Is there a place for storytelling in the Transformed environment?

 “Huddled near the warmth of his dwindling fire, Magma realises his days in this foetid cave are finished. Incessant drips from the lime soaked walls are the only indication of the minutes remaining. He straightens from his twisted stoop and rises to an imposing figure as fear begins to wrack his frame. The noises grow stronger as the cave begins to reverberate in a deafening cacophony. He will not go like a savage…”

A good story creates an immediate connection between reader and content. The reader becomes consumed with detail and anticipates the next sentence, paragraph and chapter. A great author elicits an incredible range of emotions from the reader by ensuring a personal connection between characters and reader.  We’ve all been there, unable to put the book down because we’re so engrossed in the story. A great story leaves the reader with questions. ‘What will happen to Magma?’ ‘Is he going to die or will he save himself?’ We want to know because we seek completion. Closure.

Great lecturers know this. The TED stage is full of amazing orators holding audiences captive to their incredible stories of survival, discovery or creation. Through the use of careful scripting, engaging photos and clever music, we feel part of the journey. We hang on each word as if we’re right there, sharing the experience firsthand; the sights, sounds, and smells are all a careful construct of our own creative imagination. This is what great storytelling does. It challenges us to suspend reality. We see this from great lecturers within our own faculties and schools – speakers who bring content to life through imagination and storytelling. They move content from the screen to the mind by sharing lifelong experiences of why this ‘stuff’ matters. They contextualise information around the audience’s knowledge. And the audience responds. We see this in our teaching award winners.

What can we draw from this when we move into the ‘Transformed’ environment of online learning? How can we bring content to life? This is our challenge.

There’s no single formula to ensure our success in the online world, but we know many formulas for failure. If we provide content only, we will fail. Our audience is not an amorphous group of content hungry, self-directed learners. Our online audience seeks the same engagement as our physical learners. They want to be shocked, impressed, engaged and most of all, connected. Connected with content and connected with each other. We need to rethink how we apply the culture of storytelling to the transformed environment. If we do this well, we will indeed have some stories to share.

So…what ever happened to Magma?

Jonathon James -- Transformational Learning and Teaching Fellow / Supervising Technician (Engineering Precinct)