The Writers Gateway

I am sure you have seen or heard of Avatars in e-learning courses.  Avataars are characters used in e-learning as a substitute for a coach or an instructor. Avataars are usually used in e-learning to engage and guide the learners. Avataars could be static images of characters or animated characters. You also have virtual avataars these days who talk, speak and act like humans and engage the learners.

Avataars could be helpful and sometimes they could be annoying too. Here is an example of Avataar in a game based e-learning course:

Usually you never find Avataars that learners can relate to or identify themselves with. Most learners relate the role of Avataars in e-learning to the role of  a clippit that appears when you open MS Word or MS Excel.

If you notice, e-learning is always subject driven. Scenarios and characters are used to engage, to illustrate and to make the course real.

You hardly get to see the use of character driven stories in e-learning. Francis Glebas in his book Directing the Story  beautifully describes character driven stories in movies. Here are some lines  from his book:

A character-driven story is one in which the desires of the characters drive them to take actions and these actions are what drives the story …..
The opposite of a character-driven story is one that is plot driven. This is where the sequence of actions is decided independent of characters…….

When we “ identify ” with a character, we’re really identifying with the process of him or her wanting something……

Plot and characters are interconnected but the characters have to be active. In a sense, they are the ones driving the story

When I think of character driven stories, the World Builder video comes to my mind.

The video above is an excellent example for a character driven story. Bruce Branit’s World Builder is a short film about augmented reality. The film shows how a man goes about building a virtual world. While the film demonstrates what technology can do, it captures a man’s strong emotion for his beloved. The characters drive the story in the movie. Their emotions dominate the movie.

When the movie ends, you feel touched and moved. When you watch the movie, you can feel the man’s feelings for his beloved. You share his joy in creating the virtual world. You do feel awed when you realize the wonders of technology. However more than anything you feel the deep emotions and so the impact is greater.

Using character driven stories in e-learning can work wonders. Of course it depends on the subject matter, target audience, budget and other stuff. However the very thought of character driven stories in e-learning is appealing.

I remember going through an e-learning course on tent making. I am not sure if this course is freely available on the web. This e-learning course on tent making that I had a chance to go through reminds me of character driven stories in e-learning. The e-learning course was intended to give tips on tent making.

The whole course ran like a cartoon movie. There was this angry customer who wanted the best tent to be installed for his daughter’swedding. There was a fresh intern who had to satisfy this angry customer and save the name of his company. I as a learner could relate to the feelings of the fresh intern. The fresh intern felt tense, pressurized and was on the constant look out for help. Things to do while installing a tent and tips on tent making were all made available to the fresh intern during the course of his action of satisfying his constantly intruding customer.

The angry customer would come every now and then and crib. The fresh intern would get terrified. The entire course was dominated by the characters and their emotions. The course was informative, humourous and engaging.

You use Avataars, scenarios and stories in e-learning. Now what about character driven stories in e-learning, of course depending on the subject, target audience, context and many other factors into consideration? Do you think it will make an impact? Do you really need 3D graphics and animations to implement character driven stories in e-learning? Can you not achieve the impact in low budget?

I would love to hear from you on this