Narrative is on the move. Actually it' s been on the move for some time, but education, and more specifically adult education, has only begun catching the wave relatively recently. Of course, using stories to teach has always been part of the practice of adult educators. What is more recent is the theorizing of how we learn through narrative (Clark, 2001;Rossiter and Clark, 2007), but even that has deep connections to the core elements of adult learning theory, as we'll see. Our task in this chapter is to examine what narrative learning is, how it works, and how it can be used more intentionally and effectively in the education of adults. We hope to stimulate further conversation and thought about the possibilities inherent in conceptualizing learning as a narrative process. We begin with an overview of narrative theory, examine the connection between experiential and narrative learning, and follow that with a description of what we mean by narrative learning and how learning itself can be conceptualized as a narrative process. We then look at several examples of narrative learning in practice and conclude with some thoughts about the potential of narrative learning theory for the field of adult education. Fundamentals of Narrative Theory for Narrative LearningHuman beings are the creatures who tell stories-a point Fisher (1987) makes when he gives us the label homo narrans-and those stories serve a function, namely to make meaning of our experience. This basic idea has been developed by a number of theorists in recent decades (for example, 61 6
Adult educators have relied heavily on stage and phase theories of human development to understand adults as learners and the place of learning in their lives. Such models of development have been questioned in terms of the developmental ends posited and the related implications for practitioners. This article describes a narrative approach to adult development and suggests that such a perspective holds rich potential for enhancing our understanding of adult learners and the possible roles educators might play in learners' developmental processes. Key orientations that constitute a narrative approach are discussed; they focus on narrative knowing and meaning making, and the temporal, retrospective, contextual nature of narrative development.
Our lives, our learning, our students, and our teaching have been touched and changed by technology. A narrative approach to facilitating adult learning is no exception. One of the exciting results of the technology infusion is digital storytelling-a dynamic and beautiful marriage of narrative and technology that is proving to be a potent force in educational practice. Interest in the multiple applications of digital storytelling has burgeoned in recent years. A growing body of literature has explored the ways in which digital storytelling is being employed in various areas including K-12 education, higher education, health care, aging, community action, and more. In this chapter we first address the question of what digital storytelling is, and we provide a review of the literature that explores some of the applications of digital storytelling in different settings. We then look at the unique contributions of digital storytelling to adult education. Finally, to illustrate the potential of digital stories, we describe an example of a studentproduced digital story from our own practice.
Narrative offers a way of understanding development in terms of the storied nature of human experience. This chapter discusses the contextual interpretive, retrospective, and temporal dimensions of narrative as applied to adult development.
The possible selves construct is presented as a useful and largely untapped perspective on adult learning. Special attention is given to the role of educational helping relationships in fostering positive possible selves among adult learners.
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