Little ones learn for the sheer pleasure of knowing something new. They can’t wait to jump on a bike and learn to ride, or explore the world of dinosaurs. But for adults, learning can seem like a lot of hard work with little fun involved. Fortunately, learning designers can add a little levity to the mix!

Obviously there are some topics that don’t invite humor. Sexual harassment, for example, shouldn’t be treated as anything other than the serious issue it is. But yes, it really is ok to be gently humorous when the opportunity presents itself. As generations of office sitcoms and office-based comic strips testify, the office really is a funny place when it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Humor is ok when the subject is non-personal and the humor is recognizable. Yes, it’s ok to be humorous when explaining how to replace the toner in the printer, or how to select a secure password. No, humor is not appropriate when the subject relates to racism, sexual harassment, or personal stereotyping.

Humor works when the joke is on someone who is too over-the -top to be real. The manager who needs to oversee the selection and distribution of the streamers used to decorate the office for a birthday party. The teammate who chooses the day of the big presentation to bring his toddler to the office. The sales person who drives the competition’s car to sales meeting. It’s not ok when the joke cuts too close to home, or seems to be targeting a real individual.

Why bother to be funny? Simply put, humor, used correctly, is fun. And when the topic is dull or the process is repetitive, humor can add that much-needed giggle to an otherwise boring day.

What are your insights on humor in instructional design?

In advertising they suggest “say what you’re going to say, say it, and then say it again.” That way, the message sticks — and, presumably, the sale is made. This rule of thumb is even more appropriate in education, whether live or online. When the learner is prepared, they can access information more readily. When they have an opportunity to review and consolidate their learning they can be confident in their knowledge and ready to put their new skills to work.

The iterative process is, of course, central to AGILE. And it’s central to ADDIE. So it makes sense that it should be central to teaching.

Over the years I’ve been amazed at how often iterative learning is not implemented, and why that is the case. Sometimes the concern is that learners will be bored. Just as often, the learning designer is bored — or worried about “teaching down” to the learner. “After all,” some designers reason,” I know this stuff inside and out. I’m sure the learner finds it just as obvious as I do. So why beat a dead horse? Let’s move on!”

What’s sometimes hard for the learning designer or SME to understand is that, while the content may be old-hat to them, it’s brand new to the learner. Yes, of course, “everyone” knows how to design an effective password and avoid phishing schemes. Oh — except the learner for whom the basic cybersecurity course being designed. For that individual, whose password may still be “password,” the learning is important. And new. And neither obvious nor old hat.

The process of creating iterative learning materials is simple, easy to apply, and should be built into every module of every course.

• State learning objectives up front
• Introduce the learning experience by describing what the learner will be doing
• Present content in more than one way
• Provide an opportunities to consolidate learning through non-graded formative assessment
• Review key learning points
• Assess learning and, if there are gaps, offer easy ways to review the material and try again



You want to teach a group of adults how to make a peanut butter sandwich. So you make a video that shows the process. But some of your viewers may be blind–so you add spoken descriptions. And some of your viewers may be hard of hearing–so you add captions. And now your video, which was made for “normal” learners, is accessible to the blind and hard of hearing.

But what if your viewer speaks French? Or learns better by doing than by watching? Or has a hard time following rapid speech? You can add more widgets to translate or slow down the video. Now your video is accessible to almost everyone!

While there’s nothing wrong with adding accessibility widgets to a “normal” learning tool, however, accessibility should not be confused with universal design for learning (UDL), because UDL considers multiple types of learners as part of the initial development process.

Rather than building a “normal” product and adding widgets, the UDL designer might actually design the video in chunks so that learners can absorb information a little at a time.

They might incorporate interactive or gamified elements so that the learner can “try out” the process.

Or they might teach the class in a kitchen where an interpreter for the deaf can sign while a simple setup makes it easier for the blind to find and use the tools they need.

Whatever approaches they select, the UDL designer will have multiple learning styles, multiple ability levels, and multiple options in mind before creating a lesson, video, or multimedia learning tool.

One of the most common places to find UDL is not in a classroom (where the ability to hear, see, and process words rapidly is usually assumed). Rather, it’s in a hands-on science museum where visitors are invited to look, listen, touch, try, and explore from a variety of angles. Typically, universal accessibility wasn’t the goal of such exhibits, but it’s often the outcome!

Next time you find yourself in a hands-on learning setting, consider the many ways in which it’s possible to engage with the exhibits. Can you climb? Touch? Listen? Look? Experiment? Interact? All of these are tools for universal design for learning.

