| "Significant learning combines the logical and the | | | | the last ten minutes of the film that the viewer |
| intuitive, the intellect and the feelings, the concept | | | | discovers the pain to be eased is Kevin Costner's |
| and the experience, the idea and the meeting. | | | | own at being estranged from his father.Ron |
| When we learn in that, way we are whole." Carl | | | | Howard's A Beautiful Mind offers another example. |
| RogersConcept and Message in | | | | The viewer is first led to believe that the film's |
| EntertainmentGreat entertainments have a | | | | hero, played by Russell Crowe makes friends with |
| focused point of view, and that point of view | | | | a college roommate and works as a top secret |
| dictates every event in the presentation. For | | | | code breaker for the US government. The film |
| instance, most movies begin with a concept:- A | | | | later reveals that neither happened, except in the |
| beast must win true love (Beauty and the Beast)- | | | | hero's mind.Perhaps Hollywood's best purveyor of |
| An epic western in space (Star Wars)- The | | | | alternate perspectives is M. Night Shyamalan. In his |
| smallest being must save the world (The Lord of | | | | thriller Signs, the movie-goer is led to believe that |
| the Rings)Determining a movie's concept is usually | | | | the "signs" are crop circles created by aliens as |
| a simple matter, the title, as in the case of those | | | | navigation signals. The end of the film reveals that |
| listed above, hints at the concept to be | | | | the signs are signals from God meant to reunite |
| presented. | | | | the lead character, played by Mel Gibson, with his |
| Having a clear concept is the first step. Next, | | | | faith.These examples allow the viewer to |
| Hollywood ties the concept to a message:- | | | | experience the event on multiple, simultaneous |
| Beauty comes from within (Beauty and the | | | | perspectives that create deeper, richer, more |
| Beast)- Trust the force within you (Star Wars)- | | | | meaningful film experiences.Layered Perspectives |
| It's how you live the times you're given (The Lord | | | | in LearningThe great artist and scientist, Leonardo |
| of the Rings)All three of these films were box | | | | da Vinci developed many of his legendary works |
| office gold, and deservedly so. Each had a clear | | | | through a layered learning approach. Da Vinci |
| concept and a specific message and then stayed | | | | believed that the key to true learning was to |
| focused on both throughout the entire film. Using | | | | view a subject from as many perspectives as |
| these same tools, training programs can create | | | | possible. He felt that the first perspective he |
| their own box office gold.Concept and Message in | | | | chose was too biased toward his usual way of |
| LearningMost instructional designers, including this | | | | seeing things. Instead, he would examine the |
| author, rely on the ADDIE (Analyze, Design, | | | | subject from one perspective, move to another |
| Develop, Implement, Evaluate) model for creating | | | | perspective and then to another until, with the |
| training programs. ADDIE is a useful but imperfect | | | | advantage of additional perspectives, he learned |
| tool. ADDIE's linear emphasis creates a logical, | | | | the subject completely.In our own time, Dr. |
| point-to-point design. The danger in this approach | | | | Howard Gardner offered a theory that supports |
| is that sometimes the design wanders so far a | | | | da Vinci's approach. Gardner theorized that there |
| field that the last point may not tie to the | | | | are different ways to be intelligent. The eight |
| first.ADDIE's focus on training objectives does | | | | intelligences he listed follow:- Bodily/Kinesthetic - |
| help direct a design. Training objectives are | | | | Touching, participating in physical activity- |
| obviously important, but they exist on a logical | | | | Interpersonal - Relating, focusing on others- |
| level. In contrast, the concept and the message | | | | Intrapersonal - Introspecting, focusing inward- |
| exist more emotively. In Hollywood terms, the | | | | Linguistic - Articulating, communicating ideas- |
| objectives tell the learners what the goals of the | | | | Logical/Mathematical - Analyzing, solving problems- |
| learning are. What the objectives do not highlight | | | | Musical/Rhythmic - Feeling, connecting sounds and |
| is the context in which the training will be | | | | rhythms- Naturalist - Communing, relating to |
| presented (the concept) and the higher purpose | | | | nature- Visual/Spatial - Seeing, comprehending |
| the training serves within the context of the | | | | dimensional relationshipsGardner's theory |
| learners' lives (the message).For instance, in my | | | | suggested two implications of his theory for |
| book Show Biz Training (AMACOM, 2003), I | | | | learning:1.) A person's core intelligences need to be |
| present a case study of asbestos awareness | | | | engaged in learning - Training that matches a |
| training as A Bess-Tess Story, with Bess being an | | | | person's innate intelligences helps that person feel |
| employee who does everything correctly and her | | | | more engaged and competent and enriches the |
| sister Tess doing everything poorly. I then tied | | | | learning experience, making it more fulfilling2.) |
| the whole training to the Brady Bunch TV show | | | | People need to learn in multiple ways - A |
| theme song.A concept need not be that | | | | multi-dimensional training approach exposes |
| elaborate. For a financial services training, the | | | | learners to different intelligences and a wide range |
| concept might be as simple as learning the steps | | | | of learning experiencesHere is where ADDIE fails. |
| required to file a loan application. During leadership | | | | Although it is excellent at leading a designer |
| training, the concept may be centered on | | | | through a logical flow, it does so without regard to |
