Ep 54: Master Course Design: Create Engaging Content That Keeps Customers Hooked with Dr. Carrie Rose

Feb 28

Master Course Design: Create Engaging Content That Keeps Customers Hooked with Dr. Carrie Rose

If you have an online program, you know the struggle of actually getting people to consume, implement, and make progress in what you're teaching. Dr. Carrie Rose, is an absolute genius and mad scientist when it comes to getting people to make progress in programs.

She's going to break down the science behind it and give you some really practical tips that you can use to help increase the completion rate of your course or the consumption of your membership.

Carrie has a doctorate in education and professional development. She weaves those together to create courses that people actually complete and that actually get people results. She's somebody who has the data and the psychological understanding and the science behind it to say, no, statistically, this is what we need to be doing because this is proven to work.

Favorite Community

What's your favorite community that you have ever been a part of and what did you love about it?

I experienced selective mutism for about six years of my life, and as a result, I tend to be shy and highly introverted. However, I had a wonderful time working at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery, Alabama, where I spent about a year and a half.

One of the most enjoyable experiences I had during my time there was when my colleagues and I would come back to the theater on Mondays, our day off, and play volleyball together. It was an unexpected activity for us, as we didn't have a strong connection to volleyball. However, what brought us together was our shared love for the arts, theater, and Shakespeare in particular. Playing volleyball became the best unifier and community I have ever experienced.

Connecting with Collaboration in Mind

What's possible if I connect these two people? What's possible for person A? What's possible for person B?

As I reflect on my past experiences in the arts, I realize how much I learned from my time working in opera in Miami. However, my journey in the arts was put on hold when I found out that I was expecting my son. Despite leaving the arts a long time ago, the valuable lessons I learned have stayed with me until today.

One of the most important things that the arts taught me is the value of collaboration. When working on a play, everyone in the room is focused on making it as awesome as possible. The end goal is to deliver a great performance that everyone will enjoy. This requires listening to each other, building on one another's ideas, and using everyone's skill sets to achieve the common goal.

For me, collaboration is not just about following a formula or working together to get a job done. It is about genuinely coming together with a desire to create something great and using everyone's unique skills with appreciation, validation, and support.

Expert Being the Main Contributor to the Course

When the expert is the only one that is providing answers and providing value to a course how do you see that play out?

As an online course creator, my main drive is to create opportunities for inquiry and learning. I believe that individuals learn best when they are given the chance to become problem solvers on their own. This means allowing them to stumble and figure things out with conscious support and guidance from their peers.

In my courses, I use examples and non-examples to demonstrate the power of learning through mistakes. Non-examples can be more powerful than examples because they highlight the consequences of not taking action or making the wrong decisions. By allowing individuals to experience the consequences of their actions, they can learn from their mistakes and become better problem solvers in the future.

I also believe that it's essential to create a sense of community functioning in my courses. Rather than creating dependence on me as an expert, I want to empower individuals to become independent learners who can support each other. By lifting each other up and sharing their experiences, they can build trust and collaboration among their peers.

Creating Independent Thinkers

Talk to me about how we balance this desire of your concept around wanting them to be independent.

Course creators want to create effective online courses that help learners to develop critical thinking skills. I took an online course when I first got into online marketing and I was so excited about online marketing. The course was how to become a social media manager.

I didn't know anything about social media other than, I have Facebook friends. The course said, you need to have an online presence and you need a brand, so you'll need a logo, colors, a website, and a tagline.

And it said, go to 99 designs, pick out your colors, hire a person, and write what you think it should be. I started working on WordPress and I was sitting there going, wait, what? I didn't know how to approach it. I had taught myself how to critically think, so even though there were no instructions, I figured out what I should do.

I argue that successful online learning involves developing a system for thinking and analyzing information that goes beyond rote memorization. Course creators need to focus on the "know, do, and be" levels of learning, which involves asking open-ended questions that challenge learners to think differently and apply their knowledge in unique ways. I stress the importance of creating engaging, fun, and interactive courses that do not rely on multiple-choice quizzes, which can limit learning potential.

Ultimately, online courses should help learners develop cognitive rigor and independence, allowing them to engage more effectively with their subject matter and apply their knowledge in unique ways. By fostering these skills, course creators can create better outcomes for their learners, build a stronger relationship with their clients, and create positive impact in the world of online learning.

Weaving in Open-Ended Questions

How do we weave this open-ended question concept into the content itself?

As someone who has experience teaching others, I've come to realize that often, I take for granted the level of development and expertise that I've achieved through my own experiences. It's important to remember that others may not have the same filters, way of thinking, or knowledge as me. Therefore, it's crucial to break down the lesson into smaller steps, and really think about what needs to be learned.

Before filming the lesson, I suggest taking a look at the text and avoiding scripting the entire course. This allows for a more authentic and genuine delivery of the content, which can help build a stronger connection with the audience.

When it comes to planning the lesson, I suggest starting with "how" or "why" questions. These types of questions require a deeper level of thinking and analysis, and are more process-oriented. On the other hand, questions such as "what," "who," "when," and "where" are better for planning and creating goals.

Likert Scales can also be a helpful tool in assessing the audience's understanding and progress. By asking them to rate their level of preparedness or understanding on a scale, it makes it easier to track progress and identify areas where more clarification may be needed. It's also important to follow up with open-ended questions, such as "What would've made it a 10?" to gain deeper insights into how to improve the lesson. Overall, taking the time to break down the lesson into smaller steps and using effective assessment tools can help improve the learning experience for both the teacher and the student.

Course Changes

For someone who already has an online course, what are some changes that they can make without completely overhauling what they've already done?

As a course creator, one of the biggest challenges I face is not just creating a new course from scratch, but also reconstructing existing ones. In my experience, starting with the basics and creating a customer avatar for each program, product, and service is crucial. It's important to refine and adjust the avatar based on each individual course and analyze how the course fits into the customer journey.

The process of learning is all about cognitive dissonance, which I like to think of as an itchy feeling in my brain. Some people can't learn when there's too much or too little of it. So, finding the right balance is essential. I compare this process to a staircase. If you're looking at your course and examining each objective and lesson, make sure there are no missing steps in the staircase. This way, your students won't have any difficulty walking up it.

Most course creators have good intentions, but they tend to put too much content in their courses. It's essential to remember that people don't need to know everything. They want results and want to get there as quickly as possible. So, keep your program concise and focused on the objective.

When creating courses, it's also essential to consider your audience's needs. Around 35% of entrepreneurs are dyslexic, left-handed, have a high IQ, and potentially have ADHD. Therefore, it's important to differentiate your instruction by process to make sure each person has what they need. Adding PDF downloads or scripts to your video content can make your course more accessible to those with auditory processing issues.

Improving your course can be a gradual process. Just like the iPhone, each iteration makes it better. The key is to keep thinking about your students' needs and find ways to improve your course accordingly.

Connecting with Dr. Carrie Rose

So how does someone connect with you?

If you're looking to connect with me, the best ways are through Instagram @drcarrierose or our website. I also have an online course audit form that I developed to take a look at your course. I specialize in one-on-one course builds and reconstructions of existing programs, depending on your needs.

If you're interested in learning more about our services and how we can help you, please visit our website at https://www.of-course.us/. We're here to answer any questions you may have and guide you through the process. Let's work together to achieve your goals and create amazing courses that make a difference.

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*This article has summarized the interview to the best of our ability. To hear the exact words shared, listen to or watch the full episode.