Experiential Narrative Storytelling in a TechnologyMediated Police Learning Environment

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Experiential Narrative (Storytelling) in a
Technology-Mediated Police Learning Environment

• S/Sgt Ken Anderson
• Police Learning Centre
• Durham Regional Police
• William D. Muirhead PhD.
• University of Ontario
• Institute of Technology

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Central Research Questions

• What effect does storytelling delivered through a
  technology-mediated learning environment have on
  the skills, knowledge and attitude (SKA)
  acquisition of new front-line police officers?
• What are the perceptions of new front-line police
  officers concerning the effectiveness of
  storytelling in the on-line environment?
• To what use do new front-line police officers
  employ technology-mediated oral traditions in
  their positions?

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Context of Study

• Qualitative study, interpretivist paradigm,
  grounded theory methods
• 13 officers, 4 female, 9 male
• 2 officers gt 30, 11 officers mean age 25
• Semi-structured interviews, tape transcription
  and analysis (NVIVO)
• DRPS e-learning as contextual pointer
• Eedo (Outstart) LMS

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Click Method
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Narrative Method
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Six Major Themes Emergent
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Train as you Work

• Policing as learning through stories (policing as
  learning)
• Police training as learning through stories
  (story-based training).

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Story Processing and Usage

• trigger connect recall synthesize act
• where trigger is an incident or event that the
  officer responds to, and connect is the
  connection of the context of that event with a
  similar context within the memory of the officer

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System Process Major Themes
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Summary of Findings (1)

• The environment of policing contains time
  constraints and demands on the officers that
  impact the amount of time officers can devote to
  e-learning courses
• Officers work in a fluid and high-paced
  environment, and their ability to devote
  attention to a task or a learning opportunity
  matches the quickly changing daily nature and
  requirements of their environment.

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Summary of Findings (2)

• Technology-mediated learning (TML) meets some
  desires of officers in that it is available to
  them on a needs basis, consistent with their time
  and ability to receive it.
• Officers want TML that is meaningful to them, and
  permits them to absorb, retain and use the
  experience and content messaged through TML.

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Summary of Findings (3)

• Stories presented in a certain manner assist in
  meeting the requirements of engagement and
  interest and promote the retention of content
• Officers use stories in their learning, and hear
  stories in their job tasks on a daily basis
• Officers want storytellers from their own ranks.
  They wish to hear the experiences of fellow
  practitioners.

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Future Research Problem

• Officers want instant access to information, and
  they want it compressed to fit their perceived
  needs.

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kanderson_at_drps.caStanhope Presentation, 2009