StoryComp – Storytelling competences for adult educators in basic education and political education Erasmus Project

Project Title

StoryComp – Storytelling competences for adult educators in basic education and political education

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Storytelling is one of the oldest forms of education: Through stories, people have always shared their experiences, observations, insights, cultural beliefs, traditions, history. What is quite normal and entertaining around the campfire is still far too little used in adult education with its potential. We know not only from everyday experience, but also scientifically confirmed, e.g. by the neurobiologist Gerald Hüther, how important the emotional level is for remembering: “Everything that gets under the skin is inevitably better stored. (https://www.newsaktuell.de/blog/was-geschichten-im-gehirn-bewirken/) But this is not the only reason why contents that are conveyed through stories are easier to remember: “Pure information can only be linked to a limited extent. But if you package it into a story, you provide many points of reference to already existing memory content. ibidem.
Adult education can and should take advantage of this. One of the findings of the transnational project “Sheherazade: 1001 stories for adult education” (2011-2013, Grundtvig programme), which examined the potential of the method for adult education, is that storytelling is particularly suitable where low-threshold access to educational opportunities for adults is necessary, for example in basic education or political education.
This is where StoryComp comes in, with the aim of systematically establishing storytelling as a method in these two areas of education. The project will develop a comprehensive, sequential blended-learning course with three steps:
1. online course on the methodological foundations of storytelling as a teaching and learning method in basic education and political education
2. face-to-face workshops to practice storytelling and exchange with other participating adult educators
3. own implementation scenarios in the institution/courses, supported by suggestions from and exchange with other adult educators on the platform

For the StoryComp project, a European partnership from seven countries has come together, some very experienced in European project work, some new to it, bringing together experts from all relevant fields: Basic education of adults, political education, storytelling, further education of adult educators and scientific pedagogical foundation. They will jointly develop the following intellectual outputs within the project:
– IO1 – Methodological Framwork
… as base for the StoryComp concept which aims on self-directed training opportunities for teachers in storytelling as a creative method to promote the acquisition of competences among adult learners in basic education and political education.
– IO2 – Online Course and Platform
… as the “core” of the project and a prerequisite for the adult educators to develop the method of storytelling for their field of education with the online course, to have the necessary resources available for the implementation and application in practice (European collection of suitable stories, video tutorials on techniques and methods, instructions for storytelling workshops etc.) and to network with others, exchange and discuss experiences in a corresponding area of the platform in the sense of a virtual narrative community of adult educators.
– IO3 – Guidance for Storytelling Workshops with Adult Educators
… as a practice-oriented, modular and thus directly and flexibly applicable guide entitled with the aim of motivating and guiding adult educators to practice and improve their storytelling skills together with colleagues in workshops
All products of the project will be available as open educational resources at the StoryComp platform, freely usable and modifiable.

The direct target groups of the project, which also will be directly involved in the development and implementation of the project in all partner countries, will be adult educators in the field of basic education and in the field of political education. In addition, the project will be aimed at people with responsibility for the further development of educational concepts of the institutions and for the further training of adult educators, too.
Indirect target groups of the project are adult learners with needs in basic education or in political education. Due to the fact that the project partners are interested in implementing the StoryComp concept in their institutions, it can be assumed that these adult learners – the target groups of the educational offers of the institutions – will be reached insofar as the adult educators will use storytelling in their courses in order to specifically strengthen the key competences of their learners. In addition, the strong professional networking of the partners in their countries, for example through adult education associations and existing cooperation, ensures that the StoryComp concept is passed on and established on a regional, national and also European level.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 290290 Eur

Project Coordinator

Stadt Leipzig Volkshochschule & Country: DE

Project Partners

• DIE WIENER VOLKSHOCHSCHULEN GMBH
• CVO VOLT
• PISTES SOLIDAIRES
• WISAMAR BILDUNGSGESELLSCHAFT GEMEINNUTZIGE GMBH
• PLATform Opleiding, Onderwijs en Organisatie BV (PLATO)
• Fabula Storytelling
• Ljudska univerza Jesenice