Learning Experience Design for Changemakers

Επεισόδια

• Episode 007: Stop Teaching Everything: The A-to-B Rule Every Course Creator Needs — Why trying to teach it all is quietly sabotaging your learners. 15.07.2026 16λ

  You know your person and what you want to teach them — but do you know exactly where you're taking them? In this episode, Renee breaks down the second stage of the Roots to Canopy framework: turning your teaching sweet spot into one clear, reachable transformation, then mapping the milestones that get your learner there.In this episode:Why "teaching everything" (A to Z) exhausts you and your learner — and what to do insteadHow to define your "A to B": one specific, reachable transformation for this course or offerA simple exercise using your own journey to find your learner's next reachable pointWhat a milestone actually is, and how many your learner's journey needsA full walkthrough: 3 milestones for a public-speaking course, from mindset to practiceWhy action-taking (not passive content) is what makes learning "sticky"How milestones make your own content decisions easier when building or revising a courseTimestamps:0:00 — The mistake that happens right after the roots stage1:00 — Welcome back + recap of Episode 62:00 — A to B, not A to Z: why teaching everything backfires3:00 — Finding your own A to B (a reflection exercise)4:00 — What milestones are: the pit-stop metaphor5:00 — The map metaphor: plotting your learner's journey6:00 — The bridge-and-tunnel metaphor7:00 — Case study: a public-speaking course's 3 milestones9:00 — Why action beats passive learning ("sticky learning")11:00 — A note on accessibility: how to use this episode if you can't pause13:00 — Recap: A to B, milestones, and 10-minute chunking14:00 — What milestones do for you as the designer15:00 — Closing: what's next in the canopy + how to share your A to BResources mentioned:Episode 6 — the Roots stage (finding your teaching sweet spot and your one person)[LINK TO EPISODE 6]If this gave you a clearer next step, follow the show so you don't miss Part 3. Want to share the A-to-B journey you landed on? Reply to any email from Renee with "podcast share" in the subject line — she reads and responds to every one. Not on the newsletter yet? Go to www.reneekoster.com/newsletter and sign up!
• Episode 006: How to Find Your Teaching Sweet Spot in 10 Minutes 08.07.2026 13λ

  A live reflection exercise that turns everything you know into one clear starting point.You know you have something worth teaching — but the second someone asks what your course is actually about, everything comes out at once and it turns into noise. This episode walks you through the exact exercise Renee uses with clients to find the real starting point: the Roots stage of the Roots to Canopy Method.In this episode: Why "more expertise" isn't what's missing — and what actually isThe 2–3 year reflection exercise that instantly surfaces your teaching sweet spotWhy you don't need to be the leading expert, just a few steps aheadHow to name the one person your first offer is actually for (hint: it's not your whole audience)The "cafe test" for understanding how your audience actually consumes what you buildWhy published is better than perfect — and how to pick your first low-tech way to shareHow to tell whether your first piece should be free or paidTimestamps[0:00] Why everything you know isn't a course — it's noise[1:00] Welcome back + recap: backwards design and the birth of Roots to Canopy[2:00] The idea that takes the pressure off: no single offer has to do everything[3:00] The reflection: what would you tell yourself 2–3 years ago?[4:00] That gap is your teaching sweet spot — you don't need to be the leading expert[6:00] Naming the gap in your own words[7:00] Newsletter callout — reneeKoster.com/newsletter[8:00] Finding your one person — the cafe test[10:00] Turning the gap and the person into one small, shareable thing[12:00] Free vs. paid — it's about depth, not length[13:00] Recap: you've already done more than when you hit playResources MentionedNewsletter — reneekoster.com/newsletter (reply with "podcast share" in the subject line to share your reflection)
• Episode 005: How to Design a Learning Experience That Actually Transforms 01.07.2026 11λ

