Didactic Learning
When you hear this term, think recipe which usually includes a step-by-step instruction set. Didactic learning is a prescriptive process, typically including a numbered list of actions. At one time or another, all of us have responded positively to such an instruction set. What's better than knowing exactly what our next step should be? Structure can be reassuring.
The best boss I ever had was a didactic learner. I would hand him a set of instructions to follow precisely and it would produce guaranteed results every time. Somehow, by following the process, he would come to insights into how the technology worked as a whole. I don't understand how that process works intellectually but I've seen it in many of my students.
Conversely, it doesn't work for everyone. My boss would often ask me, “Why not just write a whole bunch of instruction sets like you've done for me and simplify the training process?” And I would tell him, “Because not everyone learns the way you do.”
Tips for designing for the didactic learner include:
1. Be precise, be accurate and use the exact terminology of the technology you are covering.
2. Limit the number of steps. Creating an instruction set with 132 bullet points is overwhelming; break it into several discrete activities if many steps are involved.
3. Describe the results that will occur every step of the way to help the student verify if he or she has completed the step correctly.
4. Use brief visuals (screen shots) along the way to help students know what they're looking for.