Principles for Developing Effective, High-Coverage Curriculums

Contents:

• The Importance of Personal Motivation for Effective Learning
• Challenging Tasks as the Key to True Learning Progress
• Learning Is Useless Without Practical Experience: Focusing on Practical Classes Over Theory
• Practical Application of Knowledge and Skills

At a conference held as part of the EdTech Expo 2025 exhibition, Elena Tikhomirova, an expert in the field of pedagogical design and adult learning, CEO of the eLearning Center company and the author of the Telegram channel "Live Learning" introduced the topic of her presentation: "Adult Education = Sales Growth: The Formula for a Sustainable EdTech Product." However, immediately after the presentation, Elena clarified that the focus would not be on sales aspects, but on key principles of developing adult learning programs that contribute to increased course completion rates.

How do sales volume and completion rates relate? Those who decide to discontinue their studies may demand a refund. Moreover, they are unlikely to purchase other courses from the same online school or recommend it to their friends. The reason for this is a lack of trust. Regardless of the actual factors that led to a student not completing a course (such as a loss of motivation or a lack thereof from the start), it is psychologically easier for a person to attribute their actions to the poor quality of the materials or the insufficient qualifications of the instructor. In contrast, if a student successfully completes a course and feels it is beneficial, the likelihood that they will recommend it to friends increases significantly, and they will be more inclined to purchase new courses from the same school.

Elena presented her formula for successful learning in adult courses, which includes four key components: meaning, practical application, level of difficulty, and relevance. She explained the importance of each of these aspects in detail.

The Importance of Personal Motivation for Effective Learning

It is important for educational program creators to remember that adult learning is not limited to providing educational materials. When developing a course, the focus should not be on choosing content, but on understanding how the human brain functions. The fact is that it is impossible to teach a person; they are only capable of learning independently. Therefore, the primary task of those developing training programs is to create an environment conducive to this process.

Elena Tikhomirova emphasizes that the brain cannot be compared to a flash drive—you can't simply load new information onto it. An individual must "take" it themselves, if they have the desire. For a person to be ready to perceive information, it must have personal meaning for them. Elena calls this meaning "brain fuel." It is the meaning a person ascribes to information that contributes to the formation of neural connections. Without personal meaning, no matter how high-quality a course is, it will not be absorbed, since the listener's attention will be distracted.

On the other hand, when a person has a clear understanding of the purpose of their learning (they are aware of its meaning), they are able to fully concentrate and perceive new information, even if its presentation leaves much to be desired.

In other words, those who approach the process consciously and are intrinsically motivated complete the training. Elena believes that instructional designers can support people in their search for this meaning and help them maintain it throughout the learning process, inspiring them to reflect on why they are here.

Nevertheless, there is no way to bring meaning into a person from the outside if it does not exist Within the individual. This happens quite often: many people, sometimes spontaneously, sign up for courses and trainings without genuine motivation to learn. As a result, they don't complete the training. Moreover, such participants often become a source of difficulties for both teachers and those truly interested in learning. According to the speaker, in order to exclude random participants, it would be advisable to introduce a delayed registration process with a certain degree of difficulty. Understandably, online school owners and marketers may perceive such an initiative negatively, fearing a decrease in sales. However, Elena states: "Yes, some may hesitate to purchase, but ultimately, those who are truly interested will come to us and complete the training. Moreover, such students, when they return, can attract new participants. In other words, sales losses can be offset by more motivated participants."

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"The foundation of the educational process is not the content, but the reactions that we seek to evoke in people."

Challenging tasks as the key to true learning progress

Marketers of online schools often use promises of ease of learning as a way to attract students. This is explained by the fact that most people tend to avoid difficulties, and therefore the idea of ​​​​ease seems attractive. However, Elena Tikhomirova opposes this method. Although simplicity may initially attract the attention of some, in the long run it can negatively affect the success of the course and its creators.

Elena emphasizes that truly effective learning is always associated with difficulties. This is why her programs require significant effort: "I encourage people to think, act, and achieve results. Although it is difficult, overcoming such obstacles provides participants with an incredible effect. They are convinced that they are capable of more, and that they succeed. "It's important that progress is achieved through overcoming challenges: efforts lead to results, and development results," she explains.

When an individual begins to recognize their growth, this helps them develop trust in the educational institution, which played a vital role in this. This trust, in turn, contributes to successful sales on the part of the school, Elena concludes.

When the learning process proceeds without much effort, this often indicates that it does not bring anything new, and the brain is not under stress. Under such conditions, progress is impossible. The lack of results makes giving up on learning an easier choice: "This is not benefiting me - why continue?"

