Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ The Pull of Narrative – In Search of Persistent Context

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community
"Narratives," writes John Hagel, "are stories that do not end – they persist indefinitely. They invite, even demand, action by participants and they reach out to embrace as many participants as possible. They are continuously unfolding, being shaped and filled in by the participants. In this way, they amplify the dynamic component of stories, both in terms of time and scope of participation. Stories are about plots and action while narratives are about people and potential." So - national histories are narratives, religious orders are narratives, scientific communities (eg., "the cure for cancer") are narratives. There's value in belonging to a narrative. But the context is only a part of it. Context provides meaning, and it is the drive for meaning that makes the narrative significant in education, or anywhere else.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Nov 21, 2024 9:38 p.m.

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