The Importance of Storytelling

In my previous post on using case studies in teaching, I had this quote about storytelling from Dr. Clyde Freeman Herreid: "What's the magic of stories? People love stories. Stories put learning into context."

About a year ago I tweeted this out:

@BlackandSTEM @HeyDrWilson @minoritypostdoc Help finding resources on minority scientists' contributions (old or new) in biology/genetics?

— Krystle McLaughlin (@biophyskrys) August 4, 2015

I got lots of great feedback and links to resources (click on the tweet to see replies). My intent was to embed stories of these scientists' contributions into my genetics class.

Last year, I ran out of time and did not get a chance to integrate these additional scientists from the sources above, but this year I am excited to do it! 

Why do I think this is important? 

Many students (especially those who come from non-traditonal backgrounds) have this idea of that science is done by lone geniuses (often pictures as old, white and male) who flawlessly figure everything out.

When I teach any science class, I make it a point to talk about some of the scientists that contributed to a topic. I try to emphasize that (1) scientific research is a slow process (not like in the movies), (2) science is a team sport and (3) doing scientific research is not exclusive.

I try to show that scientists are hardworking, can make mistakes, collaborate with other scientists, and are more diverse than they think.  In addition to well thought out experiments, I talk about the details  they may not have known. The behind the scenes collaborations, or the feuds and misunderstandings such as in the Discovery of DNA with Rosalind Franklin. I talk about historical accidents that have led to discoveries like penicillin or aquaporin. I point out scientists who are different, perhaps were young like Alfred Strutevant (he was 19 when he made the first genetic map) or young & female like Martha Chase (who at 22 helped confirm DNA was the genetic material). I tell an anecdote I heard from 2009 Nobel Prize winner Dr. Venki Ramkrishnan about how it took many students he mentored over several years, trying thousands of conditions before they were able to solve the structure of the ribosome. This year I will add even more. 

I also tell my own stories. Story of uncertainty and failure: How I didn't know what I was going to do after I got my undergraduate degree. How I once got a 10% on a physics exam. How I once spilled 1.5 L of bacterial cells all over my feet. And stories of resilience and success: How I spent hours working problems to catch back up in physics. How my graduate research is contributing to potential disease treatments. How I found mentors to help me, as a first generation college student, stay in the game. 

I think this helps students by challenging the narrative they come with. It puts science, research and scientists in a different context. It broadens their views. And, for students from under-represented backgrounds in STEM, it helps them to see themselves in the scientific community. To see that they have the potential to make their own story.