Success. When I feel successful - like I’ve gotten what I needed, I’ve had that lightbulb moment, I’ve got a handle on the new skill or mastered the old one. And I did it all without a ton of challenges, well maybe without a ton of unsupported challenges. Leave me too challenged and I’ll get frustrated and stop; don’t give me any challenges and I’ll get bored and stop.
See how emotions impact motivation to continue? It’s not just me. There’s a ton of research that points to similar results (with varying degrees and frustration and boredom being tolerated). While the book the Spark of learning is directed at higher ed, guess who’s in higher ed? Adults. The NCES estimates that 74% of adults in higher ed are non-traditional, meaning they’re adult adults (as opposed to fresh out of high school still figuring out what adulting is).
There’s a special word for the teaching of adults. It’s called andragogy. So anything that applies to adult learning, applies to anyone in higher ed, course creation, corporate, tech, etc.
So my good learning experience is also your good learning experience? Ha. Of course it’s not that easy. My good learning experience is about a balance of emotions driven by experiences both past and present. The difference between me and you is a tolerance of certain emotions, what the motivator is, and what those experiences are.
And you can have a single moment in a situation where you’re supposed to be learning something that just throws everything off. For example, when I was in high school, I was in AP English (not surprising for those that know me for real).
I thought I struggled with writing, based on feedback. I was, and am, a heck of a reader, though. Ask me about my trophy some time. But then I got an assignment where the writing just flowed - it was a speech, and so full permission to write the way I talk (I know, right? When does that happen?).
And then I was accused of plagiarizing. I was devastated, embarrassed, angry, all the emotions you can imagine feeling when you turn in something you think you just hit out of the park to be told they don’t think you’re actually good enough to have done it.
That moment has followed me and impacted most of my higher education experience - my application letters started with “I’ve always been a reader, not a writer” to explain my drive for getting 2 advanced degrees in writing.
Don’t worry, I’m over that BS, but do you see how one small thing that resulted in intense negative emotions impacted all of those other learning experiences. I threw myself into it because I thought I was bad. Some people withdraw from things because they think they’re bad at it.
So a good learning experience is not only counteracting learning baggage, but trying to reorganize the suitcase and throw out the non-essentials for continuing to learn in the new space. And everyone’s luggage is different - different sizes, shapes, colors, contents and motivations for making the luggage all those different sizes, shapes, colors, and filled with all those varied experiences.
So how the hell do you counter all that sh*t to make someone feel successful in your course?
Alignment.
You make sure your course aligns with your marketing or description or problem you’re solving. Experiences and expectations matter in learning. Studies have shown that when learners' experiences don’t match their expectations, they’re less likely to be successful and so are you. If the course they’re taking doesn’t match their expectations in terms of content, workload, time spent, what they’re going to learn, etc. then they’re going to be less motivated to continue, which means more refund requests, less positive reviews, and less engagement. All of those things lead to less growth.
Checking In.
You create space for checking in and getting an idea of background/experiences. This is related to alignment, but so you have a better understanding of how they are. If you know where they’re coming from than you can course correct to fit the needs of your current learners. Focusing on who you have in front of you can go a long way in eventually helping you build something that is more accessible to more learners. Always check-in in the beginning to learn about what luggage they’re coming with, and check-in in the middle to see how the unpacking is going. Finally, check-in at the end to see how it went. Ask specific questions about their experiences and expectations. I like to call these “ticket out” surveys. These check-ins lead to a better experience because they feel heard and understood on their learning journey, no matter what their experiences are.
Space.
You create space for questions/concerns/general “AH! Help me!” Make it easy to get help. The check-ins will help with that, and sometimes you can anticipate what help they’ll need. For example, you can’t always control what your course user interface is like, so FAQs that help with navigation. You need to anticipate a variety of tech experience - so create space for anticipated support, create space for just-in-time support, create space for your learners to chime in for things you didn’t anticipate. Creating these spaces leads to your learners feeling confident in completing the course because they can get the help they need no matter how they come to you.
Transparency.
You create a course that brings them along for the ride. Every step of the journey is clearly connected to the next and the previous steps so they can see and understand how they’re working toward it. Clarity is key here - while you know how things are connected and it might feel obvious to you, don’t assume it’s obvious to others. It will especially be true for folks who are new to whatever it is you’re teaching. This is critical for helping your learner feel like they’re actively participating in their own learning - it helps them connect to the value that the course offers them.
When I set out to write this particular post, I wasn’t sure where it was going to, but landing on how a learning experience makes you feel is a good starting point. If you start from there, your learners will have a greater chance of being successful no matter what color, size, shape, or condition their education baggage is in.
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