This webinar explores the importance of motivation in the design framework for e-learning and present six rules for creating maximally motivating e-learning, which are illustrated through several successful corporate e-learning courses. At issue will be considerations of content scope, difficulty, judgment, leveling, content placement, and user control.

2. Ethan Edwards, Chief Instructional Strategist

3. The goal of e-learning is to create
meaningful performance change in
the learner.

4. The goal of e-learning is to create
meaningful performance change in
the learner.
(There are a number of other reasons organizations may be
choosing to use e-learning (access, cost, trackability, etc.)
but these other motivators are pretty much unrelated to
our jobs as instructional designers.)

6. •Learning is an active endeavor

7. •Learning is an active endeavor
•People learn best in highly particular
ways

8. •Learning is an active endeavor
•People learn best in highly particular
ways
•Learners must actively construct
meaning

9.  Learning is a process that must be initiated actively
 No one else is present at learning event
 Cannot rely on social motivators
 Rewards are indirect or absent

10.  Learning is a process that must be initiated actively
 No one else is present at learning event
 Cannot rely on social motivators
 Rewards are indirect or absent
So the motivation for engagement has to come from the
learner or from the instructional design.

15. “Learning”
path
•Reading text with no purpose
•Memorizing useless trivia
•Struggle with unhelpful feedback (“No, try again”)
•Endure unbroken linear narratives

16. “Expedited”
path
•Breeze through navigation thoughtlessly
•Multi-task watching kitten videos on YouTube
waiting for slow narration to complete.
•Guess without consequence
•Repeat random gestures until lesson gives up

17. Which would you choose?

18. The instructional designer MUST create an
experience where the learner abandons this
strategy.
The “learning” path must be meaningful,
achievable, appealing, and convincing as a
path to success.

19. “Learning”
path
•Reading text to satisfy a need
•Active involvement in meaningful tasks
•Attend to specific, helpful, content-rich feedback
•Minimize time of passive listening or reading

20. “Expedited”
path
•Can’t rely on default navigation to make progress
•Tasks require attention
•Guessing is unproductive
•Failure leads to a dead-end rather than to default
completion

21. Which would you choose?

23. C

25. C

27. A

29. F

31. This will
automatically
increase the
likelihood that
learners choose the
“learning” path.

33. 1 2 3 4 5 6
Just say less…
Formal objectives
Technical requirements/compliance documents
Things that only matter to the SME

34. 1 2 3 4 5 6
Make the e-learning more challenging
Achievable challenges with appropriate risks
Build on prior knowledge
Ambiguity is not always a bad thing
Withhold information until learner asks for it
This is different from just making it harder.

35. 1 2 3 4 5 6
Delay judgment
Allows for self-assessment and correction
Include “I’m ready” button
Increases memory

36. 1 2 3 4 5 6
Pack content into feedback
Natural place for content to reside
Learner is at point of highest interest regarding content
Performing actions results in valuable consequence
Naturally chunks content

37. 1 2 3 4 5 6
Create levels of difficulty
Challenges grow as skills develop
Expand content as levels grow
Expand functionality as levels grow
Modulate degree of help
http://studiok.alleni.com/client_projects/OLI/RailwaySafety/integ
ration/index.html

38. 1 2 3 4 5 6
Give more control over to learners
Prevents role of “learner as victim”
Transfers responsibility to learner
Choice areas: pace, sequence, review, construct answers, seek help,
choose when ready to be tested

39. 1.Say less
2.More challenging
3.Delay judgment
4.Content-rich feedback
5.Levels of difficulty
6.Expanded user control

40. More information:
www.alleninteractions.com
eedwards@alleninteractions.com