Storytelling has long been a powerful tool in learning, but with the introduction of AI, a question mark has been looming over its impact on content in L&D. Is the e-learning market about to become one, big boiling pot of AI-generated content? Will we lose that vital, human element of learning through stories and experience? Or is the outlook a little less bleak…?
Earlier this month, Video Arts hosted a seminar on just this subject at the Learning Technologies Exhibition and Conference in London, joined by our wonderful panellists Sarah Mateljan and Paula Knight. Below is a little summary of what was discussed…
What are the benefits of storytelling?
In a nutshell, storytelling gives learners something to connect with. Whether you’re listening to a story or watching it on screen, seeing concepts play out in practice and being able to relate to what’s in front of you is a highly effective way of facilitating learning. The emotional response that comes with this – be it ‘I know someone like that!’ or ‘oh I remember when I did that…’ – makes for a learning experience that is both engaging and long-lasting.
How is AI impacting L&D?
AI can be used in learning in two key ways: to do things at greater speed or improve the quality of the learning. What a lot of learning providers are doing right now is using AI to rapidly generate and roll out content. This is great for saving time, but there are naturally some concerns around whether this, in time, will render the vast majority of e-learning content bland and ‘same-y’.
A better use of AI is to focus on the second example and, instead, leverage AI’s strengths and creativity to put learners into their own stories as they learn. An example of this would be through the use of AI chatbot integrations (of which we have a lovely one…), which allow for personalisation that enhances the relevance and real-life application of the learning, leading to better, more lasting outcomes.
How do you get the balance right between AI and storytelling?
The main thing we need to remember with using AI is that it should be there to enhance rather than replace. Instead of relying on AI to do all our thinking for us, therefore risking slightly lacklustre, generic content, it has far more potential when used as a support system. A great example of this is (funnily enough) Video Arts’ chatbot integration 🤓 Our chatbot leverages AI to enhance what Video Arts already does well: tell funny stories that help people to learn. While generative AI can be a powerful storytelling tool in itself, a better use of its skills is to harness this creativity and storytelling capability to deepen engagement with learners, literally put them in the story, and make the lessons even stickier.
Summary
There is no learning without human experience and storytelling is central to this. However, stories need to be relevant to learners, otherwise we risk people not caring about what happens to the characters we create. It’s this very human response of being invested in what we’re seeing that enables real engagement and, therefore, real learning. Instead of losing this in favour of hastily pivoting to mass AI-generated content, we should utilise AI’s strengths to enhance the stories we’re telling, to create richer, more robust learning environments.
