Process support, that attempts to deal with the whole reality of the learner, is a really really big challenge because life isn’t easy, and dealing with the challenges requires “something” very effective, if it’s going to help.

What could be very effective for dealing which the whole person, supporting them during difficult times, or during “peak challenging moments”? Can we, as designers of learning environments, learning apps, learning strategies and learning tools, actually be effective in creating a SLC that truly “works” when your car is stolen, or someone in the family gets really sick?

Maybe.

Two of the BIG ELEMENTS of DLE that we are going to explore by doing in T3YBC are Narrative, and Gamification. Of course all the elements should work together to maximize the usefulness of the other elements, right? But how would this all work?

Let’s take a look at the conjunction of Levi Strauss and Cosplay, and include Joseph Campbell’s seminal idea that all cultures seem to have a core story…the hero’s journey…at their heart.

One can find many such heroes in the old testament too. One could quite possibly see Jesus of Nazareth story as a hero’s journey too.  In myth, humans often take on supernatural identities and roles, or wear the costumes or “effects” of animals or gods. And today, people seem to do something very similar with Cosplay.

What’s going on? As mentioned in previous post, identity, meaning, and motivation are very closely linked. We often tend to see ourselves as characters in some ongoing narrative in our head. Is there a way to work with all this, in a structured and implemented way in a DLE and SLC?

YES! And it might be the key to resurrecting that connection to learning where the natural energy and excitement drives the whole process. Let’s discuss, and create presentations that explore how this might all take place…

I’ve used this one before, but it seems fun to me to borrow some narrative and identity, some characters and roles to play, from Moby Dick. Which character do you see yourself as, and why? Obviously I’m Captain Ahab, si?  =^)