E-Learning Design Lesson I Learned From Stan Lee (Or How To Elicit Emotion & Boost E-Learning Engagement)

Today, I am going to share with you an e-learning design secret weapon. A go-to source on how to create engagement.

You see, many designers (I’m guilty of this too) struggle to “get creative.” And, e-learning designers specifically are notorious for looking for the next trick or short-cut—to make their e-learning interesting, meaningful, and transformative.

Well, put the tricks behind you because you might prefer my secret weapon instead:

Stan Lee,…co-creator of Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, X-Men, etc.

I’m not kidding.

I really do believe there’s a strong lesson from Stan Lee’s experience and knowledge as it relates to e-learning design.

By the way, did you know Stan Lee (pictured above) used to be an instructional designer? It’s true, Stan Lee’s World War II military service involved writing training films, posters, instructional manuals, and visiting Army posts to help them speed up their training methods and operations!

But, before I explain Stan Lee, and his wisdom, I want to point out a simple law of success:

Experts In Human Potential Have Long Said, Your Emotions, And Largely How You Feel, Dictate Your Results In Life.

In other words, your thoughts cause you to feel, your feelings cause you to take action, and, your actions cause your results!

Well, so what?

What does that have to do with you, with Stan Lee, and with e-learning?

A lot. You see, what I’m trying to do is work backwards to find out what factors are most influential in determining whether information is likely to cause results.

And, I believe, consciously or unconsciously, Stan Lee used that “law of success” to create the Marvel Universe, and, our modern mythology. (VERY major lesson coming up, so pay attention.)

How To Tap Into Emotions And Boost E-Learning Engagement

Again, according to success experts, thoughts and feelings are the starting point.

Assuming that makes sense to you, how in the world can your e-learning influence how a person feels?

Well, riddle me this… How did Stan Lee influence billions of people to feel for Spider-man? ...for The Mighty Thor?!

Listen: If you’re asking yourself, how can a person feel connected to my e-learning experience, you should seriously consider using Spider-man as a model.

Because it seems to me, Spider-man will still be web-slinging long after you and I are gone.

And so, how did Spidey—who was created way back in 1962—become SO POPULAR while other superheroes just didn’t catch on?

Stan Lee had this to say about it:

“I think there were a lot of reasons. I think perhaps the main reason was, that I can relate to him. Cause he was shy, he wasn’t that successful with girls, he had to worry about his family. I think most teenagers reading it thought to themselves, ‘That could be me!’”

Here’s what you should be interested in:

“… I can relate to him. […] That could be me!”

What Stan Lee is talking about is, “Character Identification” — also known as “reader sympathy”

Identification is a well researched psychological manipulation where you experience the same emotions and feelings as the characters who you identify with.

Say, wait a minute. Do you remember how I said it’s your emotions and feelings that influence your actions in life? You do? Good.

You need to understand this… if… you want maximum results from your e-learning design.

“In a more modern workplace, we are aiming to align learning with corporate outcomes, thus although a PEN State Univ MOOC on Creative Thinking maybe relevant it is not personal or relevant to me or my organisation – how does it relate to me. So why should I care?” — Con Sotidis

Design E-Learning The ‘Stan Lee Way’

This is Peter Parker (AKA Spider-man) with his Aunt May.

Now, when you read Spider-man you identify with Peter and, get emotionally attached.

Why? Simply because (deep down) you have the same anxieties as Peter. And that character identification invites narrative empathy.

Remember: “That could be me!”

Stan Lee sums it up this way:

“Basically if we had a formula at all. The formula was: We know we’re doing fantasy. We have guys who can fly, burst into flame, all that. But write them as realistically as possible. If those people really existed, what would their lives be like? And that’s what I was trying to do.”

Now, your job should be easier than Stan Lee …

Stan was making The Incredible Hulk as realistic as possible and, I assume, your e-learning is much more reality-based than that!

Okay, true believer…

You now know it’s emotions and feelings that cause people to take action, and the way to influence emotions and feelings is through “identification”, so my question to you is: How Will You Design Experiences People Can Identify With?

I have a free case study that shows you how—check it out HERE.

Excelsior!

-Ryan

P.S. Thanks Stan.