Lincoln, the Storyteller

Synthesis:
What makes a good storyteller? Stories abound and Lincoln – the extremely smart being that he is – used these accounts to bring home critical points for decision making and persuasion. Embedding stories in the learning design achieves a similar outcome. Discover how Lincoln inspires you and me to become better storytellers, too. __________________________________________________________________________

Click here for a preview of "Lincoln"

I saw the movie “Lincoln” three times. Totally inspiring and deeply moving.

As a curious student of interactive stories, I look into stories to discover their functions in the context, meaning and characters through which they communicate.

Self-reflection stories

Lincoln was about to send a telegraph to General Grant to allow the Confederate representatives to come to Washington and negotiate for a peace treaty. This would have compromised the  plan to pass the emancipation act. At a very crucial moment, he asked two junior officers a thought-provoking question.

“Can we choose to be born? Are we fitted to the times we’re born into?

A reflective and introspective question done in the manner of conversation with oneself.  At the core, is a philosophical argument on the role and impact he made, as Lincoln, the  President. The question also asks all of us to reflect on our roles and what we would do if we were in such a situation. That single thought-provoking question transported us, the audience and citizens, into the real-world issues. It made Lincoln real.  It provided vivid pictures of the difficult times they were in. 

Story of dilemma

Thaddeus Stevens was a leading proponent of total equal rights. His insistence on full equality for all, including marriage and voting rights, raised violent resistance amongst the democrats – as Lincoln observed.  To persuade Stevens to focus on equality under the legal definition of emancipation, Lincoln persuaded him with this metaphor:

“The compass points you true north but does not warn you of obstacles and swamps along the way.

What is the use of knowing the north star when along the way one can sink into a hole and never reach one’s destination?” 

Lincoln succeeded in persuading Thaddeus Stevens . The law of emancipation was passed.

The meaning of stories in learning design

I have no intention to suggest that our learning content is parallel to the issues that Lincoln had to deal with. However, using his story helps us relate these two story approaches to help learners learn.

The first task is to transport the learner into real-ife situations using stories. It is only through stories that we add realism and relevance.

Asking learners reflective questions or allowing them to resolve problems through their discovery of their own answers help make the content more useful to them.

Oftentimes, we teach our content yet fail to understand that learners must think for themselves to make sense of the content and find ways to apply the ideas.

Summary:

Lincoln was a great storyteller.  Learning professionals can learn from his example.  Leveraging stories to reflect and drive home learning points lead to the learner’s discovery of the solution, ensures better retention and positive impact on job performance.

Related blogs

Surgical Insertion of Micro-Scenarios that Beautify and Fire Up Your eLearning

Listen to the Geniuses Who Created Our Worlds
 
Using the ridiculous and exaggerated situations to hone learning ideas.


Ray Jimenez, PhD
Vignettes Learning
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"

Instant and Rapid One-Minute Learning for mLearning and eLearning

Synthesis:
In a rapid, constantly-changing, technology-enabled work environment, which one works best – linear or random learning? How do we rethink or reformulate to make the linear content friendly to random learning?  How does this benefit instant learning for busy learners? Discover the steps and begin to apply it. __________________________________________________________________________

Science supports random learning Illustration 1- Optimal Ordered Problem Solver Click here for a larger view

Illustration 2 – Recursive Learning Click here for a larger view

Heart of Recursive  Learning

The faster the lesson/content “SPINS” (facilitates or elicits) the heart of Recursive Learning,  the more instant learning occurs.

Which image helps instant learning on sexual harassment? 

Five Steps in Formulating Instant Learning

1. One small idea
Identify from your content a small piece of idea you want learners to learn.

2. Event
Find an event based on experience.
 
3. Embed
Play the event and look for opportunities to embed the idea to be learned.

4. SPIN IT
Allow, facilitate or elicit conversations, comments, relating and finding more information.

5. Test it
Test using Recursive Learning Analysis.

1. Select one small idea (not big)
Avoid dumping massive information on learners.  Cut down your content by selecting key ideas and critical data specifically relevant to the learner’s immediate learning needs.

2. Find an event strongly associated  with experience.
Learners quickly relate to the learning idea when an associated experience is
used to support it.  Context is easily recognized and retained in the learning process.

3. Embed - Play the event, look for opportunities to embed the idea to be learned
Stories of actual and relatable events in the workplace heighten the learners' engagement and keep them focused on discovering the embedded learning objective.  Strategically incorporate these events into the lessons to point learners towards the key learnings.

4. SPIN IT!
Allow learners to facilitate or elicit conversations, comments, relating and  finding more information. Leverage social media tools,modern day gadgets and other forms of passing on information, to enhance interactivity and experience sharing.

 

Click here for a larger view.

5. Test it. 
Test using Recursive Learning Analysis

 

Click here for a larger view.

