The Four Gaps
When planning a course, many creators ask: “What should my course be about?” But, in actuality, that’s the wrong question. The right question is:
“Which gap in what market can I serve best?”
Understanding the four key gaps in online learning will help you design courses that meet real learner needs.
1. Knowledge Gaps
- Occur when learners lack specific information they need.
- Example: Learning how to use a fireplace flu opener by watching a YouTube tutorial.
- Another example: Learning the vocabulary of a new language.
- Many online courses are designed to fill knowledge gaps—they provide missing information.
- Knowledge gaps are the easiest to understand and address.
2. Skill Gaps
- Occur when learners know what to do but lack the ability to perform the skill effectively.
- Require practice, repetition, and effort—not just information.
- Example: Buying Chuck Norris workout equipment but failing to use it consistently. The gap wasn’t knowledge but the ability to build and sustain the skill.
- Another example: Eddie the Eagle knew about ski jumping but needed practice to master the sport.
- Skill gaps demand courses that emphasize doing, not just teaching.
3. Context Gaps
- Occur when learners understand something in one setting but struggle to apply it in another.
- Example: A programmer moving from C to PHP faces a new context despite already knowing programming fundamentals. Books like C for Java Programmers bridge this gap.
- Another example: A confident boardroom presenter struggling on a stage with 500 diverse audience members. Bridging the gap requires new communication strategies.
- Pixar provides a great model—crafting content that resonates differently with children and adults at the same time.
- Solving context gaps involves building semantic bridges to explain how and why things are different in the new context.
4. Motivation Gaps
- The most overlooked but most powerful gap to solve.
- Occur when learners know what to do, have the skills, and understand the context—but lack the drive to act.
- Example: Knowing it’s healthy to stand up every hour, but not doing it due to lack of motivation.
- Solutions include:
- Accountability
- Group connection
- External drivers that “pull” learners into action
- Common in coaching, health, and wellness programs, where accountability groups or coaches close the motivation gap.
Why This Matters
By understanding the four gaps—knowledge, skill, context, and motivation—you can design courses that address the right learner problem. Each market segment values different gaps, and identifying which one you serve best ensures your course stands out and delivers real results.
Tip: Before building your course, ask not “What do I want to teach?” but “Which gap do I want to close for my learners?”