Storyline Development for E-Learning

Storyline Development for E-Learning What is a story? A story is an account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment (Dictionary.com, 2012). In the case of learning, a story is a supporting foundation of context that can be used to transport an idea, concept and/or fact to the learning audience. This is a definition that can be used validate the use of story in an eLearning tutorial. One of the reasons that eLearning simulations are so popular and effective is that simulations provide a context of reality, making abstract ideas concrete, by aligning probable scenarios with concepts. Stories can be applied to informational situations to convey ideas with clarity. Who doesn’t like a story? Stories are engaging and deliver a level of enculturation that cannot be garnered from bullet lists or paragraphs. I decided that it would be great to incorporate more “story” into the eLearning that I build. In my quest, I begin by examining Slide:ology (2008) and Resonate (2010) both by Nancy Duarte. Slide:ology appealed to me for this purpose because its content is centered on communication, presentation, graphics and Microsoft PowerPoint. Resonate is all about using and building stories for presentation. The next few blog posts will be dedicated the ideas and information gathered from these two books, beginning with Slide:ology.