"information" - Training design

What to do if they just want “awareness”

“We just need everyone to be aware of the policy,” your client says. In response, you could obediently crank out a 97-slide information dump — or you could ask a few powerful questions. Read more.

How to rewrite a quiz question as scenario-based training

“Why do you want to use scenarios?” your client asks. “Why can’t we use the quizzes that we’ve always used?” Sometimes the best way to convince a client is to show them. Let’s look at an example. Read more

How action mapping can change your design process

Happy action mapping users say that the model helps them create lively elearning. But would it fit into your design workflow? Here’s a look at the process from start to finish. Read more

Are learners idiots?

Are you under pressure to treat your learners like clueless children? Here are some ways to manage a stakeholder or that voice in your head that wants to lead learners by the nose. Read more

Elearning scenario example: Have learners use the job aid

Often we’re told, “Put this information into a course.” But what happens if we put the information into a job aid instead, and then give learners mini-scenarios that help themuse the job aid? Read more

Do they just know it, or can they USE it?

It’s easy to write activities that test whether learners know something. How can we make learners use their knowledge as well? Let’s compare two types of activities. Read more

Our job is to design an experience

How did you learn to ride a bike? Did you watch an “Essential bicycling techniques” presentation and take a quiz? Or did you get on the bike and learn from your bruises and scrapes? Let’s create a safe place for…

Technical training: What do they need to DO?

If you don’t identify what people do with the software and design your training around that, you could create an information dump that helps no one. Focus on what they need to do, not what they need to know. Read more

Checklist for strong learning design

Action-packed elearning or boring information dump? This provocative checklist will help you evaluate and discuss your elearning materials. Read more

Learning styles: Worth our time?

We’re wasting our time talking about appealing to learning styles when research has identified far more powerful techniques. This post summarizes two meta-analyses about learning styles. Read more

Why you need to set limits

What happens if you don’t set any boundaries in your relationships? You wear yourself out doing everything for everybody. Here are some ways to say “no” to unreasonable requests. Read more.

The big mistake in elearning

We’re obsessed with designing information when instead we should be designing experiences. We need to focus on what people need to do, not what they need to know. Read more

Scenario based training example: Connect with Haji Kamal

You’re a US Army sergeant in Afghanistan. Can you help a young lieutenant make a good impression on a Pashtun leader? Try the branching scenario and learn how it was designed. Read more

How to convert the toughest SME

You want to create an action-packed experience that revolutionizes learners’ behavior. Your subject matter expert wants you to reproduce every bullet of their 217-slide presentation. Is there any hope for your relationship? Read more.