Stories take a preferential position within our brain. They are good for understanding and remembering things better. Information is stored in our long-term memory. That is where the power of a good story comes into play. One of the components of long-term memory is declarative memory. This memory concerns non-automated memory such as having a substantive conversation or learning concepts. Declarative memory consists of semantic and episodic memory. Semantic memory is the ability to recall facts, meanings, and concepts, independent of the situation in which we learned them (see also the forgetting curve). Episodic memory is the ability to reconstruct events from our lives, taking into account factors such as time, place, and emotion. These two systems work together: you first learn concepts in a certain context (lesson), which are then stored in semantic memory independently of the context. Thus, students often remember episodic details of a lesson without knowing exactly what was discussed. By telling stories that include interesting facts, you can take advantage of the connection between episodic and semantic memory. This makes storytelling a powerful way to learn. Research (Graesser et al., 1994) found that students could remember about 50% more from a text with a narrative character than from an objectively written text. Further research (Meyers & Duffy, 1990) showed that we mainly remember stories due to the strength of the causal connections. If connections are weak or too strong, we process them less actively and remember them less well (see image). Stories are therefore particularly powerful if they make you think. It is powerful to incorporate narrative elements into your lesson, such as 'The Four C’s: Causality, Conflict, Complications, and Character (Willingham, 2004). For example, you can incorporate learning material into a (personal) story where there is a conflict between characters or where an obstacle must be overcome to achieve a goal.
Stories take a preferential position within our brain. They are good for understanding and remembering things better. Information is stored in our long-term memory. That is where the power of a good story comes into play. One of the components of long-term memory is declarative memory. This memory concerns non-automated memory such as having a substantive conversation or learning concepts. Declarative memory consists of semantic and episodic memory. Semantic memory is the ability to recall facts, meanings, and concepts, independent of the situation in which we learned them (see also the forgetting curve). Episodic memory is the ability to reconstruct events from our lives, taking into account factors such as time, place, and emotion. These two systems work together: you first learn concepts in a certain context (lesson), which are then stored in semantic memory independently of the context. Thus, students often remember episodic details of a lesson without knowing exactly what was discussed. By telling stories that include interesting facts, you can take advantage of the connection between episodic and semantic memory. This makes storytelling a powerful way to learn. Research (Graesser et al., 1994) found that students could remember about 50% more from a text with a narrative character than from an objectively written text. Further research (Meyers & Duffy, 1990) showed that we mainly remember stories due to the strength of the causal connections. If connections are weak or too strong, we process them less actively and remember them less well (see image). Stories are therefore particularly powerful if they make you think. It is powerful to incorporate narrative elements into your lesson, such as 'The Four C’s: Causality, Conflict, Complications, and Character (Willingham, 2004). For example, you can incorporate learning material into a (personal) story where there is a conflict between characters or where an obstacle must be overcome to achieve a goal.
Baddeley AD, Hitch GJ. 1974. Working memory. In The Psychology of Learning and Motivation: Advances in Research and Theory, ed. GA Bower, pp. 47–89. New York: Academic
Didau, D. & Rose, N. (2019). Psychologie in de klas: Wat iedere leraar moet weten. Culemborg, Nederland: Phronese
Graesser, A. C., Singer, M., Trabasso, T. (1994). Constructing Inferences During Narrative Text Comprehension. Psychological Review, 101, 371–395.
Keenan, J.M., Baillet, S.D., & Brown, P. (1987). The effect of causal cohesion on comprehension and memory. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 23, 115–126.
Surma, T., Vanhoyweghen, K., Sluijsmans, D., Camp, G., Muijs, D., en Kirschner, P. (2018). Wijze lessen: Twaalf bouwstenen voor effectieve didactiek. Meppel, Nederland: Ten Brink Uitgevers.
