According to Julie Dirksen, the first thing we must do as Learning Experience Developers is to understand what is preventing the learners from doing what they must do or want to do successfully. Creating a course or a program requires more than taking information and distributing it through slides and lectures. For example, everyone knows that to lose weight you need to practice physical exercise and eat a healthy diet. It is rare to find an adult who does not have this information. At the same time, even with this information, people cannot lose weight. Therefore, you need to investigate the reason that prevents your learner from completing their goals and objectives. In the book Design for How People Learn, the author describes why a person cannot achieve the necessary outcome, which must be identified during the Training Needs Analysis.
Let's discuss the lack of information or knowledge and lack of skills. For example, a personal trainer who works with children cannot expect the child to have the necessary information to know how to lose weight, grow muscles, or develop healthy eating habits. Yet, if the personal trainer works with adults, he can expect them to have the information but may lack the skills to attain their fitness goals. As you can see, knowing your audience is crucial to determining the content of your course effectively. But how can you know which of these you must teach during your course? Well, you can ask yourself if the learner can acquire proficiency by attaining information or if they need new skills. The answer should be able to guide you.
I've never completed a marathon, but let's pretend I decided to do it tomorrow. I have the information about how to run a marathon, and I know the skills needed. Will I be able to run to the finish line successfully? Probably not! Although I know what it takes to run, I have never practiced, and will most l,ikely get tired very soon. With that, we can highlight the need to consider practice activities and time so your learner can practice and gather feedback if necessary.
But what if your client has the information, has the skill, but still can't make any progress? Returning to our example, can you force someone to eat healthy and exercise? No. In this case, our learner suffers from the third reason, which is a lack of motivation. In other words, he has no intrinsic reasons to complete his objectives. We can see examples of this when someone doesn't invest in themselves, or when they do invest time and money into learning something new, they fail to complete it. We must be mindful of this and design our course using techniques that motivate our learners.
The fourth reason preventing the success of your learners is if they previously learned something incorrectly. For example, when people follow a super restrictive fad diet, their nutritionist or personal trainer must support them through unlearning and dietary re-education. The learner must learn a sustainable way to live a healthier life. In many corporations, we may see this with tribal knowledge, which means that it is not in a procedure, but people do it anyway. In these cases, the same method of unlearning applies. This process is very time-consuming and requires patience because the brain is already used to doing the tasks incorrectly and often on autopilot. So, to stop doing something, the learner must practice the new skills repeatedly to create new brain pathways and unlearn the tribal knowledge.
The fifth reason is the lack of forming a habit. This goes along with motivation, but it is the necessary discipline of doing something continuously, for a while, until it becomes a habit. Eventually, the habit becomes a reflection of the learner mastering the topics they have been taught and can execute them with confidence. This way, your learners may have everything they need to be successful. They just need more practice to establish a new habit.
In sixth place, environmental reasons can prevent the learner's progress. These external causes can be political or economic. They can be a lack of resources or other financial burdens, and they can also be family situations that become a priority. In summary, it is out of your learners' control that prevents them from achieving what they want.
The last reason that is blocking the success of our client or student is the lack of communication or necessary direction. Let's say your doctor makes a sarcastic comment or recommendation and you take it seriously. You may go down a path that may be detrimental to your health. The same applies to your learners, so, be careful making jokes or being sarcastic. Instead, focus on Being clear, concise, and speaking in complete sentences. Observe your audience when you speak and clarify if they seem confused.
I want to conclude that regardless of whether you are developing a course or learning program, a web-based product, or even free content online, you have a responsibility to your audience. Their time is important to them and you want to respect it. Therefore, be diligent in your Training Needs Analysis to create the right solution for your intended audience. If your learners succeed through your course they will be more motivated to keep learning from you.