Learning Experience Design for Changemakers

Renee Koster, Learning Design Strategist

Most educators start with content. Renee Koster starts with the outcome. Learning Experience Design for Changemakers is a podcast for nonprofit leaders and heart-led entrepreneurs who want to design learning experiences that engage, transform, and last. No hustle culture. No quick fixes. Just purposeful design that serves your learners and scales your impact.

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10 episodes
Updated July 29

Episodes10

Newest first

July 29 · 13 min
Episode 009: More Content Isn't Helping Your Students, It's Hurting Them — Why generosity without structure buries your best material instead of delivering it.
You’ve built the milestones. You’ve built the engagement. Now here’s the last piece of the puzzle: how much content actually belongs in your course — and it’s probably less than you think. In this episode: Why "more content feels safer" is actually avoidance dressed up as thoroughness The fuel analogy that shows exactly how much content each milestone needs (hint: it’s not the same amount every time) Why unused content isn’t wasted — it just belongs on a different tree in your ecosystem A real case study: how Teresa trimmed her "Becoming Her" membership without re-recording most of it The five questions to run on any piece of content you’re not sure belongs How this final piece completes the full Roots to Canopy framework Timestamps [00:00] Recap of the Roots to Canopy series + today’s topic: content [01:00] Content is fuel, not the vehicle — why "more" isn’t automatically better [02:00] The public speaking course example — how much content each milestone actually needs [04:00] Why leftover content isn’t lost — it belongs somewhere else in your ecosystem [06:00] Generosity without structure vs. milestones with direction [07:00] The "give each topic its own tree" principle [08:00] Meet Theresa and her "Becoming Her" membership [09:00] Theresa’s five questions, module by module [10:00] What Theresa ended up with — tighter, not bigger [11:00] Your turn: run one piece of content through the five questions [12:00] Closing thoughts + what’s next Links & Resources Mentioned Roots to Canopy, Episode 6 — Roots: finding your one person Roots to Canopy, Episode 7 — Trunk: your A to B and milestones Roots to Canopy, Episode 8 — Purposeful engagement Newsletter signup: www.reneekoster.com/newsletter Reply to any email with "podcast share" in the subject line to share your results running Teresa’s five questions Teresa's Becoming Her Membership: https://shemanifestsmoney.com/ Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s next. Reply to any email from Renee with "podcast share" in the subject line to share what you found. Not on the email list yet? Sign up at www.reneekoster.com/newsletter.
July 22 · 13 min
Episode 008: 3 Milestones To Make Trainings Actually Work — Two real rebuilds show what happens when every action ties to a milestone.
Emoji drops and polls aren't purposeful engagement — they're decoration. In part 3 of the Roots to Canopy miniseries, Renee draws the line between engagement that just holds attention and engagement that actually reinforces what you're teaching, then rebuilds two real trainings live to prove it. In This Episode: Why "purposeful engagement" has to do two jobs at once — earn attention AND reinforce the milestone in front of it The one-sentence test to run on every engagement moment you build, before you build it Why saving all the "doing" for a final project or test backfires on learners A full rebuild of a safety training, milestone by milestone, using a real near-miss scenario A full rebuild of a nonprofit's seasonal volunteer onboarding using the same milestone approach Why the most "boring" trainings — onboarding, safety, compliance — need this the most Timestamps: [~0:00] Opening — the line between decorative and purposeful engagement [~1:00] Recap: roots, trunk, and where canopy picks up [~2:00] The two jobs of purposeful engagement + the one-sentence test [~3:00] Why back-loaded engagement fails learners [~4:00] Do this now — audit your own training [~5:00] Safety training scenario: the real problem in the room [~6:00] Rebuilding safety training as three action-based milestones [~9:00] Volunteer onboarding scenario: the nonprofit case [~10:00] Rebuilding onboarding as three action-based milestones [~12:00] The real test: fun without reinforcement is still decoration [~13:00] Closing — name the milestone, build the moment, what's next Resources & Links Mentinoed: Episode 6 — the root stage (finding "your one person") Episode 7 — the trunk stage (A-to-B journey and milestones) Newsletter signup — reneekoster.com/newsletter Follow the show so you don't miss part four. If this gave you something to rethink in your own training, reply to any email from Renee with "podcast share" in the subject line.
