Today’s knowledge update is written by me, Birgit Maas. For those who may not know me yet, I have been working at Eluxis for more than three years now as an Instructional Designer and Technical Author, and I do so with great pleasure.
Some time ago, a windsurfing enthusiast invited me to join him for a windsurfing session. It was no problem that neither I nor the other invitees had any experience, as he would provide the necessary instructions.
A few days before the session, we were neatly sent several videos to watch as preparation. As often happens, I did not watch them, just like many of the other participants. I arrived without any prior knowledge.
The instruction started on land. Step one was learning how to get the sail onto the board. With that explanation, we were allowed to go into the water and try it ourselves. And as you might expect, part of the group immediately took off on the board. This caused some frustration for our instructor, because those who left right away missed the rest of his instructions. It is, after all, quite useful to know what to do when the board capsizes, how to get the sail out of the water, and how to actually windsurf.
What went wrong? It had not been clearly communicated beforehand that once we managed to get the sail onto the board, we were supposed to wait until everyone was ready before receiving further instructions. In addition, some participants had actually watched all the instructional videos in advance, while others had not.
Just-in-time videos
Watching videos in advance as part of instructions usually works best when they are offered just in time, for example shortly before the practical instruction takes place. During the instruction itself, it is then useful to briefly discuss together what everyone has learned from the videos. This also makes it clear who did and did not watch them.
Structure and forward view in practical instruction
Never start practical instructions, training programs, or onboarding trajectories without a clear setup. Provide structure and a forward view of what is going to happen. For example: what are we going to do, what do we already know, how are we going to do it, and what do we aim to achieve. Such a structure provides guidance both for the trainer and for the trainee. That is why it is important to first create a training and education plan. This supports you as a trainer and also helps the person receiving the instruction.
Safety first
Windsurfing clearly shows how eager people are to start doing something right away. This is exactly why learning by doing is such an effective instructional method. However, beginners do need structure in their learning process and sometimes need to be slowed down a bit in their enthusiasm. Otherwise, they may miss essential knowledge and skills or, even worse, end up doing unsafe things.
Checking in during practical instruction
What the windsurfing instructor did do well, by the way, was offering tips once everyone had mastered the basics. By asking questions such as “How do you feel it is going?” and “Are you ready for the next step?”, everyone was able to continue surfing at their own pace and enjoy the experience. That, too, is a valuable tip for effective instruction. Do you also see situations in your organization where new employees start too quickly and make unnecessary mistakes as a result? Or where their onboarding process takes longer than needed or is not successful?
P.S. In educational science, clearly structuring learning material in advance is referred to as advance organizers.
Groeten, Birgit Maas
birgit.maas@eluxis.com
LinkedIn: Birgit Maas