Assessment of an online interactive storytelling tool in the Saudi context in the times of Covid-19

Abstract

This study aimed to test an online computer-assisted language learning tool to support Saudi language students’ reading skills by using interactive storytelling during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study assessed the efficiency of an online interactive storytelling tool and the usability of the Interactive and Conventional Storytelling Questionnaire and compared conventional and online interactive storytelling methods. It also revealed participants’ perceptions of these storytelling methods and compared them in terms of the participants’ age and gender. A mixed-method design was utilised to acquire data consistent with the current study and a comprehensive explanation of the research questions. Fifty-two Saudi second-language learners that studied English volunteered for the study, and eight of the participants joined focus group interviews. The students’ ages ranged from 18 to 34, and 26 female and 26 male students participated in the study. A conventional storytelling questionnaire and focus group interviews were used to collect the data. The outcomes revealed that the online interactive tool was effective in motivating and engaging the students to read, and the Interactive and Conventional Storytelling Questionnaire was reliable and valid for assessing the participants’ perceptions concerning storytelling. The interactive digital storytelling received significantly higher scores than conventional digital storytelling, and the participants stated that the online interactive storytelling was motivating and engaging. Age and gender were revealed as determining factors of storytelling preference: younger age groups and females were in favour of conventional storytelling.