The Basics of Story Telling in Course Design

Storytelling in online course design refers to using narrative elements, such as characters, plot, and conflict, to create a more engaging and immersive learning experience for students.

One way storytelling can be used in an online course is by incorporating real-life scenarios or case studies to help students apply their learning to real-world situations. This can make the material more relatable and exciting for students and help them understand the relevance of the course content.

Another way storytelling can be used is by incorporating interactive elements such as videos, animations, and graphics to create a more engaging and dynamic learning experience. This can help students visualise and understand complex concepts and make the course more visually appealing.

Additionally, storytelling can create an emotional connection with the students. By using storytelling, the course designer can create a sense of empathy with the characters in the story, and the students can relate to them better. This can help students become more invested in the course material and motivated to learn.

Overall, storytelling is a powerful tool for online course design. It can make the material more engaging, relatable, and interesting for students, helping them understand and retain the information better.

The Hero's Journey in Course Design

The Hero's Journey is a storytelling concept popularised by mythologist  Joseph Campbell in his book "The Hero with a Thousand Faces". It refers to a standard narrative structure in many historical cultures and traditions.

The Hero's Journey follows a specific pattern: a hero sets out on a quest to face challenges, overcome obstacles, and ultimately achieve their goal.

It typically consists of 17 stages. These are:

How To Apply a "Theme" to a Leadership Course Whilst Using The Hero Journey Stages

A theme is a central, unifying idea. The more significant issue emerges as the characters pursue their goals. Choose a theme that aligns with the journey to theme a leadership course based on the Hero's Journey and incorporate the 17 stages.

Here are a few examples

• Building a Strong Team: This theme focuses on developing a solid and cohesive team, including team dynamics, communication, and motivation.
• Effective Communication: This theme explores the importance of clear and effective communication in leadership, including verbal and nonverbal communication, conflict resolution, and public speaking skills.
• Leading with Emotional Intelligence: This theme focuses on the role of emotional intelligence in effective leadership, including self-awareness, empathy, and interpersonal skills.
• Strategic Thinking and Planning: This theme explores the role of strategic thinking and planning in leadership, including goal setting, problem-solving, and decision-making.
• Personal Growth and Development: This theme focuses on the importance of personal growth and development in leadership, including self-reflection, self-awareness, and personal leadership style.
• Quest for Leadership Mastery: This theme focuses on a leader's journey to becoming an effective and successful leader.

Let's expand on that last example, the Quest for Leadership Mastery. This theme is rooted in the idea that leadership is not a fixed trait but a skill that can be developed and honed over time. In this theme, the leader is seen as a hero on a quest to master the art of leadership, facing challenges and obstacles along the way.

The course content in this theme would focus on developing essential leadership skills, such as communication, motivation, strategic thinking, and emotional intelligence. When designing your course, you would use storytelling, interactive activities, and hands-on simulations to engage the leader and help them progress through each stage of their leadership journey. The course would also include opportunities for self-reflection, where the leader can reflect on their own experiences and identify areas for growth.

Throughout the course, you would use the hero's journey structure to guide the leader's development, helping them to understand the importance of each leadership skill and how to apply it in real-world situations. This structure would also provide a sense of purpose and motivation for the leader as they strive to reach their ultimate goal of becoming a mastery-level leader.

By focusing on the theme of a "quest for leadership mastery", your course design can create a powerful and engaging learning experience that will help the leader develop the skills and knowledge they need to become effective and successful.

Your design could include the following:

• Use storytelling and narrative elements to engage the learners and help them to understand and connect with the material.
• Map each stage of the Hero's Journey to specific leadership concepts, skills, and best practices, such as:

1. The Ordinary World: Introduction to leadership and setting expectations for the course.
2. The Call to Adventure: Defining leadership and identifying the need for leadership development.
3. Refusal of the Call: Overcoming leadership challenges and facing fears.
4. Meeting the Mentor: Finding role models and mentors, learning from their experiences.
5. Crossing the Threshold: Developing self-awareness and exploring leadership styles.
6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies: Building relationships, managing conflict, and leading teams.
7. Approach to the Innermost Cave: Facing challenges and making tough decisions.
8. The Ordeal: Solving problems, leading change, and navigating the crisis.
9. The Reward: Achieving success, receiving feedback and recognition.
10. The Road Back: Reflecting on leadership experiences, learning from failure.
11. The Resurrection: Growing as a leader, developing resilience.
12. Return with the Elixir: Sharing leadership lessons and insights.
13. The Refusal of the Return: Overcoming complacency, avoiding leadership stagnation.
14. The Magic Flight: Navigating transitions, maintaining momentum.
15. Rescue from Without: Seeking support, finding resources for growth.
16. The Crossing of the Return Threshold: Evaluating progress, setting goals for the future.
17. Master of Two Worlds: Celebrating achievements, becoming a lifelong learner.

• Use interactive activities, exercises, and assessments that align with each stage of the journey and help learners to apply the concepts and skills they have learned.

• Provide resources and support that align with each journey stage, such as mentor relationships, peer networks, and ongoing coaching.
• Develop a community area where leaders can engage with you and their peers and deeper their understanding of leadership topics.

By incorporating the Hero's Journey into the design of your leadership course, you can create a meaningful and engaging learning experience that helps learners to connect with the material, develop their skills, and achieve their goals. You can still apply the same stages whether you deliver the experience online or in person.

What we have outlined above could be developed into an online or in-person program. 

If you'd like support in developing your programs, don't hesitate to contact us using the form below.