Workarounds: Why They Help Learners Learn - Tip #6

Do you know that with an iPhone app you can walk to the Apple store, scan the price in iPhone and pay with your iPhone without having to talk with a cashier?

We hate standing in line. We disdain flight delays. We abhor slow and tedious processes... we avoid ways of doing things that weigh us down.

Workarounds

Compare these two videos. The first one is "product usage" training. While the second one is a "problem solving" video. Which video do you think makes the learner think and learn more? Which video should you invest more time doing to help your learners learn.

Instructions: How to Adjust a Front Derailleur 


Click here to view "How to Adjust a Front Derailleur"

Workaround: How to Finish the Race  


Click here to view "How to Finish the Race"

Our brain seeks for short cuts and workarounds
 
Why do we like texting, drive-throughs, buying without getting in line? We definitely want immediate satisfaction. Sigmund Freud calls this our pleasure-seeking behaviors. We love pleasurable things - in this case short lines - and avoiding displeasure - long waits at the airports.

In converting technical and compliance programs to engaging experiences, start with SWEET SPOTS, the "pleasure" experiences. These are the WORKAROUNDS. If you can show quick ways to learn and use valuable knowledge, you have your learners hooked.