Design Thinking Tool: Story Telling

Challenge

My name is Alessio Putino and I am the Trainer-Training & Development for a group of  Engineering colleges in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is my responsibility to see that all  my Engineering students acquire a set of technical skills which are out of their  defined university curriculum. The main reason for this is because at the end of final  year of student course in Engineering, companies visit the colleges for placements  and recently these companies starting looking for additional technical skills in  students, apart from standard academic skills. Now, the challenge is to motivate  final year students to spend that extra hour of time in college for attending additional  technical training classes, as college time table for them is already hectic with their  regular academics and especially with final year project work. For the students, it is  very demotivating to stay in the college for an extra-hour regularly and then to go  home and practice those extra technical skills. It is even more difficult for those  students who commute college from different towns around, where the travel time  ranges from 40minutes to 90 minutes. The regular college hours are from 9am to  4pm and to accommodate this additional training session for one hour, we had to  extend the college timings till 5pm. As it turned out, the student attendance for these  training classes was lukewarm. So, we had a challenge to ensure healthy student  attendance for these classes and also to motivate them to go back home and spend  required time to practice these skills, which is in addition to their academic  homework.

Selection

I always use Story Telling to motivate students, to extract best out of them. Students  need inspiration to put those extra hours in their learning and practice. They need  inspiration from the role models. Especially, when students are in the final year and  successful completion of their degree is not the only parameter for them to measure  their success. Students take pride in earning that dream job along with their degree  completion certificate. I tell stories of most successful passed out students from my  college to motivate my students, and share what they have done/how they have  done extraordinarily to achieve, what they have achieved, which is excellent  campus placements. I also create safe environment for students by encouraging  them to open up and share their frank feedback against the context of my story to  ascertain their goals, and also see if they have anyone they know, in their family  and friends, who have achieved their dream job in the face of adversity.

Application

I wanted to share a story to my students. But I want them to be focused and relaxed  so that I can relate my story and make them feel the connection. So, I had arranged  a Movie to be played in college auditorium and I encouraged all the final year  Engineering students to watch the movie and have fun time with me and share their  feedback. I told them just that. They were not aware that I have a story to share  after the Movie or the whole event was related to their training or campus  placement. I even asked the students to come in their casuals so that they feel at  ease when interacting with me in the auditorium, so that they do not feel anything  formal about the whole event. The movie was scheduled at 10am. On a Sunday.The  Movie I played was ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’. Once it finished, I started asking  what they have experienced and what were their thoughts about the protagonist in  the story and how he came out of his troublesome life and how he pursued  happiness. Once I felt the students were opening up, I shared the story of a passed  out senior student, Kiran, who comes from a modest background, and whose father  was a farmer. Kiran had to travel 2 hours every day to college. In order to achieve  his goal of joining a Multinational Company-GOOGLE, Kiran had to acquire  technical skills in a particular programming language, which the college was not  offering at that time. Kiran was so determined that he joined a training institute in a  town far from his home. Which means, every day after  coming back from college,  he again had to travel one more hour to his training institute, where he will spend 2  hours and then come back home. He did this day-in and day-out for one whole year.

The result was- he got selected for GOOGLE that year. I found the auditorium fill  with silence, when I finished the story. Then, I asked the students present in the  auditorium to relate their training scenario to that of Kiran. Students now started  expressing how fortunate they were that they do not need to travel any further after  going home, for additional technical training. Infact, they started narrating the  stories they know of such students who took on adversities to achieve their goals

Insight

I was pleasantly surprised on how the students reacted as they started relating to  their current scenario with other successful stories that they know. They felt  immediately connected and obliged to put that extra hour of time both at college  and at home to land on their dream job.

Approach

Students really needed a story that they can relate to. They needed that Sunday to  enjoy a movie and perhaps to have complete grip of their scenario. I was confident  that I could make a difference but surprised to see almost all the students staying  back for extra hour of additional technical training class from there on. Yes, I had  few more success stories at the end of that year, when I saw good number of  students getting placed in the companies they dreamed to join. Story telling worked  for me and I tell my students stories regularly. But next time, I may have achievers  in the auditorium after my Movie!, to tell their story –First hand!


