C2 Workshop's E-Learning Blog

Defining E-Learning Objectives - Part III

We wound up the last blog post with the question, “Even if I manage to craft measurable behavioral objectives, how far would I succeed in MOTIVATING my learners?”

If you are, by any chance, landing straight on this post, please visit the earlier two posts, before taking off from here.

Motivation is a wonderful state of mind. If I am motivated to do something, I wouldn’t let anything – anything – stop me from going after what I want. I just wouldn’t rest till I accomplish my mission. It’s as simple as that!

The same philosophy applies to my learners as well.

As an instructional designer, if I succeed in MOTIVATING my learners, I’ve successfully covered 75% of my task. The rest would just fall in place.

So, how do I motivate?

One of the most cherished advertising/marketing secrets is to sell the BENEFITS of a product and not the product itself. If I manage to sell the benefits, I’ve sold the product.

In a way, it is the same with my learners as well. If I sell them the benefits of the course I’m crafting for them, I would see them getting automatically motivated to learn. Job done!

The greatest truths, as they say, are the simplest.

Now, how do I sell my learners the benefits of the course? I don’t meet them in person, I don’t talk to them over phone. I need to communicate with them only through the course. And, the ‘hand-shake’ happens on the Objectives.

That’s how Objectives become a very important phase of the course. If the motivation needs to happen, it can happen only here. If I need to grab my learners’ attention, I can do only here.

How I design the Objectives makes all the difference. Instead of being bookish with my verbs, however appropriate they may be, I need to convert them to benefits. Here are a few instances that would explain this point.

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Instance 1:
How it is:
At the end of this course, you will be able to identify essential components of client servicing.
How it could be:
In a while from now, say an hour, you would have learned how to easily earn that precious smile from your customer; and possibly, the sale.

Instance 2:
How it is:
At the end of this course, you will be able to comprehend various types of solar energy systems.
How it could be:
It should not take longer than an hour and a half for you to appreciate the beauty of solar energy and various ways by which the sun’s bounty could be harnessed for the benefit of human kind.

Instance 3:
How it is:
At the end of this course, you will be able to demonstrate how an applicant’s loan application could be processed.
How it could be:
On successful completion of this course, you would have become quite confident about analyzing various critical parameters that would help you to successfully process loan applications that come your way.

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Interestingly, this tiny effort to strike a chord with my learners, would transform the very way I handle the subject.

The conviction that I need to always keep my learners in my mind, helps me to mould and shape up the content in a way they would like to see it.

The sensitivity and sensibility employed on the entire course architecture is very much worth it, because, at the end of the day, I craft the course ONLY for my learners.

And, I succeed ONLY when they enjoy the learning experience.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

Defining E-Learning Objectives - Part II

The last post "Defining E-Learning Objectives" ended with a comma. Figuratively, that is.

It had passed the baton to the current discussion, to address a few questions on e-learning objectives.

Have a request for those of you who are landing straight on this post. Please take a quick glance at what we discussed in Part 1 of this post, before taking off from here.

These are the questions we need to get the answer for.

Why do e-learning objectives take a back seat? Why are they so skip-worthy?

Because, THEY ARE NOT WELL WRITTEN. Simple.

This rather stark answer does not, however, point to either grammatical glitches or unimaginative sentence constructions. Far from it, in fact.

It underscores the absence of THOUGHT. The thought that would act as the blueprint of the entire course architecture!

Before getting into action (of writing objectives), I need to put my thoughts to what my objectives would address.

• Behavioral change that would demonstrate learning
• Criterion that would determine acceptable performance (as a result of learning), and
• Conditions that would govern the performance

I need to assimilate this key learning: It is the measurable behavioral objectives that would effectively guide the design of my learning application. If I am meticulous in this exercise, I would find it relatively easy to work around the needed/expected behavioral changes.

Now, I see the next question standing in queue, peeping at me. "Even if I manage to craft measurable behavioral objectives, how far would I succeed in MOTIVATING my learners?"

Now, I just can't help marveling at the demands of this art. Or, should I say science?

Let's reserve this interesting question for our next post.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

ID: Move On The Moving Ground!

What if the terra-firma I'm standing confidently on, shakes violently under my feet?

I would be completely shaken up to say the least. I wouldn't be sure of my next step, 'cos, what if, by its very action, it causes a graver shake-up, taking me all the way down? The journey from an elevated and elated state to an abysmal depth could be depressing.

Such situations are not exclusive to topographical properties alone. They could cause an equally powerful turbulence to my mind landscapes as well, if what's thought of as fool-proof turns around and makes a consummate idiot out of me.

I could quote Instructional designing as a classic example, to prove this point. I put my heart and soul in thinking scenarios and come up with what I think is a piece of pure gold. But, in no time, I find this impression getting shaken up by none other than my student - of all people.

That paralyzing fear is what causes me not to take any chances. Nothing could replace my feeling completely safe and secure in my own cocoon. So no venturing out! And, that's probably the reason why one doesn't find brilliance around.

If some exemplary action needs to happen in my instructional designing, the first and foremost thing I need to learn is TO DARE! So what if I go down the abyss? Would there be no way out? There definitely would be, if only I look around...

... If only I learn mastering mental agility, so as to be able to let go, jump over the divide and land wherever I find the firm ground and take it from there.

In other words, learn to move on the constantly moving ground to produce something that'll move.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)