Why Less Is More When Online Learning 

As an instructional designer, it is rare for me to look at content and not want to take something out. Have you ever taken a class where information was sprayed at you like a firehose, and it was your job to catch something?

Let’s examine how to avoid this overload using the mnemonic device of the ELM tree that symbolizes the achievement of goals (like great online learning).

EXPERT SYNDROME

Whoever provides the course content is the subject matter expert. They have a lot of knowledge about the topic, so it is difficult to whittle down the basics for the novice still learning in the field. Overloading learners with extraneous information makes it harder to concentrate on the key ideas they need to be successful.

Tip: The extra information might have a better place in the course as supplementary information at the end or the bottom of a page for those who have mastered the basics and are keen to learn more.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Learning outcomes are the core of online learning. They indicate to learners what they need to do/know once they have the content. Once they practice and get feedback on their learning, they are ready to show their skills in an assessment. This alignment is also key on the learning design side, since it enables the instructor or instructional designer to look at the content and decide if it helps meet the learning outcomes. If not, it would be better not to bog down the learner.

MEMORABLE

It is hard for a learner to remember most of the ideas in a course. After whittling down content, making sure it aligns with the key learning outcomes, consider making the key points memorable. If your learning doesn’t stick, is it learning?

Hopefully, the image of the ELM tree will help you avoid overload with the expert syndrome and focus on learning outcomes and how to make them memorable. Do you have any tips and tricks for memorable learning? We’d love to hear from you!

Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elm#/media/File:East_Coker_elm,_2.jpg