Purposeful Engagement

“Engaging” is a powerful word in the learning industry. Designers and developers strive for it when working on learning initiatives. But how do you strike a balance between being engaging and annoying?

In my Toastmasters club, I learned a technique called "Purposeful Movement." When I give a speech, I don't move around the stage for the simple act of moving. I think about my movements and make sure that when I move, it’s with purpose and enhances what I’m saying. The same can be said about engaging your learners.

Take the time to think about the objective of the content you’re developing. Don’t add engagement for the sake of engaging. Make it purposeful. Ensure it enhances your learners' learning and doesn’t distract from what you are trying to accomplish. 

Engagement doesn’t always mean games and exercises. Here are some examples of engagement techniques you could use based on common modalities:

Instructor-led Training

Use the whiteboard. Too many animations in a PowerPoint can get old fast. Design a lesson plan with moments when the instructor steps away and draws something on a whiteboard.

Outline system demonstrations. Screenshots on a slide don’t have as much impact as seeing a live demonstration. 

Create dynamic PPTs. When using PowerPoint presentations, find a balance between content and design. Every slide shouldn’t be graphic, but it also shouldn't ​be content-heavy. Remember, the learners are there to see the instructor. The slides should complement the talking points.​

Slide:ology by Nancy Duarte is a great reference on how to create dynamic presentations.

Virtual Instructor-led Training

Know the tool. There are many tools designed to help deliver virtual instructor-led training. Get to know the tool that will be used for the training. What features will help you enhance the training?​

Don’t be afraid to incorporate the features. Most tools have features like polling and whiteboarding that could add great engagement to the session. If you’re planning on using a virtual training tool, there could be features like breakout rooms. As with anything, there is a balance to keep in mind. When do you use the features vs. when do you stick with the presentation?

eLearning

Create system demonstration videos. As I mentioned above, screenshots on a slide don’t have as much of an impact as seeing a live demonstration. The same can be said in an eLearning video, especially since you have no control over someone walking away from the learning. Use tools like Adobe Captivate to create dynamic system demos, trainings and assessments.

Emphasize your screenshots. If you are using screenshots, you can engage a learner by zooming in on a section of the screen or graying out parts of a screen to highlight a specific section. The simple act of a small change in the video can catch the learners’ eye and force them to engage with the e-Learning.

Chunk your content. When creating eLearning courses in tools like Articulate Storyline, where the content is presented like a PPT presentation, you have the option to use features that chunk content, such as click-to-reveal. Control how content is absorbed by the learner and force them to engage with the content.

Include other modalities into your modules. A dynamic module combines eLearning with other modalities. For example, animations videos are a great way to explain both simple (often boring) information as well as complex concepts. Audio files or podcast files can also add some extra engagement.

​Regardless of your chosen techniques, your goal should be “Purposeful Engagement.”

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By Melissa Delavida, President and Founder of MAD Learning Design