The Creative Concept: Boosting Digital Training

If you believe that an adult can grasp multiple concepts in the short time frame of e-learning, you may not need a concept…

If you’re convinced that a professional or technical subject alone is enough to motivate an adult to learn on their own in front of a computer, you don’t need a concept…

Let’s be realistic: not all digital learning topics are exciting, straightforward, or obvious. On the contrary, many subjects can be dull, disconnected from the learner’s concerns, while others require concentration, analysis, and involve complex knowledge.

The tougher it is, the more the need for a concept becomes essential…

In his book on memorization techniques, Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, Joshua Foer argues that “The general idea behind most memory techniques is to transform something boring that you need to remember into something so colorful, so exciting, and so different from anything you’ve seen before that you can’t possibly forget it.“

Indeed, by significantly enhancing the impact of a training program, the concept underlying its creation helps to promote learner engagement and adherence throughout the course, as well as their retention of information. Its role is to facilitate the understanding of rules, systems, methods, and processes, and to improve both the quantity and quality of the learner’s memorization. The more complex the subject, the more essential the concept becomes. Conceptual approaches are widely used in inductive pedagogy and simulation.

What is a concept?

For Deleuze, the concept has a very specific function: “Even in philosophy, we only create concepts in response to problems that we consider poorly understood or poorly posed.” The concept serves to frame and solve a problem and is always relative to the problem it is meant to address.

A concept is designed to endure over time. It can serve as the common thread for a series of educational units (modules or sequences). Its purpose is to support the entire learning journey.

It can also be used over a specific period (such as the duration of a program or a training plan for a year). In this case, it strengthens the overall coherence of the training offered, instills a sense of purpose, and unites the training teams under a common “banner.”

How do you recognize a concept?

A concept must be original and relevant, capable of transcending the training objectives by offering a creative idea that will be developed throughout the course. Ideally, it should allow for a dual interpretation that conveys the values of the training organization while reflecting the key messages to be retained. To achieve this, the concept should be based on a relevant representative element, which could be related to current events, symbolism, a stance, an attitude, a social issue, or a trend. It can be original through its title, graphic style, spokesperson (real or virtual), tone, or unique angle. The key is to be consistent with the content of the training and memorable.

Why develop creative concepts in training?

Developing creative concepts is essential in training because they help create programs that capture the audience’s attention. Creative concepts help identify a central idea that ties the entire program together and connect with the audience more effectively by finding big ideas that resonate with them. At Audace, all custom training programs undergo a brainstorming session with the creative teams to imagine and propose a creative concept that generates positive emotions.

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