Once upon a time…

Storytelling can be both a metaphor for the learning and teaching event and a pedagogic practice.

First of all, when considering the former, storytelling presupposes a beginning, middle and end, with a narrative connection between each part and some form of conclusion. This can be a helpful way of structuring a class. It suggests the importance of the introduction in setting the scene, expectations and establishing the style. You might wish to think of ways of drawing in participants. The middle needs to have a clear logical progression with each stage linked together. The conclusion draws all the different elements together, with the expectation that something has been completed. As a metaphor, a learning and teaching event can be considered as a story or a journey, with narrative explanation.

But storytelling can also serve a more fundamental purpose in the very practice of teaching. There is some discussion of storytelling or ‘narrative pedagogy’ in the literature. Some of the key strands are:

You may also use storytelling for case study accounts.

Stories are important in setting a context for the learning. Learners will process information more easily if they can place it into a familiar context – this has been at the heart of fairy-tales and storytelling for centuries. Personal experience can provide powerful reinforcement of key concepts and also reassure that mistakes and problems are normal in the information seeking process. Think of times when you or your colleagues have experienced difficulties or successes in finding and using information. Think of contexts that fit your learners’ experiences and contexts and weave a narrative that incorporates them. This does not need to be complicated – it can simply be setting an example or case study for nurses in a hospital setting.

The story simply provides the framework in which the learning takes place.

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