“In quantum gravity, as we shall see, the space-time manifold ceases to exist as an objective physical reality. Geometry becomes relational and contextual; and the foundational conceptual categories of prior science – among them existence itself – become problematized and relativized.”
This is an excerpt from an article on quantum gravity written by Alan Sokal, professor of physics at New York University. Mr. Sokal submitted this article to a leading academic journal, which published it quickly, without much scrutiny. Because the information appeared sophisticated and intelligent, the editors failed to notice that the article was in fact a parody meant to test and trick them. You can imagine the controversy. If you Google “Sokal hoax,” you can learn more about lack of intellectual rigor and the “anything goes” approach to information distribution.
In an era of excessive information, you have to wonder: how much of it is real or matters? The Sokal affair, as labeled by Google, prompted me to reflect on the concept of superficiality and how it relates to e-Learning. How often do we create courses that look and sound good but are in fact cognitively opaque? How often do we design learning by staying near the surface? How often do we sacrifice depth and rigor for the sake of expediency? If you took down 80% of your e-Learning courses for one day, how many people in your organization would complain?
After creating and completing hundreds of e-Learning products, I am noticing a trend towards substance abuse: we sometimes provide too little information, thinking we are doing users a favor, or we provide too much… thinking we are doing users a favor; or content is not really that important as long as it looks good. And most of this superficiality happens because we are often in a rush to deliver and don’t have the time or the energy to devote to thorough analysis.
Substance abuse in training can have serious consequences: on-the-job performance suffers, Help Desks get busier, and e-Learning gets a bad rep. How do we stop providing the mirage of e-Learning? What are some practical cures for superficiality? Read on.
The reality of less
Sometimes we oversimplify e-Learning content for the sake of brevity. And who is to blame us? We are addressing a culture of students with increasingly shorter attention spans; a generation of learners who wish to avoid inconveniences of prolonged training periods … learners who are after pleasant, instant stimulations, shortcuts, and quick fixes. As designers, you might be thinking: why clog output with unnecessary argument? Thorough treatment is for the academics.
Media and advertising, with their melodramatic sound-bites and slogans, are not helping our cause. You see ads that persuade people to believe they can get high gains with minimum effort. Look at slogans that promise a complete meal in three minutes, tax submission in two steps, and better abs in one move or less. If people are convinced they can get results without effort in most areas of their lives (family, fitness, entertainment), why not expect the same from e-Learning? Why engage in effortful pursuits when instant, comfortable chunks are so much easier to handle? Super…
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