Stornaway.io Higher Education Summit 6th December 2023

Click here to see the speakers

This is an online event to bring our academic partners together from across the globe to share ideas and create a community. We will be exploring the challenges of teaching interactive narrative and immersive storytelling in higher education and the ways in which technology can enrich the experience for researchers, practitioners, and students. This isn’t an academic symposium, but we will start with a series of short PechaKucha style ignition talks from our academic partners. Then we will break out for more intimate conversations, before returning to share our thoughts at a final plenary. 

This gathering will provide an opportunity to share valuable insights into effective teaching methods and strategies for creating engaging interactive digital narratives. You will have the opportunity to connect with other educators and learn from their experiences in this rapidly evolving field. By attending this gathering, you will be better equipped to prepare your students for careers in the industry and help shape the future of interactive digital narrative production.   

Interactive narrative is fast becoming a vital aspect of modern media. Audiences are seeking more immersive and engaging experiences, while producers seek to cut through the noise by creating interactive narratives that will capture their audience’s attention and leave a lasting impact. As educators, we need to prepare our students for this rapidly changing media landscape while as researchers and practitioners, we need to be upskilling ourselves to take advantage of the opportunities offered by interactive media. 

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to expand your knowledge and improve your teaching practices. Register now and be part of this exciting conversation. 

2023 Academic Summit Speakers

More information to come

Kat Rolley – A Gray Space

Kat Rolley is an independent learning and engagement consultant with over 30 years experience defining, designing and developing digital, blended and face-to-face learning solutions: See more on Kat Rolley’s LinkedIn page.
She is also the niece of Alasdair Gray, artist and author of Lanark and Poor Things. Since Alasdair’s death, Kat has co-created a personal project called A Gray Space, featuring creative experiences and personal perspectives inspired by Alasdair: find out more on the Alasdair Gray website.

Alex Mitchell – National University of Singapore

Alex Mitchell teaches in the Department of Communications and New Media, National University of Singapore. His research investigates defamiliarization in gameplay, motivations for replaying interactive stories, authoring tools, and collaborative storytelling. He is a founding member of the executive board of the Association for Research in Digital Interactive Narratives (ARDIN).

Julie Stephens DeJonge – University of Central Missouri

Julie Stephens de Jonge, PhD, is a professor of Spanish at the University of Central Missouri in the United States. She teaches a range of courses including language, literature, film, and civilization courses.

She has published a textbook to learn Spanish based on short films, articles on digital escape rooms, and is currently writing a textbook on Spanish Civilization that includes a time travel storyline using the Stornaway platform. She is interested in the scholarship of teaching and learning about teaching critical thinking, stories to frame ethical topics, and game-based education.

Medrine Nyambura – Saint Louis University

Medrine Nyambura is a multimedia producer with vast experience in storytelling both in traditional and digital media. She began her media career in Kenya and is currently serving as an assistant professor at Saint Louis University, Missouri, US, with a focus on Digital Storytelling.

Nyambura’s passion for teaching and storytelling is fueled by a tenacious curiosity and a belief that each one of us should have agency of their story. Our tools of the trade will always evolve but the foundation will always be a good story well told.