Course Creation Crap: Learning Design for Business with Dr. Catrina Mitchum

08: BS Breakthrough: Are your students really at different levels, or just starting from different places?

You've got college students who can scroll TikTok in their sleep but cannot attach a file to an email. You've got semi-retired folks who want to pay their gas bill online without bugging the grandkids. The gut reaction when your students look this different from each other is to build different tracks for different levels. This BS Breakthrough makes the case for a very different read on the situation, and a much simpler course structure on the other side of it. What We Work Through * Why "different starting points" and "different knowledge levels" are not the same thing, and why mixing them up sends you down a structural rabbit hole you do not actually need to go down * How to spot when your students share one skill gap, even if their tech, jobs, and ages look nothing alike, and what that means for the way you build the course * The case for letting learners pick their own technology and their own task, and why giving up that bit of control is what makes the course usable for everyone in the room * How to build troubleshooting into the course structure itself, instead of telling people to "email when you get stuck" and putting the work back on them * Two different kinds of stuck (your steps did not work vs. the technology changed on you), and why each one needs its own decision tree * A three-step gut check for figuring out whether your own course is solving for the right kind of variation in your audience If you have been trying to design a course for students who feel like they are all over the map, the takeaway is not always more tracks, more pathways, or more content. Sometimes it is one course, one skill, and a structure that lets each person plug in their own context. Press play, see if Tim's situation sounds like yours, and steal what works. Go back and listen to the full episode with Tim Maile, the live course design consultation this BS Breakthrough is pulled from. Listen there for Tim's links and the original troubleshoot. About Tim Maile Tim Maile is the owner and operator of TKM PM and IT Solutions, where he makes IT work for people, not the other way around. With over 20 years of on-the-ground experience as the unofficial IT person in the room, Tim specializes in solving tech problems and building genuine confidence in the people who use technology every day. * Website: www.tkmitpm.uk [https://www.tkmitpm.uk] * Facebook: TKM PM and IT Solutions [https://www.facebook.com/TKMPMIT] * LinkedIn: TKM PM and IT Solutions [https://www.linkedin.com/company/tkm-pm-and-it-solutions] * Book an appointment: calendly.com/tkmitpm [https://calendly.com/tkmitpm] * YouTube: The Human Side of Tech: A No Jargon Zone [https://www.youtube.com/@tkmitpm] Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59] Connect with Catrina: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://www.cmlearningdesign.com/] LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design/] Subscribe to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://www.cmlearningdesign.com/cut-the-crap] 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 [https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship]

07: Are Your Learners at Different Levels? Build in Choices

If your course students keep coming back to you every time they hit a wall, the problem probably isn't them. In this episode, Dr. Catrina Mitchum works through a live course design consultation with Tim Maile, an IT solutions specialist building a course to help people stop fearing technology and start actually using it. What unfolds is a masterclass in the difference between teaching a tool and teaching someone how to learn. What We Work Through * The reframe that changes everything: why "different knowledge levels" is probably not the real problem your course needs to solve * Why confidence is a learning variable, not a bonus outcome, and how to design for it on purpose * How letting learners choose their own technology and mini task is not chaos but actually good course design * Why the "why" behind a learner's goal matters more than the skill itself, and the case for a journaling component in a tech course * How to build troubleshooting directly into your course structure so learners can work through friction without defaulting to you * The two types of troubleshooting that need two different responses: task-level roadblocks versus system-level disruption * Why naming technology realities out loud (software changes, buttons move, two-factor authentication is not going away) protects learner confidence instead of undermining it If you've been trying to figure out how to design a course that works for learners at wildly different starting points, this episode gives you a real working example of how to think through that problem without just building more content. About Tim Maile Tim Maile is the owner and operator of TKM PM and IT Solutions, where he makes IT work for people, not the other way around. With over 20 years of on-the-ground experience as the unofficial IT person in the room, Tim specializes in solving tech problems and building genuine confidence in the people who use technology every day. Website: www.tkmitpm.uk [https://www.tkmitpm.uk] Facebook: TKM PM and IT Solutions [https://www.facebook.com/TKMPMIT] LinkedIn: TKM PM and IT Solutions [https://www.linkedin.com/company/tkm-pm-and-it-solutions] Book an appointment: calendly.com/tkmitpm [https://calendly.com/tkmitpm] YouTube: The Human Side of Tech: A No Jargon Zone [https://www.youtube.com/@tkmitpm] Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59] Connect with Catrina: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://www.cmlearningdesign.com/] LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design⁠⁠⁠ [https://linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design/] Subscribe to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://www.cmlearningdesign.com/cut-the-crap] 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 [https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship]

