Best practices for adoption

Think small. No! Smaller than that.

When first learning how to create applied learning activities, it is critical to monitor one's cognitive load. Start with a simple title and presenting information. Once each concept is mastered, add more complexity to the learning activity.

The need to think small is also true when introducing learners to the Applied Learning Platform. Don’t forget that they are learning new material as well as how the application is used to work through the learning activity. Once learners are familiar with the process, then it will become second-nature, and they will have much more of their cognitive capacity available for the intrinsic demands of a specific learning activity.

Thinking small in terms of small incremental steps is also critical when increasing the complexity within a series of applied learning activities. The whole point is to introduce learners gradually to manageable next steps that can be more easily added to their existing mental schema. Too large of a step will cause learners to stumble.

It is also a good idea to first use the Applied Learning Platform with a smaller elective class to become accustomed to administering the Platform with a smaller number of learners before launching it in a larger required class.