1. Start from the goal
Decide: what should learners be able to do at the end, and how will you know they can?
An XR lesson is easy to fill with impressive content. A clear goal is what keeps it focused. Everything you build should serve it, and what doesn't serve it can go.
1.1 Write the goal as one observable action
Do
- Write one sentence that starts with "Learners can…", followed by an action you can see: assemble, set up, find, explain, choose. Avoid verbs you can't observe, like know or understand.
- Add where and how well: on the real device or only in the headset; with help or alone; in any time or within a time limit.
- Keep the sentence where you see it while building. Check every step against it.
In ALF: the goal is the lesson's purpose, so give the lesson a name that says it. The scene's file name becomes the button text in the main menu.
Avoid: goals that describe the content ("Learners learn about the machine") instead of what learners do.
Why: learning works best when the goal, the activities and the check all aim at the same action at the same level. Constructive Alignment (Biggs).
1.2 Decide how you'll check the goal, before you build
Do
- List what an expert would watch for when a learner does the task: the critical actions, their order, and the safety points.
- Use this list as the final check of the lesson, ideally on the real object.
- Mark the items on the list where beginners usually go wrong. Those steps get the most support later.
In ALF: the checklist is used outside ALF, in the last stage. Inside ALF, it tells you which steps need the most help (see Plan the support) and where to warn about mistakes (see Plan for mistakes).
Avoid: checking something else than you practised, for example a written test for a hands-on skill.
Why: planning backwards from the evidence keeps the whole lesson on target. Backward design (Wiggins & McTighe), Constructive Alignment.
1.3 Know what kind of goal it is
Different goals need different lessons. Find the row that fits your goal best:
| Learners should… | Example, in general terms | The lesson should mainly… |
|---|---|---|
| Carry out a fixed procedure | Same steps, same order, every time | Show it done, then let learners practise with less and less help, until they do it fluently. |
| Solve a task with decisions | Find a fault, choose a method, adapt to the situation | Offer varied cases, ask "what would you do?", and show how an expert reasons. |
| Understand how something works | Explain, predict or reason about a system | Let learners predict, try and observe, then explain the difference. |
| Recognise and tell apart | Name parts, spot defects, distinguish states | Compare similar cases side by side, and let learners choose from look-alikes. |
| Follow rules and act safely | Behave correctly in a risky or critical situation | Give the reason behind every rule and show the consequences safely. |
Many lessons combine two, for example understand first and then carry out. Plan the understanding part first.
In ALF: Let learners act lists the tools for each kind of goal. Which tool for which teaching goal gives a quick overview.
Why: each type of learning outcome needs its own teaching strategy. Component Display Theory (Merrill), 4C/ID (van Merriënboer & Kirschner), revised Bloom taxonomy.
1.4 Show the whole before the parts
Do
- Begin the lesson with an overview: what learners will do, why it matters, and what the finished result looks like.
- Show the whole system or the whole task once, before going into details.
In ALF
- An exploded view that opens at the first step shows how a machine is built.
- A short video on the first instruction panel: Write the instructions: Video.
- A video screen by the entrance, for an introduction that stays in the room.
The learner experiences: they know where they're going before the first instruction, and can place each step in the bigger picture.
Avoid: starting straight with step 1 of the procedure.
Why: new knowledge sticks better when it can be hung onto an overview given beforehand. Advance organiser (Ausubel), Gagné's nine events (gain attention, state the objective, recall prior knowledge).