In today’s digital age, learners are overwhelmed by a flood of corporate and freely available content. While this abundance is a gift, it often leaves them lost, unsure where to start, and struggling to find what’s relevant. Could a Learning GPS be the key to navigating this vast digital landscape?
How the ADDIE model powers a Learning GPS
The ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) often gets a bad rap. But when used as a true design process, it becomes a powerful tool for creating a Learning GPS tailored to your audience. By understanding your learners’ needs, designing effective pathways, and continuously evaluating results, ADDIE ensures your Learning GPS stays accurate and effective.
This process isn’t limited to instructional design. It is also highly effective for product marketing. After all, product marketing is about teaching a market to understand and value a product, with the ultimate goal of converting them into buyers. In fact, many times the content used in marketing is repurposed from traditional training materials, making ADDIE a versatile framework.
What is the purpose of a Learning GPS?
A Learning GPS acts as a navigation tool for learners, guiding them from beginner to proficiency with tailored pathways and resources, much like a GPS helps in driving directions.
A Learning GPS provides point-to-point directions for beginners, guiding them from knowing nothing to being proficient. For experienced practitioners, it offers alternate routes: curated resources, technical documentation, or peer networks.
Traditional training classes are valuable for foundational learning, but they’re not always the fastest or most accessible option. A Learning GPS adapts to the learner’s needs, offering both direct and meandering paths to success.
Beyond the direct route: alternate paths for learning
In your car, the GPS will show you the point-to-point route, or maybe routes with no tolls, or around traffic jams. Similarly, a Learning GPS, traditional learning methods are the point-to-point directions you receive to go directly from knowing nothing to being proficient.
But if you’re an experienced practitioner, this instruction may not go deep enough for you. You may get to your destination faster by relying on your network, reading technical documentation, and trying things for yourself.
A Learning GPS can provide the meandering route via the most up-to-date, accurate content.
Just like avoiding traffic on a busy highway, different types of learners need alternate routes to reach their destination. This might include:
- Self-paced online courses, even from outside sources.
- Curated playlists of user-generated content (podcasts, videos, Reddit, etc.).
- Peer-to-peer learning communities (aka communities of practice).
The goal is to provide multiple pathways, allowing learners to choose the one that best fits their needs and circumstances.
How does the ADDIE model support the creation of a Learning GPS?
The ADDIE model—comprising Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation—helps in understanding learner needs, designing effective learning pathways, and continuously improving the system to keep the Learning GPS accurate and effective.
A: Analysis
The first step in creating a Learning GPS is understanding your audience. Who are they? What do they need? Consider these questions:
- Are they experienced or new to the subject?
- Do they understand the vocabulary of the discipline?
- What is their job role, and how much time do they have to learn?
By analyzing these factors, you can map out the starting point for your learners. For example, total beginners may need a foundational path to learn vocabulary, while experienced learners might benefit from curated resources to build a community of practice (CoP) or personal learning environment (PLE).
D: Design
Once you’ve analyzed your audience, it’s time to design the learning experience. Think of this as plotting the route on your GPS. For beginners, this might mean creating a straightforward path with structured, step-by-step guidance. For advanced learners, it could involve pointing them to the most relevant resources and letting them explore alternate routes.
E: Evaluation
Evaluation isn’t just the final step of ADDIE; it’s woven into every part of the process. Piloting your design is crucial. Does the navigation system you’ve created work for your learners? Do they trust the sources you’ve provided? Are they able to act on what they’ve learned? Continuous evaluation ensures your Learning GPS stays accurate and effective.
D: Development
If your pilot is successful, it’s time to develop the system fully. This could be a new training program, a curated resource hub, or even a digital tool. The key is to build something that meets the unique needs of your learners.
One key thing to remember is that it should be something that the learners can fit into their workflow. Do you have an internal community or a slack channel that this audience usually uses? Tap into that, become a trusted resource, and allow the community to provide on-going evaluation for you.
I: Implementation
Finally, implement your design and, you guessed it evaluate again. Learning is an iterative process, and your GPS should evolve as your learners’ needs change.
E: Evaluate
ADDIE is an iterative process. Evaluate at every step!
Cultivating entrepreneurial learners
In a world of constant change, learners need more than just knowledge—they need the skills and mindset to adapt, innovate, and create. John Seely Brown’s concept of “entrepreneurial learners” emphasizes the importance of tinkering, experimenting, and learning through doing.
This is especially true for technology workers, who often operate in environments where tacit knowledge flows beneath the surface, undocumented but essential. As learning professionals, our challenge is to create environments that encourage this entrepreneurial spirit. How do we guide learners to spaces where they feel safe to experiment and build? How do we balance the old ways of learning with new, innovative approaches?
Learning GPS and the future of learning
The Learning GPS isn’t just about helping learners find content—it’s about creating an ecosystem where they can connect, trust, and grow. It is about building the underpinnings for a community of practices.
With the advent of generative AI, it is more important than ever to rethink how learning environments are designed. We have blending traditional methods with new technologies (like AI) and social practices. Instead of relying on generative AI to replace in-person learning or SME guidance, it is imperative to guide learners to places where they can experiment, build, and learn at their own pace – but with current, relevant, and accurate information.
As we move into the next era of computing, the last thing we need is for AI to perpetuate outdated and ineffective training methods. Let’s not leave that mess for future generations to untangle.
Let’s shape a future where learning and marketing go beyond crafting flawless content. Instead, let’s prioritize cultivating an environment that fosters growth and inspires action.
