Why Your Next Course Should Teach Half as Much (But Twice as Well)
I was in a live session of a course recently when I noticed something that bothered me.
The instructor kept introducing new concepts, new frameworks, and new ideas one after another. They touched on writing style, translation between mediums, and various theoretical approaches—all while the participants hadn't yet mastered the fundamentals of simply writing consistently.
Are you seeing the problem?
It's a mistake I see again and again: confusing quantity of content with quality of teaching.
The Myth of "More Is Better" Teaching
Many course creators believe that to provide value, they need to teach more concepts. They think that by cramming in additional frameworks, techniques, and ideas, they're giving their students "more bang for their buck."
But here's the truth: By teaching more, you actually teach worse.
The more concepts you load into a small space, the worse you are as a teacher. You're not giving students the opportunity to truly master anything before moving on to the next shiny idea.
What Students Actually Need
What students need isn't more content—it's more practice of fewer concepts.
In my courses, I typically teach no more than one core concept per week. But here's the key: I provide 4-5 different exercises around that single concept.
And you know what? I've never had a student complain about this pacing. Instead, I get feedback like:
"I feel so confident now that I've really mastered this one thing."
"I love how we build on skills week after week rather than jumping all over the place."
Angles of Practice: The Secret to Repetition Without Boredom
Now, you might be thinking: "But Rodney, won't students get bored doing the same thing over and over?"
That's where "angles of practice" comes in—a brilliant concept I learned from Sean D'Souza.
When I was learning karate, my instructors understood this instinctively. We didn't just stand in place doing the same kick 100 times (though we did some of that). Instead, we:
Practiced kicks while standing still
Used kicks during controlled sparring sessions
Performed kicks against blocking pads
Executed kicks from different positions (high, medium, low)
Combined kicks in different sequences
By the end of class, we had performed hundreds of kicks—but we weren't bored because we approached the practice from different angles.
How This Applies to Your Course
When I teach writing, I apply this concept to each individual skill. For example, when teaching idea generation, we don't just do it once and move on. We:
Generate ideas for work topics
Generate ideas for personal projects
Generate ideas under time constraints
Generate ideas collaboratively
Generate ideas starting from different prompts
Then we move on to the next skill, like outlining, and apply the same principle—practicing that specific skill from multiple angles before advancing.
Each exercise reinforces the same fundamental skill, but the variety keeps students engaged while building true mastery.
The Real Mistake Course Creators Make
The mistake many course creators make is thinking: "I have 8 weeks, so I'll fill that with as many concepts as I have time for."
Instead, what if you thought: "I have 8 weeks to help my students truly master 3-4 essential skills through varied, deliberate practice."
Which approach do you think will produce more capable students?
This Applies to Any Course Length
Whether your course is 4 weeks or 12 weeks long, this principle remains the same. The more weeks you have, the more tempting it becomes to add additional concepts—but resist that urge.
More time should mean deeper mastery of core skills, not a broader but shallower curriculum. Use the additional weeks to approach the same fundamental skills from new angles, building true confidence in your students.
The Counterintuitive Truth
The truth is counterintuitive: To teach better, teach less.
Focus on fewer concepts, but explore them more deeply through varied practice. Your students will thank you as they experience real mastery instead of superficial exposure to dozens of ideas.
Before you go...
Want to create a focused, results-driven course without overwhelming your students (or yourself)? Check out The Atomic Course Blueprint.
While it doesn't specifically cover angles of practice, it does show you how to:
Identify your core teaching objective
Shape your content for maximum clarity
Structure your course for optimal learning
Create the foundation you need before designing effective practice exercises
Still here? I love that. One thing you can do for me is reply to this email and tell me: What's one skill you've truly mastered through repeated practice? I'd love to hear about your experience.
Such important insight here, Rodney. I also see too many courses packed with content - it’s a turn off and I often end up abandoning the course due to overwhelm.