The complexity of the learning process has another important aspect: the more effort a person puts into learning, the higher its value for them - and the harder it is to give up this activity. In the field of behavioral economics, this phenomenon is known as loss aversion. Thus, the presence of difficulties increases the likelihood that learners will complete what they started.

However, the level of learning difficulty should be set at a reasonable level to avoid burnout, the expert emphasizes. In this context, it's important to consider cognitive load and design lessons so that intense mental effort alternates with periods of rest: people focus, exert themselves, then recover, and then return to active work again. Theoretical aspects require significant mental effort, and time must be allowed for their assimilation. Practical assignments also play an important role, as they facilitate a change of activity and help students refocus.

Another important aspect is that adequate time must be allocated to successfully master the curriculum. Adults are often overwhelmed by numerous obligations, both at work and in everyday life. Therefore, it is important to provide them with the opportunity to unwind, focus, and gain a deeper understanding of the material, “entering” the area of ​​study.

Creators of educational programs often have concerns about long courses, but Elena Tikhomirova believes that it is long-term training, if it is filled with meaning and practical exercises, that contributes to a higher level of assimilation of the material. “In my long courses, the completion rate is 94%. And students even ask: can the course be made even longer?”

Without practical experience, training becomes useless: an emphasis on practical exercises is more important than theory

The speaker’s next argument is that practice is the basis of adult education. Theoretical information can be provided in a minimal amount, while practical assignments must be sufficient and they must be based on real-life situations. Without proper practice, theory will not function properly. This is because the ultimate goal of learning is action: it is important that a person masters new skills. This can only be achieved through practical classes and training.

Elena Tikhomirova shared her experience in instructional design, noting that her program has a 50/50 ratio of theory to practice. She maintains the same balance within the theoretical component: half the material is pure theory, while the other half focuses on practical application. For example, 50% of the time is devoted to explaining Robert Gagné's approach, and the remaining 50% is devoted to how it can be used in practice. This is followed by a practical lesson.

Practical training is necessary not only for participants to hone their skills and apply their knowledge. Elena notes that with an increase in practical lessons, students develop greater trust not only in a specific subject or teacher, but also in the educational process as a whole, and in the online school as a reliable source of useful information. It is through practical experience that students begin to realize that their efforts are not in vain: they see real results and receive effective tools that they can use in their professional work. This trust, in turn, creates a solid foundation for long-term collaboration: students return for new knowledge and courses, allowing the school to grow over the years.

Furthermore, having successfully completed a practical assignment, a person experiences the thought: "I can do this, I can do it!" This creates an incentive for further efforts.

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To create effective practical assignments in a course based on the CCAF model, several key aspects must be considered. First, it's important to understand that CCAF stands for context, task, activity, and feedback. Each of these elements plays a role in learning.

Start by defining the context in which knowledge will be applied. This will help make assignments more relevant and meaningful to students. Next, think through the tasks that will require students to apply theoretical knowledge in practice. Assignments should be aimed at developing specific skills.

Next, consider the actions students are expected to perform. These should be clear, understandable, and realistically achievable. This can include individual work or group projects where students can share opinions and experiences.

Finally, don't forget the importance of feedback. It should be constructive and timely, so students can understand what they are doing correctly and what needs to be improved. Including elements of self-assessment and peer assessment can also contribute to a deeper understanding of the material.

Therefore, to develop practical tasks using the CCAF model, it is necessary to carefully consider each element of this model to ensure a high degree of engagement and effectiveness of training.

Practical application of knowledge and skills

This principle is directly related to the previous one. If, after completing the training, participants cannot immediately begin to apply the acquired knowledge in practice, whether in the work environment or in other areas, this indicates that the training did not live up to expectations. As a result, they may experience a feeling of disappointment.

People invest their most valuable and irreplaceable wealth - time - in the learning process, striving to master skills that they can later use in their professional activities or hobbies. In this regard, educational developers should focus on making it easier for graduates to apply the knowledge they have acquired. It's important not to leave them with only theoretical knowledge and phrases like "it's up to you" after completing the course, but to provide them with extensive practical examples, reminders, and templates that will help them in the future.

According to Elena, if you simply send graduates off with the "it's up to you" mentality, only 5-10% of them will be motivated enough to continue their journey. However, this is not enough if we want to inspire trust in people and ensure that they return for more training.

Read also:

• Eight unexpected factors contributing to the abandonment of asynchronous learning.
• The evolution of instructional design: from the "Great Didactics" to digital educational platforms.
• According to the expert, instructional design does not bring real benefits, while challenges are effective tools.
• "Creating an educational experience", by Sonya Smyslova.
• Seven factors contributing to successful assimilation of course material and the implementation of acquired knowledge in professional practice.