To illustrate the application of this technique in a real environment, I am going to share my experience of 5 years of work. My name is Francisco José Rosa Encinas and I am a Professional Training teacher specializing in Electrotechnical Installations. I usually teach subjects related to automation, home automation and renewable energy.

When did you first hear about this technique?

In ancient times, stories about the adventures of heroes and historical figures served to capture the attention of the public, arouse emotions among people and teach from the experiences of others. Fables, stories, and plays were the first ways to implement this teaching technique.

Over time, the use of “storytelling” has evolved as a training technique, and it has been extended and effectively adapted to all learning processes and all branches of knowledge. At present, its application in the classroom is almost constant and unconscious since its ability to connect with students, capture their attention, interpret reality, and identify cause-effect relationships continue to be effective in the learning process.

What problems/conflicts/shortcoming did you have in the class that leads you to investigate and starting to apply “Storytelling” with your students?

This technique is very effective for students to reflect and understand for themselves why the events happen, the advantages and disadvantages of making certain decisions.

For many students, classes sometimes become too boring and this technique helps to capture their attention by placing them within a story where the protagonists could be themselves.

How did you learn this technique, and is there a website or book that you have used as a reference? 

There is a multitude of information on the internet related to “Storytelling” and its application in the classroom, but my recommendation is that each teacher adapt it according to their needs. It is a technique quite innate to the human being. It is enough to read and spread a story to invite reflection from the student. Adapting the story so that it goes towards the objectives set is a skill of the teacher that is achieved with practice. However, a good starting point can be the following link:

http://neurads.com/storytelling-10-claves-y-ejemplos/

What were the problems you encountered when implementing the technique in class?

One of the fundamental objectives of this technique is to capture the attention of the students and here lies the main difficulty that the teacher faces when applying this technique. If the story is dense, boring or does not capture the attention of the students, it is difficult to achieve the expected results.

What were the benefits you found when implementing the technique in the class?

The first and most obvious is increased motivation and attention. Students learn by themselves through reflection and discussion of the narrated events and their analysis. Critical thinking, reflection, and user-oriented creativity are encouraged.

Has this technique become recurrent in the classroom? Did you use it with the same objectives as at the beginning? For how long have you been using it?

I have used the “storytelling” technique since I started working, and it is one of the main tools with which I work daily in the classroom. It is easy for me to apply because it is very versatile and I can adapt it to different situations: small groups or big group, a general or more focused context, a shorter or longer story.

With which subject/levels/courses/modules/VET degrees… do you use it? Are there any adaptations of the technique for students of different ages or even with different educational needs?

In the context of VET degrees, and specifically in advanced technological and automation environments, “storytelling” is an appropriate tool for the student to understand the evolution of different technologies, their problems, and their solutions. It is also effective in fostering creativity through a user-oriented design approach. A story that puts you under the skin of a person involves a reflection that helps to understand the problem and identify the solution. A correct definition of “know how” and “know what” is the beginning of a successful creative process.

In other courses, levels and contexts, “storytelling” can be equally effective since the type of story, the duration or the objectives of this can be adapted to the individual needs of the student.

Are there any factors to take into account when applying this technique with different classes? (also, more appropriate number of students, appropriate space and age).

As in all training, it is necessary to adapt the technique to the students, but in this case, due to its transversality, it can be applied to students of all ages.

In my classes I apply it in different ways: In a big group when I want to contextualize a situation or some content. Individually, when I want a student to face a specific situation and reflect on their own. This is very suitable when the student has doubts or some special difficulty.

From my experience, there is no limitation regarding the number of students or their ages to apply the technique, nor with the spaces where it can be used.

How do you evaluate the results of this technique in class?

By direct observation of the student’s response to the story. Students learn more when they do it on their own, through their own reflection and analysis. So “storytelling” should be used to guide this reflective process. Quickly, by the response offered by the students, you can see the effectiveness of the story or the need to modify it.

What advantages do you think this technique brings to student’s professional lives?

As I mentioned earlier, this technique encourages reflection and analysis. These aspects are essential to foster creativity through a user-oriented design approach. A story that puts you under the skin of a person involves a reflection that helps to understand the problem and identify the solution. A correct definition of “knowing what you want to do” and “what problems I have to solve” is the beginning of a successful creative process.

To put this technique into practice it is positive:

• Use short stories, very focused on the interests of the student and the content that you want to work on.
• Involve the students in the story through questions. In this way the student does not disconnect from the story and we facilitate reflective thinking.
• Facing new problems that pose an achievable and motivating challenge.

To implement this technique successfully it is necessary to avoid:

• Use long, dense and difficult to understand stories.
• That the students disconnect from the story or do not feel linked to it due to its characteristics.
• That the task is disorganized, where each student participates in a disorderly and arbitrary way, interrupting each other.

What do you think it brings to your students? What feedback do you get from them when applying the technique in class?

This technique is very motivating because it adapts to the needs and interests of the students. Improve your critical and reflective thinking. All this makes their participation in the activities and in the learning process much greater.

Have any students told you how they have used or benefited from this technique in their professional career?

Many students have told me how positive this technique was in fostering their creative process. In the higher education vocational training environment, they are the ones who must respond to the problems that their clients ask for, and this reflective and analytical way of working has been very suitable for them to find the most appropriate solutions, such as we worked in class.

Mention a personal anecdote, a very positive experience, a comment from a student, or something you have seen, something inspiring to encourage other teachers to try.

In the classroom I always try to use stories that contextualize real situations that students may encounter in their professional lives. On one occasion, a student who had finished his studies told me how when he started working he had faced a situation similar to the one he had presented in class through a story, and how useful all the analysis and subsequent debate that we had in class to find the most appropriate technological solution to the domotization problem posed by your client.