Course Creation Crap: Learning Design for Business with Dr. Catrina Mitchum

04: BS Breakthrough: Do you need to re-record your videos, or is there a deeper problem?

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Sometimes the question you've been stuck on isn't actually the problem. In this BS Breakthroughs episode, Dr. Catrina Mitchum unpacks her recent conversation with speaking coach Mike McQuillan, who came in asking about video production quality and walked out building an entirely different course for a brand new audience. If your course isn't doing what you hoped it would, this one is worth your time.


What We Work Through

  • Why the question you're asking about your course might be a symptom, not the real problem
  • What it looks like when one course is trying to do three different jobs at once, and why that's a losing situation for everyone
  • How drastically different audiences (think: busy gym owners vs. college athletes with zero margin for error) require courses built from scratch, not retrofitted versions of something that already exists
  • Why designing around learner constraints, specifically time, energy, and competing priorities, matters more than how much content you can fit into a module
  • Two concrete steps to figure out whether your course has an audience problem, a design problem, or both

    • If you've ever felt like your course isn't working but couldn't quite put your finger on why, Dr. Catrina's breakdown of Mike's situation is probably going to feel familiar. Go back and listen to the full episode with Mike first if you haven't yet, then come back here. The link is in the show notes.


    Referenced in This Episode

    • Episode 3: Mike McQuillan on speaking, storytelling, and presentation skills for solopreneurs


      • Apply to be a guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/RDHPskg81r3GhSd59⁠⁠⁠⁠


      Check out the YouTube channel:

      https://www.youtube.com/@coursecreatorplaybook


      Connect with Catrina:

      ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cmlearningdesign.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

      LinkedIn: ⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design⁠⁠

      Subscribe to my ⁠⁠⁠⁠Cut the Course Creation Crap Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠


      Music credit: Alex Mitchum

      Alex, Catrina's youngest brother, was a jazz guitarist and his family established a scholarship in his name at his alma mater. Please consider donating: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.alexmitchum.com/scholarship⁠

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      Course Creation Crap: Learning Design for Business with Dr. Catrina MitchumBy Dr. Catrina Mitchum