Designing Learning Experiences in an Evidence-Informed Way – 3-Star learning experiences
Mirjam Neelen and Paul Kirschner on ways to systematically approach using evidence and evaluating research for use in learning
Blog posts
Science of Learning Summit | Usable Learning
Resources and references from Julie Dirksen's "Eavesdropping on other Research Domains" session at the eLearning Guild Science of Learning Summit
Generalist versus specialist? How about a misshapen comb
This is an expanded view of the T-shaped skills explained in Cammy Bean's "Accidental Instructional Designer." It's not a binary of generalist vs. specialist. Many of us have T-shaped skills; we have a broad base (the top of the T) with one set of deeper skills (the vertical in the T). If you have several deeper skills, a map of your skills looks more like a misshapen, uneven comb.
Factual Knowledge Must (Not?) Precede Higher Order Thinking |Education & Teacher Conferences
Summary of Pooja Agarwal's research on retrieval practice for higher order thinking
That is: when students <span style="color: #000000;"><b>didn’t </b></span>review a particular set of facts, they could still reason with them — as long as they <strong>had practiced</strong> doing that kind of reasoning.
Retrieval Practice & Bloom’s Taxonomy: Do Students Need Fact Knowledge Before Higher Order Learning?
The title is a little misleading. This isn't about needing knowledge per se, but about what kinds of retrieval practice are more helpful for supporting higher order learning. Factual questions helped increase factual knowledge, but they didn't help higher order reasoning. Higher order retrieval practice (on its own or mixed with factual questions) resulted in better performance on the higher order reasoning. If we view this as practicing in context, then it makes sense that practicing skills of similar difficulty would produce better results. However, this is contrary to some of the research that factual knowledge has to be mastered first.
Although fact quizzes were beneficial for fact learning, they did not facilitate higher order learning, contrary to popular intuition based on Bloom’s taxonomy.
Contrary to popular intuition, building a foundation of factual knowledge via retrieval practice did not enhance students’ higher order learning. Instead, students’ final fact test and higher order test performance was greatest following retrieval practice that matched in cognitive complexity based on Bloom’s taxonomy: fact quizzes enhanced final fact test performance and higher order quizzes enhanced final higher order test performance. Retrieval practice increased learning by 20–30% under laboratory conditions with college students and also in an authentic K-12 classroom.
Why didn’t fact quizzes improve higher order learning in the present study, as many cognitive scientists and educators contend? First, students may have been unaware that information on fact quizzes was related to final higher order tests, thus they did not transfer their knowledge without explicit instructions to do so.
Mixed quizzes, comprising both fact and higher order questions, increased higher order test performance more than fact quizzes (in Experiment 2) and slightly more than higher order quizzes (in Experiment
If we want to reach the top of Bloom’s taxonomy, building a foundation of knowledge via fact-based retrieval practice may be less potent than engaging in higher order retrieval practice at the outset, a key finding for future research and classroom application.
Different Types of Learning Theories – Understanding the Basics | My Love for Learning
An overview of learning theories: behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, social learning, connectivism, and adult learning. The connectivism description is questionable (or at least it's not Stephen Downes's version of connectivism, which I'm familiar with).
All posts | LX Research
A collection of research related to learning, tagged in various categories
A Look Back At The Years Best From Learning Science And Instructional Design – Mike Taylor
Curated list of research and summaries of research related to learning. Cognitive load, spacing effect, forgetting effect, worked examples, and more.
Does Video Improve Engagement and Learning? - eLearning Industry
Summary of findings and limitations of research on video for learning
Does Gamification Actually Work? Yes, and Here's Why | BLP
Gamification works when it's designed thoughtfully and stays focused on learning goals. Sharon Boller shares guidelines and picks apart some questionable research.
1. Keep game complexity simple, particularly when you are using a game to support relatively short lessons.
<strong>2. Reward players for performance, not completion</strong>.
<strong>3. Be cautious with leaderboards</strong>.
4. As much as possible, align the game element choices you use to the learner’s actual job context.
<strong>5. Make the in-game goal align with the learning goal in a reasonable way that “makes sense” for the learners who will play your game or complete your gamified lesson</strong>.
6. Stop thinking you have to make the game super “fun.”
Does Humor Enhance Learning?
