More Time on Task

Andrew and I discussed a learning principle the other day. He liked the principle that "everything else being equal, more time on task equals more learning."

I read that principle, I noted it in my book as well. At first I thought it was a tad too simple and one-dimensional, but after reading it more and considering it, the principle not only started to grow on me but also I found from my experience that the principle applied both the online training dynamic and the live environment. 

I think about the number of times when a concept was difficult to impart in a lecture style course, and I would stay on it for longer and longer, trying different analogies and stories, asking for the learners to provide their own experiences, etc. 

In terms of the online course, I think about designing course and how with difficult concepts we provide more resources, going from just the standard power point delivery, to reading, to images, to video, to video analysis, to reflective exercises, to discussions, and reinforcement in later modules as well. All of these different tools not only helped with reinforcement, but also provided "time on task" - Principle 9.

In terms of less is more, Andrew, I think about how in those online courses with all of those reinforcement tools, each was a small chunk rather than a huge block of learning. From the learner's perspective, because of the small nuggets of reinforcement, they might think it was less, in fact it could actually be less content, but the efficiency and effectiveness of the learning might be greater. Your "chunking" approach. 

As a learner I would appreciate the ideas that you are throwing out about creating self-paced monthly modules instead of weekly assignments.