So…one of my teachers pointed me to an article that he wrote about how to use conversations to embed content in eLearning. Intriguing. I’ve done it, I’ve thought about it - not necessarily in that order. How would I teach someone to do it? Is there a secret to it? So, I’m going to take a stab at deconstructing my process. But, before I do…I must digress for a moment.
One thing I love about the article referenced is that the author realizes that he must “practice what he preaches.” Why speak about using conversations to embed content if you can’t do it…conversationally? He gives the reader a challenge - I’m going to write this article two ways - the conversational way - using graphics, characters, and thought bubbles - and the traditional way - as a blog post with no graphics and paragraphs. Which do you prefer and why?
For me, the answer is not as obvious as you might think. While the former is visually engaging and humorous, I think I prefer straight text. But…and here’s the big but, the first thought that went through my head when I questioned my preference was that I was edumacated in the old behaviorist models of times past. (Except that most people are still taught in that manner with a side of technology.) I still view reading unadorned text as an accomplishment and testament to my intelligence and attention span. All of this is to say that I am choosing not to be graphic for this blog post.
Continuing on…Screen readers of the world unite! Rise up against huge chunks of text! Go forth and be…conversational. But how to do it? OK - I broke it down. For me, it’s very simple:
Acting - Acting is pretending, acting is believing, an actor prepares. OK - you can tell I have taken a smattering of acting classes over the years. Above all, though, you must have the ability to put yourself in another person’s shoes for a brief period of time and converse as they would converse. This involves another topic I would like to expound upon in a future blog post - Empathy - a disappearing, but essential life quality.
Characters - Who are these people? Who is talking? OK, don’t get carried away with backstory, but make your characters diverse. Make them likeable, if that is what they need to be. Make them talk like real people talk.
Content/Setting - What are the basic points that you need to get across to the learner? Jot them down. Now, set the stage. Where are you? Who asks the questions? Who has all the answers? Who talks first? Then, go.
Storytelling - You don’t have to be a pro at this. Here’s my suggestion. Throw a kink in the works - make a character that is traditionally male - female, for example. Throw in an odd situation or problem. Introduce another character briefly that interrupts - a frequent real-life occurrence. A shared memory. Something to create “cognitive dissonance”. Wait - did that just happen? It’s a learning event, so there may not be a true “arc” to your story, but include the unexpected, just for fun. (As in “Jean Luc” - see video clip below.)
Got Grammar? Please, don’t. We don’t talk in beautifully constructed sentences. At least I don’t. I stutter and use way too many filler words, i.e. “like”, “kinda”, “really?”, “c’mon”, “get out”, “shut up”. You don’t have to get carried away. But, keep it real, brah. Sprinkle in a few onomatopoeias (oof, pow, thud, etc.) just for effect.
The Coffee - It’s all about the coffee, people. Do any deep conversations happen around the water cooler anymore? No, it’s about the coffee. Coffee makes us feel cozy and… conversational. Remember those International Coffee commercials of times past? Wistful staring out of a window with the steam rising from some exotically titled mug of prepared instant coffee? Your characters may converse in other locations, but you must keep the informal tone of the theoretical “coffee talk.”
That’s it for me. Go forth and converse. But first, I’ll throw in a little somethin’ for nostalgia’s sake. Celebrate the moments of your life!