Have you experienced turbulence during your most recent air travel? Or when was the last time you drove into a city street where the speed bumps were so horrendous you had to have your car in full stop to avoid damage to it?           This is how it feels like psychologically, when your learners have to take a memory test or knowledge check. It is jarring. It is utterly annoying. Most of all, it often does not help in learning. What Stops Frictionless LearningMost designers and learning specialists would agree that we are seeing the need for more "frictionless" learning - unimpeded and fast learning and access to knowledge and information. Learners are learning while going through their workflow and yet, are constantly in search mode. So, the closer we bring the learning to application, the better the ideas are immediately applied. What stops "frictionless" learning experiences are checkpoints or control points we call "tests." The goal of testing is to help learners learn and ascertain their retention and application of ideas. This is well and good. However, we see more complaints from learners that tests are mere "CYA" actions in compliance courses and "just-to-make-sure-you-covered" the content type of tests. In these situations the tests become hazards to better learning.Differentiate Administrative Control Tests from Learning TestsMany courses and elearning are designed to show proof of compliance. Usually, they protect the interests of the company in the event there are legal challenges and certain evidences are required by the courts. In this case, we need to call these tests "administrative controls". It is best not to confuse these tests with learning tests, where learners go to through questions to apply ideas. The dangers of not differentiating administrative types of tests from learning tests is that we may make the mistake of swapping them or regarding them as one and the same. The risk is that while we do our best to train people, our tests sabotage their "frictionless" experience.Setting up Design for Unobtrusive Tests with Real-Life EventsA premise to make tests unobtrusive is to add real-life events as examples and references in your lessons. These are anchors that learners can relate to. Content devoid of real-life illustrations, ends up as mere factual information. This is what memorization tests deal with - just  factual content. Without real-life events, our tests will end up being just about memorizing facts.Examples of Unobtrusive TestsTests become unobtrusive when they are relevant, useful, based on real life and applicable to the learners’ work. In short, it helps them understand the content in real-life context. Let us say that the content is about ethics in purchasing: When John arrived home he was greeted with a huge package which contained expensive gifts. Upon checking the card, it was obvious to him that Peter, his favorite vendor, sent the gifts. John has seen his bosses accept gifts even if a policy exists to the contrary.If you were John, how would you respond?Application Question: "What should John do?"Reflection Question: "Should John return or accept the gift? What are the risks?"Interpretation Question: "What parts of the policy allow accepting gifts and what aspects prohibit accepting gifts?"Interactive Question: "Should John go and check his personal liability and that of the company in relation to this policy?"Process Question: "At what point should John call the attention of his boss and report about the gifts?"Problem-solving Question: "What should John do if Peter insists that he should keep the gifts?" Obtrusive tests are found in many elearning courses. They are like speed bumps or turbulences. But we have plenty of opportunities to remove these stumbling blocks. ReferencesRemove the Sting of Compliance Courses: Make Them Short, Succinct, Easy to Learn Weaving Stories and Factual Content for Seamless Lessons Kill Boring eLearning with Story-Based LessonsRay Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

I've been often asked in my workshops:See more on must-learn and learn-on-need.Read more about references.Two Types of References: Must-Learn Support and DetailsThere are two types of references: (a) must-learn support and (b) detailed references.Must-learn support contains information that enhances the learning of the must-learn content. Since the goal of the must-learn lesson is to make it short, succinct and focused, inserting the must-learn support references may interrupt the succinctness of the must-learn lesson. So, we move it on top as an optional link. An illustrationTopic - Toxic Waste Drum LabelingMust-Learn Lesson:John says:"I'm confused. This drum is intended for XXX waste. But I was told by Darren, that the content of the drum just came from YYY plant. Shouldn't we use the YYY label and not this drum for XXX waste?Mary responds:"You have done this before. You can figure it out."Question to participant:"How should John proceed? How can he really be sure which label and drum to use? Should he find the exact label code to ensure that XXX waste matches the YYY drum.Must-Learn Support References:If you position a list of "Guide to Drum Labels" on top of the