Addition & Subtraction - LxD Edition

Just like manufacturing, there are 2 ways of designing learning experiences -

• Additive learning experiences

• Subtractive learning experiences

Let’s unpack them further!

Additive Learning Experiences

These are learning experiences where with every iteration, you add more things - an bonus article, a new video, an additional topic.

Additive learning experiences work with the MVP approach - the first iteration just gets the job done. And with every iteration, more and more problems get solved.

Example:

A cooking course for beginners

• V1: 5 cook-along sessions

• V2: 5 cook-along sessions + 2 peer cook-along sessions

• V3: 5 cook-along sessions + 2 peer cook-along sessions + 1 repository for recipes

Subtractive Learning Experiences

These are learning experiences where with every iteration, you subtract some things.

Subtractive learning experiences work with the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) approach. The first iteration is maximalist. With every iteration you double down on things that work well and remove things that don’t.

Example:

A writing course for beginners

• V1: 5 online sessions + 2 peer mentoring sessions + 2 article per week

• V2: 4 online sessions + 1 peer mentoring session + 2 article per week

• V3: 2 online sessions + Async peer mentoring + 1 article per week

Additive and subtractive methods are not always mutually exclusive. A lot of times they might work in tandem - you add certain things and you remove some other things to make sure that the learning experience is improving over time.

Be aware of what is needed at what time! When it comes to learning experiences - less is always more :)