July 15 · 16 min
Episode 007: Stop Teaching Everything: The A-to-B Rule Every Course Creator Needs — Why trying to teach it all is quietly sabotaging your learners.
You know your person and what you want to teach them — but do you know exactly where you're taking them? In this episode, Renee breaks down the second stage of the Roots to Canopy framework: turning your teaching sweet spot into one clear, reachable transformation, then mapping the milestones that get your learner there. In this episode: Why "teaching everything" (A to Z) exhausts you and your learner — and what to do instead How to define your "A to B": one specific, reachable transformation for this course or offer A simple exercise using your own journey to find your learner's next reachable point What a milestone actually is, and how many your learner's journey needs A full walkthrough: 3 milestones for a public-speaking course, from mindset to practice Why action-taking (not passive content) is what makes learning "sticky" How milestones make your own content decisions easier when building or revising a course Timestamps: 0:00 — The mistake that happens right after the roots stage 1:00 — Welcome back + recap of Episode 6 2:00 — A to B, not A to Z: why teaching everything backfires 3:00 — Finding your own A to B (a reflection exercise) 4:00 — What milestones are: the pit-stop metaphor 5:00 — The map metaphor: plotting your learner's journey 6:00 — The bridge-and-tunnel metaphor 7:00 — Case study: a public-speaking course's 3 milestones 9:00 — Why action beats passive learning ("sticky learning") 11:00 — A note on accessibility: how to use this episode if you can't pause 13:00 — Recap: A to B, milestones, and 10-minute chunking 14:00 — What milestones do for you as the designer 15:00 — Closing: what's next in the canopy + how to share your A to B Resources mentioned: Episode 6 — the Roots stage (finding your teaching sweet spot and your one person) [LINK TO EPISODE 6] If this gave you a clearer next step, follow the show so you don't miss Part 3. Want to share the A-to-B journey you landed on? Reply to any email from Renee with "podcast share" in the subject line — she reads and responds to every one. Not on the newsletter yet? Go to www.reneekoster.com/newsletter and sign up!
July 8 · 13 min
Episode 006: How to Find Your Teaching Sweet Spot in 10 Minutes
A live reflection exercise that turns everything you know into one clear starting point. You know you have something worth teaching — but the second someone asks what your course is actually about, everything comes out at once and it turns into noise. This episode walks you through the exact exercise Renee uses with clients to find the real starting point: the Roots stage of the Roots to Canopy Method. In this episode: Why "more expertise" isn't what's missing — and what actually is The 2–3 year reflection exercise that instantly surfaces your teaching sweet spot Why you don't need to be the leading expert, just a few steps ahead How to name the one person your first offer is actually for (hint: it's not your whole audience) The "cafe test" for understanding how your audience actually consumes what you build Why published is better than perfect — and how to pick your first low-tech way to share How to tell whether your first piece should be free or paid Timestamps [0:00] Why everything you know isn't a course — it's noise [1:00] Welcome back + recap: backwards design and the birth of Roots to Canopy [2:00] The idea that takes the pressure off: no single offer has to do everything [3:00] The reflection: what would you tell yourself 2–3 years ago? [4:00] That gap is your teaching sweet spot — you don't need to be the leading expert [6:00] Naming the gap in your own words [7:00] Newsletter callout — reneeKoster.com/newsletter [8:00] Finding your one person — the cafe test [10:00] Turning the gap and the person into one small, shareable thing [12:00] Free vs. paid — it's about depth, not length [13:00] Recap: you've already done more than when you hit play Resources Mentioned Newsletter — reneekoster.com/newsletter (reply with "podcast share" in the subject line to share your reflection)
July 1 · 11 min
Episode 005: How to Design a Learning Experience That Actually Transforms