screen, what is the likelihood of the participant clicking this link to learn more about drum labels? The probability is definitely high. Why? Because we added a Story Question in the must-learn, that prompts the learner to go and seek the answers. Detailed References: The detailed references is more of an over-all type of reference that may contain a long list of labels, resources for labels, how to procure and find them, etc. The must-learn references may also be part of this detailed reference.Build Curiosity and Continuation of the Story LessonIn the Story-Based eLearning Design, we use stories to deliver the must-learn content. To make it natural and engaging for learners, the must-learn lesson and the must-learn support references should continue the flow of the story. What prompts the learner to open the references is the conflict and challenge to answer the questions posed in the story.Learners do not think of the references as readings. They look at the references as a continuation of the story.ReferencesCase Study- Reducing eLearning Cost to 50% by Using Must-Learn Lessons and Micro-LearningWhy Simple Rules Produce Instant Learning and ApplicationProvoking Learners with Story QuestionsRay Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

Do you find it arduous and very challenging to identify stories that produce engaging content? Have you heard the saying, "the answer is just under your nose?" Believe me, stories abound.Abundance of Facts, Scarcity of StoriesFactual and data content are easy to find. They are abundantly spoonfed to us by SMEs (subject matter experts) or expert technical teams.  We are never short of data. There is an abundance of these. Remember the slide decks that our SMEs provided us? (Phew!). Unfortunately, many designers and writers find it gruelling to pinpoint thought-provoking stories to accompany the data or factual content. They say "they are scarce." Not at all! The answer is really right under our noses. Where do data and fact originate?Data does not come from thin air. It does not come from computers churning them out into great infographics. I once saw this placard from a science lab:Most content, if not all, come from events in our lives - nature, laboratories, situations - in or from living things. So any form of data, information or statistics reflect what is happening or what we observed in our environments. I also call these organic items. One might also argue that content is the form while stories are their substance.Taking a closer look at your factual or data content, you’d be pleasantly surprised to find stories which are built-in or inseparable elements of said content. Stories are native and innate in the content. How to Extract the StoriesTo extricate the stories, we need to use "extraction tools" or "refining tools." The tools are called Story Questions.From the data on hand, you may derive real-life events, situations, narratives, stories, characters, emotions, conflicts, resolutions, anecdotes - the elements of the story. Statistical anomalies: "What’s the cause of the anomalies? What brought about the incidents? What is the impact, negatively or positively? How is the anomaly easily described?Deviations from targets: "What drove the deviations? Who and how was this received? How are people adjusting the strategies or actions to address deviations? Disconnect in assumptions: "What are the differences in assumptions and their origins? What are the sentiments and feelings about the differences? How are these likely resolved and what happens if they are unresolved?Fatal flaws: "What is the accident or error? What are the consequences? What was missed or omitted? What costs or benefits were derived? Exemplar results: "Why was this unexpected? How was this inspiring others? What was the contrasting, below-par results and what was the value realized? Who benefited? Go Beyond the Numbers I learned this thought from a Harvard professor: ReferencesRemove the Sting of Compliance Courses: Make Them Short, Succinct, Easy to LearnProvoking Learners with Story QuestionsEmploying Story Structure and Dynamics to Engage Different LearnersRay Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

Learners learn by trial and error.Which is better - trial and error or scientific learning? Why?Have you experienced learning quickly by committing an error or mistake? View the recording session to shed more insights on learning through trial and error.Click here to download the PDF handout.Tips:Start objectives by asking them what they hope to learn within the confines of the topics.Ask what errors they experienced and discovered, and what have they learned from them.Encourage them to share how they would handle a difficult situation.Request them to search in company records the cases and incidents that taught people the lessons.Cite current practices that were introduced because of a complaint or incident.An example : In one company, all meetings now start with a few minutes on safety policies and procedures in case of fire or related accident.Focus on highest value, errors, workarounds and solution.Use workarounds as a learning approach. Translated positively this means problem solving, troubleshooting, tricks, maneuvers, shortcuts, best solutions, etc.Identify high impact work and business performance areas.Simplify content: deliberate reduction.Discover immediately useful content to solve problems. Teach learners to ask 5 questions. Select a topic then ask:     a. What/why do I want?  - Objectives     b. What do I know now? - Draw out experience and knowledge     c. What is fun to discover? -  Find the fun part     d. What do I want to try? - Encourage exploration/adventure     e. How do I feel? - Appeal to emotionsFacilitate learning by introducing hints.People learn best by trial error and not following organized content. They are more inclined to explore and discover. They get excited as they learn from their own insights.So... always leave room for trial and error, even if you have pretty good-looking  lessons created as your labor of love.  Don't clip your learners' wings, cut off their imagination or frustrate their need to play.  Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

 In my previous tip, I mentioned that learners struggle to focus because there's just too much stimuli that competes to grab their attention. The solution is to make our content or story snappy, relevant and cholesterol-free. In short, cut the crap!!!Top Reasons to Simplify ContentLearner/User Experience - As I previously mentioned, varied stimuli tug at learners' attention. Whether you're writing a story or just plain learning content, if it does not stand out, forget about getting an audience. When designing content, you have to make it grab the learners' attention upon eye contact. Business/Corporate Reasons - Simplifying your content makes you polish your message. This means saying only what is relevant to your learner and avoiding unnecessary repetition. Being less verbose conveys the message that you mean business because you don't waste your word and consequently, your learner's time.  Extra Benefits - The added benefit of snappy story creation is that there are less chances of making mistakes. Reducing your content/story to what only matters to your learners means you edit less.Cutting the Crap out of Your Story-based  e-Learning Content Writing a snappy story means the removal of what is gratuitously present in it. It means cutting out what is there for no reason at all. When doing it, ask yourself these questions:Will my story stand without this part? If the answer to this question is yes, then that part of your story has to go. In the words of scriptwriter Paul Peditto, "Look to the dialogue you wrote in the first rough draft. Look at it with an unflinching eye. What can be cut? Cut it. Does the scene still make sense? If the answer is yes, it stays cut. If you've left something out that has to go back in, then in it goes. That's the true measure of what's necessary: Does the scene make sense without it?"  Should I include this part? Often times it's not a question of whether you could include a thing or not. It's more a question of should it be included? Stuffing your content to convolution just to make it look meaty only adds to confusion. You don't need to prove that you have a lot of things to say, just get to the point.What will the learners think? Considering what the learners will think of your content/story will make you design it from their perspective. Always remember that you are not there to prove that you're "deep" but to connect with the learners.In his article SCRIPT GODS MUST DIE: Writing Dialogue - The Cut Instinct, Paul Peditto gives an excellent example of how to cut the crap out of your story. I believe the same principle is applicable when designing plain content. Take a look at the dialogue excerpt and observe how he simplified it. He reduced it to this: ConclusionSimplifying your content is a conscious design choice. It means getting into the shoes of your learners and including only what you have thoroughly assessed and determined they really need. What's not  necessary is dropped and what is retained are only the stuff that matters. I'm not a martial arts artist, but the words of Bruce Lee resonates when he said "absorb what is useful, reject what is useless."References Speider Schneider. The Secrets Of Successful Website Content. March 7, 2014.    Richa Jain. When Less is More - Why Minimalism STILL Rules the Web. June 29, 2015      Paul Peditto. SCRIPT GODS MUST DIE: Writing Dialogue - The Cut Instinct. July 1, 2015.   Ray Jimenez. Minimalist Story-Based eLearning Lesson Grabs Learner.  Ray Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"http://storypikes.com/workshops/cc-images/2015/tip79/dialogue%201.pngRay Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

