Learning Through Story

Marymoore Patterson

Professional Story-listener and Storyteller

Abstract

Stories are how we make sense of facts and create meaning. However, in an academic and professional setting, it can be hard to know how to tell stories effectively, or even to identify what a story is. This paper explores a particular type of storytelling: the use of specific, personal moments to facilitate learning and transformation and to accomplish the telling of stories. The focus is primarily on the narrative arc and a subset of literary techniques that connect personal experiences to values in a way that engages experiential sensemaking for the audience. These are considered from the perspective of both storyteller and story listener. I use personal examples, as well as some drawn from the stories, techniques, and themes shown in other Advances in Peer-Led Learning (APLL) articles, to demonstrate how a few key descriptive techniques, narrative arcs, character archetypes, and plot types can all be applied in straightforward ways to enhance engagement and learning and result in good, successful, storytelling.

Keywords: Storytelling, Narrative Arc, Learning, Peer Leaders, Transformation

Recommended Citation

Patterson, M. (2023). Learning Through Story. Advances in Peer-Led Learning, 3, 3-17. Online at https://doi.org/10.54935/apll2023-01-02-03