How to 10X Learner Motivation via Your Discovery Process

An step-by-step intro to the science behind the art of great Discovery

TL;DR

• Dedicate ~50% of design time to discovery

• Start with practical discovery as a baseline for learner engagement & motivation

• Use pedagogical discovery to super-charge engagement & motivation

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We talk a lot about learning design. We identify as instructional or learning or course designers. The tools we use every day are typically referred to as design tools.

But the design bit of what we do actually happens at the end of our process.

The tough part of the job, the part which takes up (or should take up) most of our time and energy and which decides the fate of our success as designers, comes waaaay before we get anywhere close to design: cue Discovery.

What is Discovery?

Discovery is the process of understanding the practical constraints that you’re working within and the needs, motivations & de-motivations of your learners.

The purpose of discovery is to figure out how you can create an experience that will motivate learners to participate and actually help them to learn something.

Think of it like building a house: the building and decorating part is the exciting and fun part, but it’s the hours of preparation and planning that will create the conditions you need to be able to create something that is functional & meets the brief.

Great design relies on thorough groundwork

What is Great Discovery?

Research from the world of learning and product design suggests that great Discovery has two dimensions: practical & pedagogical.

As the name suggests, practical discovery is all about defining the practical constraints of the learning experience, things like: learning & teaching hours, sites of learning, available tools & technology, budget & ability/appetite to create content.

Pedagogical discovery is where good learning designs turn into great designs. This is all about understanding your learners’ motivations, de-motivations, their pain, hopes & aspirations.

The Painkillers & Vitamins Framework

Never assume your learners will just show up.

Even if the learning experience you design is mandatory, there’s a difference between completion for the sake of it and meaningful engagement & impact as a measure of success.

Think of your learning experience first a a painkiller, and then as a vitamin

Pain is a great motivator. Think of your learning experience as a painkiller: you need to understand the pain your learners experience in order to speak to them and motivate them to engage with your learning experience. The more visceral and urgent the pain, more engaging and motivating your experience.

Aspiration is also a powerful, secondary motivator. Think of your learning experience as a vitamin. Think: what do your learners aspire to do or to be? How will this experience help them to get there?

Closing Old-Timer Tip: Channel the Berocca Ad

During Discovery work, I often channel the Berocca tagline: You, but on really a good day.

• What are my learners trying to do with their lives?

• How will this experience accelerate their progress to this goal?

• How do I design an experience that supports their dream?

• How do I frame the experience in a way that lets them know that I understand their pain and aspirations?

I’d love to hear and learn from you! What Discovery methods do you use, and how have they impacted your success?

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Want to learn more about the science of great Discovery? Apply to join the 3-week Learning Science Bootcamp and work through an end-to-end discovery & design process with me and a cohort of people like you.