You have something powerful to teach — but the moment you sit down to design it, the pull toward content takes over. You start listing everything you know, every story, every framework, every caveat. And suddenly it's a wall of water, not a river. This week, Renee shares the origin story of the Roots to Canopy Method: what backwards design gave her, where it left a gap, and the unexpected moment that changed how she designs everything. IN THIS EPISODE: Why even heart-led educators default to content-first design — and why it stalls the learner before they begin What Renee discovered in Understanding by Design (Wiggins & McTighe) and why it lit her up The honest confession: she slid right back into content-first mode when building her own courses The gap backwards design doesn't fully solve for generous, heart-led leaders and founders How a summit freebie, a blank piece of paper, and a hand-drawn tree became the Roots to Canopy Method What's coming in the next three episodes of this miniseries Your 60-second listener action: one question to answer before next week TIMESTAMPS [0:00] Opening — the crashing waves metaphor for content overload [0:45] Welcome and episode intro [1:30] The generous educator's trap: why starting with content fails learners [2:30] Backwards design: the framework that gave me direction [3:30] Understanding by Design — what my instructors taught, and what the book gave me [5:00] The honest confession: I slid back into content-first without realizing it [6:30] The gap: what backwards design doesn't account for [7:00] The summit freebie and the hand-drawn tree that changed everything [8:30] How Roots to Canopy extends, not replaces, backwards design [9:15] Miniseries preview: what's coming in Episodes 006, 007, 008 [10:00] Your 60-second listener action RESOURCES MENTIONED Understanding by Design — Grant Wiggins & Jay McTighe Renee's newsletter: reneekoster.com/newsletter Book a free call: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/audience-outcomes Subscribe so you don't miss Episodes 006–008 of this miniseries. And if something in today's episode landed for you, share it with another heart-led educator who's been trying to design their way out of content overwhelm. Leave a review — it genuinely helps the show reach the people who need it most.
June 24 · 10 min
Episode 004: 3 Things That Make Any Moment a Learning Experience (Podcast, Coaching, Courses)
Have you ever called what you do a course, a program, or a membership — and felt like something was still slightly off? That feeling might be about more than the name. In this episode, Renee Koster gives you a clear, simple definition of a learning experience and explains why the distinction between learning experience design and instructional design actually changes what you build — not just how you label it. In this episode: Why Renee uses "learning experience" instead of "instructional design" — and what that choice reveals about how she designs A simple, one-sentence definition you can use immediately The difference between passive instruction and active experience — with a medical school example that makes it concrete Why your podcast, coaching sessions, and LinkedIn articles are already learning experiences (whether you've called them that or not) Where a learning experience designer fits in when you've already got the expertise How to know if your program is structured the way it should be — and where to get help when it isn't Timestamps [0:00] Opening — the question Renee gets asked almost every week [1:30] The definition: what a learning experience actually is [2:45] Learning experience vs. instructional design — and why the difference isn't just semantic [4:00] The medical school example: instruction vs. active engagement [5:15] The shift from "what do I need to tell them?" to "what do I need them to do?" [6:00] Learning experiences beyond courses — podcast, video, articles, coaching [6:45] Shoutout to Kim Parkinson, Podcasting for Your Spiritual Business, Episode 65 [7:30] Where learning experience designers fit in with subject matter experts [8:30] CTA and preview of Episode 005 — backwards design and the Roots to Canopy Method Resources & Links Newsletter: reneekoster.com/newsletter Kim Parkinson — Podcasting for Your Spiritual Business, Episode 65: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcasting-for-your-spiritual-business/id1814692686?i=1000771845510 Episode 002 — Learning experience at the Philadelphia Zoo: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/learning-experience-design-for-changemakers/id1896864819?i=1000771981510 If this episode is landing for you and you're looking at something you've already built wondering if it's structured the way it should be, that's exactly what Renee's newsletter is for. Get on the list at reneekoster.com/newsletter — she reads every reply.
