Sometimes, simpler is better

This isn't actually a post about innovation, but it is an opinion about technology, and blogs are all about opinion, so here goes.

Sometimes, the simplest, less technological way to do something is the best. And as you may have guessed, this thought came as a result of direct experience. I have been looking for jobs for a while, while also considering self-employment, and the process can be quite time-consuming and exhausting. Many, perhaps most, institutions of higher education as well as other organizations have gone to online applications in recent years. For those who have not experienced this, let me tell you, it can take a lot of time. You complete page after page of information, often filling in one job at a time, one degree at a time, answering questions, submitting demographic info, etc. It can hours to complete one application--particularly if their system is awkward in its functionality. When you are doing this for multiple positions and multiple places, along with a cover letter, it can become a full time job just looking for a job.

Then there are those places that simply want you to upload or email a cover letter and your resume. Write the letter, attach your resume, send. Simple. Done.

What does this have to do with DL, besides the fact that I just wanted to complain out loud about this issue? Sometimes (most of the time?) simple is better in DL too. Is it easier to create a form for students to complete or simply have them attach a Word document? Is a complicated animated demonstration necessary or will a simple PDF document do? The answer, of course, depends on each individual situation, but my point is: sometimes, simpler is better.