We\u2019ve completed our blog series about good learning design, and, after some conversations with our clients and ourselves, have decided to embark on a new series, called \u2018What Good Content Looks Like\u2019. Writing explanatory content that conveys your subject matter concisely is both an art and science. It\u2019s the starting point for any training initiative. Whether you\u2019re a subject matter expert or an instructional designer, this series is meant to help you set a great foundation for any learning material that you need to develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
#1 Performance shapes content<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018In this module you will learn\u2026\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n So many course presentations, workbooks and elearning courses start with these immortal words. After the \u2018Housekeeping\u2019 slide, that is! And yet, is there anything more likely to turn a room full of excited, anticipating individuals into a communal blob of glass-eyed \u2018learners\u2019?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Compare that with a TED Talk, or a great motivational speech. The difference? They start by drawing people in, and explaining the WIIFM factor \u2013 that is, \u2018what\u2019s in it for me?\u2019. Learning objectives are an important tool for learning designers and the L&D side of the business, but for everyone else, they\u2019re at best a snoozefest, and at worst, an irritation that negatively impacts the affective learning environment. No-one outside the Learning and Development community cares about Bloom\u2019s Taxonomy. Ouch! That hurts. What they do care about is, \u2018What will I be able to do after this? Why am I here?\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Performance objectives describe what people will be able to do as a result of what they have learnt. With learning objectives, it\u2019s possible to write them using just the content and a good collection of verbs. To be able to write performance outcomes, you need to go well beyond the content, considering organisational context and business needs, and it usually requires that you engage with a much broader range of stakeholders to understand the realities of the desired workplace performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Asking the right questions<\/strong> in relation to performance outcomes will help you to include the right content<\/strong>. Here are some of the questions that the easyA<\/strong> team use and their implications when considering content development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The right questions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Business<\/p>\n\n\n\n Will the content that you create\/curate contribute to meeting these business needs?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Behaviour<\/p>\n\n\n\n What content is required to support this behaviour change?<\/p>\n\n\n\n People<\/p>\n\n\n\n How will the content structure, style, interactions, platform (etc.) help with engagement with this audience?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Process<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s the best way for the content to be delivered and assessed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The right content<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s possible that not everything that the subject matter experts provide will be required!<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we start with performance objectives, rather than just learning objectives, we have a stronger guide for what content to include, and how to treat it. It gives us a clearer direction to ensure that \u2026 by the end of the learning experience, the people will be able to do, not just know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interested in a deep dive?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This article will help you to say \u2018Goodbye learning objectives, Hello performance-based descriptions<\/a>\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learning objectives have long been a mainstay of content development: \u2018By the end of this lesson\/session\/training, participants\/learners\/trainees will be able to (insert verb from Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives)\u2019. They can provide a useful basis for developing assessments, allowing learning designers to easily measure if the objectives have been met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n