Analyzing Types of Target Learners – What attracts their attention?

May 25, 2015

Learners can be categorize in various ways. From where the type of target learners my job focuses on, I choose to categorize as "Children", "Teenagers" & "Adults".

So “what” attracts their attention? What does it take to ensure that these people get attracted to the elearning materials?

Let’s look at some of the perceptions on personalities/characteristics of these categories of learners:

1) Children – Impatient, prefer fun, simple minded, gets bored easily, like visuals, like sounds

2) Teenagers – Liked to be challenge, likes trendy stuff, likes interactivity, likes rough visuals and complex sounds

3) Adults – Pragmatic

With the above perceptions, you can easily choose the most appropriate and available media/medium to create elearning materials for them.

My two-cents worth: I've start to realize as an adult myself, that is: I don't mind going through an elearning that is "fun & simple", "challenging & interactive", "trendy", "appealing visuals", "audible sounds" AND "pragmatic". My point is, it doesn't mean that an adult learner is attracted to elearning materials that is pragmatic, this adult was both a child and teenage before, his/her preferences still lies within.

So, keep in mind of the elearning materials that you create, the target learner (adult) has always a child and teenage in him/her :)

https://life-saver.org.uk/ [Extremely attractive & interactive instructional learning video]

2 Replies
Tom Kuhlmann

Good points. I like that interactive video example, it was demo'd at a recent conference. Two quick observations:

  • a project like this that works well and looks great typically requires a budget to create them; however it is possible with a good script and simple video equipment (but it does require more production time)
  • this would be relatively easy to assemble in Storyline (assuming the media assets are available)

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