Ways Of Making Soft Skills More Concrete In eLearning
As a training vendor, we see clients across every industry. But despite the differences, their content falls into two main categories: Highly-technical and detailed content (how to properly extrude dog food, how to correctly code hospital procedures and diagnoses, etc.) and the more abstract soft-skill content (how to be a better leader, how to foster interpersonal skills, etc.). When it comes to soft skills, the challenge is to make abstract concepts more relevant for our learners, especially when delivered as eLearning. By making soft skills more concrete than abstract, we can give our learners more mastery of this content and make the learning more engaging.
So what strategies do we have to bring soft skills and other concepts like that into focus?
Anchoring The Abstract
One of the reason things like “Leadership Skills” or “Management Skills” seem so abstract is because, on the face of it, there’s nothing about those words that a learner can immediately visualize in concrete terms. They may picture a boss heading a board meeting, or a football coach in a huddle, and while these ideas are good examples, there’s not feasible way to tie these ideas to learning objectives.
So the first thing we must do when teaching abstract concepts is to put it into words we can understand. Classify what class the concept falls under, and how it is different from similar concepts within that class. For example, consider what distinguishes leadership from something like time management. Provide examples and non-examples to further specify what the concept is. Draw analogies from real-world experiences.
Seeing The Big Picture
After putting these abstract concepts into concrete terms on a page, we can take this process of making soft skills more concrete further by adding a visual element. Consider how a timeline or a process flowchart can more easily summarize what takes a paragraph to explain, or can more readily demonstrate how multiple concepts are interconnected.
For example, you could show how developing interpersonal skills can impact an organization’s culture through a network graphic that connects the dots between different departments and teams. You could show how leadership is an umbrella that contains numerous subskills such as conflict resolution, setting clear expectations, and developing skills in others. If the concept in question can be made more concise, more complete, or more connected through visuals, this will help make it feel less abstract or ambiguous.
Making Soft Skills More Concrete: Taking It Further
The strategies discussed so far aren’t unique to eLearning – in fact, many textbooks already use things like flowcharts and timelines to illustrate abstract ideas. What eLearning brings to the table is to make the learning process more personalized and learner-driven.
Let’s use the previous example of a network graphic for demonstrating interpersonal skills. Instead of having a static image, you could implement a graphic that reveals more connections over time, driven by learners clicking each hub. While the concepts are same, an interactive graphic is better at making the connections in the learner’s mind, as the steps are understood individually, and visual aspect of growth is made more apparent.
Most (if not all) of these abstract concepts will require learners to apply these skills to their daily work, but since these concepts are abstract, the immediate application is not always clear for learners. Through interactive application activities such as branching scenarios, the transition from course to work can become smoother.
Through scenario activities, learners can practice making choices for hypothetical situations and see the outcomes in real time, allowing them to practice the concepts they’ve learned while giving them autonomy and freedom of choice. Another possible strategy would be a game that challenges learners to make sound decisions or lead under pressure. Gamification can increase learner engagement and drive, even if it’s dealing in abstract concepts.
Ultimately, there are many ways to make the abstract more concrete for learners. By putting these abstract concepts in context through definitions and examples, using visual elements to make concepts more concise, and by using eLearning strategies to increase learner engagement, your learners will more easily be able to master abstract skills.
Read more about why soft skills matter to your customers in AllenComm’s ebook Engaged Employees Provide the Best Customer Experience. Learn why focusing on employee engagement drives loyalty and advocacy, and how teaching these kinds of abstract concepts is possible through eLearning.
