Motivated Learning

Interesting that my career choice (Instructional Design and eLearning Developer) leads me to spend a lot of time learning.

I have spent the last couple of weeks building an interesting project but struggled with the integration of about 50 modules into a cohesive package that could be simply navigated.

Client wanted web and cd delivery, so my preferred tool (flash) which has very strict rules about accessing content on a local drive was not an option so had to think of another way of doing it.

So the net result is a complex, but interestingly clever combination of technologies (CSS, Javascript, Flash, HTML) controlling the delivery of 50 discrete flash objects - dynamically loading them onto a single html page.

Not terribly interesting I know, but the reality is that I didn't know how to do most of that a fortnight ago - and now I do. Learning has occurred.

Almost all of my learning materials came straight off the web. The sheer volume of tutorials / code resource and helpful forum is astonishing. And although there are nuggets of gold out there, there is also an awful lot of chaff to sort through. But I wanted it done, so irrespective of the quality of site, the method of presentation, my "learning style", my current placement on the hierarchy of needs or any of that other stuff, I created my own learning path and found the materials that met my needs.

This meant that the vast majority of material I reviewed was discarded - even when it looked great and offered to teach me a load of things - if it wasn't solving my immediate issue, then Ctl-W closed the window to look at something else.

There is a place for compelling materials that lead learners in, but there is absolutely NO substitute for motivation. Clear signposts about what's IN the package and the ability to jump directly TO a specific element is worth more to a busy learner than any amount of Objectives, Aims, built in reflection etc that trainers frequently articulate as the be-all and end-all of training design. Make them need to do it, and they will successfully complete the crappiest of courses.