Opening the learning space: Giving primacy to students' stories of experience

This chapter suggests that there is value in placing a primacy on the stories of student experience in higher education classrooms. Student storytelling and listening holds potential to deepen students' understandings of the course content and foster new connections. Ways to hold the learning space that will foster student storytelling, listening, and exploration are considered. Instructional issues of directionality of instruction and control are considered. Also discussed are some foundational practices for liberating psychosocial spaces and the notion of formlessness. The chapter attempts to balance conceptual thoughts with some practical ideas that readers can begin to customize and apply in the context of their practice. Suggestions for future research are also included.