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include “evaluation”, and sometimes even a bit of “entertainment”. But I now believe that one of the key pieces that the “e” in eLearning stands for is “empathy”. We must create a conscious design process that empathizes with the realities of individuals, whether they are learning virtually, in person, or in a hybrid way.
A perfect example of this “aha” is the frustration that many people feel with the impacts of distance learning on K-12 students around the world. One report stated that there are over 1.8 billion students who are now learning in a distributed fashion. I’m amazed and so grateful that we’ve had tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and WebEx, plus a whole range of other digital tools that have allowed teachers and students (sometimes with the help of parents) to connect.
I’m not sure that we understand the need to have empathy as part of our design process. So many wonderfully curious and engaged students weren’t used to spending hour after hour in front of a screen going over content, because the magic of the classroom and of the school was often that they had opportunities to be heard and share empathy with their teachers, with aids who helped in the classroom, and certainly with other students. So, I think we found from the K-12 arena that you can’t do distance or virtual learning without a design that is sensitive and empathetic to what people are experiencing. My takeaway is that every learning design must have a built-in dimension of empathy.
: When empathy is aimed at employees in the workforce or workplace, what does it do for those who receive it, and what does empathy do for those who give it?
: If I receive empathy from someone else, I feel:
• Heard
• Seen
• Honored
• Connected
In those words is the fact that empathy can be powerful and helpful – even when I disagree with someone, even when I’m less engaged, even when I might turn off my video camera. If I feel a sense of empathy, it builds what Stephen M.R. Covey would say is one of the most important things in our lives, which is TRUST. I think when somebody extends empathy to me, I feel trusted and accepted, and it opens up the door for me to have the important business transactions of that experience.
A good out-of-the-box example is when you call your credit card company because something shows up on your bill that costs more than you thought it should. It seems to be a mistake. When you call that customer service rep and they are empathetic to you, even if in the end they can’t give you what you want, your trust level goes up, the process goes better, and you can breathe deeper.
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