Engagement is one of those often used words in the learning technology world. Overused I believe. Often when we talk about engagement we would be better served by ‘interesting’ and ‘useful’. Both are easier to understand and more achievable. When it comes to telling stories though, some form of engagement and emotional response is closer to the heart of the matter. A good story must be engaging or it does not deserve the label.

Rogier Postma has crafted this video essay about how technology is changing what stories can be and are becoming. He has researched this very thoroughly and packs the price with great cases. He looks at journalism examples of today, games development and virtual reality to describe the landscape. What happens when the player is at the centre of the story and chooses the narrative by what they do? What becomes possible when the experience genuinely feels real? This is perhaps where the mythical immersive experience becomes realistic and content can become genuinely engaging through interactivity? Those emotional stories through technology may not be so far away.