Let Learners Sleep on It

As kids, many of us resisted bedtime. As adults, many of us wish we could get more sleep. For those in the midst of learning something new, a good night’s sleep can be especially beneficial. This article describes the neuroscience of how sleep helps learners form new memories and applies its implications to eLearning.

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Remember the Debrief…Even in eLearning

When creating instructor-led training, most instructional designers instinctively follow an activity with reflective discussion questions to cement lessons learned. However, post-activity reflection is often neglected in eLearning. This article explains why this reflection is necessary and suggests ways to incorporate it into eLearning.

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Storytelling in eLearning: The Why and How

Whether you design classroom training, eLearning, m-learning, or work with another medium entirely, storytelling is a learning tool that possesses the power to motivate, persuade, educate, and even entertain. This article describes how learning theory supports storytelling, how to craft a story, and ways to design stories into eLearning lessons.

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What Can eLearning Learn from “7 Ways Video Games Reward the Brain?”

Inspired by Tom Chatfield’s TED talk, this article recaps his ideas about how video games engage and motivate players. The piece offers specific ideas for applying these principles to the instructional design of eLearning.

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6 Techniques that Stimulate Recall in eLearning

Prompting learners to recall existing knowledge on a topic during training helps them to connect newly learned information to what they already know. This article explains the importance of this step and suggests six methods for accomplishing it.

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eLearning and an Aging Workforce

Media outlets frequently analyze the implications of our aging workforce and remind us that a growing proportion is in their fifties and beyond. This article examines what instructional designers should do to accommodate this growing population from an eLearning perspective, based on the principles of learning theory and learning styles research.

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Sizing Up an eLearning Lesson

I recently started working on a project that required our team to propose a strategy for developing training lessons in a way that maximizes their reusability across multiple courses. The company has numerous departments that have different, yet overlapping learning and performance needs. The goal is to create lessons that various departments can share, for the sake of minimizing the amount of content that needs to be continuously updated and maintained, and for the sake of managing the size of the learning library.

This article explores how training content can be divided into lessons. It argues in favor of designing a lesson around a single job task (i.e., terminal objective) rather than by topic or a target amount of time.

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Amp Up Learning with a Study Buddy

Peer pressure and peer support can be powerful tools for helping people achieve their goals. This is why so many fitness experts recommend starting an exercise program with a friend. Teachers and professors often encourage students to form study groups, in part because of the potentially positive influence of peers, and also because discussing newly learned knowledge with others can help deepen and broaden one’s understanding of a subject. These principles also apply to seasoned practitioners seeking professional development opportunities through continuing education courses. This articles explains why partnering with a study buddy can help insurance professionals get the most out of continuing education courses and studying for licensing exams.

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4 Time-Wasting Study Habits to Avoid

Between obligations at work and the desire to lead a rich personal life, many find it challenging to make time for professional development. Since several industries have continuing ed requirements, practitioners must find the time to complete continuing education courses and study for licensing exams. This article offers advice for learning efficiently by identifying time-wasting study habits to avoid and suggesting effective alternatives.

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10 Factors that Affect Learning

From lifestyle to momentary circumstance, many types of factors affect our ability to learn new information. Not all are easy to control; however, knowing what what those factors are can help you get the most out of a course or other learning experience. This article explains ten factors that affect learning and offers advice on how to positively influence each.

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