Here is a preview of a sample for instant learning from Storytakes –
“That Is Reassuring” .  Click here to view the vignette. (Note: The demo is an HTML5 version and may not work in all browsers.)

SPECIAL FREE OFFERS : Click here to preview the recording on Instant Learning and download the handout.
 
View more sample vignette presentations by clicking on our StoryImpacts link.

Summary:
The dawn of modern technology fuels instant and recursive learning. By applying the 5 steps in the formulation of instant learning, learners are provided with access to key references at their fingertips.  Learning professionals, on the other hand, are enabled to achieve learning objectives by leveraging an innovative and high-impact approach through the strategic use of technology.   

Related blogs

eLearning Design for Short Attention Span and Overloaded Learners

Proof of Direct Link between Learning and Performance
 
Making Technical & Compliance Learning Engaging & Fun




Ray Jimenez, PhD
Vignettes Learning
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"

Learning Facts and Foundational Knowledge with Stories

Synthesis:
Facts – whether foundational or advance – can be related to real-life occurrences to engage learners and help them find context while gaining required knowledge.
______________________________________________________________

Does story-based learning only apply to experienced learners?

What is common among these photos?  

I am teaching a course on interactive elearning design at the University of California, Irvine and a nagging question has surfaced. Is story-based learning only applicable to audiences who have experience on a given subject or does it also work  in teaching foundational and factual knowledge?

For our conversation here, we define factual or foundational knowledge as scientific formulas and technical processes and procedures.  We also define story-based learning as a design method using narrative and interactive stories rooted in real-life events. Click here.

In preparing for a response to the class, what comes to my mind quickly are the works of Richard Feynman – Nobel Laureate, B. Audoly and S. Neukirch – Breaking Spaghetti and teaching kids measurement units.  

What can we learn from these examples and how can we apply them to the elearning design?

How bent spaghetti breaks

In this experiment, the use of spaghetti aids the scientists to link a common day to day experience- breaking spaghetti- to the explanation of the dynamics of elastic rods.

The scientists use spaghetti all throughout the presentation and makes it as a reference point. Readers and students understand the scientific facts better because they are presented with a commonly understood representation – spaghetti.
Please see more.

Feynman Lectures – Boat Time

Richard Feynman, Nobel Laureate in Physics, used real-life examples to state his problems. In this case, he used the boat’s travel time to compare two methods. Access the link, click on “Exercises” and select “Boat Time.” You may also see other examples here -

http://www.feynmanlectures.info/ .

The Little Inch Worm – Teaching Units of Measurements

From the website of Shorecrest Preparatory School, I found this interesting illustration. “While learning about the letter Ii and units of measurement, the Junior Kindergartners read "Inch by Inch" by Leo Lionni. The story is about a little inchworm that must measure different things. When threatened that he'll be eaten if he doesn't measure Nightingale's song, he uses his imagination to get himself out of a tough situation. As an extension, the children used one-inch square paper number tiles to create an inchworm. They had to find the correct numbers and glue them in order to create their useful friend.” See more.

Making facts and new knowledge familiar – challenge and solution

The above examples illustrate how factual knowledge, whether foundational (kids on measurement) or advance formulas (Feynman’s “ Boat Time” and B. Audoly/S. Neukirch’s “Spaghetti Break”) are best learned by using familiar real-life-events or stories. Selecting these stories can be approached in this manner:

1.   Understanding how stories aid our natural instincts to face challenges and find solutions

The narrative elements of stories become a form of goal-seeking device, relative to presenting  a challenge to the learner. The interactive elements of stories, on the other hand, aid in the quest for resolutions. In this pursuit for answers lie the opportunities for interaction by the learner. Natural instincts compel learners to be in Constant Readiness mode for learning.
 
The examples above show some form of a challenge and a quest for a solution. This is at the very core of the design that engages learners. Feynman always used problems and solutions to engage learners.

2.   Transforming the fact into a common or familiar real-life experience

Boats, spaghetti and worms are common or real-life occurrences. The purpose of selecting a real-life episode is to help the learner visualize and simplify the theory and fact in their minds, as it “happens in real life.”

The easiest way to achieve this is to think that all theories, facts and foundational knowledge do exist in real-life situations; that theory and fact explain real-life phenomenon.

 

I recall a quote from a scientist

“I observe nature and then I construct a theory.”

This is similar to the very familiar illustration of “Newton’s apple” on gravity.

eLearning designers can ask the question, “Facts are based on reality. Therefore, what is the reality behind the facts?” This is a good place to start connecting the real-life experiences and facts.

The “dynamics of elastic rods” do happen in spaghetti. But why use spaghetti and not rods? Well, spaghetti is obviously more familiar to many of us – it’s fun, it’s food – hmmmm.  Rods, who cares?