  In the workshops that I conducted on Story-based eLearning Design, participants constantly ask: How do we implement Story-Based Learning in our entire company or in various forms of our learning?  There is no one sure-fire answer to accomplish this. However, there are concerted strategies that help your organization apply the Story-Based Learning Design.Reputation of Stories and StorytellingAn advantage is that most employees and leaders are very familiar with the concept of stories and storytelling. The use of stories is fun, engaging and entertaining -- not boring. The downside is that there is an inertia in most organizations to push "telling" and "data dump" as a method of learning. This is linear design which is a huge hurdle.Fighting the Momentum of Linear DesignThe power and thrust of linear design is so strong, that sometimes, it seems so difficult to make a change.Over the past few years I have been meeting clients, both large and small-size companies, wanting to inject, energize or revitalize their learning and training programs using principles from the Story-Based Design. Some of these companies want all their designers to embrace and always include some form of story and story-design and context design into their programs.This is well and good, but how do we implement the ideas? Always follow up by asking the participants certain questions.What is Story-Based Learning?The focus of the Story-Based Learning is getting learners involved with the stories and experiences related with the content. The immediate thrust is adding context, helping learners find meaning and applications of the content. Story-Based Learning is not a specific method and technique. Many methods we use today are Story-Based  though we use different labels. Examples are: discovery, troubleshooting, problem solving, critical incidents, case studies, scenarios, branching, social conversations and sharing, diagnostics, and many others. The Starting Point is Content DeliveryMost of the opportunities when making a change in Learning Design is through delivery of content. Hence, this is where we focus our strategies. Other types of learning thrusts may need other strategies.Implementation Tips Small Lesson Changes - Easier to ImplementUsing a small or micro Story-Based Lesson  like the "My Declined Credit Card", provide opportunities to change small sections of your content. There is a temptation amongst learning specialists and leaders to be carried away by their enthusiasm. When they find a new model, like Story-based Learning, they want to immediately make a total change to the courses and projects. Resist this temptation. Be conservative. Focus on small nuggets and snippets that you can redesign to use the Story-Based lesson.Showcase Your New Lessons to Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)Seeing is believing and buying a concept by seeing a product is more compelling than telling about the product.Help your SMEs to understand the new design by seeing and feeling and having an experience. The theory becomes useful when seen in action.Over time, develop your own library of models, like these models I created. Show Proof that Stories Impact LearningTo prove that stories and real-life events impact learning positively, do a simple exercise and show it: Select and compare two small lessons.One with purely static and factual data and the other one with some stories to relate the value of the data. Conduct a small test and obtain the results.More Inexpensive ApproachesIn constructing lessons, you may borrow (adhere to Creative Commons policy) some stories from the web sources like YouTube stories. The goal is to find a story and use this as the heart of your Story-Based lesson.Use videos for your Story-Based lessons. But don't just show the videos. Have an "experience-sharing" discussion about the ideas from the videos. See how we borrowed the Values.com video on "First Date" and add interaction to the video.Even Easier to Implement - Story ConversationsAn Interactive story is unlike storytelling. Interactive stories may be applied in all types of learning. It can be applied in social learning, presentations like Chalk Talk, face to face classes, and even in webinars.It's About the Learners' StoriesThe thing to remember is that Story-Based Learning is not a tool, a technology, or a process. It is a belief system and value system that's says:ConclusionFighting the momentum of linear design can be difficult. You will certainly meet all kinds of resistance. But if you implement the tips presented here and slowly but surely embed Story-Based learning in your content design, you will eventually see gradual acceptance. If you believe that learners should take center stage rather than the trainer, then  Story-Based learning is the best way to move forward. Ray Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

More often than not, compliance courses have received a bad rap and reputation. The main complaint is that compliance courses are just "clicking boxes to meet lawyers' needs." As the perception persists, part of the blame is caused by designers, trainers and leaders abandoning the "learning side" of compliance. Consequently, these courses have been relegated to the category of being necessary evils. I am not giving up on compliance courses. From what I know of compliance courses, the intent is to protect peoples' lives, reduce costs, avoid fraudulence, keep our environments safe and many others. Without good compliance courses, we are all at risk.  