CTLgrads Learning Community: The Stories We Tell: Storytelling as Pedagogical Strategy, Session 1 (for Graduate Students)

Lecturing has a bad reputation. Pedagogical research in recent years has proven the benefits of active learning, encouraging instructors to increase student engagement in the classroom through classroom assessment techniques (CATs) and discussion-based learning environments. This research has created an awareness of the importance of including students’ voices in the classrooms and has enabled instructors across disciplines to vary their teaching styles in order to meet a wider variety of learners.

In the recently-solidified dichotomy between lecturing and, well, not lecturing, the latter has come out on top. Nevertheless, lecturing remains, for many instructors, an important classroom strategy. Indeed, it is one that, if harnessed properly, need not be seen in opposition to active learning, but as its complement. In this Learning Community, we explore the technique of storytelling as a tool to enliven lectures—whether you are lecturing for 10 minutes before a class discussion or providing your students with a larger narrative for a discussion on another day. We will delve into the tricky mechanics of delivering an engaging lecture, connecting this idea to the principles of learning objectives, inclusive teaching, and Universal Design for Learning. How do we present information in multiple modes to reach different learners while keeping the information fresh and interesting (think blending lecturing and supporting materials, like slides and handouts)? How can lectures create connections between learners and ideas? In this two-part workshop, we will explore how to blend storytelling techniques with pedagogical best practices.

This Learning Community facilitated by Senior Lead Teaching Fellows at the CTL and is limited to Columbia graduate students. Please register for and attend both sessions of this Learning Community online.

Columbia University makes every effort to accommodate individuals with disabilities. Contact ColumbiaCTL@columbia.edu or 212.854.1692 for accommodations.