Training Industry Magazine - January/February 2020 - 22

APPLYING THIS KNOWLEDGE
TO CORPORATE TRAINING
When approaching corporate learning,
employees know the value of time,
particularly their free time.
The average employee spends
approximately 1% of the work week
engaging in training and development.
This means that the majority of assigned
courses must be completed outside of
standard office hours.
Monetizing free time can now be
calculated by participation and demand
for new time-saving services such as
curbside pick-up, meal-kit subscriptions
and even grocery delivery. Willingness
to pay a premium price in order to
save time for what is meaningful
runs parallel to the motivation of the
hyperactive e-learner.
From the learner's perspective,
several questions come to mind when
approaching an online training: How will
this course help me, today, to earn more
money or advance my career? Will this
information help me tomorrow, or is this
technique simply a fad? Can I get this
information from another source? How
does my success depend on learning
this material?
If these questions are not appropriately
answered, new technology and
interaction unintentionally create
a burden to the user. Establishing
purpose, direction and value can
take top trends in technology to the
next level and regain user excitement
toward e-learning.

without fail, raises a hand and asks,
"When am I ever going to need to know
this?" For adolescents, the answer to
the "why" question is typically, "because
I said so" or, "because you have to."

THE MOTIVATION
BEHIND POWERCLICKING STEMS
FROM THE BELIEF
THAT ACHIEVING A
CHECKMARK FOR
COMPLETION WILL
RESULT IN MORE
TIME TO DO WHAT IS
MEANINGFUL.
How often is this attitude taken with
adults ("because it's your job")?
For instructional designers, specifically
and directly answering this question
is the key to overcoming the
hyperactive e-learner.

OVERCOMING THE
HYPERACTIVE E-LEARNER

The challenge now exists to change the
game for adult learning. Pre-emptively
stating the purpose at the start of every
course, even if it seems obvious, is the
best way to create immediate impact.
This goes beyond merely alluding to the
"why" in learning objectives. Although
learning objectives show purpose on an
administrative and/or managerial level,
they are rarely read by the learner.

For a simple solution, visualize a middle
school math class. Specifically, visualize
the one student who, in every class,

If a course is not relevant in the
immediate future to an employee,
consider making it optional versus

| 22

mandatory. This gives control back to
the learner by allowing him or her to
choose a course based on personal
value, elevating willing participation in
the course.
The second step in overcoming the
hyperactive e-learning is to link the
assessment to a real, applicable
task an employee does on a daily or
weekly basis. Exams, whether formal or
informal, measure the level in which an
individual comprehends information.
Providing opportunity to practice a
newly learned skill or apply newly
acquired knowledge further solidifies
the meaning and purpose provided
at the beginning of restructured
courses. Minimizing power-clicking is
about creating meaning, rather than
striving for engagement, and aligning
that meaning with learners' current
job roles.
To expedite course development, keep
these three questions in the forefront
of your mind:
1. What do I want my learner to know?
2. How do I want my learner to apply it?
3. Why does this matter (i.e., what
immediate impact can the learning
have on learners' success)?
"Quality over quantity" holds true
when developing or evaluating existing
e-learning libraries. And, as the value
of time has exponentially increased,
the power of the "why" has never been
more important to the success of both
corporate and adult learning.
Marie McIntyre is a training and
development specialist for MAC
Distributor Network, an organization
of independent distributors and
manufacturers with the common
focus on customer service and global
support. Email Marie.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbersin/2017/03/28/watch-out-corporate-learning-here-comes-disruption/
Training Industry Magazine - January/February 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - January/February 2020
