If It Doesn’t Connect, It Doesn’t Matter!
“It is not the subject per se which is educative or that is conducive to growth. The subject matter of the learner is the starting point.”
John Dewey, Experience and Education (1938)
This powerful quote by John Dewey came alive for me during a recent experience. It reminded me that content, no matter how polished, only becomes meaningful when it connects with the learner’s world.
A few months into a project I had joined mid-way, I was handed a course that appeared nearly complete. The team behind it was experienced, the syllabus looked robust, and everything seemed on track. But as I reviewed the materials, something felt off.
The examples used throughout the course were borrowed from an entirely different industry, one that had little in common with the learners' actual day-to-day roles.
It was like trying to teach pilots how to navigate using maps made for city drivers. Sure, both involve direction, but the context couldn’t have been more different.
Chew (2007, p. 74) defines examples as “any specific instance, illustration, or activity that is a representation of a concept.”
In practice, examples are meant to simplify complex information, making it easier for learners to understand and apply knowledge in real-world situations.
Examples fail when they are:
👉 Too abstract or complex
👉 Disconnected from the learner’s context
👉 Overly technical or unfamiliar
A strong example should be simple, relevant, and familiar, leveraging the learner’s existing knowledge to reduce cognitive load. In other words, a good example doesn’t just explain, it resonates.
But relevance isn’t just about familiarity. The learning objective remains central. An example must serve that objective while staying true to the learner’s reality.
🤔 What are we really trying to achieve?
🤔 Who is this training for?
🤔 Which examples actually help learners perform better in their roles?
🤔 And importantly, how do these choices affect our organisation’s credibility and reputation?
Because meaningful learning isn’t about ticking boxes.
