Teaching undergraduates to develop concise and compelling scholarly communication through storytelling

PurposeThis article reviews current librarian instructional approaches for poster and oral presentation assignments and showcases a new approach using the Pixar Pitch outline.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adapted the Pixar Pitch framework to aid students in synthesizing complex information and improving their communication strategies.FindingsLibrarians are frequently involved in teaching strategic searching and topic development in instruction sessions for students preparing to communicate research through posters and presentations. Students need to understand how to communicate effectively and prepare information for various audiences, skills closely linked to several threshold concepts in the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy. However, this area remains less taught by librarians. This article presents one approach for librarians to become involved in this instruction.Originality/valueThere is currently minimal research on using the Pixar Pitch within higher education; most use appears in publications in the communications field.