Comments on: Hit ’em in the gut first

By: Rob Bartlett

Rob Bartlett — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:09:33 +0000

What I try to do is give create context and challenge, which is another way of saying important and interesting.
With every new piece we put out we put the context into the message about the learning and use as many communication channels as we can to deliver that message before the learning event occurs to create context for learners. Then make it hard enough so that ist’s challenging -or interesting.

Sarbanes Oxley/Poison contral- I’d rather try those than Ethics!

By: Lee Kraus

Lee Kraus — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:52:07 +0000

Clark,

I think you make a good point. Having just come off a position at a marketing firm and getting back into an Instructional Design position, I have been thinking a lot about how to connect with people on an emotional level. Specifically, we used the Heath Brothers “Made to Stick” formula to develop sticky stories. It would be interesting to “weave” these concepts into training. (Actually, I think we already do it on a lot of levels, but to systematically focus on it would be new to me.) People make buying decisions on an emotional level 3 to 1 over a practical “need” for a product or service. I am guessing this is true for being open to learning.

By: Clark

Clark — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 23:33:19 +0000

Thanks for the feedback, Dick. Actually, I try to do both important and interesting. My analysis says that there are two types of ‘relevant’ for the learner: realizing that this skill solves a real problem, and that it solves a problem I care about. You can separate those out. Whatever the goal is is fixed by the objective, but you can use different examples (depending on the skill) that are more appropriate for some audiences than others.

Of course, I try to combine them into a motivating example that humorously or dramatically indicates the consequences of having, or not having, that skill. My twisted preference, of course, is to humorously indicate the negative consequences of not having the ability, but there are audiences and content for which that isn’t the right answer.

By: Dick Carlson

Dick Carlson — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 22:09:54 +0000

Do we need to convince the learners that the content is IMPORTANT or that it’s INTERESTING? I have to admit, I probably tend to err toward the second most of the time. People’s definition of “important” is pretty slippery — is it the CEO, the learner, the legal staff, the customer — or lil’ ol’ me, the designer?

And even if they agree it’s important (think Sarbanes/Oxley or Poison Control) if you don’t make it interesting, it’s not gonna matter.