Re surprise content: I agree that we often bore learners by telling them everything they could possibly need to know and not letting them actually think. This seems to happen when we believe our job is to present information, not design an experience. While PowerPoint-to-elearning tools can work great when approached carefully, I’m concerned that they can also perpetuate the belief that elearning is information delivery.

Sales reps were learning to add and edit contract information to an account. The exercise called for them to add Contract JB-20. The account already had Contract ZX-33. In the real world, you can’t have both.

The course had explained that the system wouldn’t let you have incompatible contracts, and the error messages would guide them, pointing out the incompatibility.

So they could learn the specifics — take out the old one, then add the new one — from the exercise itself.

Here are a few examples.

1. Deep into a simulation of a business-to-business sale, learners discover that one of their most helpful contacts at the prospect organization is actually working for the competition.

2. Go to Ask Learning’s portfolio:
http://www.asklearning.com/web/template.cfm?code=el_overview# (click “E-learning portfolio”). Then click on the Superman-like image.

3. An artistic example of going beyond the expected (not elearning): http://www.bcactionpoet.org/the%20country.html

I hope these are helpful.

I have been reading your blog for sometime now and have really enjoyed reading your articles.

I totally agree with you that the element of surprise will certainly engage learners and facilitate better learning.

It will be nice if you could provide some illustrations for this.

Thanks