No more guesswork! This topic delves into the real science of how brains learn (minus the PhD jargon) and how to apply those principles effectively in training design. Expect explorations of cognitive load, memory, motivation, and evidence-based techniques that genuinely work.
As a trainer, it can be tempting to try and solve everything using your weapon of choice…training. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Most professions with a particular focus, view the world’s problems through that lens. Surgeons want to fix people by cutting out the problem. Psychiatrists want to solve problems by medicating the problem. Bakers […]
Ever heard of Subsumption Theory referenced in an eLearning context? Essentially, it’s a theory that refers to the way learners absorb new information. David Ausubel, an educational Psychologist, introduced this theory in the 1960s—which pivots on the thought that learners can learn more effectively if new information is tied in with their current knowledge base. […]
Professors Edward Deici and Richard Ryan are the founders of the Self-Determination Theory, which is a motivation theory based around the human’s natural behavior to act in effective ways. This theory is well-loved. It’s referenced in training, sports, education, health—you name it. Why? Because it helps us better understand how to motivate people, and motivation […]
When it comes to eLearning, you can either use positive or negative feedback to keep them on track. Both are useful, but in this post, we’ll focus on using positive reinforcement. Why? Because we like reinforcement that cheers the learner on—it says, “Hey, nice job—keep up the good work!” rather than, “That’s wrong dummy, try […]
In 1971, Robert J. House shared his Path-Goal Theory. Basically, it means that in order for leaders to be effective, they need to encourage and support their students so that they feel comfortable in the learning environment. The very technical definition is here. This theory is valuable for eLearning designers because it identifies four leadership […]
Flow theory impacts eLearning in a big way. The name hints at why. The theory, created by Mihaly Csikzentmihaly (say that five times fast), focuses on the mental state of learners during education and the state in which intrinsic motivation occurs. Flow happens when the learner is actively engaged and learning is happening in a […]
While psychology does play a major part in effective eLearning design, there are a few myths we’ve seen floating around that we think should be debunked. And since psychology is such a major part of learning any subject, it’s important to know fact vs. fiction. In this post, we’ll take a hard look at some […]
As we here at ThinkingKap continue on with the Designing for The Greater Good project-course we’re trying out, this week’s module focused on designing the instructional experience. This week, we focused on Dr. David Merrill and his philosophy, the First Principles of Instruction. The main objective for us was to create eLearning courses that follow […]
If you’re just getting started with learning Instructional Design, your goal is probably to soak up as much information as you can. Knowledge is power—and in this instance, there’s a lot to learn. While it can be intimidating to approach such a large volume of educational resources, over time, you can begin to refine your […]
In this post, we’ll look at the roadblocks, the benefits, and a few best practices for adult learners and technology.
The theory of constructivism is based around observation and scientific study on how people learn. Within this theory, learning is viewed as model constructed by the learner, which is different for each individual.
When research from this field is leveraged in an eLearning context, we can create courses that take into consideration the way adult minds process and interpret new information.
Malcolm Knowles released his book The Modern Practice of Adult Education in 1970—but the lessons we can learn from there are still as relevant as ever. In this post, we’ll look at how we can leverage adult learning theory to create eLearning courses that are designed specifically for the mind of an adult trainee. Andragogy […]
You want to build a fantastic eLearning course that helps your learners become well-trained employees, right? Right. In order to do that, you need to be sure the material you’re teaching is memorable. Literally—it needs to be committed to a learner’s memory. So how can you create courses that your learners remember? Let’s look at […]
It’s important to remember that great eLearning is a product of much more than graphics and content from SMEs or clients—it requires knowledge of how the adult mind learns and interprets information. Psychology plays a major role in learning theory, and more specifically, Gestalt Theory is one pertinent topic that relates to eLearning. Let’s look […]
When faced with a new set of material, an Instructional Designer has to ask the question, “How can I make this material interactive and engaging?” Why ask this question? Because research shows that interactive learning—that is, the learning focused around telling, showing, and letting the user get hands-on—is one of the most effective ways to […]
When building an eLearning course, it can be tempting to do a full-on information dump and completely overload your learners with too much information. After all, have you ever heard a SME admit that any related content wasn’t critically important? However, as you probably guessed, this isn’t an effective approach to education. This brings us […]
Different types of eLearning require different levels of interactivity. Some are just needed to share generic information, while some need to really engage learners with material that can be transformed into hands-on training. Before you begin designing and developing a new eLearning course, be sure to identify which eLearning treatment level your course needs to […]
