01: You Know Your Shit. Let's Turn It into a Course That Proves It.
Course Creation Crap: Learning Design for Business with Dr. Catrina MitchumShow Notes
In Episode 1, Dr. Catrina Mitchum works through Suzanne's real course challenge live and the conversation turns into a masterclass in what it actually means to build a learning experience from scratch. Not a content dump. Not a manual. An experience that prepares a student to actually learn.
What We Work Through
Why giving students a 117-page manual is not a preparation strategy, and what to build instead
The three goals Suzanne and Dr. Catrina map out together for that mini-course
Why breaking a practice-based course into smaller chunks might feel ridiculous to the expert, and why that is exactly right
How to use features like self-recorded video, audio, and journaling to let students teach themselves
The before-and-after artifact: why self-paced students cannot see their own incremental change and how to build in moments that show it to them
Why students do not ask for help in online courses and how to build for that
Why explaining the "why" behind each step is not optional if you want students to keep going
Accessibility as a real design consideration - leveraging different modes of participation for each step
Closing
Suzanne came in with a real course problem and left with a three-goal curriculum framework, a clearer picture of her mini-course structure, and homework she is genuinely excited to do.
Suzanne's Homework
Map out the specific exercises to lead students through in phase 2 of the mini-course. Write out how each one connects to the goal of the module and the course overall. First, articulate the connection for yourself. Then figure out how you would explain it to a student.
About the Guest
Suzanne Pugh is a Freediving Hypnotist with over 25 years of teaching experience. She teaches people how to calm their nervous system and their mind so they can have freediving adventures around the world. She is also a yoga teacher, energy healer, and hypnotherapist, and runs Freedive Egypt, where her instructors guide students through in-water training.
Website: www.suzannepugh.com
Freedive Egypt: www.freediveegypt.com
Apply to be a guest: https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59
Check out the membership:
https://www.cmlearningdesign.com/course-maker-membership
Connect with Catrina:
www.cmlearningdesign.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design
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Music credit: Alex Mitchum
Alex, Catrina's youngest brother, was a jazz guitarist and his family established a scholarship in his name at his alma mater. Please consider donating: https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship
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