The volume comprises a collation of my articles from this blog. As in the first volume, my intent is to provoke deeper thinking across a range of e-learning related themes in the workplace, including:
• social business
• informal learning
• mobile learning
• microblogging
• data analysis
• digital influence
• customer service
• augmented reality
• the role of L&D
• smartfailing
• storytelling
• critical theory
• ecological psychology
• online assessment
• government 2.0
• human nature
Well I have finally bitten the bullet and published a selection of my blog musings in paperback form.
The book is entitled E-Learning Provocateur: Volume 1 and my intent is to provoke deeper thinking across a range of themes in the modern workplace, including:
• social media
• learning theory
• pedagogy
• instructional design
• learning styles
• blended learning
• informal learning
• mobile learning
• augmented reality
• virtual worlds
• cloud computing
• self publishing
• employee engagement
• corporate social responsibility
• religion
• the future of e-learning
In my previous article, I pondered how we are – finally! – entering the age of the e-book.
Already we are seeing an acceleration in the sales of e-books, which I expect will correlate with a resurgence of reading as an informal learning activity.
But I suggest that another, less obvious, effect of the e-book phenomenon will be a resurgence of storytelling as an informal teaching activity.
A lost art
Storytelling is as old as language itself.
Thirty thousand years ago, the Australian Aboriginals used Dreamtime legends to share and retain knowledge from generation to generation.
Western culture also has a rich storytelling history. For example, fairy tales such as Hansel & Gretel and The Ugly Duckling taught their audiences the virtues of love, dignity and respect.
But somewhere along the journey we lost our way.
What happened to the storytelling tradition of my culture?
Sure, we still tell stories in the form of books and movies – in fact we’re inundated with them – but I’m not alone in feeling that the big publishing houses and film studios of the world have hijacked the art of storytelling for the sake of pure entertainment.
Cash is the modern religion, and formula sells.
Light at the end of the tunnel
As e-books become more accessible, the act of reading will inevitably become more popular. Schlock will still be on the menu, but so will be enlightening tales with authentic messages.
But you don’t have to be a famous author to get published online. Gone are the days of struggling writers submitting their work to arrogant publishers, only to receive knock back after knock back. (And don’t get me started on literary agents!)
These days anyone can publish their own story – easily.
Insert plug here
I decided to put my money where my brain was.
In the tradition of Aboriginal legends and European fairy tales, Ryan the Lion is a children’s story that explores themes of identity, tolerance, and self approbation.
Ryan is a lion cub who acts like the other animals in the jungle because he thinks they are cooler than he is. In doing so, however, he attracts their ridicule.
As Ryan grows up, his mane gets longer and his roar develops. Soon he attracts admiration, and he feels pride in being himself.
The DIY revolution
Ryan was ridiculously easy to publish.
There is a plethora of self-publishing services out there, but I decided to go with Digital Text Platform for several reasons:
• I trust Amazon,
• Kindle has sold in the millions,
• My e-book is automatically stocked in the Kindle Store,
• I can create hardcopies via DTP’s sister service, CreateSpace,
• My commission percentage is healthy, and • I retain control over my work (to update it, to set its pricing etc).
Macmillan’s stoush with Amazon was a walk in the park
The moral of this blog post is: I’m happy because I’m empowered to tell my story, and my target audience is happy because they can access my content at the press of a button.
The only ones who aren’t happy are the big publishing houses. Just wait until they realise the world’s storytellers don’t need them any more.
• social business
