Towards Narrative-Centered Learning Environments

Abstract

Because narrative plays such a central role in cognition and culture, narrative-centered curric-ula have been the subject of increasing atten-tion. By taking advantage of the inherent struc-ture of narrative, narrative-centered learning envi-ronments could provide engaging worlds in which students are actively involved in motivating story-building activities. The fundamental hypothesis of this research program is that by enabling learn-ers to be co-constructors of narratives, narrative-centered learning environments can promote the deep, connection-building meaning-making activi-ties that define constructivist learning. We outline tile features of narrative that support eonstruc-tivist learning, explore the key issues in introduc-ing narrative into learning environments, consider how these environments can support one particu-lar subject matter, literacy education, and sketch the research agenda required to make narrative-centered learning environments a reality.