The context for my Digital Storytelling Project is a South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) Legal Studies class at either a Stage One (Year Eleven) or Stage Two (Year Twelve). This subject is often neglected in term of resources, especially in regards to digital resources that are up to date. This subject can be offered either as a semester or year-long subject in Stage One or as a year-long subject at Stage Two. The subject is divided into topics that are required to be studied and this Digital Storytelling Project is a resource for Topic Four: Justice Systems at both the Stage One and Stage Two level (SACE Board of South Australia, 2019).
The intended purpose of this Digital Storytelling Project is as an opening to the section on the Criminal Justice System. It is designed to have openings for students to be active learners and to ask questions within the class; including, but not limited to:
“Why are the cases split between the courts?”
“What cases are heard in the Supreme Court?”
“How much could a person be bailed for?”
“How long is the wait for a trial to start?”
This enables the students to actively participate in discussions about a process that they may have to participate in. It is also short enough that students will remain engaged in the Digital Storytelling Project.
The primary audience would be the Stage One and Stage Two students undertaking the Legal Studies subject; however, it could be used in other classes within the Humanities and Social Sciences stream. These include Australian and International Politics, Research Practices, Research Project and Society and Culture (“Subject search for teachers – South Australian Certificate of Education”, 2019). This can also be used within a Year Ten Civics and Citizenship class.
This Digital Storytelling Project is deliberately factual and not a fictional recreation of a potential case within the Criminal Justice System not only to ensure that is can be used year after year; but also to protect the students from further trauma if they have had to be a participant within the Criminal Justice System. This can suit quite a few diverse learning needs, especially those with attention issues, who may have low attendance or are severely ill and unable to attend school on a regular basis.
The value of this Digital Storytelling Project is that it is a relevant South Australian resource that can be used in a wide variety of subjects and is not restrictive. If the teacher does not wish to use this as a learning resource, it can be used as an example of an assessment piece that could be set to demonstrate their understanding of Legal Studies.
Unfortunately, this is restrictive, in terms of the community utilising the Digital Storytelling Project. This Digital Storytelling Project is designed with students in mind, rather than a wider community purpose. During my practicums in 2018 and contract work in 2019 there was a distinct lack of resources available for Legal Studies teachers. In comparison, with my other teaching area of English, there are plenty of resources, digital and otherwise. It was my aim, with the creation of the Digital Storytelling Project, to create something that fills a need within the SACE curriculum and that can be used by more than one site and on more than one occasion.
References
SACE Board of South Australia. (2019). Legal Studies 2018 Subject Outline: Stage 1 and Stage 2. Adelaide, South Australia: SACE Board of South Australia.
Subject search for teachers – South Australian Certificate of Education. (2019). Retrieved 4 September 2019, from https://www.sace.sa.edu.au/teaching/subjects
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