Recently, I spoke at the  ATD (Association of Talent Development) Conference in Las Vegas on the topic Micro-Compliance Learning. My goal was to share how to remove the sting of compliance courses by making them short and easier to learn.Live Demos of Micro-Compliance LessonsPlease play a couple of examples of a micro-lesson. These demos are prototypes only. They address a small but significant section of a large compliance course.Code Pink - Hospital ComplianceStash the Cash - Banking on Money LaunderingWhy and How Micro-Compliance WorksThe key principles are:Shorten compliance courses by focusing on the most important lesson.The average time of a lesson is 2-3 minutes.Relegate readings of policies and procedures as reference links. You can still track these readings by using a tracking device when learners scroll the page.Invest in the lesson story and not in a series of long slideshows about the policies with just text.Deliver the micro-lessons in smaller bits and pieces, weekly, daily or spaced over time.Insights Invaluable to Successful Implementation of Micro-Lessons"What if it is required that learners must read pages?"The cheaper way is not to put lengthy policies and government rules in long, narrated slideshows. Keep them in PDFs or text that learners could scroll through and still track if learners have done so. "Is it enough to focus on the story and some important parts of the lessons?" Overloading learners will likely bring results, although, records show they simply clicked through all pages in typically long, very long lessons."But our lessons must be learned in 2 hours. Lawyers require this."Let learners focus on key ideas, like the examples, then let them do additional activity and readings to consume the hours. By doing this, you are not boring the learners."We are required to test for knowledge retention and compliance."In most cases this works. However, oftentimes, this encourages the learners "to game" or "cheat" the system. True or false and multiple choice types of tests are clicked repeatedly for a trial and error approach just to complete the test. Asking learners to write something may also help them to reflect their understanding of the lesson. There are authoring ways to provide feedback to learners without having someone track all the answers. How can you deliver by spacing out lessons?Learners are busy and would welcome receiving maybe once a day or once a week, a 2-3-minute micro-compliance lesson. Most compliance courses are repeated once a year and to avoid the yearly end rush, advance spaced out lessons are usually convenient.ConclusionCompliance courses are often the first line of defense to keep companies compliant. It does not mean, however, we relegate these courses to data dumps and verification of scanning pages. They can be made engaging, short and help learners learn important contributions of compliance courses.ReferencesCreating Big Lessons By Using Small DataKill Boring eLearning with Story-Based LessonsAnti-Bullying - How to combine story with a compliance lesson?Ray Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

 The focus of most curation methods when applied to learning is in organizing, filtering, distilling, adding value, etc. to content. This is like serving food (content) in an improved way. There may be a risk in this trend. As trainers, designers and learning specialists, we continue to look at our role in curation as content servers, not learning facilitators. I propose, we focus on content co-creation as a process. I am not giving up on compliance courses. From what I know of compliance courses, the intent is to protect peoples' lives, reduce costs, avoid fraudulence, keep our environments safe and many others. Without good compliance courses, we are all at risk.Simple Experiment In the illustrations below, the first (Illustration 1) is a content from a webinar speaker and the second one (Illustration 2) shows added insights from participants. We asked participants to add their insights to the presentation. I ran a survey  with twenty participants and asked them to review both sides and gauge their reactions. Please review the illustrations below.Presentation - Illustration 1Adding Insights - Illustration 2 Respondent's ResponsesThese are samplings of responses.On the Presentation:  "Ideas provoked in me a thought.""But I was passive to it.""It was well organized and clearly stated, however, I wondered how this mattered to me.""The presentation at times was a hit and miss - relevant and irrelevant."On the Insights:"The insights made me smile about how others responded to the presentation.""I saw how others interpreted the content and prompted me to respond to one of the ideas.""I was inclined to respond and comment on the insights because it was personl.""Adding insights allowed me to create my own content, my own understanding of the presentation. "Adding Insights is Co-Creating ContentAlthough it seemed obvious that adding one's insight is a better learning process since it is recursive where learners interpret the presentation, adding their own meaning - it occurred to me that it is far more important that learners or our audiences add insights as a way to create their own content. Such content  embodies their own understanding of the presentation. It bridges the presentation with that which is relevant to them. Therefore, this increases the value and