Using stories is the most effective form to teach, we've all heard that. A million times. I agree.
But, but, but...
My 12-year-old daughter was studying Civics not too long ago and was grumbling indistinctly under her breath. Now that is not an entirely uncommon occurrence, so I ignored it until the grumbling got quite loud and quite coherent - "Why must they invent these stupid know-it-all characters?" was part of the grumble. I peeked into her textbook and she was perfectly right. The chapter starts with a girl asking her grandfather the question that all children wonder and worry their little hearts out about- "Oh, how, but how, are rural townships and villages governed, Grandpa?" Grandpa dips into his agonizingly boring brain and digs out the facts and figures in the chapter entitled (surprise! surprise!) Government in Rural Townships and Villages.
The chapter contains complex organizational hierarchies to be memorized and remembered. It doesn't really matter if the information is imparted by a supposedly wise grandfather to his cocky and precocious grandchild. What my daughter actually used to learn the tiresome information were mindmaps and charts. The story approach was not just redundant, but actually irritating.
The other day, a few colleagues and I attended a mandatory 'training', yes, you know the kind that need the quotes to qualify them. The trainer peppered the session liberally with a pungent overdose of personal memoirs concerning herself, her husband, her sisters and a fractious but oh-so-good-hearted-when-you-get-to-know-her ex-boss. While I recall with vivid clarity that this trainer almost got divorced, that she hated Bangalore at first but then grew to love it, that she loved to good-naturedly play pranks on her team (hopefully not in her 'worstest' English), I can't for the life of me recall what points those stories were used to make.
What I'm trying to say is, if you have a great story that illustrates the point intelligently and coherently, then by all means bring it on. But if you don't, if your content does not warrant it or you just can't think of one, that's okay, we can take it. We're all big boys and girls and so are our learners. Why, even my 12-year-old daughter would have preferred it that way.
Bottomline, if you don't have a good story to underscore your point, for heaven's sake, please spare us the bad ones.
But, but, but...
My 12-year-old daughter was studying Civics not too long ago and was grumbling indistinctly under her breath. Now that is not an entirely uncommon occurrence, so I ignored it until the grumbling got quite loud and quite coherent - "Why must they invent these stupid know-it-all characters?" was part of the grumble. I peeked into her textbook and she was perfectly right. The chapter starts with a girl asking her grandfather the question that all children wonder and worry their little hearts out about- "Oh, how, but how, are rural townships and villages governed, Grandpa?" Grandpa dips into his agonizingly boring brain and digs out the facts and figures in the chapter entitled (surprise! surprise!) Government in Rural Townships and Villages.
The chapter contains complex organizational hierarchies to be memorized and remembered. It doesn't really matter if the information is imparted by a supposedly wise grandfather to his cocky and precocious grandchild. What my daughter actually used to learn the tiresome information were mindmaps and charts. The story approach was not just redundant, but actually irritating.
The other day, a few colleagues and I attended a mandatory 'training', yes, you know the kind that need the quotes to qualify them. The trainer peppered the session liberally with a pungent overdose of personal memoirs concerning herself, her husband, her sisters and a fractious but oh-so-good-hearted-when-you-get-to-know-her ex-boss. While I recall with vivid clarity that this trainer almost got divorced, that she hated Bangalore at first but then grew to love it, that she loved to good-naturedly play pranks on her team (hopefully not in her 'worstest' English), I can't for the life of me recall what points those stories were used to make.
What I'm trying to say is, if you have a great story that illustrates the point intelligently and coherently, then by all means bring it on. But if you don't, if your content does not warrant it or you just can't think of one, that's okay, we can take it. We're all big boys and girls and so are our learners. Why, even my 12-year-old daughter would have preferred it that way.
Bottomline, if you don't have a good story to underscore your point, for heaven's sake, please spare us the bad ones.
Children with most unusual doubts and grandfathers/uncles who are literal encyclopedias have been The story for textbooks, science magazines, education channels since time immemorial. And many of them are so dry and boring. I have often wondered what kind of children would have such doubts. (Not to forget some of them are interesting.)
ReplyDeleteThis piece reminds me of a manager I had who wanted stories/scenarios for almost everything and developers who would cook up the most improbable scenarios! :) A point well made!
Brilliant point. Even if a story is compelling and well-told, it's a mere distraction if it isn't linked to the instructional content. If I want the pleasure of a story for its own sake, I'll pick up a volume of Proust, not go to a training class.
ReplyDeleteHey Dave, thanks for visiting and commenting! Both of the experiences mentioned were rather recent and have instilled in me a healty wariness about using stories judiciously!
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