Storytelling is not just a buzzword for us at VIVIDA, it sits at the forefront of our mind with everything we produce. We see the process of creating an interactive learning experience as almost identical to the process of crafting a story since both have very similar needs. For one, both stories and training exercises require an audience to be hooked so that they can engage with the material enough to think on after itβs over. Oftentimes they will achieve this by being fun and entertaining. But chief among their similarities is the desire to spur change, and we believe change cannot be acted upon without engaging your audience with a good story.
In the case of our training experiences, we are trying to create change within our audience or, more specifically, we are trying to inspire internal growth. We want our audience to be receptive to learning about a new subject, especially where that subject relates to safety, so that our exercises matter and stick. The best way we see fit to do so is to apply the techniques of storytelling to our practices.
The specific technique that I would like to talk about in this blog post relates to structure. In applying a storytelling archetype known as the βmonomythβ or the βheroβs journeyβ we enhance the way in which new information is divulged.
What is the heroβs journey?
The heroβs journey
The heroβs journey as a tradition has been used for thousands of years to tell stories. Itβs a structure that has many variations spanning thousands of stories, from Stranger Things to Robocop, Breaking bad to Toy Story. Itβs unsurprising to find a story that follows this framework. Many literary critics have tried to outline exactly what makes the heroβs journey what it is, with its most popular outline being penned by Joseph Campbell, but the main plot points a story following the monomyth must adhere to are as follows:
- There must be a hero or protagonist who leaves the known world at the behest of a mentor.
- They must be guided by their mentor before ultimately being left to fend for themselves. Eventually, their newly attained skills are tested in the unknown world.
- Finally, they must return home having changed either spiritually, personally or literally, usually with a prize that allows them to aid their community in a way they were unable to beforehand.
The role of a hero
In our case, we put the employee in the role of the titular hero. The significance in doing so is because the heroβs journey is a story structure that accentuates change within the heroβs above all other characters. Take the ever-popular Star Wars as an example, which sees a simple farm boy Luke Skywalker undergo a radical amount of change before becoming the wise Jedi knight. By its very nature, it only makes sense to teach employees on subjects like the importance of diversity and digital safety through the monomyth.
Because positioning them as the hero primes them for growth in such a way that they are more readily available to grasp and use new information.
A mentor to help guide youβ¦
Additionally, stories using the heroβs journey as a structure see a mentor character help guide the hero before eventually leaving them to fend for themselves. In our case, the guide can be found in the voice-overs that introduce the participant to all kinds of new information. They spur the employee to leave the known world, introducing them to the subject matter at hand which represents the unknown or special world. They offer wisdom and guidance, constantly encouraging the protagonist to learn so that they unlock the hero inside.
In fitting with the heroβs journey our voice overs take a backseat in the latter portions of our training experiences, allowing the employee to prepare for a final βtestβ. For our phishing simulator, we employees need to use the knowledge they have gained and delve headfirst into example phishing emails deciding whether or not they are safe to engage with. Of course, it is only a simulation and as such, no harm will come to them or their companyβs data, but asking the employee to judge for themselves and all on their own is the jumping-off point they require to prove their knowledge and become the hero.
Returning home, having changed
The final key promise of the heroβs journey is unique in that it does not take place directly within our training exercise. The hero must return to the known world having changed, returning with newfound power or prize that will aid themselves and their community. In our case, it is the real world that our employee returns to. If we have done our jobs right, they will return with the tools and knowledge required so they keep themselves safe online, or on how to promote diversity in the workplace. But no matter which of our experiences they embark on, they will always return a hero with the ultimate prize of new practical skills and insights.
