SweetRush’s Learner-Centered Design (LCD) standards provide a framework L&D teams can apply to craft learning experiences (LXs) that demonstrably work, delivered on time and within budget.
The LCD standards build on the premise that people learn only when they want to learn, and people want to learn when they see its value. Good LX makes people want to learn by offering a means to solve their problems and improve their talents.
And good LX translates to real business impact. When people take the time to learn, pay more attention to the training, and gain the conviction to perform better on the job, your business moves forward.
SweetRush developed the LCD standards to provide a language for discussing good learning design. It helps clients and SweetRush derive the most fruitful approach quickly and keeps us both focused on business outcomes as we bring the design to fruition.
The LCD standards are divided into two distinct groups:
Four of the standards apply only to the LX itself, qualities that maximize learning and help bring about desired outcomes. They are irrelevant after the LX is over.
Four of the standards apply only to the outcome of an LX, identifying the ways the LX will make learners better and achieve business results, measurable mainly after the LX is over.
1. Relevant
One way to heighten relevance is to couch the training within the context of a situation or story so learners see its applicability in action. Another is to use terms and concepts that are familiar to the learner so they can map the training to their world. And examples are always welcome.
2. Intuitive
A good way to make training more intuitive is to use logical and consistent navigation. Providing a visual flow using colors, organization, and content placement can also help lessen cognitive load. And representing concepts visually can make them more approachable.
3. Adaptive
There are a variety of techniques to personalize training for different learners: creating variants of the curricula for different populations of learners, offering optional “tell me more” detours within the training, and allowing learners to “test out” of content they already know all make training more individualized.
4. Efficient
As you develop training, it is important to look for ways to make it easier to fit into a learner’s busy day.
Does an included video really need to be 10 minutes long, or can we trim it to five (or omit it altogether)? Can you chunk the training into short segments so it can be more easily consumed over time? Can you tighten large blocks of text into more succinct chunks? Can you use visual representations rather than lengthy text descriptions?
Training is only a means to an end; its ultimate worth lies in how the learner has changed once the LX is over. In other words, it’s about their ability to perform or behave better once they’re back on the job. The following standards focus on what happens after the LX has been consumed.
5. Memorable
Learners can recall skills and knowledge when needed. Once the learners are back doing work, do they remember what they learned, and can they apply it?
There are a variety of techniques available to ensure that learners can better remember what they learned once they’re back at their jobs. For example, consider giving them a job aid or mnemonic, framing the training in a thought-provoking story (which is more easily remembered), and offering a means to do a quick lookup of training content while performing a task. Offering an overlay on top of a digital platform that offers just-in-time/just-enough guidance is also useful.
6. Connective
Learners are more joined to the system (human or otherwise) in which they operate. Did the LX bring them closer to other people or give them footholds to the system?
One way to make the training more connective is to put learners into cohorts so they can rely on each other to master the skills and knowledge. Another way is to assign a human coach to be available to offer advice and encouragement. For training related to a system, such as helping learners master a software platform, giving them a sandbox on the platform to safely experiment within is invaluable.
7. Empowering
Learners gained the capacity to act and have the confidence to do so. After the LX is done, do learners feel more in control, and do they have the tenacity to execute?
Effective LX should ensure that learners feel capable of performing better on the job, and one way to do so is to provide feedback on their mastery within the training. For example, by commending them when they do well and offering practical advice for improving when they don’t. An LX designer should also pay attention to the learners’ environment and organizational milieu: Are they given the freedom to make decisions and take control of their performance?
8. Effective
Learners gained proficiency and understand more. Did the LX make learners smarter and better able to perform?
This is the true litmus test of an LX’s quality. An LX designer should have a deep understanding of what “success” looks like and work from the start to identify how it will be measured—for example, via KPIs. Providing capstone activities or simulations within the training that mimic the work learners do on the job and measuring learner performance within them is a means of measuring training effectiveness.
We believe that if L&D teams focus on these 8 Learner-Centered Design standards as they craft an LX, they are more likely to create one that delivers business results.
Download the 2024 Learning and Development Trends Report to learn more about Learner-Centered Design standards, trends, challenges, and more, according to hundreds of Learning and Development professionals, experts, and leaders, across industries.