3.   Supplementing lack of experience with imaginary stories

In the example above on “The Little Inch Worm – Teaching Units of Measurements”, children had no prior experience of measurements. By creating or connecting a parallel story, which is anecdotal or mythical and adding the challenge and resolution (children used one-inch square paper number tiles to create an inchworm), the children learned the concepts of inches and measurements.  However, they learned the real-life meaning first and then the factual concept of inches and measurements.

In eLearning for adult situations, this is accomplished by case stories and fables.

Why worms? Why not caterpillars? Worms evoke the image of the dark side of things, the fear in us. 

Summary

Everyone has some experience of the real-life meaning of facts. Facts are rooted in real-life events and therefore are observable or relatable. Stories present challenges and need for solutions, which is a natural learning instinct. In the absence of experience, the creation of  imaginary stories allows learners to visualize facts.

Related Posts:

Engaging Technical eLearning – Tips on Design and Delivery

Making Facts Stick With Stories - Jiggling Atoms

How to instantly grab e-learners attention!

Ray Jimenez, PhD
http://VignettesLearning.com

See more eLearning stories: Story Impacts eLearning System

http://try.storyimpacts.com

Are Trainers Still Needed?

Synthesis
Learners are taking control of what they learn and how they learn. And trainers face the challenge of rethinking their roles, create innovative learning environments and discovering and experiencing new tools to help learners learn better.
______________________________________________________________

Informal learning, social learning, or learning based on the learners’ choices or options are certainly redefining the roles of trainers, learning specialists and even learners themselves. As they take more control of their own learning on their own terms, this becomes a frightening scenario to many learning specialists.

"Letting go of control" pushes trainers to rethink their roles in the learning process. However, rather than balk at the prospect, it is about time that this becomes an open issue. Years ago, letting go of control was like committing suicide where trainers are concerned.

Truth to say, we trainers, never had total control. We’ve always felt, thought and convinced ourselves that we control learning because we instruct and teach knowledge.  However in reality, learners choose to learn based on their own personal goals. So, this openness about losing control is not entirely novel news. It should no longer be a surprise.

Consequently, it is now acceptable or in certain instances imperative to review and reconsider our perspective of our jobs as trainers.   Since we were never really fully in control, in the past and more so now with informal learning, what should we do differently?

First, let's assess which part of the learning process can we best contribute to. I suggest that we carefully process learning. Roger Schank in his new book "Teaching Minds" suggests that we help learners learn by guiding and allowing them to gain insight from failures and/or experiences.

Let me offer some suggestions:

1. Set up learning situations, scenarios, real-life simulations  that enable learners to do, act and even fail, but eventually learn from the experiences.

2. Rethink how to modify, discard or reject, replace and invent new tools.

Classrooms, learning objectives, curriculum, slideshows, games and exercises are common tools that we use to control learners. An innovative approach is to explore, reconsider and discover new tools that not only engage learners but make it possible for them to have control over their own learning (Wikis, Blogs, Searches, RSS, story and experience sharing, peer-to-peer learning, etc.).

However, the greatest drawback is that trainers are not comfortable with these new tools simply because they have not even started to delve into or experience them. This is where the dilemma lies.  How do you, as a trainer/learning specialist, begin to help learners leverage these tools when you have not tried them out yourself?

We fail to realize that the best way to redefine, re-align and innovate our roles as trainers is to take action now. Dive in. Eat, dream, sleep and imbibe how learners control their own learning. Gain the emotional experience. Do not attend a class and learn the theory. Do it.

I’m including  a vignette " Are Trainers Still Needed?"as a provocative discussion point. The pace, selection and retention of learning content are controlled by the learners’ needs, goals and interests.  Trainers are challenged to step out of their comfort zones to explore approaches that will to help them keep in step with their learners.

Click here to view the vignette.  Here below is a short description.

In this vignette “ Are Trainers Still Needed?”, a seasoned trainer is short of being told that what he is teaching is outdated. He used to be sure of himself all the time but now he suddenly isn’t. Not used to this kind of situation, he sticks to his dated information, risking the ire of his learner. What consequences will this trainer endure? What should he do? Click here to view "Are Trainers Still Needed?". 

How to Use the Vignette

 

Although the situation presented is specific, this vignette covers a wide range of topics, including conflict-resolution, work ethics and other management-related issues. This vignette is very useful for eLearning sessions that require your learners’ undivided attention, especially those that deal with specific situations that need to be resolved in a timely manner. Use it as part of your lessons or as a post-training test. Face-to-face, eLearning or webinar, this vignette is a sure way to push your learners to the EDGE. Vignettes are captivating and highly effective learning tools that can power up your classroom training, eLearning activities and social learning communities. Click here to view "Are Trainers Still Needed?". 

