Introduction

The 4 Mat model of instruction design as an important model of learning design and was discussed in my previous blog. We will revisit the model along with few interesting case studies in this blog.

4 Mat Model Revisited

In my previous article on Using 4 Mat Model for Creating Engaging Digital Learning Experience, I had presented the following:

The 4 Mat model was propounded by Dr. Bernice McCarthy’s that talks about learning styles and behaviorism in a concrete manner. 4 Mat attempts to take advantage of the learning styles (as explained in Kolb’s model) to achieve better learning outcomes.

The model integrates 4 parts of the learning cycle and can be illustrated as below:

Case Study 2: Risk Management Using 4 Mat And Discovery Method

In this course, we used the 4 Mat Model to teach the topic of risk management. The course starts with a scenario which addresses the “Why” part of the 4 Mat model. The scenario sets the context as to why the learners need to know the importance of risk management in an organization and what is their role in mitigating organization and department level risks.

The what and how part of the course was presented using a gamification strategy. Instead of directly presenting the what are various risks in an organization and how to mitigate them, we presented the learners with a series of challenges in each level of the course. Upon attempting the challenges, the actual content was presented. We used the discovery method of teaching the “what” and “how” of risk management to keep the learners hooked throughout the course.