The Power of Storytelling

Think of your favourite story. If you’ve loved it for a long time, you might be able to remember even the tiniest details – from the description of the scenery to the antagonist’s most powerful quote. That’s the power of storytelling! Good storytelling encapsulates its audience and invites them into the story. By the time you’ve reached “The End”, you may even feel like you went on the adventure alongside the main characters!

Being immersed in a story can help the audience remember the details because it feels like they were actually there. Using storytelling, we can reach the same results in training material. Cast your sails and set your sights on new, story-driven training!

How can I use storytelling in training?

To start, consider the following questions:

• What story does my brand want to tell?
• Can I use an analogy to better describe key concepts?
• To what degree do I want my learner to feel part of the story?
• Is there an opportunity for learners to use the story in their place of work?

If the goal of the training is to build brand awareness, a company story may be helpful to define milestones and mission statements. Likewise, analogies and other storytelling can help learners remember key concepts and describe them to others in their place of work.

Why should I use storytelling in eLearning?

Storytelling can be a great tool to use in eLearning. With interactive components and flexible narratives, learners can guide themselves through a self-paced adventure. HALIGHT’s training philosophy is, “Tell Me, Show Me, Let Me Do.” Storytelling complements this approach!

Tell Me

Storytelling is a more creative way to communicate key concepts to learners. Instead of simply stating facts or listing out features, storytelling can generate an emotional response. Using creative writing techniques in training can build enthusiasm around the course and encourage learners to keep reading!

Show Me

Storytelling is also an effective way to show the learner what you mean. The classic “show don’t tell” creative writing techniques inform the reader while putting it in motion. Use active voice, videos, and interactive components where possible to illustrate key concepts.

Let Me Do

With the interactivities and flexibility of eLearning, learners can feel even more immersed in the story. You can use VR and other simulated training to give learners a controlled space to test new skills. Likewise, you can use storytelling and eLearning components to invite learners into the story. There is a vast array of assessment opportunities available for eLearning. Storytelling can be used with these to continue the narrative and explore more creative simulated approaches.

HALIGHT’s Storytelling Experts

Not sure how to get started? HALIGHT is equipped with both instructional design and creative writing experts. In combination, these skills produce creative and effective training modules to increase learner engagement and knowledge retention. Think bigger and consider a Virtual World built by HALIGHT, an imaginative place where learners can lead their own adventure and complete training quests.

Have you heard our new podcast about Instruction Design and Creative Writing? Check it out now to hear what special guest Nyla Spooner has to say!