Join us and tell us what you think about the vignettes and share with us if you have had similar experiences. Your feedback and insights are highly valued. Also feel free to send in your suggestions, comments, improvements or topics that are of interest to you. This can help us greatly in coming up with better vignettes, especially on topics that are of great relevance to you.

Ray Jimenez, PhD
Vignettes Learning
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"

Boring Technical eLearning Can be Engaging

Synthesis
The challenge in designing technical learning content is how to make it more engaging.
Technical information can come alive with the right approach that grabs learners' attention and keep them focused while learning its value and impacts on their jobs. __________________________________________________________________________

How do you make technical eLearning content engaging and interesting? So many of us give up the struggle. But there is a way to engage learners in technical learning.
 
For example, in a workshop, a participant from an insurance company asked me how to help learners understand the definition of “spouse.” She wanted to train learners about the definition of the word. I argued with her and asked, “Do you really want learners to remember the definition or do you want them to learn the application in real life of the definition like “spouse?” The end result is I helped her to develop this vignette “Would Maria Qualify as Spouse?”.
 
When deciding what how to create engaging elearning, interactivity and if scenario works for the content, ask yourselves this question:
 
Does the content require an engaging method or exploration method to help learners learn? Is the investment in scenarios the right investment to deliver learning?
 
When considering micro-scenario approaches to technical content it may be helpful to dwell on these points:
 
1. Think of it in its real-life consequences, positive or negative, or real-life meaning.  For example, why is it important to understand the definition of a spouse? What happens when they fail to understand the definition, the meaning and the impacts?
 
2. Learners must see the reason why it is important to know terms well – the possible error or misunderstanding of factual data and terms in the context of real-life scenarios they face.
 
3. What do learners need to pay attention to so they are able to delineate the terms, the potential problems and the impacts to job performance.
 
4. Learners do not care much for the factual definition. They care why it matters in their jobs.
 
Micro-scenarios are powerful metaphors of looking at things - like real-life mirrors.
It can be a potent tool in technical training or eLearning. It brings to life usual factual information and relates it to real events.  (Related blog: Engaging Technical eLearning – Tips on Design and Delivery)
 
Like Sherlock Holmes, understanding technical content (definitions, how-to’s, implementation, probing, problem solving, etc.) is like detecting criminals or finding proof.  It is conducting an investigation into real impacts of actual cases.
 
Look for facts – how facts happen in real-life. How do people respond to it?  Consider the events that unfold. Discern the truth. Detect suspicious characters.  Crime busting is not just text book - based.  It is also observing how people behave.
 
In the same sense, in technical training or eLearning, it is best to focus beyond the facts.  Rather than starting with the facts, begin with the impacts on real-life – work backwards.  It is like watching a movie in reverse.  It is looking into behavior then connecting to facts.

The Micro-scenario Formula:
1) Create a story or event
2) Put learner on the spot 
3) Ask learner to respond and react
4) Connect the definition by relating it to the story

In our story for the week," Would Maria Qualify as Spouse?", a common-law wife inquires into the insurance benefits of her common-law husband who just died in an accident. The vignette demonstrates how challenging technical topics can be learned through the presentation of a real-life scenario that teaches the value of investigating factual information and invites learners to understand, apply, appreciate and retain the importance of technical knowledge.  Click here to view "Would Maria Qualify as Spouse?"
 
How to Use the Vignette
 
Although the situation presented is specific, this vignette covers a wide range of topics, including conflict-resolution, work ethics and other management-related issues. This vignette is very useful for eLearning sessions that require your learners’ undivided attention, especially those that deal with specific situations that need to be resolved in a timely manner. Use it as part of your lessons or as a post-training test. Face-to-face, eLearning or webinar, this vignette is a sure way to push your learners to the EDGE.
Vignettes are captivating and highly effective learning tools that can power up your classroom training, eLearning activities and social learning communities. Click here to view “Would Maria Qualify as Spouse?". 
 
Join us  and tell us what you think about the vignettes and share with us if you have had similar experiences. Your feedback and insights are highly valued. Also feel free to send in your suggestions, comments, improvements or topics that are of interest to you. This can help us greatly in coming up with better vignettes, especially on topics that are of great relevance to you. 


Ray Jimenez, PhD
Vignettes Learning
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"

Making Facts Stick With Stories - Jiggling Atoms

Synthesis:
Even technical, software and scientific information can be made engaging and fun for learners because everything and everyone carries a story within themselves. Crafting story development is crucial to the success of emotionally fertilized content integral to learning.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oftentimes, I hear workshop participants and clients say,
“Scientific fact, software and technical content do not have stories in them.”

