Less Is More: Alternatives to Overloading Content in Adult Learning
Think back to when you learned a new skill or tackled a tough topic. Did you feel overwhelmed by too much information? This common experience shows a flaw in learning design: the idea that more content means better learning. For busy adults with specific goals, this can be counterproductive.
At Verbosity Creative Solutions, we often get client requests in terms of instructional minutes. While this is helpful in defining the scope of the project, it often reflects this deeper misconception that “more” is “better.”
We’ve found the opposite to be true.
Effective instructional design for adults focuses on conciseness and relevance. The goal is to present only what directly aligns with desired outcomes, maximizing comprehension and retention. Bombarding learners with extra information can cause cognitive overload and lower learning efficiency. It makes it much harder for the learner to focus on what really matters, especially when they might not know what matters yet!
Think of navigating a cluttered workspace. If essential tools are buried under unnecessary items, productivity drops. In learning, when critical concepts are surrounded by too much information, learners struggle to identify what matters. This can cause frustration and disengagement, leading to poor learning outcomes.
Principles of Effective Adult Learning Design:
Effective design for adults follows the "less is more" principle. It focuses on:
Clear Learning Objectives: Adults need to know the specific goals of the learning experience and how it meets their needs. And by the way, this doesn’t have to be boring or monotonous! Ditch the “In this video we will…” approach!
Relevant Content: Materials should focus on information and skills that apply directly to the learner's context. Remove unnecessary details, front-load essential skills and information, and tell them why it matters to them.
Concise Presentation: Present information clearly and directly, respecting the adult learner's time. Can’t get around the size of the content? Break it into much smaller chunks that can be completed in 5-10 minutes on the go. Make the chunks more “stand-alone” so that learners aren’t committed to extensive time in one sitting.
Focus on Application: Learning activities should emphasize practical use of knowledge and skills, showing adults the content's value.
Think about effective professional development you've experienced. It likely wasn't filled with long, irrelevant presentations. Instead, it was focused and directly applicable to your work. That’s the strength of concise learning design.
At Verbosity Creative Solutions, we are committed to developing quality learning solutions that actually work! And engaging with the content in a meaningful way is an essential part of that process.
This post was created with the assistance of AI tools and technology.
