the audiences were

photo-haiku pairs cards, they established a theme

required to read “between the lines” and useof locality. At last, a collective narrative wastheir experiences or imaginations to appreciate

weaved from a completed karuta card set.

the laypeople’s Digital Stories (Media Conte) or

These two workshops resulted in different

the developed Photo Karuta. In the case of Media

story forms; one was a short video story, and theConte, through a collaborative story-weaving

other was a matching card game. However, there isprocess, student facilitators were frequently

commonality in the basic process of deconstruction

required to “read” participant’s utterances, photos,

and construction, as well as story weaving fromand narratives using their knowledge andstory elements based on collaborative works

experiences. Through these reflective processes,

among participants and others. In both workshops,

a facilitator and a participant co-created theeach story element, namely seed, is visualized byparticipant’s self-narrative, which proved to beusing sticky notes, cards and photos. Therefore,

important to one’s identity, and it helped them tothoughts and images in a storyteller’s mind

gain empathy. On the other hand, making andbecome visible, which allows facilitators andplaying with a set of Karuta might inspire people

other participants to share ideas and advise about

to see a story world in their mind.

making a story and how to edit and show it. Thisvisualization

of

story

seeds

enables

In addition, the process of collaborative story

thegeneration and appreciation of sprouted poem-

collaboration among participants in all steps. It

like stories may invite audience members nothelps storytelling for vulnerable people.

only to engage in the interpretation of the stories,
but also to generate further stories in their own
minds.

5. Towards further research
As is propounded in Western practices, does

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