How to use storytelling in your digital learning scenario

StorytellingHagen im Bremischen (Germany) | Are you a born storyteller? No? – That doesn’t matter, because anyone can learn this craft. The following summary will show you how to successfully use storytelling in your digital learning scenario.

The power of storytelling

Why should you tell stories to promote efficient learning in your company? – Because it always works. Here is an example of the effects that storytelling can have. In the “Significant Objects” project, for example, journalists Rob Walker and Josh Glenn purchased a total of 200 products of low purchase value averaging $1.25 US. Among other things, candleholders, wire baskets, corked bottles, plastic bananas, etc. Afterwards they sold these in connection with stories created for them for a whopping 8000 dollars. And there are plenty of other examples. Maybe soon also from your company and from the Corporate Learning sector.

Your story needs a clear purpose

A goal can only be achieved with learners if the goal is clearly defined. So what do you want to achieve with your story? And what is the target group? The entire staff or just the sales department? – Once all this has been clarified, it is possible to think about which catchy story can be created around the intended purpose.

Imagine the imagined scenery in all the necessary details!

Now that you’ve found the purpose of your story and come up with an initial idea, it’s time to picture it in more detail! Also with more detailed development of the idea once further developed. Feel free to go over the top for a second! You can simply drop details of a concept before implementing the idea. With the broad overview, you specifically encourage creativity, which the learners will certainly feel later! And that’s exactly what the step before implementation is all about! But don’t forget the narrowing before implementation, so that the development and implementation of the learning scenario can take place pragmatically!

Simulate your own audience in your mind!

Is the story you have come up with really worth telling? – Go into yourself and check it out as a fictitious audience. That way you can discover whether you have perhaps incorporated too many or too few funny elements into the learning scenario. Or whether the story is as exciting as you thought it was at first. Be your own constructive critic for once!

Test the learning application on a pilot group before rollout!

First of all, think about who should belong to your pilot group. It might be some of the future learners, for example, but also important company stakeholders, who should ultimately also support the project by being aware of the importance of the learning scenario and by encouraging their subordinates to learn. Make sure that the pilot group does not become too large, so that the amount of work remains manageable for you. Be sure to allow constructive criticism during the implementation of the pilot project and optimise your learning scenario based on the feedback from the test group! As a result, nothing should stand in the way of an interesting story in the form of a learning scenario. You are welcome to try it out!

Image: © k_yu – stock.adobe.com