Design Thinking Tool : Story Telling Challenge My name is Alessio Putino and I am the Trainer - Training & Development for a group of Engineering colleges in Andhra Pradesh , India . It is my responsibility to see that all my Engineering students acquire a set of technical skills which are out of their defined university curriculum . The main reason for this is because at the end of final year of student course in Engineering , companies visit the colleges for placements and recently these companies starting looking for additional technical skills in students , apart from standard academic skills . Now , the challenge is to motivate final year students to spend that extra hour of time in college for attending additional technical training classes , as college time table for them is already hectic with their regular academics and especially with final year project work . For the students , it is very demotivating to stay in the college for an extra - hour regularly and then to go home and practice those extra technical skills . It is even more difficult for those students who commute college from different towns around , where the travel time ranges from 40minutes to 90 minutes . The regular college hours are from 9 am to 4 pm and to accommodate this additional training session for one hour , we had to extend the college timings till 5 pm . As it turned out , the student attendance for these training classes was lukewarm . So , we had a challenge to ensure healthy student attendance for these classes and also to motivate them to go back home and spend required time to practice these skills , which is in addition to their academic homework . Selection I always use Story Telling to motivate students , to extract best out of them . Students need inspiration to put those extra hours in their learning and practice . They need inspiration from the role models . Especially , when students are in the final year and successful completion of their degree is not the only parameter for them to measure their success . Students take pride in earning that dream job along with their degree completion certificate . I tell stories of most successful passed out students from my college to motivate my students , and share what they have done / how they have done extraordinarily to achieve , what they have achieved , which is excellent campus placements . I also create safe environment for students by encouraging them to open up and share their frank feedback against the context of my story to ascertain their goals , and also see if they have anyone they know , in their family and friends , who have achieved their dream job in the face of adversity . Application I wanted to share a story to my students . But I want them to be focused and relaxed so that I can relate my story and make them feel the connection . So , I had arranged a Movie to be played in college auditorium and I encouraged all the final year Engineering students to watch the movie and have fun time with me and share their feedback . I told them just that . They were not aware that I have a story to share after the Movie or the whole event was related to their training or campus placement . I even asked the students to come in their casuals so that they feel at ease when interacting with me in the auditorium , so that they do not feel anything formal about the whole event . The movie was scheduled at 10 am . On a Sunday . The Movie I played was ‘ The Pursuit of Happiness ’ . Once it finished , I started asking what they have experienced and what were their thoughts about the protagonist in the story and how he came out of his troublesome life and how he pursued happiness . Once I felt the students were opening up , I shared the story of a passed out senior student , Kiran , who comes from a modest background , and whose father was a farmer . Kiran had to travel 2 hours every day to college . In order to achieve his goal of joining a Multinational Company - GOOGLE , Kiran had to acquire technical skills in a particular programming language , which the college was not offering at that time . Kiran was so determined that he joined a training institute in a town far from his home . Which means , every day after coming back from college , he again had to travel one more hour to his training institute , where he will spend 2 hours and then come back home . He did this day - in and day - out for one whole year . The result was- he got selected for GOOGLE that year . I found the auditorium fill with silence , when I finished the story . Then , I asked the students present in the auditorium to relate their training scenario to that of Kiran . Students now started expressing how fortunate they were that they do not need to travel any further after going home , for additional technical training . Infact , they started narrating the stories they know of such students who took on adversities to achieve their goals Insight I was pleasantly surprised on how the students reacted as they started relating to their current scenario with other successful stories that they know . They felt immediately connected and obliged to put that extra hour of time both at college and at home to land on their dream job . Approach Students really needed a story that they can relate to . They needed that Sunday to enjoy a movie and perhaps to have complete grip of their scenario . I was confident that I could make a difference but surprised to see almost all the students staying back for extra hour of additional technical training class from there on . Yes , I had few more success stories at the end of that year , when I saw good number of students getting placed in the companies they dreamed to join . Story telling worked for me and I tell my students stories regularly . But next time , I may have achievers in the auditorium after my Movie ! , to tell their story – First hand !