Richard Feynman, the renowned Nobel Laureate who has worked in Caltech for many years, has proven otherwise. Feynman has a knack for making complex scientific discoveries and explanations very easy to understand by using day to day experiences. For example, he explains the nature and characteristics of atoms and molecules by using the boiling water illustration. The hot plate and boiling water atoms and molecules jiggle and transfer their heat to other atoms and molecules. They are constantly bouncing, dancing and colliding. This is what happens in boiling water. The behavior of atoms is a fact, while the boiling water is a real-life phenomenon.

Boiling Water

One might think of the boiling water as an illustration. But in actuality, it is a real-life event and told as a story. Look at this example below. Which statement grabs you instantly?

Life is full of trials and tribulations
or
I started work at 3:00 am and finished at 11:00 pm, totally exhausted.

The first statement is a fact and a technical content, whereas, the second statement is a story.

Many experts agree that stories work to instantly grab learners’ attention and help them relate the content to real-life situations, hence, helping them to retain and apply the content. Stories carry with them the real-life and emotional aspects of learning. When we use stories, there is no need to grab learners’ attention. Learners are naturally drawn to stories, the characters and their experiences, and will automatically lend their attention.

Emotions as Integral to Learning

According to Rosenfield (1988), emotions have important connections to memory. Caine and Caine (1991) said stories add and help in storing information, thus triggering its recall.

"The emotional depth and range that learners have, affected their actual capacity to grasp ideas and procedures. Similarly, content that is emotionally sterile is made more difficult to understand. ... To teach someone any subject adequately, the subject must be embedded in all the elements that give its meaning. People must have a way to relate to the subject in terms of what is personally important, and this means acknowledging both the emotional impact and their deeply held needs and drives. Our emotions are integral to learning. When we ignore the emotional components of any subject we teach, we actually deprive learners of meaningfulness."

Stories and Storytelling Carry Learning Ideas

Stories and experiences are the carriers of emotional content. Stories, which I call organics, have different forms: narrative stories, anecdote, example, metaphor, demo, illustration, meme, and other forms that bring the emotional and real-life aspects of content.

Two Types of Content – Stories and Facts

There are two types of content: (1) the Technical which are factual, objective, mechanical content and (2) the Emotional which are real-life situations, personal context and understanding of the content.

The technical and emotional content work hand in hand. However, we discover that in designing presentations, e-Learning, mobile learning and social learning, there is even a greater need to magnify the emotional side. There is practical reason to this. In classroom or facilitated sessions, the good instructor or facilitator can successfully relate the technical and emotional content by sharing their own stories and experiences. Unfortunately, in much technology delivered learning, the facilitators and stories are absent and we oftentimes find the lessons to consist more of technical or mechanical content. Something is lost in the conversion. The emotional content is “lost in the translation”.

We need to make our learning content more emotionally fertile, not sterile.

Craft in Story Development

The underutilization of stories as a learning design tool is caused by the inherent nature of how most developers receive the source of the content today and the leadership culture that frowns on the “softer and touchy feely” preconceptions of stories.

Most professionals involved in design learning – designers, developers, subject matter experts and leaders - lack the experience that go along with the content: The lesser the experience of professionals with the content, the more removed they are from real-life context and meaning of the content. It is not surprising that we have a deluge of PowerPoint presentations in eLearning and other learning approaches. On the other hand, the more the experience with the content, the more the professional can create stories to help learners learn.

Nonetheless, there is a craft in plucking stories representing the meaning of logic and fact to help learners. By carefully selecting stories to explain the data and technical information, the more we discover and are able to practice our craft better.

Test your craft

The “jiggling atom” example tells us that we can make our learning more fun, engaging and easy for the learner by using stories.

Ray Jimenez, PhD
Vignettes Learning
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"

Igniting Learning with a Story: Compliment – Can’t a person compliment a woman anymore?!

We continue to create Vignettes – short, succinct, micro-scenarios – to help you with an example on how you can use stories to ignite and provoke learners to interact and learn.

The Vignette “Compliment” revolves around officemates, Roxanne and Tim. Roxanne has been , oftentimes, uncomfortable to the point of feeling violated whenever Tim compliments her. Tim contends that his remarks are completely devoid of malice.

When is a compliment not just a compliment? Is Tim guilty of sexual harassment? Is Roxanne simply paranoid? Listen to their conversation and let us know your thoughts.

How to Use the Vignette

While the situation presented is specific, this vignette covers a wide range of topics to include conflict-resolution, work ethics and other management-related issues. Use this vignette to spark learner interest in your training session, show it as part of your lessons or utilize it as a post-training test. Face-to-face or online, this vignette is intended to push your learners to the EDGE!

Vignettes have proven to be powerful stimuli in classroom training, eLearning activities and even in social learning communities. Click here to preview “Compliment – Can’t any person even compliment a woman anymore?!”

This is part of our continuing new series of Vignettes designed for Story Impacts.

These provocative vignettes are for your use, with our compliments.

