E-learning and the Information Overload

We live in the exponential world in which many parameters double every year. We have higher bandwidth of the Internet, higher density of TV panels, faster computers, cameras with higher resolution, etc. (check this TED speech by Ray Kurzwail dated on 2005 about exponential growth to learn more about this).

We have also mobile phones which take pictures, we have Twitter, Facebook, social journalism with the whole blogosphere, and many, many other tools and services which make out of billions of us authors.

To make things worse, in the era of internet of things, we have rapid growth of machine-generated data. These information are a new source of content which should be somehow adopted. 

These factors dramatically influence the volume of information which is consumed by us – people. It brings a new threat to the table – which is called information overload (check this RSA Spotlight by Daniel Levitin to learn more about this).

There is no chance for us to consume such huge volumes of information. The scary thing is that, according to exponential nature of technology development, we can expect that this situation will be much worse.

How to cope with this challenge in e-learning courses or other learning materials? How to try to dismantle the bomb of information overload in these resources?

Here are three suggestions which could be helpful.

Ockham’s Razor (aka: Just Enough Learning)

More things should not be used than are necessary – these words of the 14th century Franciscan friar has probably never been as true as now. Just replace the word ‘things’ with ‘words’, ‘topics’ or ‘issues in your e-learning course’ and you will have the first golden rule of designing good training material for the times of information overload.

To minimize information overload get rid of every single information from your e-learning course which is not necessary (I mean – really necessary: which is a MUST, and not SHOULD or NICE TO HAVE for its users).   

Layers of Information (aka: Just For Me Learning)

Every single user of your e-learning course has different level of competency, different needs, and different motivation to learn with it. With good structure of the material you can give trainees a chance for personalized learning. You can divide the course into three layers:

1. lead – represented by title pages, headers, subheaders, etc., which lets users to skim the material and take deliberate decisions about focusing on certain topic or page,
2. body – represented by the main part of learning material which lets users to reach learning goals on the basic level,
3. additional material – represented by pop-ups, attachments, additional paths of the material which lets user for better understanding of all aspects of the learnt issue.

Divide your e-learning course into layers and let trainees to easily navigate through them. Such an approach will let them decrease the volume of training intervention to minimum and reduce the information overload.

Performance Support (aka: Just In Time Learning)

The time of building competencies of adults in ‘just in case’ model is over. Learning interventions become shorter and are increasingly being delivered when they are needed. No wonder that in e-learning world we see growing importance of knowledge pills, infographics, check-lists and others methods of supporting people on their job.  

To reduce information overload use short forms ready to instant use on the job. Make them easily available (reachable, accesible, searchable, printable, etc.) by trainees. Build them in a way which will support implementation of new competencies by performing tasks with help of the material.