June 17 · 33 min
Episode 003: History Is a Mystery: Inside the Morgan Log House With Molly Jobson
A 1774 home, a curious executive director, and the untold stories she's determined to unravel. What does it take to turn a 250-year-old log house into a living, breathing piece of its community? In this episode, Renee sits down with Molly Jobson, executive director of the Morgan Log House, to find out — from her winding path into museum leadership to the food drives and descendant volunteers that keep the house alive today. In this episode: Why Molly's Wisconsin childhood — and a museum called Old World Wisconsin — sparked a lifelong love of history The unconventional 15-year career path that took her from a $75-a-week internship to running her own museum How a Mennonite family's pacifist history shaped Morgan Log House's approach to its own 250th-anniversary programming Why “history is a mystery” is more than a motto — it's how Molly gets kids (and skeptical adults) hooked The food drives, Toys for Tots donations, and descendant volunteers that turn a museum into a true community hub The rope bed story behind “sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite” — and other moments that make history click for visitors Timestamps: [0:00] Introduction [2:30] Molly's Love of History [11:00] Career Journey to Morgan Log House [20:30] Morgan Log House & Community [28:30] Favorite A-Ha Moments [32:30] Visit & Connect About the guest: Molly Jobson is the executive director of the Morgan Log House in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, a historic home museum interpreting life from 1774 to 1964. She holds a B.A. in history and anthropology from Ripon College and an M.A. in public and applied history from Southern New Hampshire University. Before joining Morgan Log House in 2023, she held roles at Grey Towers National Historic Site, the Harbor District in Milwaukee, and Historic Bethlehem. Website: www.morganloghouse.org Email: director@morganloghouse.org Social: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn — search “Morgan Log House” Resources & links mentioned: Old World Wisconsin (open-air museum) — https://oldworldwisconsin.wisconsinhistory.org/ Grey Towers National Historic Site — https://www.fs.usda.gov/greytowers Historic Bethlehem — https://www.historicbethlehem.org/ Call to action: If this episode resonated, subscribe to Learning Experience Design for Change Makers and leave a review — it helps more change-makers like Molly find the show.
June 10 · 14 min
Episode 002: Immersive Learning: How to Design for Real Engagement
What a tiger at the Philadelphia Zoo taught me about course design I stood in front of the big cat exhibit at the Philadelphia Zoo and had a full curriculum design realization — and this episode is about what I learned. The Philadelphia Zoo's Zoo360 is a network of trails that lets animals roam freely through the zoo. The day we visited, a tiger was walking past the lunch tables. Ten feet away. And it changed how I think about learning design. Because the zoo didn't have to do that. They could have put up a sign with facts about tiger behavior. Instead, they built an environment — and that's the shift I want you to make in your course, program, or training. In this episode we cover: The difference between an information panel and an immersive environment Why "purposeful engagement" is not a quiz bolted on at the end Three concrete ways to design contact into your existing content A 10-minute engagement audit you can do on your last module today The goal isn't for your learners to finish your module. It's for their minds to make real contact with the material. That's when something actually changes. 🎙️ Learning Experience Design for Changemakers is for coaches, educators, and nonprofit leaders who have a course, membership, or program out there — and know it can be better. 👉 Want a thinking partner for your engagement audit? Book a free Audience & Outcomes call: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/audience-outcomes
June 2 · 32 min
Episode 001: Internship to Impact: How Elise White Is Building Access Through the Let's Change Forward Foundation
What does it look like when someone takes purposeful feedback, applies it in real time, and keeps building? In this inaugural episode of Learning Experience Design for Change Makers, Renee Koster sits down with Elise White — founder and executive director of the Let's Change Forward Foundation, workforce and wellness consultant, and co-host of the Queen Beauty Podcast. Elise shares how a five-day framework challenge sparked immediate, measurable outcomes in her career readiness internship program, what inspired her to launch a nonprofit built around access and connection, and how her Plugged In for Purpose assessment helps people discover their gifts — and actually use them. You'll also hear about the Connection Circle program launching this June, two community partnerships kicking off this month, and why Elise believes feedback isn't criticism — it's a gift. Learn more about the Let's Change Forward Foundation and take the Plugged In for Purpose assessment.
June 1 · 2 min
Welcome to Learning Experience Design for Changemakers
You built something. You know your stuff. And somewhere between your expertise and your learner's transformation, something's getting lost. That's exactly why this podcast exists. In this intro episode, Renee Koster — Learning Experience Designer and Strategist — lays out exactly who this show is for, what makes it different, and what you can expect. This is not a podcast about building fast. It's not about passive income or hustle culture. It's about designing learning experiences that actually transform your learners — one clear milestone at a time. If you're a heart-led entrepreneur, coach, consultant, or nonprofit educator who already has a course, membership, or program out there and knows it could be better — you're in the right place. In this episode: Who this podcast is for (and who it's not) Renee's background and why it shapes a completely different approach to learning design The core belief that drives every design decision: access to knowledge is a right, not a privilege What's coming up on the show Ready for a second set of eyes on your learning experience? Book a call with Renee: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/audience-outcomes