The “I love this!” moment in online course design

Something’s been happening  about 2/3 of the way through some of my private coaching sessions, that I just have to share.

While my coaching client is in the midst of adjusting, adapting, and optimizing their course materials, they suddenly -- while looking at their own course materials -- spontaneously say, 

“I love this!”

Businessman holding heart shaped target to chest.
Five men embracing trees in forest


Now, these are not misty-eyed poetic types who are prone to expressions of rapture.

(Not that there's anything wrong with that.. but it's not who these course creators are).

These are practical businesspeople  

looking for ROI

 that exceeds the investment

of  money and time

they’ve put into

 making their online course

 stand out from the crowd.

Hand putting Coins in a heart money box

So what is happening?

What is causing these professions of love in the online learning space?


I’ve been thinking about it

and I’m ready to break it down for you

 from a learning design point of view.

Course creators spontaneously say, “I love this!” when they see the lightbulb of learning go on... when they’ve built an energy-conducting wire that goes all the way from an idea in their own mind, into and through their course material,

and out the other side to where the same idea can land and light up the learner's mind as well. 

Lightbulb with electric wire with plug and socket. Spark of passion. Ready to connect.


“I love this” happens when the lightbulb turns on, and you see your own unique creation get out there into the world in a way that other people are going to be able to grasp and understand.

That moment is magical. 

It’s the moment the transformation your course delivers, is born.

Having watched the “I love this!” moment emerge spontaneously several times now,

I am noticing a pattern. 

glowing brain

.

It happens as the last pieces of cognitive load are removed from the course.

For the light bulb to turn on and the “I love this!” moment to happen, 

an online course has to be aligned on every level.

  • At the macro, biggest level, the course as a whole has to be properly structured (using the  domain of learning that matches the transformation you want the course to deliver).
  • Then at the medium, lesson level, the lesson content must be properly developed to include all the events that make learning happen.
  • And then at the micro level, each individual page or screen or slide has to be properly structured to convey meaning in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the limits of your learners’ working memory.


If you’ve done all those things, and done them right,  the lightbulb goes on.

First for you as the course creator watching your own ideas take shape.

And later for your learners receiving those ideas from you.

3 businessmen figurines looking at a red heart.

If you’ve done all those things right, the learning will flow. And learning is love.

People love to learn. We are naturally hard-wired to learn at the neurochemical level.

Learning means adapting to our environments in ways that promote survival... 

and what can we love more than something that helps us live a better life?

woman shouting a 5 star review

Learning is more critical now than ever.

Online course creators are a different kind of front-line worker.

If you’re in this line of endeavor to be of service,

 to help people thrive and grow in areas of life you’re skilled in and passionate about,  

you can help people live better lives in these challenging times.

And you can find joy, and passion, and wisdom, and most of all, love, in doing it.  

I'm seeing it happen, and it's magical.

I want to see it happen for you and your course participants, too!

How to get the love into YOUR online courses and learning programs:

Let's create a course you --and your course participants -- will  love!

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Course Design Formula® Community.

Send me an email

 to

Rebecca@learnandgetsmarter.com

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Where we talk about how to survive and thrive

 with online courses and online business

in these challenging times

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