06: BS Breakthrough: 3 Signs It's Time to Cut the Crap from Your Course

If you've ever looked at your course or membership and thought, "I should probably add more," this one's for you. Dr. Catrina Mitchum breaks down a real design conversation with Amber Cherelle, founder of the Everevolution™ collective, and the counterintuitive lesson that came out of it: more options don't create more engagement. They create more ways to avoid the work. What We Work Through * Why giving learners too many ways to engage actually reduces participation and what decision fatigue has to do with it * How to identify the one thing in your learning experience that's actually creating transformation, and build around that instead of on top of it * The difference between live elements that earn their place and live elements that just add pressure without adding value * Why some of the best support structures are the ones that get out of the way * A two-step audit you can run on your own course today: map every engagement option, then ask whether each one supports the main thing or competes with it If your course or program is starting to feel like a pile of good ideas that somehow isn't working, this episode gets at why that happens and what to actually do about it. Go back and listen to the full episode with Amber Cherelle if you haven't, especially if you're building something live and experiential. About Amber Cherelle Amber is a serial business owner, founder of Everevolution™, and someone who's asking big questions about how we grow, lead, and show up in life. Amber's work sits at the intersection of personal development, leadership, and real-world application, and this work isn't about learning more stuff, it's about becoming different. She creates Living Experiments: immersive, real-life growth experiences designed to move people from insight into embodied change. Her mission? Help people become the change they wish to see — and experience the richness of life that follows. * Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ambercherelle/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/ambercherelle/] * Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/ambah.moore⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/ambah.moore] * Podcast: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1PQkMmQJxFLEbFJtBZmLJj⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/show/1PQkMmQJxFLEbFJtBZmLJj] Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59] Connect with Catrina: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://www.cmlearningdesign.com/] LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design⁠⁠⁠ [https://linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design/] Subscribe to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://www.cmlearningdesign.com/cut-the-crap] 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 [https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship]

05: The Course Has to Work Without You in the Room: Designing for Embodied Learning

What does it actually look like to design a learning experience around lifelong growth instead of a single outcome? Amber Cherelle, founder of Everevolution™, brings Dr. Catrina Mitchum a real design challenge: how to structure the EverEvolution Collective, an ongoing membership built around immersive Living Experiments. This one gets into the weeds on live vs. async, cognitive load, and what learners actually need to make change stick. What We Work Through * Why the dialogue calls have to stay live, and what gets lost when you try to replace real-time conversation with a chat platform * How to use asynchronous options strategically so they support the live calls instead of competing with them * Why giving learners too many access points can actually reduce engagement, not increase it * The case for a simple, password-protected hub over a full course portal when the experience is relationship-driven * How a living impact mission journal can give learners a through line across every experiment and something concrete to bring to each dialogue call * Why concept calls that cover too much ground are a cognitive load problem, not a content problem * How spaced recall and drawing connections between chunks helps learners actually retain what they're being taught * What to do when your audience spans from "first personal development experience" to "been doing this work for years" * Why getting feedback early, while you're still running things live, is one of the most useful design moves you can make Amber came in with a big vision and some real design questions. She leaves with a clearer structure, a concrete plan for the impact mission piece, and a much better sense of where live interaction is non-negotiable and where async can actually serve her learners better. If you're building something that's meant to create lasting change rather than just deliver content, this episode is worth your time. About Amber Cherelle Amber is a serial business owner, founder of Everevolution™, and someone who's asking big questions about how we grow, lead, and show up in life. Amber's work sits at the intersection of personal development, leadership, and real-world application, and this work isn't about learning more stuff, it's about becoming different. She creates Living Experiments: immersive, real-life growth experiences designed to move people from insight into embodied change. Her mission? Help people become the change they wish to see — and experience the richness of life that follows. * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambercherelle/ [https://www.instagram.com/ambercherelle/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ambah.moore [https://www.facebook.com/ambah.moore] * Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1PQkMmQJxFLEbFJtBZmLJj [https://open.spotify.com/show/1PQkMmQJxFLEbFJtBZmLJj] Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59] Connect with Catrina: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://www.cmlearningdesign.com/] LinkedIn: ⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design⁠⁠ [https://linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design/] Subscribe to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://www.cmlearningdesign.com/cut-the-crap] 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 [https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship]

04: BS Breakthrough: Do you need to re-record your videos, or is there a deeper problem?

Sometimes the question you've been stuck on isn't actually the problem. In this BS Breakthroughs episode, Dr. Catrina Mitchum unpacks her recent conversation with speaking coach Mike McQuillan, who came in asking about video production quality and walked out building an entirely different course for a brand new audience. If your course isn't doing what you hoped it would, this one is worth your time. What We Work Through * Why the question you're asking about your course might be a symptom, not the real problem * What it looks like when one course is trying to do three different jobs at once, and why that's a losing situation for everyone * How drastically different audiences (think: busy gym owners vs. college athletes with zero margin for error) require courses built from scratch, not retrofitted versions of something that already exists * Why designing around learner constraints, specifically time, energy, and competing priorities, matters more than how much content you can fit into a module * Two concrete steps to figure out whether your course has an audience problem, a design problem, or both If you've ever felt like your course isn't working but couldn't quite put your finger on why, Dr. Catrina's breakdown of Mike's situation is probably going to feel familiar. Go back and listen to the full episode with Mike first if you haven't yet, then come back here. The link is in the show notes. Referenced in This Episode * Episode 3: Mike McQuillan on speaking, storytelling, and presentation skills for solopreneurs Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59] Check out the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@coursecreatorplaybook Connect with Catrina: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://www.cmlearningdesign.com/] LinkedIn: ⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design⁠⁠ [https://linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design/] Subscribe to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://www.cmlearningdesign.com/cut-the-crap] 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 [https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship]