Do you have an idea for a virtual course or workshop that you know your audience will absolutely love?
You know your content and knowledge will make a difference for them. And, you’ve been helping people through your work for years. So, how hard can it be to turn all that knowledge and skill into a world-class course? Harder than you might think.
Designing a successful learning experience is about creating a space for your audience to become what you know they are capable of.
Here are a few mistakes and misconceptions that I see my clients facing when they come to me for help.
Mistakes & Misconceptions
If I can do the work, I can teach others how to do it.
Being an expert at something does not mean you are an expert at teaching it to others. Training is a skill. Corporations spend tens of thousands of dollars on train-the-trainer programs and hiring expert trainers and facilitators to deliver their proprietary content. You may need training yourself before you launch into creating courses for others.
Spending too much time outside of your unique ability or zone of genius.
This ties very closely to the above. When you’re spending your time and energy trying to figure out how to design and deliver your course or workshop, you’re taking time away from the areas of your business where you shine. Areas that need your attention, the attention only you can give. I am not saying you should not design or deliver your program yourself. I’m saying, recognize when you are out of your unique ability and get help. Your audience deserves your best.
Too much content.
When you’re designing training – less is more. The human brain has limited ability to store and recall information. Yes, there are techniques we can use as trainers to increase long-term memory and recall, but there are still limits. And they are much less than you might think.
In my train-the-trainer program, Sparkshop: Light Up Your Live Virtual Events, I teach a method to help course creators segment their content. This process allows them to ultimately focus on what is most important for delivery during the program and how and where they can provide other resources.
People remember what is said.
Have you ever heard this, “I’m going to move pretty quickly through these last few slides since we’re short on time.”? Maybe you’ve even said it yourself. I used to tell the trainers I coached, “Just because you say it, doesn’t mean they will remember it.” You’re wasting everyone’s time if you’re trying to pour too much content into your program.
Here’s a scary fact. According to brain science and learning expert David Sousa, just 24 hours after a learning episode, average participants will remember only 10% of what was delivered via lecture/spoken word. So, less is more! And…lecture is the least effective means of training. But that’s a whole other topic.
Not asking for help.
We all have unique skills and abilities. You would likely not attempt to fly the plane on your next trip (unless you happen to be a pilot). So, why would you risk your reputation and the trust of your audience if you don’t know what makes a learning experience successful. There are loads of resources available to help you design effective adult learning experiences. And there are also people like me who specialize in instructional design, just like you specialize in your area of expertise. Don’t wing it.
Thinking you have all the answers and you’re the only expert in the room.
One the greatest things about teaching adults is the experience that they bring to the room. It’s very different from teaching children who are basically a clean slate and look to you for all the answers. Adults have so much to share, and they want to.
In a recent article for Forbes, Mark Sparvell states, “Adults have years of real-life experience to draw on when learning something new. Include real-world examples and realistic scenarios in your training to connect with the past experiences of the learners.”
A good facilitator will draw on that experience and help participants self-discover new answers. And, people do not argue with their own data. So, you get to look like the hero, when they did all the work coming up with the answers. You just set the stage for the learning to happen.
Finding Help
Many instructional designers want to work with you in a very formal academic way. The whole experience feels corporate and unnatural. Because you’re a creative entrepreneur. You think differently. You have unique ideas that don’t fit in those boxes and you don’t have the patience to work through conventional processes. You want to design your program in a way that feels natural for you and honors the relationship that you’ve built with your audience. You want to design a program you feel natural facilitating. If that sounds like you, I can help.
Plus, it turns out, having a Virtual Producer on your event also increases your “Cool Factor”. So, there’s that!
