Storytelling in academia – truth be told, we could do better

Storytelling in academia – truth be told, we could do better

I sat at a plenary session in London at the inaugural?BioMedEng?conference in 2008 where Professor Christian Amatore, a Professor in Chemistry, was describing the first documented bioactive medicinal agent that was scaled to mass production in history – the?Egyptian black eye make-up. As a PhD student in biomechanics studying shoulders, I was expecting everything to wash over my head, instead I was blown away. Prof Amatore drew us all in by explaining the complex through concepts people understood in the room: the London transport networks. He began by exploring a map, showing that a bird’s eye snapshot doesn’t mean we know?how?a system works. The communication networks in the body between cells and tissues, using the analogy of our own city: the taxi routes, the walking paths, the underground train connections and the pace that they each have, tells us an interesting story about how the whole works (or doesn’t as the case maybe). I had no interest in electrochemistry or how cells communicate at a molecular level and yet, I left that talk in awe of two things: the complexity of the human body and how the speaker was able to share this knowledge with such a wide audience.

This is good storytelling.?

On the flip side, I’m sure we can recount a bad storytelling experience, which could only be described as the?art of natural anaesthesia. However, no one is an instinctively great speaker; it needs the hours and the grind to be put in. Granted, some of us pick it up more quickly than others but it’s a skill, nonetheless.?My very first teaching lecture taught me a valuable lesson on the vast difference between sharing what I did versus taking everyone with me on a learning journey. So how can we use good storytelling to bring out the awe of what we do? I would love to hear your own stories, tips, books and resources that helped you.?

Here are?5 things?I’ve been inspired by that continues to shape my story telling journey in academia:

1.?????Trigger an emotion.??The most effective lesson elicits action. And actions are usually driven from emotive experiences.?Campbell shares that every story has a hero’s path?filled with negative and positive emotions, finding purpose and the ability to act through these events. In the realms of learning, epistemic emotions are an essential part of the learning journey, the need for both positive emotions (e.g. curiosity) and negative emotions (e.g. confusion) in the process of learning and discovery. There is a kind of art in creating the right level of positive and negative emotion that facilitates rather than hinders learning. The challenge is walking that path with such a diverse cohort of learners.

2.?????Enthusiasm is contagious.?Professor Walter Lewin?is a world famous academic. Why? As well as being an excellent physicist, he inspired so many with his witty lectures, brilliant showcase experiments and love for physics. So much so that one of his students admitted they came to study physics at MIT so they could take his class. A friend of mine recalls their time in medical school in the UK where they were inspired by one of the professors there. He recounts: “It wasn’t just a job for her, she really?lived?her subject”. She would often be so absorbed in their teaching labs that students would sometimes leave her pouring over microscope slides at the end of sessions.?

3.?????Never waste a crisis.?Technical failures always have a human, socioeconomic and/or environmental element, we see them reported all the time in our newsfeeds. I try to use current and relatable examples where possible in teaching, particularly in ethics case studies. Something I learned from Prof. Amatore’s lecture.?

4.?????Make it personal?– In a professional skills class, one of my colleagues used a personal analogy on a technical crisis they had along with message snapshots and photos to explain the importance of good communication to students – a good laugh and a lesson never forgotten.?

5.?????Use pictures?– Several years ago at a national bioengineering symposium talk amongst engineers, biologists and clinicians the plenary speaker shared the use of medical technologies in developing countries over an hour-long lecture. No use of words, only pictures. I vowed never to use word slides at conferences again.?

Finally, for students and anyone who happens to sit through a great story telling class or experiencing a wave of general anaesthesia, a note of kindness: developing great oratory skills is a craft not a natural gift. Do consider putting the class feedback forms to good use: if the speaker is good, do tell them and why. If they could improve, I’m sure they would appreciate your suggestion given as a critical friend.?

I would love to hear your own stories, tips, books and resources that helped you as a storyteller, please do post in the comments.

References:

The hero with a thousand faces, Joseph Campbell

Professor Walter Lewin’s lectures on YouTube