In next week’s vignette, "Do You Think Age is a Problem?" – A case of age discrimination, a company production manager investigates if a supervisor is guilty of age discrimination. When does a remark or question amount to discrimination? In day-to-day decision making and selection of the right person for a job can be tricky business especially in the hands of inexperienced or new managers - even for existing ones with possible biases. Where does one draw the fine line between the ability of someone to perform job requirements and age? What dangers are posed by certain assumptions about job requirements and possibly ignoring basic employee rights?

Join us and let us know how you like the vignettes. We sincerely appreciate your thoughts. If you have any suggestions , improvements or topics of interest to you, please let us know.




Ray Jimenez, PhD
Vignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"

How Do You Handle a Star? – Provocative Learning Vignette 2

This week’s vignette , The Star, is a story of John who is a star performer, but who causes problems as he repeatedly refuses to cooperate with his team members. How do you deal with a person like John? If he was your team member, how will you handle the situation? How prepared will you be to handle John’s possible adverse reaction? How will you resolve this conflict if you were Terry – John’s superior?

How to Use the Vignette

While the situation presented is specific, this vignette covers a wide range of topics to include conflict-resolution, work ethics and other management-related issues. Use this vignette to spark learner interest in your training session, show it as part of your lessons or utilize it as a post-training test. Face-to-face or online, this vignette is intended to push your learners to the EDGE!

Vignettes provide exciting stimuli during classroom training, eLearning activities and in social learning communities. Click here to preview “The Star”



We continue with our new series of Vignettes designed for Story Impacts.

These provocative vignettes can be used by you, with our compliments.

Next week , our vignette “ Compliment” - Can’t a person even compliment a woman anymore?! , will revolve around two officemates: Roxanne and Tim. Roxanne feels violated whenever Tim compliments her. Tim thinks there is nothing wrong with his gestures. When is a compliment not just a compliment? Is Tim guilty of sexual harassment? Is Roxanne simply paranoid? Listen to their conversation. This time it’s his word against hers. We’d like to know what’s yours.

Join us and let us know how you like the vignettes. We sincerely appreciate your thoughts. If you have any suggestions , improvements or topics of interest to you, please let us know.



Ray Jimenez, PhD
Vignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"

"Can you tell me if my job is safe?" A Provocative Learning Vignette

The Little Secret presents the story of Maria, a dutiful office manager. Maria's management capability is put to the test when she is caught in between adhering to office policy and addressing employee needs. What should Maria do? Can you help her think of a way out?

How to Use the Vignette

While the situation presented is specific, this vignette covers a wide range of topics to include conflict-resolution, work ethics and other management-related issues. Use this vignette to spark learner interest in your training session, show it as part of your lessons or utilize it as a post-training test. Face-to-face or online, this vignette is intended to push your learners to the EDGE!

Use it for your classroom training, eLearning and social learning communities. Click here to preview "The Little Secret."

We are proud to introduce the new series of Vignettes designed for Story Impacts.

On a regular basis, we will send you provocative vignettes which you can use with our compliments.

Next week, we are sharing with you the vignette on "The Star" - a story of John who is a star performer, but causes problems because he refuses to cooperate with his team members. How do you deal with a person like John? Stay tuned. This will be fun.

Join us and let us know how you like the vignettes. If you have any suggestions , improvements or topics of interest to you, please let us know.



Ray Jimenez, PhD
Vignettes Learning
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"

What is shared between Compliance eLearning and Captain America and Anime Comics?

Synthesis
Cartoons and caricatures are affordable and easy to use graphical elements to enhance eLearning. However, they are only as good as the story you are trying to tell. Without stories, they are as weak as any other medium.

Comic-Con just ended this week in San Diego with over 120,000 attendees. Stephen Spielberg and Peter Jackson attracted much attention with the release of The Adventures of Tintin. In theaters, Captain America has now surpassed the last Harry Potter franchise in gross revenues.
Comics, cartoons, caricatures and illustrations have always been successful in engaging learners.
Below are examples of how I use simple cartoons, illustrations and animations in eLearning development.

Compliance Course on Bullying Manager

This is an example of a situation showing a bullying manager. (Click here)

This is an example of how to deal with a bullying manager.

"Stand up" (Click here)

"Who made you queen?" (click here)

Bad Hair Day

This is an example of using simple analogies and asking learners to comment and interact.
(Click here)

 Crisis Management

This animated character is used to stress a point that to follow-up clients in crisis incidents is important in crisis management. (Click here)
 

Benefits of using cartoons, caricatures, illustrations and animation

1. You can control the characters, events and conversations in exactly the right way to meet your needs.
2. They can be created into almost photo-real appearances.
3. They are easy to modify and update since you control the source files.
4. Style can be made consistent.
5. Compared to taking custom photography, cartoons are cheaper to produce.