A summary of research on humor in learning. Most of the research seems to be in academic environments rather than workplace ones. Non-aggressive humor can be effective in some instances.
The Backfire Effect is NOT Prevalent: Good News for Debunkers, Humans, and Learning Professionals! – Work-Learning Research
The "backfire effect" is when sharing facts to correct misconceptions results in people holding onto that belief more strongly, rather than changing their opinion. Newer research, summarized here, finds that the backfire effect is uncommon and mostly related to attitudes which are strongly tied to the person's identity.
Can You Teach Diversity and Inclusion? — Chief Learning Officer - CLO Media
Yes, you can, but training alone isn't enough
For diversity and inclusion training to stick, it needs support, reinforcement and a firm foundation in a broader talent management strategy that includes culture, leadership and learning and development.
Ask these questions: Does our culture embrace diversity and inclusion? Do our leaders understand their value to the business and the workforce? Do the organization’s talent management strategies and systems support and enable diversity and inclusion? If not, training would be precipitous because the right support for this type of development is not there.
A Learning Science Alternative to Bloom's Taxonomy by Brenda Sugrue : Learning Solutions Magazine
Bloom's taxonomy sometimes creates unclear verb categorization and connection to assessments. This framework is focused on performance objectives and ties the type of knowledge to verbs, instructional strategies, and types of practice or assessment. This is partially drawn from Merrill's work. Procedural knowledge and declarative knowledge are handled differently.
Accelerating Expertise with Scenario-Based e-Learning - The Watercooler Newsletter : The Watercooler Newsletter
Ruth Clark on how scenario-based elearning accelerates expertise and when to use it
What is Scenario-Based e-Learning?
<em>A. The learner assumes the role of an actor responding to a job realistic situation.</em>
<em>B. The learning environment is preplanned</em>.
<em>C. Learning is inductive rather than instructive.</em>
<em>D. The instruction is guided</em>.
<em>E. Scenario lessons incorporate instructional resources.</em>
<em>F. The goal is to accelerate workplace expertise.</em>
As you consider incorporating scenario-based e-Learning into your instructional mix, consider whether the acceleration of expertise will give you a return on investment. For example, interviews with subject matter experts indicated that automotive technicians must complete about 100 work orders to reach a reasonable competency level in any given troubleshooting domain. Comparing delivery alternatives, OJT would require around 200+ hours, instructor-led training would require around 100 hours, and scenario-based e-Learning simulations require approximately 33–66 hours.
Finally, many learners find scenario-based e-Learning more motivating than traditional instructional formats. Solving a work-related problem makes the instruction immediately relevant.
Scenario-based-learning.pdf
"Scenario-based learning is based on the principles of situated learning theory (Lave & Wenger, 1991), which argues that learning best takes place in the context in which it is going to be used, and situated cognition, the idea that knowledge is best acquired and more fully understood when situated within its context (Kindley, 2002)."
"SBL usually works best when applied to tasks requiring decision-making and critical thinking in complex situations. Tasks that are routine to the students will require little critical thinking or decision-making, and may be better assessed using other methods. "
"Checklist: Is SBL the right option? (Clark, 2009)
- Are the outcomes based on skills development or problem-solving?
- Is it difficult or unsafe to provide real-world experience of the skills?
- Do your students already have some relevant knowledge to aid decision-making?
- Do you have time and resources to design, develop, and test an SBL approach?
- Will the content and skills remain relevant for long enough to justify the development of SBL?"
Learning through storytelling | Higher Education Academy
Why storytelling works for learning
Stories are effective tools for learning due to their ability to facilitate the following cognitive processes: i) concretizing, ii) assimilation, and iii) structurizing (Evans and Evans 1989).
How Relearning Old Concepts Alongside New Ones Makes It All Stick | MindShift | KQED News
Rather than studying and practicing a single skill in blocks, it's more effective to use "interleaved" or variable practice of multiple skills. You remember better this way. It's the opposite of cramming where you might do well on a test but forget it all soon after.
Learnlets » Deeper Learning Reading List
A book and resource list for learning about going beyond the superficial and supporting "deeper learning"
No Clarity Around Growth Mindset…Yet | Slate Star Codex
A rare criticism of Dweck's growth mindset research, largely centered around the idea that the results are so dramatic for such small interventions that they can't be real. No proof for falsification is provided (although the author says he looked). There are some more legitimate concerns raised about the social psychology and alternate research showing that yes, innate ability does matter.
