Cast your mind back to childhood. Do you remember the first textbook you were given at primary school?
Of course not. Well, not unless you have an eidetic memory.
But we bet you remember the book about a certain tiger turning up for tea and drinking all the water in the tap. Or the child who wrote to the zoo asking for a pet. Or perhaps the very hungry insect that ate everything in sight.
Why is that?
Those books weren’t exactly packed with practical advice for your future career in schools, even if that’s where you first saw them. The bright colours and animals probably caught your attention at the time, but you remember them because they told gripping stories, even if they were simple.
We still learn through storytelling. We always have. For generations, people passed history and knowledge from one person to another, retelling stories and adding their own spin along the way. Eventually, some of those stories became books, plays and films, even Hollywood blockbusters.
So, why should workplace learning be any different?
When we’re trying to learn a new skill or understand an important responsibility, snoozing through a presentation isn’t particularly effective. We dread those teacher training or inset days because they simply don’t grip us.
We prefer content with stories, characters, themes and a plot. These elements give information context and help important learning stick.
A charismatic presenter can bring a conventional training session to life by weaving stories through the content. Sadly, that isn’t always what happens. It’s normally left to a headteacher or senior leader who is great at what they do in their day job but isn’t trained in public speaking and presentation.
The power of storytelling in learning is difficult to overstate. It can take us back to an age when learning didn’t feel like learning. We were simply enjoying ourselves and following a character on their journey.
That doesn’t mean learning should become secondary in your training. It must remain front and centre. Adding a story to a dry subject can make complicated information feel simple, relevant and relatable.
By weaving in characters, problems and memorable moments, a course can hold learners’ attention while helping them understand how the subject applies to real life.
As Joe Lazauskas and Shane Snow, authors of The Storytelling Edge, put it:
“Good stories surprise us. They make us think and feel. They stick in our minds and help us remember ideas and concepts.”
But what else can storytelling bring to eLearning?
Stories activate our natural curiosity. We want to discover what happens next, which keeps us interested and invested in the course.
For busy school staff with limited time for training, that engagement matters. Learning shouldn’t feel like another task to endure.
When learners are engaged, they’re more likely to remember what they’ve learned. Information sticks because the story gives it context and makes them feel something.
A rule or procedure presented on its own may quickly be forgotten. Show a relatable character facing the consequences of a decision, and its importance becomes much clearer.
Stories allow learners to connect with and empathise with characters, particularly when those characters face familiar workplace problems.
Recognisable character types and playful cultural references can work well too. Learners understand them immediately, so they’re already thinking about how that character might respond to the situation.
When learners become invested in a story, they want to see it through. That gives them another reason to complete the course rather than dropping out because they’re bored or distracted.
When a character faces a realistic workplace situation, learners can put themselves in that person’s shoes.
This is especially valuable in school training. A story can demonstrate how safeguarding, health and safety, compliance or people-management responsibilities affect real colleagues, pupils and situations, not just policies on a page.
Learners can then take what they’ve seen and apply it in their own roles.
Storytelling sounds good in theory, but it isn’t simply a case of making something up and inserting it into content that has already been developed.
A good learning story needs purpose. We’ve done all the hard work for you, but if you need something that’s more bespoke for your school or trust, here are a few principles we use when creating engaging eLearning that you’ll find useful too.
Learning should be accessible, but not every subject can be approached in the same way.
If the tone is too highbrow, you risk alienating some learners. If it's too simplistic, more experienced staff may switch off.
Before you begin, consider who your learners are, what their roles are within your school or trust, what they already know, and what they genuinely need to take away from the course.
Good stories have a beginning, middle and end, and learning stories should too.
Introduce your characters and the problem they’re facing. Follow their journey and show how the learning helps them reach a resolution.
The story shouldn’t disappear halfway through the course or feel as though it has been added simply for decoration.
Plot, themes and character development can all support learning, but they shouldn’t take over.
In eLearning, the story serves the learning objective. Sometimes visual storytelling can communicate a situation more effectively than explicitly explaining every detail.
Keep the learning clear, then use the story to make it engaging and memorable.
We can all recognise generic stock photographs or AI slop when we see it, and most of us quickly tune it out.
It’s difficult to tell a compelling story using bland characters who bear no resemblance to your learners or their working lives.
Choose distinctive, relatable characters that suit your audience and brand. Give them recognisable personalities, challenges and motivations. Your learners don’t necessarily have to like every character, but they should remember them.
Content that simply works through a list of learning objectives is unlikely to capture anyone’s imagination.
Something unexpected or slightly bizarre can be much more memorable. It could be as simple as a historical character using modern technology or a familiar situation taking an unusual turn.
Don’t overdo it, though. If learners remember the strange bit but forget the lesson, the story hasn’t done its job.
If you want people to absorb the learning, write for your audience.
Some environments and subjects require a more formal tone, but friendly, conversational language usually makes information easier to understand. Complicated terms should be explained clearly, and unnecessary jargon should be removed.
An acronym may be familiar to you, but that doesn’t mean everyone taking the course has the same knowledge or experience.
Write like a human speaking to another human. We do, because we are.
Five-word sentences are fine. Even three.
One.
But if you want to create rhythm, vary your sentence length. Combine short, medium and occasional longer sentences to keep the writing moving and make it enjoyable to read or hear.
Good learning copy shouldn’t sound as though every sentence has come off the same production line.
Storytelling isn’t just for entertainment. It’s a powerful way to turn important information into something relatable, practical and memorable.
That's why iAM Academy uses storytelling throughout its courses. Realistic scenarios, distinctive characters, animation and conversational language help school staff understand not only what they need to do but also why it matters.
The result is training designed to keep people engaged, build confidence and support genuine changes in behaviour, not simply tick another box.
From safeguarding, health and safety, and compliance to leadership, wellbeing and professional development, iAM Academy gives your team access to more than 400 bite-sized courses designed with schools and MATs in mind.
And now, there are more school-specific courses than ever in the LMS. With the school safety, school content and incidents collections offering short courses on everything from dyslexia, supporting pupils with medical conditions and EpiPen use to incident reporting and investigation, and risk assessment training, you’ll find useful and practical courses ready to help you make a real difference.
Best of all, they’re delivered in bite-sized chunks of 5 to 15 minutes, making it easier for school staff to fit them into their busy schedules.
If you already use iAM Compliant, upgrading to iAM Academy opens the complete course library, with engaging, story-led learning covering the issues and skills that matter across your school.
Bring your staff training to life. Upgrade to iAM Academy today.