Some objections
Objections to cartoons are often due to the culture of the organization and the nature of the message and content. There are content that may not fit well with illustrations, and photos work better - for example, when there is human pain, a human face can show it better than an illustration.

Another objection is the perception that caricatures are too much fun and game-like and that leaders often frown on the suggestion that learners are having too much fun (dah!).

Cartoons and caricatures are only mediums to stories

Cartoons and caricatures, however, are only means to an end. They have no added value if they do not show or illustrate a story.

_________________________________
FREE Cartoon Graphical Resources
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PowerPoint templates using cartoons showing topics on:
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Complete the form and type in the subject “Cartoon”. Write a note on where you plan to use the caricatures.
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References and Links

Comic-Con
http://theweek.com/article/index/217596/comic-con-6-things-people-are-talking-about

The Adventures of Tintin
http://www.tintin.com/

Captain America
http://captainamerica.marvel.com/

Contact form
http://vignetteslearning.com/vignettes/contactus.php

 

Ray Jimenez, PhD
Vignettes Learning
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"

Surgical Insertion of Micro-Scenarios that Beautify and Fire Up Your eLearning

Synthesis:

The points of insertion of micro-scenarios in your eLearning program will boost learning effectiveness. The insertion points are important since it is best to use micro-scenarios sparingly and at the appropriate areas. When properly done, you can save on time and improve the quality of your programs.

Micro-scenarios – small, tiny, instant, rapid, quick and engaging learning – can add GLOW to your eLearning courses.

Using these types of scenarios to replace the page-turning type of learning will make you bankrupt. Why? Because scenarios can be costly if not used properly. Micro-scenarios are like diamonds on a ring. The shank of the ring is made of gold or silver, while the diamonds are strategically used to create the highlight or as a sparkling feature. The use of micro-scenarios utilizes the same concept.

Because they are high-packed interactions, micro-scenarios should be injected - yes injected or surgically embedded - in the right places and well-timed to make them work successfully. If micro-scenarios are used extensively – possibly wastefully – they become like wrongly applied Botox injections. Therefore, it is advisable to inject micro-scenarios in the right places and at the right times.



Scenarios are best used in must-learn areas. Please see related blog.

So, let’s be smart and inject micro-scenarios where they create the most impact in your eLearning projects.


These are the ten (10) areas.

1. Apply. When asking learners to apply ideas - instead of doing a memorization test, ask them to respond to a micro-scenario of a real-life event.

2. Response. Ask learners to pause and reflect on an idea - instead of just telling them, create a story interaction and scenario to elicit response.

3. Lesson starters. Start your lesson with a micro-scenario and story interaction - put learners on interaction mood at the very start. Get them hooked and engrossed so they can appreciate the topic.

4. In webinars. Allow learners to respond to a micro-scenario and story interaction as an activity in a webinar. This enhances the learners’ focus and attention in the webinar instead of multi-tasking. (See related blog “No-Lecture Webinar”)

5. Coaching. During coaching sessions, encourage participants to respond to a micro-scenario and story interaction based on their answers, to gauge their questions and learning needs.

6. Software. In software training, instead of just capturing the motions of the screen to show how the software works, use a micro-scenario and ask learners to respond to a real-life case. Then ask them to apply the solution in the software. See related blog.

7. Risky topics. In topics of a "risky nature" where sensitivity is a “must” in the design - like sexual harassment, disciplinary action or ethics - use a micro-scenario and story interaction to put learners in simulated situations that are real and yet less threatening.

8. Reminders. Use micro-scenarios and really small ones like 1-2 minutes as reminders. When you send out an email to remind or promote your courses, add a micro-scenario to provide learners with a teaser or a glimpse of the type of exciting learnings that can be derived from the program.

9. Complex. Use micro-scenarios in complex content to help learners find context or relate the complex ideas with real-life meaning.

10. Harm. When learning requires some physical risks or potential harm, it is good to use micro-scenarios to expose the learners to the content without having to go through the risk of physical harm like in oil rigs, drilling operations, handling hazardous materials and others.


Conclusion

Micro-scenarios work pretty much like diamonds in a ring – it gives the necessary glitter to your eLearning program. However, it should always be “injected” at the right place and at the right time for it to be totally effective, relevant and valuable to your learners.


Related blogs

Engaging Technical eLearning – Tips on Design and Delivery

"How to Ask for a Raise" Scenario Plus 10 Reasons Why Scenarios Work

Creating Micro-Scenarios – X-Men Plays Hockey



Ray Jimenez, PhD
3Minute Worlds - Learning Community Social Learning, Work and Performance3Minute eLearning Games
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"

"How to Ask for a Raise" Scenario Plus 10 Reasons Why Scenarios Work

Synthesis:
All learning approaches point toward imparting relevant content . But scenario- based learning possesses a distinct advantage ,tremendous value and the power to alter views, practices , accepted norms and even culture . Find out the 10 reasons why scenarios work and how it can empower your eLearning programs.
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Imagine that you would like to ask your boss for a well-deserved raise. How will you go about it? Do you have what it takes to successfully negotiate this?

