The Problem With the Post-Course Future

I'm all for moving beyond the reflex to build another course. I've seen enough content dumps dressed up as learning to last a lifetime. But sometimes our industry's pendulum swings so hard that we replace one bad default with another.

Not every problem needs a course

If people forget a rarely used procedure, a job aid may beat a sixty-minute module. If the workflow is broken, no amount of instruction will repair it. If managers reward the wrong behavior, training alone won't fix the incentive. That's why performance diagnosis comes first.

Some problems really do require structured learning

A novice may need sequenced explanations, guided practice, corrective feedback and opportunities to build judgment safely before facing high-stakes situations. Some capabilities benefit from sustained instruction rather than a tip delivered at the moment of need. We shouldn't pretend these needs vanish because an AI assistant can retrieve an answer. Retrieving information is not the same as developing fluency, recognition or judgment.

The system matters more than the format

A good solution may combine instruction, scenarios, job aids, manager coaching, spaced reinforcement and on-the-job feedback. The course is one component, not the whole strategy. So yes, challenge course-first thinking. But don't turn post-course into another slogan that lets us skip diagnosis. Ask what people need to do, where they struggle, and what kind of support will actually change the outcome. I'd rather be right about the problem than fashionable about the format.