One day I was working with the curator of a major new museum exhibit about geology. The curator was a Ph.D., and this was his first shot at creating his own exhibit. He didn’t want to screw it up, and he wanted his academic peers to be impressed. My job, however, was to create exhibit labels and learning experiences for the public — kids, parents on the run, school groups, families.

I started reading through the curator’s notes, and came upon this gem of information: “The asthenosphere is plastic.”

“So…” I said, “do you mean that the Earth’s crust moves around and changes?”

“Well, yes,” he said. “But we should say it the way I wrote it. That’s the correct language.”

“If we do that,” I told him, “most visitors will walk away thinking that some undefined part of the planet is made out of silly putty.”

This threw him for a loop. “OK, I get it,” he said, “but if you write it your way, my peers will think I’ve dumbed the content down.”

“Will you have dumbed it down?” I asked, “or will you have said exactly the same thing in simpler words?”

“Oh,” he replied. “Yeah. I guess that’s true.”

“If we use ordinary language instead of scientific terms,” I reassured him, “we won’t dumb anything down. Instead, we’ll make geological content understandable–even to our audience, most of whom are ten years old.”

I’ve had this same conversation over and over again with subject matter experts of all sorts. Many people have been taught that simplifying language and “dumbing down” content are the same thing–but they’re not.

In fact, by simplifying language (and possibly introducing new terms along the way), we’re making ideas and information accessible — even to 10-year-olds. Or overworked parents. Or managers in a hurry. Or people with dyslexia, ADHD, autism, or any of a range of learning differences.

My advice to subject matter experts and new writers is simple (!). Know your learner. Choose words they know.

Remember: you’ve signed on to help craft a product that reaches and teaches.

If you manage to remind your peers about all your graduate degrees and publications — but leave your learners in the dust — you’re reaching the wrong people!

Every organization has its own voice and style. Apple is fun and perky: “Oh! So! Pro!” IBM, on the other hand, is professional and technical: “Plan continuously and with greater accuracy.” Neither voice is better or worse, but both are key to the organization’s image (and self-image). As a writer or instructional designer, it’s your job to match your client’s voice and style, so that the materials you create look and sound like your client.

Of course, not every organization is an Apple or IBM. Many, asked “what’s your voice like?” respond with a shrug or a stammered “um… friendly?” When that’s the case, it may be your job to help establish a voice that makes sense for the organization’s mission and style.

How do you discover or create your client’s voice and style? Here are 7 key tips.

Know your client’s industry. It’s rare for a law firm to “speak” in a comical tone, while it’s common for a non-profit to sound sincere. If your client is selling children’s toys its voice will almost certainly be simple and playful, but if they’re providing funeral services… well, you can probably guess that they won’t be whimsical.

Check their website. A company’s website may not be a perfect reflection of who they are, but chances are that someone did their best to reflect the company’s personality when they built the site. What images did they choose? What tone does their About page use? Are they formal? Chatty? Personal? Professional? Websites say a lot about who a company is (or at least who they perceive themselves to be!).

Ask for sample materials they love. Everyone has a different vision of what looks and sounds terrific. And descriptions don’t always do the trick. What do the words “jazzy,” “fun,” and “sincere” mean to you? Probably something quite different from what they mean to your client. The best way to really understand your client’s vision of themselves is to ask them to show you an example of a great product that does the job well.

Ask 1uestions to clarify. Now you’re sitting across from your client (or on a Zoom call!) with an example of something your client loves. But why do they love it? Ask them! What is it about this design, this choice of words, these colors, these images, that really floats your boat? How do these choices reflect your organizational voice and style? Don’t worry if they can’t really articulate their reasons; you may have to help them in that process.

Start creating. Now that you have some good information to start with, make something–a sample interactive, a sample paragraph, a sample layout–and ask your client to react. What’s great here? What’s not working? Make it very clear that this is the first step in an iterative process, and that you will welcome both positive and negative responses. For some clients, this experience will be eye-opening: they may never have thought about voice before, and for many people, it’s much easier to respond to something (even if it’s something they dislike) than to provide information out of the thin air.

Iterate. You may need to go back and forth with your client a few times before you get the perfect voice and look. That’s actually a good thing, as it means your client is really engaged in the process and its outcome.

Create a style guide. Once you and your client have come to an agreement about the organization’s voice and look, write it down (with illustrations!). Have your client review and sign off. You’re good to go!

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced with matching your client’s voice and style? What additional tips can you share?