  You have something powerful to teach — but the moment you sit down to design it, the pull toward content takes over. You start listing everything you know, every story, every framework, every caveat. And suddenly it's a wall of water, not a river. This week, Renee shares the origin story of the Roots to Canopy Method: what backwards design gave her, where it left a gap, and the unexpected moment that changed how she designs everything.IN THIS EPISODE:Why even heart-led educators default to content-first design — and why it stalls the learner before they beginWhat Renee discovered in Understanding by Design (Wiggins & McTighe) and why it lit her upThe honest confession: she slid right back into content-first mode when building her own coursesThe gap backwards design doesn't fully solve for generous, heart-led leaders and foundersHow a summit freebie, a blank piece of paper, and a hand-drawn tree became the Roots to Canopy MethodWhat's coming in the next three episodes of this miniseriesYour 60-second listener action: one question to answer before next weekTIMESTAMPS[0:00] Opening — the crashing waves metaphor for content overload[0:45] Welcome and episode intro[1:30] The generous educator's trap: why starting with content fails learners[2:30] Backwards design: the framework that gave me direction[3:30] Understanding by Design — what my instructors taught, and what the book gave me[5:00] The honest confession: I slid back into content-first without realizing it[6:30] The gap: what backwards design doesn't account for[7:00] The summit freebie and the hand-drawn tree that changed everything[8:30] How Roots to Canopy extends, not replaces, backwards design[9:15] Miniseries preview: what's coming in Episodes 006, 007, 008[10:00] Your 60-second listener actionRESOURCES MENTIONEDUnderstanding by Design — Grant Wiggins & Jay McTigheRenee's newsletter: reneekoster.com/newsletterBook a free call: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/audience-outcomesSubscribe so you don't miss Episodes 006–008 of this miniseries. And if something in today's episode landed for you, share it with another heart-led educator who's been trying to design their way out of content overwhelm. Leave a review — it genuinely helps the show reach the people who need it most.
• Episode 004: 3 Things That Make Any Moment a Learning Experience (Podcast, Coaching, Courses) 24.06.2026 10λ

  Have you ever called what you do a course, a program, or a membership — and felt like something was still slightly off? That feeling might be about more than the name. In this episode, Renee Koster gives you a clear, simple definition of a learning experience and explains why the distinction between learning experience design and instructional design actually changes what you build — not just how you label it.In this episode:Why Renee uses "learning experience" instead of "instructional design" — and what that choice reveals about how she designsA simple, one-sentence definition you can use immediatelyThe difference between passive instruction and active experience — with a medical school example that makes it concreteWhy your podcast, coaching sessions, and LinkedIn articles are already learning experiences (whether you've called them that or not)Where a learning experience designer fits in when you've already got the expertiseHow to know if your program is structured the way it should be — and where to get help when it isn'tTimestamps[0:00] Opening — the question Renee gets asked almost every week[1:30] The definition: what a learning experience actually is[2:45] Learning experience vs. instructional design — and why the difference isn't just semantic[4:00] The medical school example: instruction vs. active engagement[5:15] The shift from "what do I need to tell them?" to "what do I need them to do?"[6:00] Learning experiences beyond courses — podcast, video, articles, coaching[6:45] Shoutout to Kim Parkinson, Podcasting for Your Spiritual Business, Episode 65[7:30] Where learning experience designers fit in with subject matter experts[8:30] CTA and preview of Episode 005 — backwards design and the Roots to Canopy MethodResources & LinksNewsletter: reneekoster.com/newsletterKim Parkinson — Podcasting for Your Spiritual Business, Episode 65: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcasting-for-your-spiritual-business/id1814692686?i=1000771845510Episode 002 — Learning experience at the Philadelphia Zoo: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/learning-experience-design-for-changemakers/id1896864819?i=1000771981510If this episode is landing for you and you're looking at something you've already built wondering if it's structured the way it should be, that's exactly what Renee's newsletter is for. Get on the list at reneekoster.com/newsletter — she reads every reply.
• Episode 003: History Is a Mystery: Inside the Morgan Log House With Molly Jobson 17.06.2026 33λ

