Hornbill FX Blog
  • Home
    • Hornbill FX
    • Blog
  • eLearning
  • Instructional Design
  • Immersive Learning
  • Game Based Learning
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
    • Hornbill FX
    • Blog
  • eLearning
  • Instructional Design
  • Immersive Learning
  • Game Based Learning
No Result
View All Result
Hornbill FX Blog
No Result
View All Result
Home eLearning

Using storytelling to improve e-learning outcomes: The what, why and how

Aravindh Ramachandran by Aravindh Ramachandran
2 years ago
in eLearning
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Using storytelling to improve e-learning outcomes
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Telling a story is the most powerful way to activate our brains. When we listen to a PowerPoint presentation with bullet point lists, for example, the language processing parts of the brain are triggered. We learn the words that are being used, but that’s about it.

On the other hand, stories light up the entire brain. The story doesn’t just trigger language processing – your brain reacts as if the events of the story are happening to you.

Related articles

What does the future of e-learning at the workplace look like?

A guide to creating great Mobile Learning Content

The story talks about delicious foods? The sensory cortex lights up. Talking about movement? The motor cortex gets activated. The more your brain engages with the communication, the more you’re likely to learn and recall the material.

What are the ways in which storytelling is effective in e-learning?

Establishing relevance

Learning for adults, in a corporate setting or elsewhere, is challenging. Children have a steep learning curve – adult learners, on the other hand, need to see the relevance of the material to be motivated.

By communicating information in the form of stories rather than usecases, adults relate better to the information being provided and are more likely to stay involved.

Engendering trust

When you tell a story that makes an impact, learners internalize it as if it occurred to them. It triggers an emotional response and emotional engagement. This doesn’t just help the learner absorb the details of the story and the emotional payoff. It increases his/her trust in the material.

Learners believe the content and, therefore, are more likely to recall it.

Improving recall

You may have memorized chunks of the periodic table when you were in high school. Do you remember it now? On the other hand, chances are that you remember that ‘slow and steady wins the race’. That’s because 63% of people remember facts better when they’re presented within the context of a story, whereas only 5% remembered the information when presented in a traditional learning format.

Learners may not remember every detail of the story. However, it is easier to remember the gist of a story, and the moral or learnings derived from it, than a set of facts. 

Increasing engagement 

Another reason why you may remember your childhood stories better than scientific data is that stories are fun! The learner is actively engaged and involved in the narrative and eager to hear what happens next.

In e-learning, since the next part of the story is the next module in the curriculum, this ignites active learning.

How can you use stories in e-learning?

Course structure

Some course curricula lend themselves naturally to storytelling. By creating a story framework, the entire curriculum becomes part of a simple Status Quo – Conflict – Resolution narrative structure.

For instance, for sales training, you could define a pair of salespeople as protagonists. For each module, the narrative can flow from the two protagonists learning (from their mentor) how to prospect, then how to talk to their leads, and how to service the customer post product delivery.

Engaging protagonists and realistic storylines are key when using storytelling as course structure.

Microlearning

As the name suggests, microlearning involves splitting up a complex topic or course into bite-sized modules that are easy for the organization to roll out and for the learner to consume. Studies show that more than 50% of information is forgotten by the learner within the first day of learning! By reminding the user of the main points learned the previous day, microlearning can boost concept retention by as much as 80%.

By its nature, microlearning needs to be highly interesting and engaging. A story works perfectly in such contexts. A short anecdote, with a learning built-in, is a great way to optimize microlearning and increase recall. 

Assessments and gamification

Building stories around a branching structure gives users playable cases to provide hands-on learning. These cases can be used for roleplay-oriented assessment and game-based learning. 

For example, the learners can face a scenario and select from various dialog or action options. Based on correct or optimal selections, they can unlock achievements. Instructors can assess progress based on this roleplay.

Simple narratives

There is a tendency to believe that complex, multi-layered stories are the only kind worth telling. In e-learning, nothing could be further from the truth. The more realistic the stories are, the greater the learners’ sense of empathy. As it’s easier for adults to engage with new concepts when they find it immediately relevant, creating a story that directly mirrors reality helps the learner associate with the protagonist, learn and remember better. To further improve story effectiveness, keep the story simple with short words, fewer adjectives, and simple nouns.

Storytelling is one of the best ways to engage adult learners and get them involved, especially in online learning. By preparing short, simply written, realistic and relevant stories for your e-learning course, you’re likely to see significant improvement in learning outcomes delivered.