Click on the image to play out this scenario to see how it can help you.

(Produced by Michael Gibson)

In a number of instances, I hear complaints that scenarios are challenging to produce – difficult to a point. However, for those who realize the incredible value it adds to their eLearning programs , this serves as a stimulus to press on and explore various cost-effective formats to achieve their goal.

At the onset, it is best to recognize that learners approach online learning quite differently from other formats. They can click away with their mouse or simply drop the study altogether. They are in almost total control of their learning. So how do you compel or engage them to learn?

Answer: put them on the spot. Thrust them into situations that require them to think, act and decide. Moreover, provide your learners with the opportunities to enact and respond to real-life scenarios. Simulate actual situations that deal with day-to-day experiences. Use stories to make their learning experience real, alive, living and enthralling.

Here I list the 10 reasons why leveraging Micro Scenarios and Interactive Stories truly works:

1. Learners’ participation is harnessed through story and experience sharing

Each of us carry stories within us. Micro Scenarios and Story interaction coaxes learners to share their own real-life accounts, listen to others and learn from each other.
(See related blog)

2. It boosts content absorption and retention in participants

People learn best when they can relate information to real-life situations. They do not remember facts easily. Stories help learners understand and recall the concepts behind the learning
(See related blog)

3. Learners get immersed in engaging real-life simulations for better job performance.

Replicating real-life scenarios help the learners recognize valuable nuggets of content that they can readily apply to actual job performance.

4. It challenges learners’ cognitive skills, evaluation and decision-making processes

Adding tension to eLearning stories focuses the learners’ attention on response and reaction. in the use of stories, tension serves as a lever, fulcrum or a tourniquet that can be tightened to get the desired action or reaction from learners. People tend to respond to a stimulus that raises their tension level, be it positive or negative. And we can take advantage of this basic human instinct.
(See related blog)

5. Un-learning perceptions, beliefs, accepted norms, practices and methods that bring about individual and organizational change.

“Stories help us unlearn and replace inadequate or outdated mental models by appealing to us at an emotional or intuitive level instead.” (excerpt from the writing of Deborah Sole, Learning Innovations Laboratories, Harvard Graduate School of Education)

6. Promoting new ideas or concepts and make them easily acceptable to learners

“If we are to achieve results never before accomplished, we must employ methods never before attempted.” Sir Francis Bacon

The story-based approach affords you a highly engaging and compelling method of presenting fresh, novel, innovative ideas that eases your learners into your desired mode of acceptance.

7. Learners embark on a journey through scenarios to synthesize complex ideas and skills

It is about recognizing patterns from a series of choices leading to the discovery of the ideas.
(See related blog)

8. Sharpen learners’ ability to identify high-impact ideas immediately applicable to their jobs.

Instant learning happens as a quick loop of experience consisting of an event, feedback and discovery. In the rapidly changing work environment where the demand for new knowledge and skill is fast and in constant flux, we have opportunities to use the instant experience loop. How do we do that? We replicate the instant experience loop by sharing stories and the realities of life.
(See related blog)

9. Converting boring, technical content into easily understood, user-friendly case scenarios of actual real-life work situations.

Using the case and scenario techniques enhances the effectiveness and efficiency of the learning process. Technical content becomes more engaging and learners become skilled and are able to rapidly apply knowledge in the real world or work.
(See related blog)

Here listed are some of the ways to tell stories in eLearning. Find out how you can use them.
(See related blog)


10. Turning boring, static and stale learning objectives from mere documents into valuable tools - stories that spin off the discovery of more hidden stories.

The key benefit of stating a learning goal as a story is that it allows us the opportunity to continue using the story to deliver the rest of the lesson.
(See related blog)

Conclusion

Everyone has a story to tell. People listen to them. Engage your learners. Hold their attention. Encourage interactivity. Promote sharing of real-life stories. Achieve your learning objectives with Micro Scenarios and Interactive Stories. Push your learners to the brink of a new learning threshold – content discoveries through stories.

Rediscover the power of stories that are applied to eLearning designs to provide a highly creative way for eLearning professionals like you to bring learning content to life.

Related Blogs

The Battle of Stories – Instructional Design Approach

Adding Tension to eLearning Stories to Engage Learners

How to instantly grab e-learners attention!

How to Embed Learning Goals in Stories



Ray Jimenez, PhD
3Minute Worlds - Learning Community Social Learning, Work and Performance3Minute eLearning Games
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"