A rare point of agreement between hard biodeterminists and hard socialists is that telling kids that they’re failing because they just don’t have the right work ethic is a <i>crappy thing to do</i>. It’s usually false and it will make them feel terrible. Behavioral genetics studies show pretty clearly that at least 50% of success at academics and <a href="slatestarcodex.com/2015/02/01/talents-part-2-attitude-vs-altitude/">sports</a> is genetic; various sociologists have put a lot of work into proving that your position in a biased society covers a pretty big portion of the remainder. If somebody who was born with the dice stacked against them works very hard, then they might find themselves at A2 above. To deny this in favor of a “everything is about how hard you work” is to offend the sensibilities of sensible people on the left and right alike.
So basically, you take the most vulnerable people, set them tasks you know they’ll fail at, then lecture them about how they only failed because of insufficient effort.
The learning styles revelation - research from cognitive science
Summary of research debunking learning styles and recommends following multimedia learning principles based on cognitive science instead. This is a text-heavy Slideshare presentation.
Dane's Education Blog: A Hierarchy of Learning
A post citing the "learning pyramid" with falsified numbers.
Don't fall for these adult learning myths
"How to be a learning mythbuster" from Cathy Moore. Part of this is the broader problem that most people are lousy at understanding research and verifying sources. This isn't exclusive to the learning profession. We should be better about avoiding the myths in our own field though.
We work in organizations that believe harmful myths. We’re pressured to work as if the myths are true, and we can’t or don’t take the time we need to keep our knowledge up to date and combat the myths.
This Week’s Learning Hero is Christy Tucker! | Growth Engineering
A very flattering article about me and my work
eLearning Wiki
Wiki by Kevin Wilcoxon with lengthy articles on learning and training. Categories are foundations, teaching online, course development, and the future (including references to the Serious e-Learning Manifesto). Currently everything is written by Kevin but you can sign up to contribute.
Report Card: Gamification in Learning (What Works?) by Carol Leaman : Learning Solutions Magazine
Lessons learned on what works for gamification: multiple levels, fun, variety, leaderboards, tangible rewards, virtual coaches, progress tracking, social connectivity.
The 50 Most Socially-Shared Learning & Development Blogs
I'm on the list for being one of the L&D blogs most often shared on social media. #41 of 50, but that's still on the list. :)
Learning CSI: Learning Needs Investigation | Learning Rebels
Approaching needs analysis as an "investigation" without assuming that a course is always the right solution
Feedback Interventions: Toward the Understanding of a Double-Edged Sword
Research on feedback's effect on performance. Feedback is generally helpful but can be detrimental, especially for more complex tasks. Goal setting can help mitigate the risks of feedback interventions.
The Effects of Feedback Interventions on Performance: A Historical Review, a Meta-Analysis, and a Preliminary Feedback Intervention Theory (Kluger & DeNisi, 1996) | Reading for Pleasure
Research on the effects of feedback interventions. Feedback is not always beneficial for learning; in some cases, it can actually depress performance.
<p>The MCPL literature suggests that for an FI to directly improve learning, rather than motivate learning, it has to help the recipient to <em>reject erroneous hypotheses.</em> Whereas correcting errors is a feature of some types of FI messages, most types of FI messages do not contain such information and therefore should not improve learning—a claim consistent with CAI research.</p>
<p>Moreover, even in learning situations where performance seems to benefit from FIs, learning through <em>FIs may be inferior to learning through discovery</em> (learning based on feedback from the task, rather than on feedback from an external agent). Task feedback may force the participant to learn task rules and recognize errors (e.g., Frese & Zapf, 1994), whereas FI may lead the participant to learn how to use the FI as a crutch, while shortcutting the need for task learning (cf. J. R. Anderson, 1987). </p>
In the MCPL literature, several reviewers doubt whether FIs have any learning value (Balzer et al., 1989; Brehmer, 1980) and suggest alternatives to FI for increasing learning, such as providing the learner with more task information (Balzer et al., 1989). Another alternative to an FI is designing work or learning<br>
environments that encourage trial and error, thus maximizing learning from task feedback without a direct intervention (Frese & Zapf, 1994).