contribution of the presentation in the real life of the learner. I discovered that a simple insight - small, tiny, spur of the moment - is content from learners which becomes an even more important part of the presentation. Practical Implications - Focus Our Eyes on Learners' Co-Created ContentAgain, this seems commonsensical, but I missed it and now realize that this is the essence of curation - to  draw out the small insights from the learners; not to serve better content. In our rush to learn and implement curation methods in our learning environments, we overlook that our efforts ought to focus in as many ways as is possible, on getting the learners to co-create the content. This does not mean long, tedious demands for writing blogs or articles or journals. It simply means that every chance we have, we try to get learners to add an insight and allow others the facility to add more insights.ReferencesCreative MusingInsight Sharing - How They "Meet and Mate"Reflections Impact PerformanceRay Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

We can learn from politicians. When they say "my comment was taken out of context", what they mean is that the press reporter used their statements giving it a different meaning, which is not the original intent of the politician. How does an idea, statement or content be taken out of context or stays in context? Context Changes Actually, in the learning world, context changes depend on the situation or condition. But where, how and why it changes is interesting since it shows us how to use and add context effectively. Context is about meaning and application of ideas and things. Meaning comes from an inherent objective information (object) about a thing and/or an idea. It may also come from the interpretation of a person or a learner, or both. As an example, a content says "1 + 1 = 2," this is an object. A learner may say, "One apple put together with another apple are two apples," this shows a context.Another way of understanding context is about the movement of an idea (object) towards its application in real-life.  Another way of understanding context is about the movement of an idea (object) towards its application in real-life.  The content is the object while the context is the enabler. Ideas are not useful unless context is added to it.  The challenge is not context per se, but the difficulty in adding context and catching the shifting meaning depending on the conditions. The needs of the learners and workers varies and changes. Please refer to other definitions of context.To aid in our discussion, I developed below The Motion of Content and Context.Click to view enlarged image.Motion of Content and Context - the ChallengeIn the following explanation, I will refer to the row numbers and columns shown in the chart.Many writers, designers and subject matter experts (SMEs) tend to look at content as a static idea. They focus on the object. They teach learners about the object of the content and fail to relate to a context. However, an even greater disservice to learners is not to move context depending on the different conditions (1). Learners easily sense this problem because the lesson is meaningless or irrelevant to them. This problem has its symptoms of over-reliance on teaching facts and testing and memorization. The approach of the lesson is rigid and inflexible (5). The proper solutions are not applied. The Changes in Drivers are Powerful Context EnablersThe drivers of context (2)  have the greatest influence on the high value that context brings to the content. In elearning and classroom or similar settings where learners are being taught, the context is often dictated by the trainer, designer or SME. The opposite spectrum is when learners are self-driven. The learners have specific goals, usually a combination of personal and professional, that drive the context of the content. Understanding that the Source of Context Helps Improve DesignA clear understanding of the source of the context (3) aids in adding the proper context to the learning content. In dealing with the challenges and use of solutions (5), the designers should emphasize different methods to help the motion of context. See Tip on Story-Based Questions.If it is in a classroom or elearning setting where instruction is the main approach, asking learners thought-provoking questions to draw their own interpretation and experience adds meaning and context to their work situation. A simple question like "what is your experience and how would you approach this problem?" would move the context of the content and make the content relevant to the learner. In Situated conditions where the learner must perform something on the job, the learning aid must be organized in such a way that the immediacy of solutions are effectively applied or used. For example, when workers need a process check to help them solve a problem, don't just provide the process in the learning aids. Provide simple rules that aid the learners to focus on what is critical in the process and what to test first, or what important points to pay attention to in the process. This approach assists the workers to help them think through the solution/s.In conditions where Life Goals drive the learners towards self-development and discovery of solutions and aspirations by following their life goals - goals that combine personal and professional results - the learners should have clarity of their goals and the skill in critical thinking to help them find the context from the abundance of digital content they discover.  