  A 1774 home, a curious executive director, and the untold stories she's determined to unravel.What does it take to turn a 250-year-old log house into a living, breathing piece of its community? In this episode, Renee sits down with Molly Jobson, executive director of the Morgan Log House, to find out — from her winding path into museum leadership to the food drives and descendant volunteers that keep the house alive today.In this episode:Why Molly's Wisconsin childhood — and a museum called Old World Wisconsin — sparked a lifelong love of historyThe unconventional 15-year career path that took her from a $75-a-week internship to running her own museumHow a Mennonite family's pacifist history shaped Morgan Log House's approach to its own 250th-anniversary programmingWhy “history is a mystery” is more than a motto — it's how Molly gets kids (and skeptical adults) hookedThe food drives, Toys for Tots donations, and descendant volunteers that turn a museum into a true community hubThe rope bed story behind “sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite” — and other moments that make history click for visitorsTimestamps:[0:00] Introduction[2:30] Molly's Love of History[11:00] Career Journey to Morgan Log House[20:30] Morgan Log House & Community[28:30] Favorite A-Ha Moments[32:30] Visit & ConnectAbout the guest:Molly Jobson is the executive director of the Morgan Log House in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, a historic home museum interpreting life from 1774 to 1964. She holds a B.A. in history and anthropology from Ripon College and an M.A. in public and applied history from Southern New Hampshire University. Before joining Morgan Log House in 2023, she held roles at Grey Towers National Historic Site, the Harbor District in Milwaukee, and Historic Bethlehem.Website: www.morganloghouse.orgEmail: director@morganloghouse.orgSocial: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn — search “Morgan Log House”Resources & links mentioned:Old World Wisconsin (open-air museum) — https://oldworldwisconsin.wisconsinhistory.org/Grey Towers National Historic Site — https://www.fs.usda.gov/greytowersHistoric Bethlehem — https://www.historicbethlehem.org/Call to action:If this episode resonated, subscribe to Learning Experience Design for Change Makers and leave a review — it helps more change-makers like Molly find the show.
• Episode 002: Immersive Learning: How to Design for Real Engagement 10.06.2026 14λ

  What a tiger at the Philadelphia Zoo taught me about course designI stood in front of the big cat exhibit at the Philadelphia Zoo and had a full curriculum design realization — and this episode is about what I learned.The Philadelphia Zoo's Zoo360 is a network of trails that lets animals roam freely through the zoo. The day we visited, a tiger was walking past the lunch tables. Ten feet away. And it changed how I think about learning design.Because the zoo didn't have to do that. They could have put up a sign with facts about tiger behavior. Instead, they built an environment — and that's the shift I want you to make in your course, program, or training.In this episode we cover:The difference between an information panel and an immersive environmentWhy "purposeful engagement" is not a quiz bolted on at the endThree concrete ways to design contact into your existing contentA 10-minute engagement audit you can do on your last module todayThe goal isn't for your learners to finish your module. It's for their minds to make real contact with the material. That's when something actually changes.🎙️ Learning Experience Design for Changemakers is for coaches, educators, and nonprofit leaders who have a course, membership, or program out there — and know it can be better.👉 Want a thinking partner for your engagement audit? Book a free Audience & Outcomes call: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/audience-outcomes
• Episode 001: Internship to Impact: How Elise White Is Building Access Through the Let's Change Forward Foundation 02.06.2026 32λ

  What does it look like when someone takes purposeful feedback, applies it in real time, and keeps building? In this inaugural episode of Learning Experience Design for Change Makers, Renee Koster sits down with Elise White — founder and executive director of the Let's Change Forward Foundation, workforce and wellness consultant, and co-host of the Queen Beauty Podcast.Elise shares how a five-day framework challenge sparked immediate, measurable outcomes in her career readiness internship program, what inspired her to launch a nonprofit built around access and connection, and how her Plugged In for Purpose assessment helps people discover their gifts — and actually use them.You'll also hear about the Connection Circle program launching this June, two community partnerships kicking off this month, and why Elise believes feedback isn't criticism — it's a gift.Learn more about the Let's Change Forward Foundation and take the Plugged In for Purpose assessment.
• Welcome to Learning Experience Design for Changemakers 01.06.2026 2λ

  You built something. You know your stuff. And somewhere between your expertise and your learner's transformation, something's getting lost. That's exactly why this podcast exists.In this intro episode, Renee Koster — Learning Experience Designer and Strategist — lays out exactly who this show is for, what makes it different, and what you can expect.This is not a podcast about building fast. It's not about passive income or hustle culture. It's about designing learning experiences that actually transform your learners — one clear milestone at a time.If you're a heart-led entrepreneur, coach, consultant, or nonprofit educator who already has a course, membership, or program out there and knows it could be better — you're in the right place.In this episode:Who this podcast is for (and who it's not)Renee's background and why it shapes a completely different approach to learning designThe core belief that drives every design decision: access to knowledge is a right, not a privilegeWhat's coming up on the showReady for a second set of eyes on your learning experience? Book a call with Renee: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/audience-outcomes