This document discusses using storytelling techniques to teach research methods and improve thesis structure and writing. It proposes applying elements of narrative like plotlines, characters, and point of view to structure the thesis. A course was designed around this approach and will be piloted for a masters program in 2015. The course uses an online "xMOOC" format and aims to make the research process more engaging and improve student motivation, attitude and time management compared to the traditional IMRaD structure. The document outlines preparations made, compares the storyfied and IMRaD approaches, presents a SWOT analysis of the course design, and discusses plans to evaluate and expand the program.

1. SCIENTIFIC WRITING &
STORYTELLING METHODS
Marcus
Birkenkrahe
—
msb@hwr-­‐berlin.de
Berlin
School
of
Economics
and
Law
ICCI
*
CC
@
LSBU
August
19,
2014
Photo:
Flickr
collecLon
of
the
State
Library
of
New
South
Wales

2. Thesis
challenges
ScienLfic
storytelling
PreparaLons
Research
Methods
xMOOC
Outlook
ShooLng
range
Photo:
Flickr
collecLon
of
the
State
Library
of
New
South
Wales

3. Three
thesis
challenges
Students
writing
their thesis
Photo:
Flickr
collecLon
of
the
NaLonal
Archives
UK,
Ref
AIR
27/149
Length
Level
Loneliness

4. »We
have
two
jobs
as
scholars:
Answering
interesLng
quesLons
and
telling
the
story.«
(Pollock/Bono,
2013)
Photo:
Gregory
Peck
as
Captain
Ahab
in
Moby
Dick
(1956)

5. The Conjecture
The
applicaLon
of
storytelling
techniques
to
teaching
research
methods
to
students
who
work
towards
their
thesis
can
improve
(A)
thesis
structure/content,
and
(B)
wriLng
process/progress.

6. Structure:
elements
of
narration
Whe$en
theory
building
block*
Structure
element
Narra8ve
element
Sample
ques8ons
for
students
What
Constructs,
models,
conjectures,
hypotheses
Plot
line,
development,
arc
of
acLon
What
happens
in
your
thesis?
How
RelaLonships,
approach
Actors,
characters,
parLcipants
Who
is
involved
in
the
research?
Why
JusLficaLons,
theme,
message
Theme,
Significance,
message
Why
is
this
interesLng?
Who,
where,
when
Boundary
condiLons,
limitaLons
Scene
sehng,
back
story,
Point
of
View
(POV)
What
other
results
exist?
*)
Whejen
(1989)
What
consLtutes
a
theoreLcal
contribuLon?
Acad.
Manag.
Rev.
14/89.
Photo:
Orson
Welles
and
Jeanne
Moreau
in
Chimes
at
Midnight
(1966)

7. Plotline:
elements
of
narraLon
Sehng
(opening
scene,
introducLon)
Set
up
(exposiLon,
iniLaLng
event)
Rising
acLon
(conflict)
Rising
acLon
(more
conflict)
Climax
(crisis)
Falling
acLon
ResoluLon
[cp.
Noden
(1999)
Image
Grammar:
Using
GrammaLcal
Structures
to
Teach
WriLng.]

8. Elements
of
narraLon:
Point
of
view
(POV)
Photo:
Flickr
collecLon
of
the
State
Library
of
New
South
Wales

9. PreparaLons
2010-­‐2014
Own
ficLon
wriLng
Blogging
term
papers
Wiki
supervision
Photo:
Flickr
collecLon
of
the
NaLonal
Archives
UK,
Ref
MUN
5/385/1650/1

10. Term
1:
training
Term
2:
thesis
“Research
Methods”
xMOOC*
*)
[e]x[tended
Massive
Open
Online
Course
Unsupervised
Supervised
Online
Virtual
presence
PracLce
focus
Thesis
focus
InteracLve
Immersive
Photo:
Flickr
collecLon
of
the
NaLonal
Archives
UK,
Ref
MUN
5/385/1650/1
Crowd-­‐based
Community

11. Storyfied
thesis
vs.
IMRaD
Sehng
up
an
argument
IntroducLon
Which
results
to
share
&
how
Method
=
“acLon”
begins
AcLon
research
Climax
=
high
point
Discussion
Summarizing
ResoluLon
Results
Method
State
of
research
Conclusions
Outlook

12. SWOT
Analysis
of
Course
Design
Strengths
Weaknesses
• Flexible
online
delivery
&
coaching
• Storytelling
(interest,
entertaining)
• Agile
process
(reader-­‐focus,
dialog)
• Methodical
mix
confuses
students
• Lack
of
good
examples
• Dependency
on
supervisor
high
Opportuni8es
Threats
• Improving
well-­‐known
issues
(moLvaLon,
ahtude,
emoLon)
• Scalable
concept
(xMOOC)
• Quality
&
Lme
management
• DisrupLve
of
rouLnes
• Lack
of
acceptance
in
scienLfic
community
• Too
many
changes
at
once
Photo:
Flickr
collecLon
of
the
State
Library
of
New
South
Wales

13.
Outlook
• Create
course
(2014-­‐2015)
• Pilot
in
new
Masters
program
(2015)
• Evaluate
in
parLcipant-­‐observer
mode
• Open
course
to
outside
users
(2016)
• Experiment
with
different
plavorms
• InvesLgate
swarm-­‐supervision
(!)

14. QuesLons?
有问题吗？
Fragen?
Preguntas?
!"न?
Vragen?
Вопросы?
ご質問？