Engaging Learners Through Storytelling
Designing educational experiences beyond the classroom presents both unique challenges and opportunities. In contrast to a traditional classroom setting, where students need to learn the material offered by the course, learners outside of the classroom may be skeptical or less engaged in the learning process. How can we engage learners beyond the classroom walls? We propose using the storytelling framework as a tool to increase engagement and participation outside the classroom. Humans have shared information through stories since the beginning of time because storytelling connects the learners in your audience to the ideas you are sharing in a meaningful and lasting way. In designing any educational experience, whether inside or outside of the classroom, there are two key criteria to satisfy: (1) Did learners actively participate in the experience; and (2) Did authentic learning take place? In other words, will learners leave with new information and a sense of how that information connects to their own lives? Humans experience life in stories and by designing content as a story, we tap into learners’ innate curiosity and appeal to a wider variety of learners, including those who are visual or tactile learners, because stories are designed to invoke all of our senses. Furthermore, through stories, we can communicate complex ideas, data, and new information in an environment where connection and engagement dominate the educational experience resulting in a more enduring learning process. As we all know, from our own experience, stories are interesting and will always be easier (and more fun) to recall than a presentation full of bullet points and lists. Further, the highest goal of education is not only to share and acquire knowledge but to inspire. Designing educational experiences through storytelling not only will engage learners but will also build community, the community that will ask the next important questions and be motivated to seek answers to those questions. As Brandon Sanderson stated that “the purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.
Dr. Horacio D. Lopez-Nicora
Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Pathology