Why storytelling works?

While working on my methodology chapter I realised that my interest in using alternative writing styles (e.g. authoethnography) in reporting research is also supported by knowing that storytelling is an effective way to share knowledge from my KM work. Now the problem is that I was never seriousely into storytelling research, so I don’t have any research-based arguments for that. Any pointers are very welcome!

From what I can recall it was something about the power of contextual cues in the story that trigger all kinds of connections in our brain.

Some randomly related things that I thought about:

• The effectiveness of online communities vs. databases of best practices (personal context, specifics, interactivity).
• Engagement as on of the Relational qualities that promote effective knowledge sharing
• “The interspersed questions prompt learners to process the material in a manner that is more likely to give birth to learning” (mathemagenic processing).

See also: a collection on how storytelling communicates complex ideas by Steve Denning

Archived version of this entry is available at http://blog.mathemagenic.com/2007/11/29.html#a1958; comments are here.

• ‘Pouring the credit’ and why it’s still important
• The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think
• Flow

Tagged as: knowledge sharing, writing