Client’s digital stories: Using the lived experience to personalise online learning

Clients’ stories of their lived experience of disease and illness are an important part of the nursing curriculum that fosters the development of a client-centered approach to healthcare. While opportunities for these types of learning experiences have historically been possible via placements or simulations, opportunities for such personalised interactions in the online context is more difficult. Digital stories offer a way to bring the lived experience to online learning. Digital stories are short multi-media clips that bring a character’s experiences to life, yet research into the impact of these stories on student learning is sparse. This paper presents a work in progress and preliminary findings from 20 students’ responses to client’s digital stories in a fully online course using the construct of empathy to identify themes in the students’ comments. Themes indicated that the digital stories helped student learning, assisted with the development of empathy, and stimulated engagement by tapping into the emotional dimension of learning. The study suggests that learning design incorporating client digital stories assists with the development of empathy, aids in understanding and stimulates engagement by inspiring students through personal connections with clients.