Stop 'Kitchen Sinking' Your Courses: How to Design Courses People Actually Complete

I'll never forget sitting in my office, staring at my book manuscript and thinking, "There's a course in here somewhere." Like many experts, I wanted to share everything I knew. Every insight, every strategy, every possible scenario my students might encounter. That's when I learned about what education expert Dr. Carrie Rose calls "kitchen sinking" – throwing everything but the kitchen sink into your course. It's a tempting trap that's killing completion rates and, more importantly, preventing real transformation.

Here's a sobering statistic: The average completion rate for online courses is just 3-5%. Yet Dr. Rose consistently achieves 97% completion rates in her programs. In a recent conversation on The Event Innovator Show, she shared insights that completely changed my perspective on course design.

The Cost of Overwhelming Your Students

When we try to pack everything we know into a course, we're not being more valuable – we're actually doing our students a disservice. It's like serving a 12-course meal when all they needed was a perfect sandwich. They leave the table overwhelmed, uncomfortable, and unlikely to return for more.

"Most online programs have the 'what you need to know,'" Dr. Rose explained. "Some have the 'what you need to do.' But they're missing the 'who you need to be' component." This three-dimensional approach to learning is what separates courses that transform from those that merely inform.

The Path to Better Completion Rates

Here's what actually works:

1. Start with the Outcome, Not Your Knowledge

Instead of dumping everything you know, focus on the specific transformation your students need. What's the shortest path between their current state and desired outcome? That's your course structure.

2. Consider Your Learning Ecosystem

Your course doesn't exist in isolation. Dr. Rose advocates for understanding where this particular learning experience fits within your broader offerings. Maybe some of that "kitchen sink" content belongs in a different program, a coaching call, or a follow-up workshop.

3. Build in Strategic Support

Did you know that about 35% of business owners are dyslexic? Understanding your audience's diverse needs helps you design better support systems. This might include:

- Visual elements for complex concepts

- Break-out sessions for processing information

- Surprise coaching calls at common sticking points

- Community elements for peer support

?4. Go Deep, Not Wide

"You need to understand your avatar," Dr. Rose emphasizes. "Are you going a mile wide and an inch deep, or an inch wide and a mile deep?" The latter approach, while covering less ground, typically leads to better results and higher completion rates.

Making It Work in Practice

One of the most powerful examples Dr. Rose shared was about anticipating struggles. Instead of waiting for students to hit barriers, she builds in support mechanisms at known challenge points. This might look like:

- Scheduled check-ins

- Surprise bonus coaching sessions

- Community discussion prompts

- Alternative learning pathways

The key is to make these support elements feel like gifts rather than requirements. As she puts it, "They're not expecting it. They're going to see it like a present, not like, 'Oh gosh, this person didn't follow through.'"

The Bigger Picture

This approach isn't just about better completion rates – it's about creating real transformation. When we stop overwhelming our students with everything we know and start focusing on what they truly need for transformation, something magical happens. They not only complete the course but achieve the results they were seeking.

Remember: Your expertise is valuable not because of how much you know, but because of how effectively you can guide others to results. Sometimes, that means leaving the kitchen sink where it belongs – in the kitchen.

Want to dive deeper into this topic? Listen to my full conversation with Dr. Carrie Rose on The Event Innovator Show, where we explore these concepts in detail and discuss how they apply to both online courses and in-person events. The insights she shares about learning design have fundamentally changed how I approach education and event planning.

What's your experience with online courses? Have you found yourself "kitchen sinking" your content? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

#LearningDesign #OnlineEducation #ProfessionalDevelopment #CourseCreation #EventPlanning