Talking Stick - July/August 2015 - 57

within a broader context of other
theories or beliefs, further explaining
what the text means and how it fits.
Next, the speaker turns to reasoning,
demonstrations, and descriptions of
the truth of the text and demonstrates
its value. The preacher then describes
what the text means in relationship to
what should be done, giving examples
of application, and there is usually an
overt call to action. Finally comes the
epilogue where the speaker recaps the
discussion and reiterates the call to
action with specific and clear plans.
Clearly, this description is
grounded in specific religious
backgrounds and approaches, and
we often think of the preacher style
within the religious sector. But the
approach is seen in many contexts
and is used by a variety of leaders.
The structure is clearly different
than a traditional story, a journalistic
article, or a blog post.
The structure provides a natural
flow from one part to the next and
can be useful for sharing assessment
data. Perhaps a single, powerful
data point becomes the text. For
example, according to the 2013-2014
ACUHO-I/Benchworks Resident
Assessment, only 14 percent of oncampus students participated in a
living-learning community. Other
data points become the context,
showing the significance of the
text. In this case, data showing
that students who participate in a
living-learning community are more
likely to want to return for the next
academic year at their institution (64
percent) than are those who do not
(55 percent) provide context as to why
participation in an LLC is important.
Theories and practical knowledge
may frame out the reasoning section
so that the audience understands the
broader value and truth of the data.
This could include findings from
other institutions about how LLCs
increase engagement in the campus
community, foster relationship
building with both peers and faculty,
and support academic success. The

application part of the approach is
similar to the implications section
usually included in research articles
or reports. Essentially this section
discusses what the results mean
for the practice and the actions or
changes to be taken as a result of
the data. Here, the action or change
could be a strategic goal, for instance
increasing participation in LLCs by 20
percent during the next three years.
So the structure is clearly useful for
framing assessments.

action. Sometimes, using a story to
convey meaning like a journalist does
or to prompt discussion like a blogger
does may not be enough. One of the
continuing struggles in assessment
has been getting professionals to use
the data. Presenting data within the
storyteller framework of a preacher
forces the assessment officer to,
first, consider the call to action as
part of the sharing process and,
second, to make the call to action
explicit. The preacher framework

The big lesson from the preacherstoryteller is the deliberate call to

 CONTINUES  66

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Talking Stick - July/August 2015

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