What happens when you align content to the decision-making process of a learner?

Traditionally, we’ve aligned content with specific learning outcomes or objectives, often using Bloom's levels 1 to 5, from Exploration to Creation or Innovation. It's a solid approach, isn't it?

But what if we also tailored the same content to cater to a learner's decision-making needs? You might be wondering - what exactly is 'decision making' in this context, and why is it significant?

[Note: For those eager to explore the solution right away, feel free to jump to the 'Before, During, and After' section further down, or check out the comprehensive table at the article's end for a quick overview.]

Imagine

Imagine you're looking to buy a new coffee machine — the decision to purchase often sparks before you even browse an online store or set foot in your favorite shop. This trigger could be a friend's recommendation or an advertisement promoting a self-cleaning machine tempting you with the benefit of reducing your chores. Similarly, if your coffee machine breaks after a long period of use, you want to buy the same model or seek advice from friends or family or remember an effective advertisement.

Now, in the same way, this decision-making process applies to choosing the right learning content to fill those knowledge gaps. Let’s see how.

When individuals recognize a pain point, they turn to familiar solutions they've seen or read about, or they consult their peers, who they trust.

Am I proposing a theory?

I discovered this approach from hands-on experience. Ever had well-designed content that just didn't hit the mark? That's where I learned from.

Interviewing learners who didn't engage with even the best-designed content as expected, revealed how they’d select a solution. It was not only relevance but also being able to recall or know that L&D has solutions that meet their needs. Exploring this insight further I also integrated the principles of the customer decision-making journey from Marketing into learning design.

Through practical applications across client scenarios and personal projects, I've repeatedly seen its effectiveness and distilled it to its essence.

If this is how learners choose to consume content, then what is our goal?

What is our goal then?

So, whats our goal? Simple. We want our learning solutions to be the first thing learners think of kind of like how you have a go-to brand for your needs.

How do we implement this approach?

Let's break it down to the basics: it's all thinking about what happens Before, During, and After the learning process. Easy to remember, right?

When you're crafting your next piece of content, keep these principles in mind. They're game-changers.

Principles

1. Position content creation to expedite the learning process while enhancing impact and engagement.

2. Aligning content with learners' decision-making processes increases the likelihood of impact. 3. The key is not in new technology but in understanding where the decision to consume content begins.

4. Proactive Need Generation: Generate awareness about learners' unrecognized pain points.

5. Capture and analyze engagement and digital interaction rates. Utilize tailored nudges based on interaction data to propel higher consumption and engagement.

What is the Before, During, and After Approach?

Before: ??At this stage, learners might be unaware of their gaps or pain points, or they might not realize that our learning solutions can address their needs. Our aim is to heighten awareness of their pain points gaps through engaging content, ensuring our solutions are both recognized and easily accessible.

Here, we're not just creating content; we're creating connections.

Once aware of their pain points, learners seek solutions. It's crucial to provide easily accessible, relevant information that highlights the content's value. Ultimately, persuading them to engage, such as registering and accessing the content.

During: During the 'Engagement' phase, learners interact actively with the content. It's here that we ensure our learning solutions are not just visible but intrinsically valuable. And we aim to provide content that speaks directly to their needs, ensuring it’s engaging and relevant. And AI tools can play a vital role here enabling personalized learning experiences and real time content adaptation based on engagement metrics.

In a way, this is where the content we create be it microlearning, foundational, advanced or application learning journey that fits in.

After: ?After the learning journey, we look for signs of true engagement and application. Have learners integrated what they've learned? Are they crafting new solutions and innovating? This is the stage where learners become advocates, a testament to the success of our learning programs. AI helps us measure and understand these outcomes, proving the undeniable value of the learning function.

AI Benefits:

And guess what? AI can really speed things up when we're mixing decision-making concepts with content creation.

How do we achieve this?

We achieve this not with complex redesigns but by a straightforward mapping of content assets to the learner's decision-making needs within the learning content context.

You can execute this strategy using the resources and tools you already have. Or use AI today to accelerate the process.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, aligning your content with the learner's decision-making journey is key. It's about grabbing attention, addressing pain points, and engaging them with relevant content. Plus, by tracking and responding to their digital behavior in real time, we can really amp up the learning impact. That's the essence of effective content design.

If you want to delve deeper into any of these practices, you can reach me at [email protected].

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