The secret to creating a Goldilocks Course
Sep 25, 2023
I'm guessing you've taken some online courses in your time - some great, and some not so great.
Sometimes I feel like Goldilocks when signing up for online courses. This one's too long; this one's too easy; this one's too boring. We've all been there - signing up for courses that promised and didn't deliver, only to feel deflated and disappointed.
As a course designer, I always put myself in the position of the learner when designing an online course (call her Goldilocks). I imagine what her experience would be when taking the course.
However, not all course creators take this approach.
Here are three examples:
Course #1
Amira turned her coaching program into an online course. The content looks at high-level concepts without going into much depth or detail. It's unclear what problem her course is solving, and for whom. The course is cluttered with too much information that doesn't clealy flow or fit together.
Course #2:
Angela turned her successful book into an online course. The course is mainly long videos with lengthy worksheets that replicates what's in her book. The information is strong, but there aren't opportunities to apply it. There's a community group, but no one really participates.
Course #3:
Jasmine turned her existing consulting framework into an online course. The course is clearly targeted to achieving a specific outcome for a specific learner. The course is targetted to their needs and the delivery model is appropriate to their lifestyle. She has broken down the steps into easy-to-consume lessons, and has inlcuded active learning tasks to integrate learning. She's also cultivated a thriving community of learners.
As a learner, which course would you prefer to take?
I'm betting you chose course #3.
Why? Because it's educational, engaging, and empowering. And that is what I call a Goldilocks course.
The secret to creating that Goldilocks course, is to create a course that you would want to take yourself. Put yourself in your learners' shoes, and ask yourself: "Would I want to take this course?"
