Dr. Michael Allen's Webinar

I attended Dr. Michael Allen's Webinar on enhancing the learning experience of an elearning program last week. There were more than 400 participants. Dr. Allen is among the most influential people in the training industry and proponent of rapid prototyping.

Here are some notes (applicable to adult learners):

- An elearning program must achieve a behavioral change and build a positive attitude in the learners. Behavioral change can be brought about if you make your program meaningful, memorable, and motivational (3M).

- Context, Challenge, Activity, and Feedback can make an elearning program 3M.

- Focus on enhancing the performance skills of the learners and not mere transfer of knowledge. Knowledge is not power. Knowledge is nice. Skill is power. Success of an elearning program is determined by the skillful performance of the learners.

- Let learners focus on the context within which the skill is to be applied and not merely the course content.

- Make the context the anchor. Throw the learners in a challenging situation. Only guide them to the reference sources. Let them face the situation on their own. Present the challenge as the ultimate goal right at the beginning.

- Provide sufficient practice activities. Let the teach happen in the feedback.