While the thought of a PHD looms in the distance, my current work allows me another angle of learning. How do I create learning that goes beyond fulfilling an imposed requirement from management? As I pick up my next project, transitioning employees to the new Windows 7 Operating System, how do I belie their fears of losing a system they knew well and use daily to complete tasks? Simply explaining how this new system is better isn't helpful. Comparing what they have with what they will now have can benefit the learner, but it seems to overlook the fear associated with new anything.

One of my favorite blogger, Nick Shackleton-Jones suggests consideration of a Care Curve in this September post. He looks beyond the traditional approach and performance consulting view to improve learner understanding, and looks toward a new (at least to me) approach. His approach examines the affective context and maps patterns of concern. I understand his Care Curve to have two foundational aspects when designing learning. In addition to the tasks learners need to perform, the care curve will:
1. explain why the tasks matter to the individual and
2. highlight challenges that may be overlooked when focusing on tasks.

Mr. Shackleton-Jones uses the first day of school as an example. How do you provide learning for this? The history of the school, the pedigree of the principal, the length of the school year don't seem to matter to a new student on the first day of school. The key is fitting in, not making a fool of oneself.

So, my next step is how do I weave the Care Curve into the Windows 7 Transition? Personally, I know how excruciating it is to search for a file when someone is waiting for it or watching me. Equally high on my affective scale, is not knowing how to do something I used to do routinely and not being able to figure it out, like saving to My Documents (non-existent in Windows 7).

I think I'll play the piano when I return home tonight. The Care Curve was a large part of my learning this instrument. I remember my mother explaining the importance of practice because some day I could play in church. This was very motivational for me. And to Nick's second point, I still look for pieces with the least number of sharps and flats!