Alexander Peterson

Honors 220A, AU19

5 December 2019

Storytelling in the Sciences — Reflection

This course provided me a useful series of tips and tricks for not only making complex
topics more effectively digested by the public but also adding intrigue to any presentation I give
in the future. In particular, I intend to make more frequent use of a protagonist when describing
topics and clean slide design when I must use PowerPoint. Having a source of conflict, or an
inciting incident, is also an important aspect to effective storytelling that I intend to apply to other
areas of communication.

Aside from concepts learned, I was particularly pleased with the structure of the course.
Although I knew that genuine effort was required of me, I never worried about the grade, and I
think that aided in my love of the course content dramatically. This finding reinforces a general
observation of myself that I have had recently — I strongly dislike being graded, even though I
do well academically. Unlike my other classes this quarter, and in comparison with all of my UW
classes in general, the atmosphere of this class encouraged me to get to know my peers, create
new goals for myself, and explore topics that I was interested in but have not formally studied.
This made coming to class a joy, even on the days when big presentations were scheduled.

Almost certainly, a big reason I enjoyed this course is that I enjoy public speaking quite a
bit already. Trying to experiment with different speaking techniques throughout the course
presented a novel challenge in a low-stakes environment. For example, I experimented with
making sounds during my myth (the sound of a creaky wooden door), and I even placed jokes in
my slides for presentations, which is very rare for me. Additionally, this course was great
confirmation for me that I love to teach, an occupation I hope to hold at some point in the future.

One thing I wish would have been slightly different is the types of improv games we
played. I think it would have been a great learning experience for me to actually try
higher-pressure improv, like improv comedy or improv storytelling about a randomly shouted
topic from the class. I found myself preparing a word in my head constantly for our random word
improv exercise, so I’m not sure if the full benefits of real “thinking on your feet” were actualized.
I doubt I am alone in this experience. With all of the time devoted to cheer groups, I think at
least 20 minutes could be diverted from that into more substantive improv games to help in our
stage presence, comfort in front of people, and general relaxation.

Overall, I greatly appreciated the atmosphere of this class, which helped me to focus on
elements that mattered most to me, such as practicing new presentation styles. I feel as though
I made some great lasting friendships in this class as well, which is oftentimes much more
significant for my life than academic knowledge. Thank you Dr. O for a great course!