Practice before content

What this lesson covers

1. 01

   Activities that rehearse the job

   Step 3 of action mapping is not gamification. It is rehearsal of the high-priority actions you already identified. A branching conversation, a flawed case file to fix, or a live sandbox beats a definition slide because the learner practises the decision they will make at work.

2. 02

   Pick the practice that matches the action

   If the action is mostly. | Practise it with.

   A conversation under pressure | A branching dialogue with realistic consequences

   Spotting what is wrong | A flawed document, screen or photo to correct

   A sequence with judgment points | A simulation or mission with constraints

   A rule applied to many cases | Several short varied cases, mixed in order

   Using a system | A sandbox or guided simulation with real data

3. 03

   Trying first helps, if feedback follows

   Putting a decision before the explanation is not only an engagement trick. Research on productive failure (Kapur) and on pretesting shows that attempting a problem before instruction can improve later learning, as long as the attempt is followed by explanation and feedback. The condition matters: an unguided struggle with no follow-up only frustrates. In your design, the explanation still comes, it just comes right after the first try.

4. 04

   70-20-10 is not a reason to skip practice

   The 70-20-10 mix comes from interviews with executives in work associated with McCall, Lombardo and Eichinger at the Center for Creative Leadership. It is a heuristic, not a law of learning. It does not mean only 10% of budget should go to courses, and it does not replace designed practice for high-risk actions.

5. 05

   Sketch one practice activity

   For the highest-priority action on your map, sketch one practice screen using the five beats above. Write the three options and one sentence of consequence for each. Ask someone who does the job whether the wrong options are mistakes people actually make.