What Teaching Horseback Riding Taught Me about Learning Design
By Kristy Louden | Learning Experience Designer
“Keep him moving! Yep, great job! Oh, don’t forget to put your heels down. And sit up straight; you’re leaning forward and you could easily fall off like that if he picks up speed or stops!” I’m standing in the middle of the arena with my hand shielding my eyes from the blazing Alabama sun as I watch my former debate student ride a horse for the first time. As soon as her heels are down and she sits back a bit, I notice that Kay is looking down at her hands rather than straight ahead.
Sigh.
How on earth do I teach her all of the important aspects of horseback riding that become muscle memory for seasoned riders?
Despite being a formally trained teacher, after two or three attempts at giving lessons, I realized being a riding instructor was not my calling.
Later, though, I realized that what I learned from the mistakes of my short-lived attempt at teaching riding taught me a few lessons I have carried into my transition to learning experience design.
Lesson #1: Have clear learning goals
For her first riding lesson, I probably should have told Kay the very simple goal: to feel comfortable riding a horse. Instead, I threw directions at her as though it was her twentieth or sixtieth lesson. If I had kept the goal in mind, I would have been better able to direct her and focus my energy on helping her with what she needed to feel comfortable.
Similarly, without learning objectives to guide the design of a learning experience, things can get pretty messy. There may be a lot of information, solid resources, and engaging activities for the learners, but if they don’t understand what they are doing and why they are doing it, then what is the point? Learning objectives focus both the designer and the learner on a clear goal.
Lesson #2: Create a sequence of learning
When Kay showed up to the barn, we brushed down Jumper, her steed for the day. We tightened the cinch of the saddle, slipped a bit into his mouth, and then I gave her a leg up into the saddle. Preparing to ride has a very clear sequence of events because you really can’t start riding until the saddle and bridle are on—not very easily at least. But once she was in the saddle, my plan sort of fell apart. Or my lack of a plan became evident.
Because I didn’t have a goal, I also didn’t have a plan. I didn’t sequence out what the rider needed to know and be able to do before the lesson began so that I could easily direct her.
Sequencing information and activities is vital for a successful learning experience. Learners need to understand where they’re headed (the goal) and how they will get there (the sequence of events). As designers, we must consider a few key things:
What does the learner already know?
What does the learner need to know to reach the goal? And in what order?
What does the learner need to be able to do to show that they reached the goal?
Lesson #3: Clarity is key
Often when we are teaching something we know a lot about—for me, this would be horseback riding—it can be really difficult to clearly explain the nuanced aspects the learner needs to know. Without proper planning, it’s very easy to muddle directions and confuse the heck out of them. Poor Kay. Because I gave her so many directions and reminders at once, she probably couldn’t figure out which to focus on. In hindsight, I’m confident that I overloaded and overwhelmed her with information.
We want our learners to have an uncomplicated learning experience. If we keep our goal and learning sequence in mind, we can structure the experience in such a way that learners will be able to navigate and learn with little difficulty. In addition to this, though, we need to be clear. In both live training—in a riding ring or a conference room—and eLearning experiences, clear language and easy-to-understand visuals are vital. We want to avoid cognitive overload by making the language, graphics, videos, etc., accessible in every way possible.
Lesson #4: Use models and examples
Riding alongside her during Kay’s lesson would have been a smart way to model the best practices of riding. It’s hard to “show” someone how to ride a horse when you’re standing on the ground. Had I been on my own horse, Copper, I could have modeled the positions and cues she needed to start learning in her first lesson.
I’ve found in designing learning experiences that learners have a better experience when they are provided with models and examples of the process and the end result. Using storytelling and scenarios—written or visual—can be a useful way to model skills that learners have been hearing about. Through these examples, learners can see the skills in play. Additionally, providing examples of finished products can be helpful. For example, if learners are being trained to properly complete a TPS report, providing a sample of a correctly completed TPS report can support their understanding of the expectations.
I’m not sure if Kay picked up lessons elsewhere after our first few attempts. I wouldn’t blame her if she did—I was a terrible instructor! Despite trying to channel my supportive childhood trainer, I wasn’t prepared for how difficult it would be to pass on my knowledge and skills to a new rider.
These four lessons are nothing new or profound, but they are foundational elements on which to build a learning experience. Without them, learning might not happen (Sorry, Kay!).