The Scrollytelling format

This resource article by Erwin Veenstra, Sebas Muñoz, & Pien Leeuwenburgh, Leiden University, The Netherlands, describes a relatively new educational format called Scrollytelling which can enhance engagement by allowing readers to explore content dynamically through scrolling. This interactive storytelling method familiar on news websites is ideal for presenting complex information like data visualisations or research findings. The article describes how Leiden Learning & Innovation Centre (LLInC) has explored “scrollytelling,” in an educational context. LLInC’s pilot evaluatd offering scrollytelling as a service, revealing both its potential and its challenges. As they found out, creating content in scrollytelling requires extensive custom coding, mainly in JavaScript, to coordinate interactive elements that respond to scroll actions. While libraries like eCharts and GSAP can help, the lack of dedicated frameworks for scrollytelling means development is labor-intensive and not easily reusable. Despite these hurdles, LLInC gained valuable insights, though broader adoption will require more accessible tools to reduce costs and technical demands.