Storytelling is one of the oldest forms of education: Through stories, people have always shared their experiences, observations, insights, cultural beliefs, traditions, history. What is quite normal and entertaining around the campfire is still far too little used in adult education with its potential. We know not only from everyday experience, but also scientifically confirmed, e.g. by the neurobiologist Gerald Hüther, how important the emotional level is for remembering: "Everything that gets under the skin is inevitably better stored. (https://www.newsaktuell.de/blog/was-geschichten-im-gehirn-bewirken/) But this is not the only reason why contents that are conveyed through stories are easier to remember: "Pure information can only be linked to a limited extent. But if you package it into a story, you provide many points of reference to already existing memory content. ibidem. Adult education can and should take advantage of this. One of the findings of the transnational project "Sheherazade: 1001 stories for adult education" (2011-2013, Grundtvig programme), which examined the potential of the method for adult education, is that storytelling is particularly suitable where low-threshold access to educational opportunities for adults is necessary, for example in basic education or political education. This is where StoryComp comes in, with the aim of systematically establishing storytelling as a method in these two areas of education. The project will develop a comprehensive, sequential blended-learning course with three steps: 1. online course on the methodological foundations of storytelling as a teaching and learning method in basic education and political education 2. face-to-face workshops to practice storytelling and exchange with other participating adult educators 3. own implementation scenarios in the institution/courses, supported by suggestions from and exchange with other adult educators on the platform For the StoryComp project, a European partnership from seven countries has come together, some very experienced in European project work, some new to it, bringing together experts from all relevant fields: Basic education of adults, political education, storytelling, further education of adult educators and scientific pedagogical foundation. They will jointly develop the following intellectual outputs within the project: - IO1 - Methodological Framwork ... as base for the StoryComp concept which aims on self-directed training opportunities for teachers in storytelling as a creative method to promote the acquisition of competences among adult learners in basic education and political education. - IO2 - Online Course and Platform ... as the "core" of the project and a prerequisite for the adult educators to develop the method of storytelling for their field of education with the online course, to have the necessary resources available for the implementation and application in practice (European collection of suitable stories, video tutorials on techniques and methods, instructions for storytelling workshops etc.) and to network with others, exchange and discuss experiences in a corresponding area of the platform in the sense of a virtual narrative community of adult educators. - IO3 – Guidance for Storytelling Workshops with Adult Educators … as a practice-oriented, modular and thus directly and flexibly applicable guide entitled with the aim of motivating and guiding adult educators to practice and improve their storytelling skills together with colleagues in workshops All products of the project will be available as open educational resources at the StoryComp platform, freely usable and modifiable. The direct target groups of the project, which also will be directly involved in the development and implementation of the project in all partner countries, will be adult educators in the field of basic education and in the field of political education. In addition, the project will be aimed at people with responsibility for the further development of educational concepts of the institutions and for the further training of adult educators, too. Indirect target groups of the project are adult learners with needs in basic education or in political education. Due to the fact that the project partners are interested in implementing the StoryComp concept in their institutions, it can be assumed that these adult learners - the target groups of the educational offers of the institutions - will be reached insofar as the adult educators will use storytelling in their courses in order to specifically strengthen the key competences of their learners. In addition, the strong professional networking of the partners in their countries, for example through adult education associations and existing cooperation, ensures that the StoryComp concept is passed on and established on a regional, national and also European level.
With StoryComp, the partnership wanted to systematically process storytelling as a method for adult education, especially in the areas of basic education and political education, and convey it to trainers in the form of a comprehensive, sequential course with three steps: 1. online course on the methodological basics of storytelling as a teaching and learning method in basic education and civic education. 2. face-to-face workshops to practice storytelling and exchange with other participating adult educators 3. own implementation scenarios in the institution/course, supported by suggestions from and exchange with other adult educators. The objective is thus to further qualify trainers in adult education and to expand their range of methods in order to reach even more learners, especially at a low threshold, to support them in their competence development and to motivate them to learn. At the same time, the StoryComp approach should be made known and established in adult education institutions for a sustainable effect.
The background of this project lies in the potential of storytelling. In several previous projects, partners had already gained experience on how to use stories with adult learners and how to provide methodological skills to educators to use storytelling for age-appropriate competence development in early childhood education. However, the preliminary research for the project also revealed that there are no systematic approaches on how to teach adult educators methodological skills and storytelling skills that enable them to use stories and storytelling with adult learners in the sense of competence-based learning. StoryComp wanted to focus particularly on the areas of basic education and civic education, as learners here should be reached on a low-threshold and/or emotional rather than a rational level. In both areas, there is also a considerable need for further training of teachers in order to implement low-threshold, non-formal approaches to better reach the target group. Both areas of education aim to provide people with key competences in the sense of the European Framework of Reference, which enable them to participate in society and to help shape its decisions.