I've been watching a lot of British murder mysteries in the evening to unwind. Midsomer Murders, Death in Paradise, that kind of thing. My partner and I try to guess who the guilty party is. We get it wrong about as often as we get it right.
Over the pandemic I've also been involved in a lot of learning experiences. As a facilitator, a contributor, and a participant. The more I've done both, the more the two have started to look similar.
Readiness
We're continually learning about every part of our existence, whether we're aware of it or not. When we target specific outcomes, though, we can be more deliberate about the process. Deliberate learning is a process of critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making. Like any skill, it can be developed with practice. The same way you get better at spotting the murderer.
Willingness
Sometimes when I'm watching a murder mystery, I stop guessing and just wait to be told who did it. I've become a passive participant. Learning is the same. We choose, often without realising, whether to be active or passive in the process.
How the experience is framed, what previous experiences you've had of deliberate learning, and how safe or non-judgemental the space feels all shape willingness. So does how you arrive. Tiredness, distraction, what's going on outside the room. All of it matters.
Explicit
When a murder mystery becomes too abstract, it becomes a guessing game. Learning is the same. When content is too many steps away from your context, it becomes abstract and the ability to apply it slips as you try to make sense of it. Learning experiences have to anchor outcomes to the learner's current or future needs. That's what moves content into context.
Clarity
A good murder mystery is clear about outcome and process. It's clear about the roles characters play and how they interact. A good learning event is the same. Clear about the intended outcome, clear about the methods, clear about what's expected of participants and how they're expected to interact.
With more learning opportunities available than ever, two questions help get the most out of them.
What do I need to do to be active and deliberate in the learning process?
What does a learning opportunity need to provide for me to be active and deliberate within it?