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Learning Experience Design for Changemakers

Episode 004: 3 Things That Make Any Moment a Learning Experience (Podcast, Coaching, Courses)

June 24 · 10 min · Episode 4 · 9.9 MB
0:00-10:20

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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.