Story-based Learning

The Client:

Founded in 1999, WisdomTools was spun out of Indiana University’s Center for Excellence in Education. They take a story-based approach to learning and design scenarios to address a range of business needs. These scenarios are customized, web-based learning tools that leverage the power of stories. Like movies or a good book, they have the power to transport users into authentic settings and into the lives of interesting, believable characters.

The works of authors in olden times were published in a serialized manner in newspapers. This is the e-version thereof, where scenes of a story (chapters) are sent to learners via e-mail. The frequency and number of e-mails depends on the nature and length of the story. Each scene ends with a question which explores what the learner would do or how they would act if they were in the character’s shoes. There is a link to a discussion forum where learners can then share their interpretations and learning from the scene, and evaluate alternative actions.

A set of practical yet user-friendly controls was provided in the bottom bar, allowing learners to control the pace and flow of their viewing experience. Learners can drag a slider bar to move to a specific point of the scene or can skim through the scene viewing text (including speech bubbles) and graphics in progression, without any animation or audio.

The flow of the story was planned and presented in such a way that the visual focus shifts between the narration text shown and the scene animations. To cater to a wide target audience, a cast of realistic, no-frills, multicultural characters was created, ranging in age from the mid-20s to the mid-40s. Character profiles were made available on click at the end of the scene.