Abstract:

This study addresses the challenges inherent in teaching conceptually rich and complex material in science and technology classrooms. A key issue identified is the difficulty students face in understanding the purpose and relevance of such material, particularly as it pertains to their professional and community contexts. This problem is especially pronounced among students who fall outside traditional educational and professional paradigms, largely due to a lack of skills in integrating classroom learning with real-world events. To tackle this issue, we have developed and implemented an innovative teaching and learning methodology designed to enhance student self-efficacy, enthusiasm, and knowledge in complex, dynamic, modern undergraduate classrooms. Central to our approach is the use of Storytelling as a pedagogical tool. This method involves students in creating and sharing stories that weave together classroom material and aspects of modern scientific research.

The storytelling process is structured around three key objectives:
1) Integration of classroom material with current scientific developments, formulated into semester-long stories, with themes chosen by the students,
2) Relating the material to recent breakthroughs in both fundamental and translational science, and
3) Sharing these stories with the class through interactive poster sessions, thereby illuminating the significance of their classroom efforts in the broader contexts of modern science, community involvement, and educational advancement.

We observed significant improvements in various aspects of student learning, particularly notable in the areas of self-efficacy and factual knowledge. Students demonstrated an increase in confidence regarding their understanding of complex material, as well as in their ability to relate this material to real-world scientific and community issues. Additionally, there was a noticeable enhancement in their enthusiasm for learning, which we attribute to the active and engaging nature of the storytelling process. The storytelling approach was also adapted for large, diverse classrooms by deploying an online version, which included online group presentations and poster sessions. This adaptation successfully addressed the primary barrier to adoption in larger classes, namely the high time cost associated with in-class components. Over three years of testing this online version in a medium-sized undergraduate class, the results consistently showed significant improvements in student self-efficacy and factual knowledge, underscoring the effectiveness of our storytelling-based pedagogical strategy in enhancing student engagement and understanding in complex science classrooms.

Keywords:

Storytelling, undergraduate, STEM, learning gains, primary literature, project-based learning.