Our culture is permeated with entertainment. Televisions, computers, gaming consoles, iPods, cell phones and the list could go on and on. There is rarely an occasion in which we cannot be entertained. Even as I write this, I’m listening to a movie on my other computer. Entertainment could well be called the heartbeat of our culture. As such, entertainment is something that must be considered in the realm of education.
When I was a little boy, I spent my mornings watching educational programs such as Sesame Street, Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood and Mr. Dress Up. These shows were a source of great entertainment, but they also managed to teach me something. In fact, I learned how to count to 12 because of the pinball song played on Sesame Street . Today, kids learn many things the exact same way. Sesame Street is still on the air. My 2 year-old daughter has learned all about the ‘potty’ because of Elmo. Throughout the country, preschoolers are even learning to speak Spanish because of Dora and Diego.
Many elementary schools have taken notice of the profound impact of edutainment and has found ways to blend entertainment and education. My 3 sons come home from school everyday telling us about the computer games they played while at school. When they get a chance to play on our home computer, all they want to do is visit the websites they view at school. Little do they realize that they aren’t just playing; rather, they’re learning.
If edutainment is seen by schools and parents all across the country as a great tool for kids’ education, what makes us think it should be any different for adults? Think about this. The average age of a gamer (one who plays video games) is 33 years old. The average age of those buying video games is 38. These stats prove that the average adult is not into dry material. The average adult entertains himself/herself on a daily basis whether its playing video games, texting a friend on their cellphone, listening to music on their iPod or watching a movie on their PSP.
In so many ways, we, as adults, are just like our kids. We would rather be entertained than be educated. Think about this. I’m willing to bet that if you’re reading this post, you’ve found yourself skimming through because this post isn’t all that entertaining. When I mentioned Sesame Street and Dora, you probably perked up a bit, but then you found yourself drifting. What about when you are in a meeting. The speaker goes on and on explaining sales figures and upcoming clients…things that are important to business; however, the approach is dry and you find yourself thinking about the clock or what’s in the crock-pot. Admit it. We are just like kids when it comes to gaining information.
When designing eLearning courses, we MUST keep these things in mind. As educators, it is our foremost responsibility to ensure our learners are motivated to learn the concepts we present. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you storyboard and begin the development process of your eLearning course(s).
- ‘Pop’: Grab your learner’s attention right away (i.e. sounds, storytelling, interesting interface)
- ‘Pizazz’: It’s not enough to grab your learner’s attention at the beginning. Keep them enthralled throughout the course. Include sounds, stories, games, etc.
- ‘Perception’: Throughout the course, make sure your adult learner knows why they must learn the information presented (i.e. to gain a job, to earn a raise, etc).
- ‘Presentation’: Use solid learning fundamentals throughout the course that entertain while being informational and educational.
Think about the new media: Blue-ray and HD-DVD. Not only do you get the movie, you also get interactive menus, extra features and easter eggs (hidden gems within the disk such as interviews, deleted scenes, etc). In the same way, when we design an online course, or any course for that matter, we need to include more than just the ‘movie’ (the facts about a particular concept). We must include ‘interactive menus’ or ‘Pop’ to our materials. We need to include ‘extra features’ or ‘Pizazz’ to excite them about the concepts presented. We need to include ‘easter eggs’ or ‘Perception’ to keep our learners wanting more. If we do these things in the right manner, our ‘Presentation’ style will achieve fantastic results which is great for our learners as well as for the company in which they may work.
The bottom line is, we, as eLearning developers (or any teacher for that matter), cannot discount the profound impact of our culture in which American Idol is king. If we choose to ignore the reality of adults needing to be entertained, we will not capture their minds during the learning process. It is a difficult balance to maintain; however, it is not impossible. With hard work and much creativity, we can capture the hearts and minds of our adult learners just as much as Sesame Street captures the hearts and minds of our children.
Filed under: eLearning Methodologies
