Mar 15 2022

My Quibble with Instructional Cliffhangers

Instruction – being inclusive of both Performance Support and Learning Experiences.

Image if the directions to your vacation hide-away were incomplete.

Or the step-by-step instructions for assembling the kid’s BIG TOY that you bought them for their birthday were missing the final critical steps and never showed you a photo or graphic of what it was to look like at key points in the process and when you were done.

Or that the Learning Experience you just spent hours and hours in – didn’t help you learn how to apply, what they provided you, back on your job.

In an Enterprise Learning Context, it should be rare that the Instruction – Job Aids and/or Training – doesn’t get you to a final Output – that meets the Requirements – just as they exist – Back on the Job.

In an Educational Learning Context, it may be near impossible – but not always impossible – not knowing exactly the authentic job expectations. Unless we know that Project Planners develop Project Plans.

The structure and format your Enterprise might use could be different than the next student – but we might be able to get close enough for Near Transfer.

And avoid Far Transfer. The closer – the better.

But in Enterprise Learning we can get specific, and avoid generic.

Although that will take Analysis of the authentic Performance Requirements – with Performance Validity – and not just reasonable guesswork on Content with Face Validity.