Storytelling and Critical Digital Literacy: Project-Based Learning for Developing Digital Citizens in Public Institutions in Colombia

This reflective essay analyzes the pedagogical relevance of digital storytelling articulated with Project-Based Learning (PBL) to strengthen critical digital literacy in fifth-grade students at a Colombian public educational institution. Drawing on systematic classroom observation and dialogue with recent academic literature, the essay argues that the school curriculum tends to prioritize the development of instrumental skills related to the use of technologies and access to information, while critical engagement with digital content remains limited. In this context, the integration of digital storytelling within PBL is proposed as a pertinent pedagogical strategy, as it allows students to research, interpret, and produce digital narratives that foster critical thinking, reflection on the veracity of information, and an understanding of the communicative intentions present in media. Methodologically, the essay draws on the educational action research approach, which enables teachers to analyze and transform their own pedagogical practice. It concludes that this strategy contributes to the development of critical digital literacy and supports the formation of digital citizens capable of questioning, selecting, and responsibly understanding the information that circulates in digital environments.