Now we\u2019ll look at the fourth factor: Reasonable Challenge. When designing for interest, which I define as a desire to think<\/em>, your responsibility is to guide your students through a challenge that neither insults their intelligence nor stretches them too far.<\/p>\n

Use Appropriate Difficulty<\/strong><\/p>\n

Good-hearted instructors want learning to be interesting. An instructor here and there will boast about being tough: \u201cPassing this class won\u2019t be easy.\u201d That\u2019s silly talk. If students have the right knowledge foundation, are properly guided through the tasks, and are putting in the effort, they often find it\u2019s hard not<\/em> to make a high mark. Students who aren\u2019t willing to do their part don\u2019t count.<\/p>\n

Like a car with a flat tire, overly difficult instruction impedes momentum. True, certain kinds of training are almost unbearable, such as brutal athletic workouts that seem to have no end in sight. Digging your way down to discover deep interest in a field of study can be that way, too. Difficulty, however, does not make instruction excellent. \u201cNo pain, no gain\u201d is an unnecessary approach for most learning, because interest supplies energy and delight.<\/p>\n

Stay in a Constant Feedback Mode<\/strong><\/p>\n

To a large extent, your trainees\u2019 performance is an evaluation of your teaching. Don\u2019t let that scare you if you\u2019re constantly collecting feedback and using it to adjust your content and method. Let\u2019s peek in on a training on car repair estimates at an insurance company.<\/p>\n

Instructor:<\/strong> \u201cI graded your tests, and I\u2019m going to pass them back to you now. You only have six weeks to show that you can handle these concepts. So if you didn\u2019t do well on the test, get together with classmates who did and ask them to help you with the material. Study your notes again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s give that instructor a feedback mentality.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Instructor:<\/strong> \u201cThese results from your online test tell me we need to talk. Most of you got the second item wrong. What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

Student A:<\/strong> \u201cI didn\u2019t understand how to estimate damage or repair for the rear bumper, because the picture showed that the bumper was hidden under fiberglass or something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Student B:<\/strong> \u201cWe weren\u2019t given the price of the fiberglass covering.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instructor:<\/strong> \u201cI wouldn\u2019t know how to work the problem without that information either. The item won\u2019t count against you. Let me explain how to handle wrapped bumpers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The instructor has won the students\u2019 respect and will develop lessons and tests of higher and higher quality with the ongoing feedback solicited from the class.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Fish for Answers<\/strong><\/p>\n

We insult people\u2019s intelligence when we burn up time by forcing them to guess what we\u2019re thinking. For example:<\/p>\n

Instructor:<\/strong> \u201cWhich county in this state has the highest rate of uninsured motorists?\u201d<\/p>\n

Student A:<\/strong> \u201cJohnson?\u201d<\/p>\n

Instructor:<\/strong> \u201cNo, not that one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Student B:<\/strong> \u201cMarion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instructor:<\/strong> \u201cNot Marion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Student C:<\/strong> \u201cMerimac?\u201d<\/p>\n

Instructor:<\/strong> \u201cTry the northern half of the state.\u201d<\/p>\n

Student D:<\/strong> \u201cLawrence?\u201d<\/p>\n

Instructor:<\/strong> \u201cNot Lawrence.\u201d<\/p>\n

What a waste of time to make intelligent people guess information that can be handled more productively. Like this:<\/p>\n

Instructor:<\/strong> \u201cSmith County has the highest rate of uninsured motorists in the state. We will not be sending you there very often to do damage estimates.\u201d<\/p>\n

Or this:<\/p>\n

Instructor:<\/strong> \u201cSmith County has the highest rate of uninsured motorists in the state, mostly due to the high number of immigrants there. Do you think we\u2019ll be sending you there to do estimates?\u201d<\/p>\n

This is a cultural question that I wouldn\u2019t expect the class to answer easily.<\/p>\n

Student E:<\/strong> \u201cNo estimates for them. They\u2019re here illegally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instructor: (Silent)<\/p>\n

Student F:<\/strong> \u201cWhy are there so many immigrants in Smith County?\u201d<\/p>\n

Instructor:<\/strong> \u201cThat\u2019s a great point. It\u2019s because they\u2019ve been brought in to help roof thousands of houses after hail storms hit that whole region. The contractors can\u2019t do the jobs without tons of help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Student E:<\/strong> \u201cSo they are illegal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instructor:<\/strong> \u201cThat\u2019s none of our business. Most of them don\u2019t have a license to drive. Therefore, when we send you to estimate damages where the vehicle\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 owner was at fault in this state, you can assume the owner has a valid driver\u2019s license and valid auto insurance. But the roofers who don\u2019t buy auto insurance from us do buy at least one of our other products because we treat them like valued customers. If you don\u2019t treat them the same way, we\u2019ll know it before you get back in your car.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot going on in that exchange. Preparing good questions for a single training session can take a half hour or more. Do it gladly. Good questions add amazing structure and give attendees a chance to shine and to inquire while you add valuable knowledge and guide them through challenges that respect their intelligence.<\/p>\n

More Than a Grade<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most people want some type of grade, but a thoughtful sentence or two from you, spoken or written, can be much more powerful. It represents a shared journey. You were the guide who safeguarded meaningfulness, momentum, and participation, and you sealed it all with one reasonable challenge after another. You helped everybody get to the other side. You did it together. Honestly, instruction doesn\u2019t get any better than that.<\/p>\n