Kaleidostories

Abstract

We live in a society where concepts of self, community and 'what is right and wrong' are constantly changing. Consequently, there is a need for learning environments that encourage young people to actively explore their identity as well as the personal and social values they live by. Computational tools have the potential to foster learning about these issues. However, there has been little research in this area. This paper shows how online collaborative environments can serve as tools to facilitate young people's thinking about moral and identity issues. The paper describes two pilot experiences in which bilingual middle and high school students and their teachers, in five different sites around the world, used Kaleidostories, a web-based narrative tool to support the formation of a virtual community to exchange stories about shared values and role models. The goal of this research project is to explore how new technologies can assist young people to discover their own selves as well as the underlying patterns of thought and behaviour that connect the worldviews proposed by different cultures. The project shows how teachers were able to use the online community to complement and augment their face to face activities and interactions by integrating Kaleidostories into different curricular content areas.