To get started on relatable, interesting stories that work for your course, get in touch with our experts today!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Related

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

  Thank you for Signing Up
  Please correct the marked field(s) below.
1,true,6,Contact Email,2

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Tags: E-learningMicrolearning
Previous Post

AR vs VR in the e-learning industry (and why we think AR has the edge)

Next Post

Meet the future: Optimize content, design and assessment for m-learning

Next Post
Optimize content, design and assessment for m-learning

Meet the future: Optimize content, design and assessment for m-learning

Pew-pew! Time to blow up fear of maths.

Pew-pew! Time to blow up fear of maths.

How to apply E-Learning to Soft Skills Training at Work

How to apply E-Learning to Soft Skills Training at Work

Related Posts

What does the future of e-learning at the workplace look like?

by Venkat Subramanian
2 days ago
Reading Time: 3 minutes

“The intent to leave or stay in a job is only one of the things that people are questioning, as part of the larger human story...

A guide to creating great Mobile Learning Content

by Venkat Subramanian
4 weeks ago
Reading Time: 3 minutes

The pandemic closed some doors, but it also brought down a lot of walls in terms of e-learning and showcased the many benefits of virtual learning....

The Role of AI in e-Learning: Can It Enhance Learning and Personalization?

by Aravindh Ramachandran
1 month ago
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Everyone comprehends, understands, and processes information differently. That's why you need to have an e-learning module that adapts itself to every type of learner. AI-powered personalized...

Back to Basics: Why does e-learning need to be fun, and how do you get there?

by Aravindh Ramachandran
2 months ago
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Employees today are less engaged in their jobs than ever - worldwide, only 20% of employees are engaged with their work. According to Gallup, engaged employees...

Getting Social Learning right: Leveraging the Metaverse

by Deepak Krishnan
4 months ago
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Collaboration is one of the key human impulses that drive learning outcomes. Social learning uses collaboration, interaction, and shared experiences to improve engagement and overall learning...

How do you design immersive e-learning courses to suit different learning styles?

by Deepak Krishnan
4 months ago
Reading Time: 3 minutes

How do people learn? There are three primary learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.  You may feel that immersive learning is uniquely suited to visual learners...

Tech layoffs: A (very) hidden opportunity for e-learning?

by Aravindh Ramachandran
5 months ago
Reading Time: 2 minutes

The last few months have seen widespread tech layoffs around the world, and of course, this has left a harsh negative impact on both companies and...

VR-based Learning can negatively impact a learner’s Communication Skills. Here’s how you can make sure that doesn’t happen!

by Deepak Krishnan
6 months ago
Reading Time: 3 minutes

The significant benefits of VR in education are well known. Immersive learning improves comprehension and retention, and lets you repeat a module multiple times in a...

Do you need to train your customers?

by Aravindh Ramachandran
6 months ago
Reading Time: 3 minutes

66% of consumers expect companies to understand their expectations and tailor their deliverables to suit them. By a similar token, they don’t want to struggle while...

Newsletter

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the
latest news and updates from our team.

TOPICS

3D Animation Animation in eLearning Augmented reality Corporate eLearning Corporate eLearning Solutions Custom eLearning Design Custom eLearning Development Custom eLearning Services E-learning Education Technology eLearning eLearning Animation eLearning Content Development eLearning Course Development e Learning Design eLearning Development Solutions eLearning Services eLearning Solutions e learning Solutions Enrich to Engage Game-based Assessment Game-based Learning Gamification Immersive eLearning Solutions Immersive Learning Immersive Learning Experiences Immersive Technologies Immersive Training Immersive VR Instructional Design Interactive Learning Solutions Learning and Development Metaverse Microlearning Online Course Development Online Learning Solutions Online Training Development Scenario Based Design Scenario Based eLearning Scenario Based Learning Scenario Based Training Simulation ELearning Social Emotional Learning training Virtual Reality

Services

  • e-LEARNING
  • GAME BASED LEARNING
  • AR/VR
  • eLMS

Verticals

  • EDUCATION
  • FINANCE
  • HEALTHCARE
  • ENGINEERING

Company

  • Our Story
  • Careers
  • Team
  • Contact Us

Contact

  • IND : 044-24619130
  • info@cloudnowtech.com

© 2023 Hornbill FX

  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • About
No Result
View All Result
  • All Blogs
  • eLearning
  • Immersive Learning
  • Instructional Design
  • Game Based Learning

© 2023 Hornbill FX

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

  Thank you for Signing Up
  Please correct the marked field(s) below.
1,true,6,Contact Email,2

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?