Unless they have the skills, they will be overloaded with content and unable to meet their goals.Thinking Skills NeededMany designers, facilitators and curators focus on the technology and speed.  However, they forget that in this mode of learning, not only is digital skills management required but also thinking process skills. Thinking skills may include: "What is my goal?", "What do I know about this content?", "What else do I need to discover?", "How do I go about it?", "How do others think and feel about this?", and "Am I meeting my goals?." This is the iterative thinking process. The thinking process aids the learner to move the context of the content into useful and meaningful value to his/ her life goals.ConclusionContent and context work hand in hand. Content is the object while context is the enabler to add value, usefulness and relevance. The challenge is that most content are presented without the context. And an even bigger problem is not realizing that context changes have taken place depending on the learning conditions. We need to be aware that different methods and skills are required if learners are to find context - meaning and relevance - of the content. In the world of massive content and rapid learning, context setting has to be "in-context" and not out-of-context." Ray Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

Have you ever wondered what a young learner’s first impressions are of the learning industry? Joining me this week is guest blogger and Vignettes Learning research associate Francesca Jimenez, discussing her first-time experiences and insights that connect to her experience as a young learner. I hope we all learn something from what she shares below.As a new learner of elearning and a neophyte in the training industry, I have noticed a few salient points that connect to other broader, relatable experiences.Know Your Audience In a scene from the sitcom "How I Met Your Mother," the main character, Ted, enters a large university lecture hall full of students. It is his first day as an architecture professor. He begins timidly but exuberantly warms up throughout the lecture. The camera cuts to confused faces in the audience and then to another figure walking down the lecture hall stairs chiming, "Sorry, I am late class. This is Economics 101."Like any lecturer or speaker, trainers and webinar moderators must know their audience. Poor Ted’s knowledge ultimately left himself lost and the students disinterested, not because the content wasn’t valuable but because it simply wasn’t presented to the correct audience. Although elearning and training webinars attract certain specialists, the industries and positions represented in one session can vary greatly. Determine Between Must-Know Knowledge and Critical IncidentsThe driver's education does not highlight what to do immediately after an accident or how to file an insurance claim. Until recently, I had never gotten into a motor accident. There were no irreversible damages, but what if there had been?Within company training materials, must-know knowledge involving critical incidents should be presented first because they have the most immediate consequences, positive or negative. It seems common sense to first teach daily procedures. However these everyday skills and knowledge can be learned experientially and through routine. Training courses are meant to provide the right skills to effectively solve problems and prevent damaging consequences to individuals or the company as a whole.InsightsThe traditional education system stifles creativity through rigidity and an expectation to only memorize and recall. This expectation begins at a young age. As illustrated by Lennon’s anecdote, the teacher’s role has become an enforcer of the expectation instead of a cultivator of alternative ones. The creativity that was stifled throughout the education system is the same one that is called upon in job descriptions like "critical thinking and problem solving." But memorization and a cultivation of specific skills do not have to be mutually exclusive from personal insights and creativity. The value of individuals' insights in learning environments is as important as their differences in learning styles. Insights are more than fact and opinion; they synthesize both content and narrative. Francesca Jimenez is a recent college graduate who specialized in psychology and music. Her research interests include the application of behavioral sciences within industrial operations such as training, learning, and technology. ReferencesEmploying Story Structure and Dynamics to Engage Different LearnersStop That Dump Truck! Ask Questions to Know What is Important for LearnersRemove the Sting of Compliance Courses: Make Them Short, Succinct, Easy to LearnRay Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning