MicroLab - Storytelling as a teaching tool

Do you want to use storytelling techniques to showcase your topic better and dovetail with the students’ learning process? Storytelling is one of the oldest and most effective forms of teaching. A well-told story enables the speaker (lecturer) and the listeners (students) to optimize the learning process by integrating cognition, emotion and imagination in the didactic process. Good storytelling is an art and a skill. A key aspect of this training is the concept of “practical didactics”; the integration of content, form and interaction with students.

This two-day training broadly covers the following topics:

• The techniques behind the art and skill of storytelling, and why they are effective for enhancing understanding and learning
• How to use storytelling elements and techniques in your own presentations, teaching, lectures and videos
• Translate storytelling techniques to creative modes of instruction in your lessons
• Strategies to better engage students and optimize their learning process

You will experiment with various practical-didactic techniques, and incorporate your learning into a presentation/lecture/video of your choosing. There will be ample room for tips and feedback on your presentation, from both your peers and the instructor(s). The exercises will alternate between brief theoretical explanations and practical application. You will have to conduct a certain amount of independent study before and between the two workshop days.

Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this MicroLab you are able to:

• Examine reasons for incorporating storytelling elements and techniques into teaching and learning activities.
• Compare different storytelling elements and determine which would be a good fit for various purposes.
• Design a presentation, lecture, or video to be used in your teaching/learning situation that effectively incorporates storytelling elements and techniques.