| becoming a more effective leader. Customer | | | | the simultaneous richness that da Vinci and |
| service training may focus on the mechanics of | | | | Gardner championed. The resulting designs are |
| assisting the customer.As in the Hollywood | | | | often shallow, white bread, paint-by-the-numbers |
| examples listed above, the title of the training is | | | | programs devoid of richness and detail.Consider |
| an important element in framing the context of | | | | the design of a typical diversity class. The |
| the training. As the A Bess-Tess Story | | | | instructional methods usually include lecture |
| demonstrates, I like to title training programs so | | | | (linguistic), video (visual/spatial), and statistics |
| as to frame the concept. The program can then | | | | (logical/mathematical).Now consider what that |
| communicate it's intent in advance to the trainees. | | | | same class would look like if presented through |
| As such, an effective design process would start | | | | Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences |
| with, rather than end with, determining the likely | | | | filter:Linguistic, visual/spatial, logical/mathematical |
| training program title.Once the concept has been | | | | and Interpersonal material would still be presented |
| defined, the next step is to determine the | | | | but additional elements might include the sharing |
| underlying message of the training program. The | | | | and sampling of food from different cultures |
| A Bess-Tess Story message was that handling | | | | (bodily/kinesthetic), small group discussions |
| asbestos safely leads to a long life. In the financial | | | | (interpersonal), reading expert opinions about the |
| services example, the message might be the | | | | effects of discrimination (intrapersonal), musical |
| comfort that comes from financial security. For | | | | samples from around the world (musical |
| leadership, the desire to better serve humanity | | | | rhythmic,) and a look at the world's variety of |
| could be the focus. Customer service training's | | | | wildlife and fauna (naturalistic).This multi-layered |
| message may be that creating lasting memories | | | | approach would give the learners a fully rounded, |
| enriches a customer's life.Once the trainers | | | | holistic view of the subject, a greater appreciation |
| understand the underlying message, the training | | | | of the value of diversity and a greater likelihood |
| becomes less about a series of required tasks | | | | of behavioral change.Light, Camera, FocusA final |
| and more about developing skills that will enhance | | | | word of caution should be mentioned. The layered |
| life. The resulting training can be delivered with a | | | | approach is not intended to replace ADDIE. |
| passion not possible with a sequential process | | | | Instead, it should work in concert. Once a training |
| alone. As with anything in life, knowing and | | | | event becomes too focused on entertainment it |
| believing in a purpose leads to a laser-like focus | | | | loses its instructional value. Just as a great movie |
| that can prevent side issues from dominating a | | | | must stay on message, training should stay on |
| program, both during the design and in the | | | | objective. The signs present in a training program |
| classroom.Layering Perspectives in | | | | should all lead to one source: higher effectiveness |
| EntertainmentThe concept and the message | | | | through new skills that enhance the human |
| provide the underpinnings of a training design, but | | | | condition.Lenn Millbower, BM, MA, the |
| do not address the sequencing of the learning | | | | Learnertainment(R) Trainer is an expert in applying |
| methods. For that, I layer instruction through as | | | | show biz techniques to learning. He is the author |
| many perspectives as possible. Let me | | | | of the CLOUT Trainer Assessment tool, Music as |
| demonstrate through another look at | | | | a Training Tool, focused on the practical application |
| entertainment.The literary arts, including virtually all | | | | of music to learning; Show Biz Training, the |
| the great poems, plays and fictional stories of | | | | definitive book on the application of entertainment |
| Western culture, thrive on delivering multiple | | | | industry techniques to training; Cartoons for |
| perspectives. Shakespeare's Hamlet became a | | | | Trainers, a popular collection of 75 cartoons for |
| classic in part because it can be perceived in as | | | | learning; Game Show Themes for Trainers, a |
| many different ways as there are actors to | | | | best-selling CD of original learning game music; and |
| portray Hamlet.Most great literary works allow the | | | | Training with a Beat: The Teaching Power of |
| reader or viewer to enjoy the story on a surface | | | | Music, the foremost book on the application of |
| level while simultaneously, through the use of | | | | music to learning. Lenn is an in-demand speaker, |
| simile, allegory or metaphor, experience it on an | | | | with successful presentations at ASTD and SHRM; |
| emotive, holistic level.Hollywood thrives on | | | | a member of NSA, a creative and dynamic |
| presenting a perspective, and then surprising the | | | | instructional designer and facilitator formally with |
| viewer with a change of perspective.WARNING - | | | | the Disney Institute; an accomplished |
| MOVIE SPOILERS AHEAD. PROCEED AT YOUR | | | | arranger-composer skilled in the psychological |
| OWN RISK.Joe Alden Robinson classic, Field of | | | | application of music to learning; and the president |
| Dreams offers an excellent example. The movie's | | | | of Offbeat Training(R), infusing |
| hero, Kevin Costner, plows under his Iowa | | | | entertainment-based techniques into learning to |
| cornfield to build a baseball field to "ease" baseball | | | | keep 'em awake so the learning will take! |
| player Shoeless Joe Jackson's "pain." It's only in | | | | |