Learning experience designers and educators are the beneficiaries of cognitive science research. These three books explain how to apply it.
Most Recent Articles
Finding Your Place In an Instructional Design Career
No need to be a square peg in a round hole. There are lots of options for instructional designers and developers.
ELC 065: Pro Tips For Working With Subject Matter Experts
Subject Matter Experts or SMEs are indispensable in learning design. Diane Elkins and Dawn Mahoney provide strategies for dealing with SMEs.
Ten Working Smarter Hacks You Can Use Right Now
Productivity isn’t about becoming an automaton. It’s about focusing when it’s time to focus, getting work done and having time for the rest of your life.
The Visual Design of Checklists
The visual design of a checklist has both a utilitarian and an aesthetic aspect. Here are several types of checklists you can adapt to meet your needs.
The World Needs More Checklists
The checklist is one of the most brilliant cognitive aids around. Hidden in this simple format is an ingenious type of performance support.
Cognitive Psychology
Designing Learning for Mental Models
By understanding a learner’s mental models, we can improve our user interfaces, instructional interventions and overall learning experiences.
How To Write Better Analogies For Learning
Effective analogies for learning rely on the transfer of a familiar concept to a new concept. Review the guidelines for writing more effective analogies.
The Power of Retrieval Practice For Learning
Consistent research demonstrates that the missing ingredient to many study routines that seek long-term retention is repeated retrieval practice. It is more beneficial than repeated study.
Graphics
The Visual Design of Checklists
The visual design of a checklist has both a utilitarian and an aesthetic aspect. Here are several types of checklists you can adapt to meet your needs.
Use Visual Cues To Enhance Learning
Visual cues direct the eyes to the relevant information in a graphic. This helps ensure that people understand the intended message and adds efficiency to visual communication.
5 Steps To A PowerPoint Redesign
A consistent process to transform poorly designed slides into ones that are instructionally effective.
How to Improve Your Visual Design Skills
Visual design may seem like a mysterious process, but there is a formula for improving your skills. I’ve outlined it here.
How To Design A Quick Reference Card
In this article, I share the thinking, process, strategies and workflow that went into the creation of a quick reference card.
8 Ways To Choose A Color Palette For eLearning
If we only had 100 color choices, choosing a palette might not be a problem. But we have access to millions of colors, which makes the possible choices overwhelming.
Instructional Design
The Importance of Writing Effective Distractors
Although writing effective distractors (wrong answer choices) is often difficult, they can play an important role in getting the measurement information you’re seeking. Effective distractors discriminate between those who have achieved the performance objectives and those who have not.
What Do Instructional Designers Do?
Instructional designers use a variety of methods to identify performance, skill, knowledge and attitude gaps of a targeted audience and create learning experiences to close this gap.
Alternatives to Bloom’s Taxonomy for Workplace Learning
Are you ready to explore different perspectives about learning outcomes and performance objectives? Check out these alternatives to Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning Explained
Do you find the array of online learning options daunting? Here is an easy way to wrap your mind around synchronous and asynchronous learning.
Best Resources For Creating Live Virtual Training Right Now
An increasing number of schools and businesses are moving in-person classes and events online. Are you stuck? Here are resources for coming up to speed quickly for the live virtual classroom.
Journalism Techniques To Borrow For eLearning
Journalists inform and educate. You can borrow journalism techniques to motivate and engage an audience in your learning designs.