12 Tips For Using ARCS In Employee Training

 

12 Tips For Using ARCS In Employee Training

Keeping learners motivated can be a challenge, especially in distance learning. Find out how to use the ARCS learning model to create motivating, high-impact employee training programs.

One thing I'll take away from this pandemic is a deep dislike of online meetings. Sorry, Zoom, but there's nothing quite so distracting as staring at your own face in a little box for an hour straight while trying to listen to a rotating lineup of other people in tiny boxes, some of whom are rocking a beach background or commanding the helm of the Enterprise.

I've developed a terrible habit, a kind of mental tick, of trying to piece together the real room behind someone's wallpaper by staring at the gaps around their headphones.

Needless to say, none of this helps me pay attention to the material, no matter how interesting and relevant to my life.

Holding someone's attention through an important meeting or class is every instructor's Everest, but it is especially difficult in a remote setting. It's in the very word "remote," as in "I am not remotely interested."

Fortunately, there are tricks to help you get and keep your audience's attention, no matter how distant. Many are encapsulated in the ARCS model of motivation, arguably the most comprehensive model out there for captivating a captive audience.

ARCS is a treasure trove of ideas for spicing up your employee training no matter how you're delivering it. And that's well worth your full attention since a dynamic employee development program can enhance employee engagement and even boost retention.

Here's a deep dive into ARCS and what it can do for your company training program.

Overview: What is the ARCS model?

ARCS is an instructional design theory developed by educational psychologist John Keller that focuses on motivating students to learn. ARCS is an acronym for four components of motivation: Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction.

Keller posited ARCS as a motivational design theory, noting that instructional design is focused on enhancing learning effectiveness rather than motivation. The two go hand in hand, however, since learning cannot happen without attention and motivation.

You can apply ARCS to any learning setting, whether remote, in-person, or asynchronous.

The 4 categories of the ARCS model

These are the four key components of the ARCS model along with subcategories proposed by Keller. We'll take a look at each subcategory and provide tactics for addressing them in the next section.

Attention

You can't teach a thing until you have your students' full attention. Keller's theory proposed that attention is driven by perceptual arousal, inquiry arousal, and variability.

Relevance

Students are naturally motivated by subjects that relate to their personal lives, ambitions, and desires. This includes goal orientation, motive matching, and familiarity. More on those below.

Confidence

Learners can't stay motivated if they don't believe they're capable of mastering the subject. Keller proposed that confidence is built by learning requirements, success opportunities, and personal control.

Satisfaction

Learners are also motivated by satisfying experiences, which Keller breaks down into intrinsic reinforcement, extrinsic reward, and equity.

How to utilize the ARCS model to motivate employees

Let's walk through each of the elements mentioned above -- Keller’s 12 subcategories of motivation -- and examine strategies for using them to engage employees in your company training programs.

All of these strategies will be easier to implement with a learning management system (LMS) such as Canvas.

A learning management system (LMS) can help you deliver more engaging courses. Image source: Author

1. Perceptual arousal

Perceptual arousal simply means grabbing your learners' attention. This could involve:

An ice breaker that engages learners personally

A humorous anecdote

A story connecting to the lesson

An intriguing physical object

A brief video

An arresting photo

Surprising statistics

Counterintuitive facts

Arguments and conflicts

The key here is interest. An ice breaker that asks everyone to tell their names, while it introduces the participants, isn't all that captivating. Look for an opening that disarms, charms, or alarms your learners into paying attention.

2. Inquiry arousal

Inquiry arousal means making your learners curious about your subject. Some tactics for this include:

Ask students to brainstorm solutions to a problem.

Let them role-play relevant scenarios.

Provide hands-on activities to illustrate concepts.

Pose thoughtful questions.

Inquiry learning techniques involve your students in critical thinking and problem-solving, which is inherently engaging.

3. Variability

Variety really does spice things up. By varying your delivery methods throughout the course, you can keep your learners engaged with the material. Some examples include:

Break courses into microlearning units.

Use a mixture of video, text, and other media.

Intersperse polls and quizzes throughout the lesson.

Include interactive elements such as skills practice.

Use social learning tools such as discussions and forums.

LMSes are especially useful for including a variety of learning experiences in your courses.

Interactive elements such as flip cards can make online learning more engaging. Image source: Author

4. Goal orientation

It's human nature to hone in on anything that relates to us personally. You can demonstrate the relevance of your material to your students' lives with these tactics:

Ask questions about your learners' goals.