IS 357 Introduction to Data Storytelling

Communicating with the right audience in the right way connotes creation of ways and approaches that can serve diverse populations within and beyond a particular or specific culture. In the context of our school, the iSchool at the University of Illinois, we propose to approach strategic communication from the perspective of storytelling thinking. The goal is to introduce students to the philosophical, social, and relational dynamics of "story" among people as all human storyteller as well as organizations of all sizes across a wide spectrum of fields including library as storytelling organizations. It also aims to draw students to explore how a story foregrounds bridge-building dialog, affects the power of information, and thus maximize human potential. Students will be exposed to a range of opportunities to apply storytelling thinking as a tool to identify the audience, design means to communicate with them, and develop dynamic triangle of people sharing stories, engaging in constructive dialogs and reinterpreting etc.