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Storytelling needs a place in e-learning as it builds an emotional connection with the learning content, leading to behavior change. When designing online training courses, keep this in mind and take advantage of what storytelling can do for learner engagement.
Training should definitely capitalize on how using story telling can enrich the learning experience. Turning training objectives into story-like units means being able to organize the information into a narrative that has the ability to drive the listener forward. What better way to get somebody to perform a certain task than showing how it starts, what the desired outcome is and how it all fits with all the other processes in the organization?
Learning requires structure. There has to be a red line throughout the e-learning course, the learner should be able to follow a solid yellow brick road in order to achieve the goals set out for him. Hence, a storyboard for online courses can prove not only useful but vital because it ensures everybody will enjoy being on board with the program.
Here are 4 reasons to use video for business training: creating videos is not necessarily an expensive activity, instructional designers can use the same video in more than one course, video positively influence the engagement and retention rates of employees, and they can be interactive and give more power to learners.
Games come with an element of fun and inspire competition. What’s more, they offer a safe learning environment, where employees can test their knowledge without real-life risks. Storytelling makes the learner the main character of the game, which leads to even higher engagement rates. The centuries-old storytelling, along with the satisfaction of the top human needs of games will never get out of style.
The paradigm surrounding workplace training is that while everyone agrees upon its importance, almost nobody puts it on their high priority list. Managers know that their company’s competitiveness is directly related to employees’ skills development, yet L&D departments are often the first to be hit by budget cuts. Employees are perfectly aware that developing their skills directly contributes to their professional development, yet they always have something urgent to do and simply don’t show up at training sessions.
How can instructional designers destroy this “too busy” attitude towards learning?
Branching scenarios make your learners experience real world challenges and deal with real life consequences of their choices, all without real life risks.
They transform the learner from a passive observer into an active and involved participant. The unfolding of the narrative creates a memorable experience, thus helping the learner better retain the information. The consequences of their choices, especially the ones that led to failure, will stick to their minds and will determine them to make the right decisions when real life situations demand them.
Maybe storytelling is not a matter of life and death in an office environment, but businesses can and should adopt this age-old tradition into an innovative way in order to 1) keep their employees engaged, 2) educate their clients and 3) reach new audiences.
