Abstract
“Stories have aided humans… to describe problems and seek solutions, to object against the status quo and to express wonder at life’s blissful encounters... Perhaps above all, stories have educated… to draw out what lies latent within us” (Molthan-Hill et. al, 2020, p1-2).
This interactive workshop examines the power of stories – our own stories, and that of our students and other influential people in our lives as a pedagogical device for use in lectures and seminars. In particular, we will discuss our own stories as educators, stories as researchers, drawing out student stories, and stories of alumni, employers and wider networks. By the end of this workshop, you will have a deeper understanding of how to decide on which stories to feature, and how to implement stories into your curriculum to inspire your students, whether you are new to teaching or if you are an experienced educator. This workshop is run by Rosie Pollock, who works as a Global Professional Award Trainer and has recently completed the PGCE in Higher Education at the University of Huddersfield, leading to Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.
Suggested Format
Introduction, Housekeeping and Icebreaker (what drew you to teaching / education initially?) - Mentimeter or post-it notes.
Teeny bit of theory - key concepts of using stories in Higher Education curriculum (5 min)
My story - discussion around what I did and why, what the impact is
Stories as Educators and Researchers - small groups discuss their own stories, then feedback to whole group
Drawing out stories from students - small groups discuss examples, then feedback to whole group
Stories of alumni, employers, networks - small groups discuss examples, then feedback to whole group
What happens next? Whole class discussion - how you might decide which stories to use, how we can implement this into existing curriculum? (Action plan for attendees to write down what they will do following this workshop).
Questions