I’m judging some submissions from the iSpring conference, and noticing a trend. And, of course, it’s not in the requirements (which focus on using all the capabilities of their tool, not surprisingly). It’s also not in the evaluation criteria. Yet, it’s something I obviously care about. (I mean, I basically wrote a book that was about it as half of the whole picture!) I’m talking about addressing the ‘what’s in it for them’ for the learners.
So, two things to start with. For one, the evaluation does ask “Does the course maintain interest throughout?” So that’s the other half of the book, but…it doesn’t address the first half. Ok, many times you see the designers deal with it implicitly in the objectives, saying what you’ll be able to do. (Even, some times, in terms you will care about!) But that’s not enough.
What these courses seem to assume (and this is prevalent in much that I see) is that you’ve come to the course because you’ve interest in the topic. Which may be the case, if they’re already practitioners. Where it’s not appropriate is when it’s been assigned by someone else. And, overall, you probably shouldn’t assume the former. Unless you’re just hanging it out there for anyone who’s interested (and who can afford that?).
So, you should be addressing, up front, why the learner should care. What’s the context that makes this course of value and of interest? If you (as the learner) are a likely victim, er, audience for this course, what lets you know? Again, it’s not in the requirements, but I certainly wish it was pretty much habitual. There’s one case where it’s partly done, in that they start with the scenario and a question, but it takes some time to get there. This should be the very first thing learners see. Before objectives, before you say what the course will entail. Why should they pay attention to any of that? You haven’t made it visceral. And, motivation helps you learn better
So, please, make it a habit to hook your learners from the get-go. Show them the ‘what’s in it for them” up front. They’ll pay more attention to everything else you do, and that leads to better outcomes. Which is what we all want.