Designing eLearning for Cognitive Ease

Article Title: Designing eLearning for Cognitive Ease

Publication: Integrated Learnings: eLearning

Summary: Daniel Kahneman dedicates a chapter to the topic of cognitive ease in his book, Thinking, Fast and Slow. This article suggests how some of the findings Kahneman presents can benefit eLearning design.

The amount of time spent on eLearning may influence mood, too. Long lessons may leave learners wondering if they’ll ever end, while a series of short lessons can help create a sense of progress. Shorter lessons can also help prompt learners take a brief break and re-energize if they’re feeling mentally fatigued.

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Practice Early and Coach the Details Later

Article Title: Practice Early and Coach the Details Later

Publication: Integrated Learnings: eLearning

Summary: A typical approach to training begins by telling learners everything they ought to know about a topic, followed by practice activities that apply that new knowledge. This article suggests providing learners with practice activities much sooner, and then presenting information as post-activity coaching.

Research on cognitive load tells us that people can only absorb a limited amount of information in a single sitting. So, if an eLearning lesson begins with several pages of new information, learners will likely forget a portion of that. Why would we spend time presenting information that will likely be forgotten? If we limit the amount of information a lesson initially presents, we increase the likelihood that learners will recall it. Prompting them to apply that new information as soon as possible further helps promote long-term recall. And, it helps ensure that we use training time productively.

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Accomplish Spaced Learning with eLearning

Article Title: Accomplish Spaced Learning with eLearning

Publication: Integrated Learnings: eLearning

Summary: Most of us know that cramming is not an effective path to long-term learning. Yet, many workplace training initiatives attempt to cram as much content into a single training session as possible, with little reinforcement later. This article proposes spaced learning as more effective training approach. It also describes the theoretical foundations of spaced learning.

It just suggests that we retain newly learned knowledge longer when taught repeatedly over a period of time. But simply repeating the exact same learning activity several times isn’t the way to go. After all, even an attentive learner may accidentally zone out when listening to a lecture or reading a passage for a second (or third, or fourth) time. So the trick is to ensure there are variations.

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Designing eLearning for Schema Theory

Article Title: Designing eLearning for Schema Theory

Publication: Integrated Learnings: eLearning

Summary: Many have seen news stories about someone with phenomenal memory or have been invited to workshops promising to improve memory. The method used in these examples is based on schema theory, which is one of the foundational models of learning psychology. This article describes schema theory and how it can help inform the design of eLearning.

That’s why recall is so important. Regardless of which instructional design model is your favorite – Gagne’s nine events of instruction, Merrill’s first principles, or something else – stimulating recall is likely an important component of it. Many interpret this recall step as a review from a previous lesson, reading, or training session. While it certainly can be a review of recent learning, it doesn’t have to be.

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Let Learners Sleep on It

Article Title: Let Learners Sleep on It

Publication: Integrated Learnings: eLearning

Summary: 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.

If learners must complete an eight-hour training session, consider spreading the training out over two days (maybe more) rather than making a full day of it. This can benefit attention spans, too. If all or part of the training is eLearning, you may have the ability to accomplish this more flexibly.

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Remember the Debrief…Even in eLearning

Article Title: Remember the Debrief…Even in eLearning

Publication: Integrated Learnings: eLearning

Summary: 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.

A debrief also opens the door to manager involvement. For instance, you might provide learners with debriefing questions to think about, letting them know that their managers will schedule time soon to discuss their ideas. Alternatively, a lesson might prompt learners to discuss their responses using social media or in a brief virtual session with a facilitator.

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Storytelling in eLearning: The Why and How

Article Title: Storytelling in eLearning: The Why and How

Publication: eLearn Magazine

Summary: 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.

Cleverly crafted stories stimulate an emotional response to training content, such as a desire to help, curiosity about how something works, or a drive to achieve. Thus, the story helps persuade learners to engage in the training and ultimately perform the desired behaviors. When written in a conversational tone (and with a pinch of humor, if you have a knack for that), stories can even entertain.

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

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

Publication: Integrated Learnings: eLearning

Summary: 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.

Even if we didn’t design an eLearning course with an instructor-led blend, we can still work in a collaborative element. How about encouraging learners to discuss an eLearning course on an internal discussion board or other form of social media? Getting managers to discuss training with employees before, during, and/or after the event also adds this collaborative element.

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6 Techniques that Stimulate Recall in eLearning

Article Title: 6 Techniques that Stimulate Recall in eLearning

Publication: Integrated Learnings: eLearning

Summary: 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.

–4– Prompt learners to start solving a problem, applying existing knowledge. For instance, you might present a basic scenario that a learner can partially resolve with existing knowledge. Then, elaborate on the scenario in a way that the learner can fully resolve with the help of the newly presented content.

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eLearning and an Aging Workforce

Article Title: eLearning and an Aging Workforce

Publication: Integrated Learnings: eLearning

Summary: 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.

A common theme in the literature addressing generations and learning preferences is that older generations tend to prefer a linear learning structure while younger generations prefer a more exploratory structure. Maybe this is true, maybe it’s not. Regardless, this is an area where instructional design principles can guide us.

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