From Traditional to Digital: Children’s Learning of Traditional Chinese Culture Through Festival-related Storytelling

Abstract

Multimedia technology is a potentially efficient supplementary storytelling strategy. However, the effectiveness of multimedia storytelling for teaching about traditional festivals is unknown. We compared the effects of traditional storytelling (TST) and multimedia digital storytelling (MDST) on learning achievements, attitudes, and preferences towards studying traditional Chinese festivals. A quasi-experimental intervention (8-week lessons about two festivals) was conducted with experimental and control groups of 58 third-graders from Guangdong Province, China. We found MDST increased children’s learning outcomes and preferences towards learning about Chinese festivals. The MDST group showed larger gains in academic performance than the TST group – although they showed similar positive effects, they were more pronounced in the MDST group. Overall, MDST has substantial potential learning benefits, and multimedia digital technology can effectively stimulate students’ interest in learning about Chinese traditions and culture. The implications of using MDST for traditional culture and festival education and future research recommendations are discussed.