6
Success-Based Design
“If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?”
Thinking? OK, how about this one: “If at first you don’t succeed, redefine success.” I chuckle at these jokes, but also wince a bit when I realize how close to home they hit. Some designs seem like overt attempts to fail—they certainly aren’t going to result in performance improvements. And how do they measure their “success”? They produce lovely posttest scores and smile sheets. But that’s not success.
Listening to some one-liners today helped me view instructional design from a lighter perspective. You see, I think it’s almost criminal each and every time a boring, ineffective e-learning application is foisted on learners. The wasted time, the negative backlash ...

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