Yesterday, I gave a talk on how to make learning stick. The focus of the talk was to get back to the basic principles that make learning work. It’s easy to get caught up in the latest fad or technology and lose sight of what makes good learning design. In my talk, I tried to remind people of the simple core principles, that regardless of delivery channel, will create good learning.
- Don’t “teach” facts
- Focus on decisions (and what causes people to get them wrong) not topics (and don’t talk about decisions, have people make them)
- Misconceptions
- Trade-offs
- Unlearning
- Make it engaging
- Fun or meaningful decisions
- Create competition
- Reward mastery
- Provide feedback
It’s really that simple.
Here are a set of short essays which provided the basis for the discussion:
- Back to basics (https://www.availadvisors.com/2012/05/back-to-basics/)
- The Learning by doing myth (https://www.availadvisors.com/2015/05/the-learning-by-doing-myth/)
- Stop enabling poor focus and attention (https://www.availadvisors.com/2017/02/stop-enabling-poor-focus-and-attention/)
- Make some space for understanding (https://www.availadvisors.com/2015/03/make-some-space-for-understanding/)
- Want to engage someone? Be interesting! (https://www.availadvisors.com/2014/03/do-you-want-to-engage-someone-be-interesting/)
- Bloom’s real taxonomy (https://www.availadvisors.com/2014/03/blooms-real-taxonomy-and-helping-leaders-succeed/)
- Training Effectiveness: Optimizing the last mile (https://www.availadvisors.com/2013/02/corporate-training-effectiveness-optimizing-the-last-mile/)
- How much impact could 445,000 Harvard graduates have? (https://www.availadvisors.com/2008/01/how-much-impact-could-445000-harvard-graduates-have/ )
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Brad Kolar is an Executive consultant, speaker, and author with Avail Advisors. Brad can be reached at brad.kolar@availadvisors.com.
