The Association of Psychological Science commissioned a review of the evidence for the benefits of using learning styles, and the report is clear.We conclude therefore, that at present, there is no adequate evidence base to justify incorporating learning-styles assessments into general educational practice. Thus, limited education resources would better be devoted to adopting other educational practices that have a strong evidence base, of which there are an increasing number. However, given the lack of methodologically sound studies of learning styles, it would be an error to conclude that all possible versions of learning styles have been tested and found wanting; many have simply not been tested at all. (p. 105)Research Citation:Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R. (2008). Learning styles: Concepts and evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 9, 105-119. You can access the article by clicking here.You can access Richard Mayer's nice intro to the article---which stresses the benefits of research---by clicking here.My $1,000 Learning Styles ChallengeThree and one half years ago I offered $1,000 to any person or group who could demonstrate the benefits of learning styles in a real-world practical training program. No one has collected the money yet.Here was the challenge:Can an e-learning program that utilizes learning-style information outperform an e-learning program that doesn't utilize such information by 10% or more on a realistic test of learning, even it is allowed to cost up to twice as much to build?You can access my original Learning Styles Challenge by clicking here. You can access my three-year update on the challenge by clicking here.Final Nail in the Coffin of Learning Styles?Is this excellent research review by some of the most highly-respected researchers in the learning-research field a final nail in the coffin of learning styles?Well, as a researcher I must always maintain openness to new information. Perhaps someday more research will demonstrate some specific benefits to learning styles. As the authors of the review say themselves: Although we have argued that the extant data do not provide support for the learning-styles hypothesis, it should be emphasized that we do not claim that the same kind of instruction is most useful in all contexts and with all learners. An obvious point is that the optimal instructional method is likely to vary across disciplines. For instance, the optimal curriculum for a writing course probably includes a heavy verbal emphasis, whereas the most efficient and effective method of teaching geometry obviously requires visual-spatial materials. Of course, identifying the optimal approach for each discipline is an empirical question, and we espouse research using strong research methods to identify the optimal approach for each kind of subject matter.Furthermore, it is undoubtedly the case that a particular student will sometimes benefit from having a particular kind of course content presented in one way versus another. One suspects that educators’ attraction to the idea of learning styles partly reflects their (correctly) noticing how often one student may achieve enlightenment from an approach that seems useless for another student. There is, however, a great gap from such heterogeneous responses to instructional manipulations—whose reality we do not dispute—to the notion that presently available taxonomies of student types offer any valid help in deciding what kind of instruction to offer each individual. Perhaps future research may demonstrate such linkages, but at present, we find no evidence for it. (p. 116)As a consultant in the workplace learning-and-performance field, I will likely do my clients harm if I advised for the use of a learning-style learning design. I will continue to advise clients against designing their learning based on learning styles. At the same time, I will encourage them to be watchful for specific learning needs of individual learners. For example, when a learner is confused, he or she probably needs feedback and guidance.I recommend that you read the article and Mayer's introduction. Both provide wisdom about how to think about research and how to avoid being fooled.Article Note: The date in the article and on the database PsycINFO says the article is from 2008. However, the copyright is from 2009 and the article includes citations from 2009 and the article appears as the "current article" on the APS (Association for Psychological Science) website, and news reports just started surfacing in December 2009 and January 2010. The evidence suggests the article just recently came out.

Traditional Training vs the Bite Size Approach Infographic The Traditional Training vs the Bite Size Approach Infographic explains why Microlearning is the ideal training solution for employees’ shrinking attention spans! We need a new way to solve for society’s shift towards hyper attention and Microlearning is the answer. Small, bite-size lessons solve for dwindling attention spans, while serving learners and trainers better than traditional training in a variety of ways. In the Traditional Training vs the Bite Size Approach Infographic you’ll learn: How we’re moving into a culture of ‘hyper’ attention and what that looks like. How rapidly changing technology is affecting individual workers, businesses, and driving a $1.3 trillion loss to the economy. How Microlearning is changing the face of training with a 300% increase in speed of production while costing trainers 50% less. Bite size is the right size! We’re moving from a culture of deep attention to hyper attention. Deep Attention Able to concentrate on one object or information stream for long periods of time, ignoring outside stimulation. Hyper Attention Switches focus between multiple information streams, a preference for high stimulation and lower tolerance for boredom. Attention Spans Are Shrinking: 2000 attention span 12 seconds 2013 attention span 8 seconds goldfish attention span 9 seconds Meanwhile… Technology Is Advancing As a result of rapidly changing technology, a digital skills gap has emerged — one that is costing the U.S. economy OVER 1.3 TRILLION DOLLARS annually in lost productivity. Training Can’t Keep Up This technological change has also led to a skills half-life of 2.5 years. Because training hasn’t kept pace, workers are falling further and further behind, putting a strain on our workforce: 1/3 of workers clock over 50 hours per week. 43% get less than seven hours of sleep per night. 25% of execs report their communications are unmanageable. 40% say they don’t have time to do the training they need. Therefore, traditional training doesn’t work. Microlearning beats traditional training in a variety of ways: Microlearning in 3-7 minute chunks matches the brain’s working memory and attention span. Bite size microlearning yields an average of 4-5 learned items taken from a series. Microlearning can cut development costs by 50% while increasing the speed of development by 300%. Over 1.2 billion learners have access to smart devices and expect to use them. Read also: 4 Steps to Microlearning Mastery Microlearning Pros and Cons Why Microlearning is HUGE and how to be a part of it View also: 5 Important Reasons To Create Bit-sized Learning Infographic How to Master Microlearning Infographic   Via: resources.grovo.comThe post Traditional Training vs the Bite Size Approach Infographic appeared first on e-Learning Infographics.

Summer time is not known as a time for getting school work done, but you and I both know that just the opposite is true. Summer is hardly a time of rest when there are summer classes to be had. You thought you’d take a class or two to get… Read More

March 2010 Speaking Events If you want to see me speak, there are lots of opportunities in March. Also, I've got a screen cast you can watch below introducing my four sessions at the eLearning Guild Learning Solutions Conference. Tuesday, March 2 ISPI Massachusetts ChapterNewton, Massachusetts TITLE: Learning Measurement: Overcoming Myths, Research Wisdom, and Full-Source EvaluationLINK: http://www.mass-ispi.org/public/event-details.asp?ID=180Tuesday and Wednesday March 23 and 24theLearning Guild, Learning Solutions ConferenceOrlando, FloridaSESSION (FOUNDATION INTENSIVE): Research Answers: What is the Value of e-Learning? What Designs Work Best? Tuesday, March 23, 11:30a-12:15p SESSION (ID ZONE):  Nine Biggest Mistakes in Learning Measurement. Wednesday March 24, 11:45-12:30 at the ID Zone. SESSION 203: Assessing e-Learning Results: Fundamentals, Myths, and Special Opportunities. Wednesday March 24, 1:00p - 2:00p SESSION 302: Improving Systems Training by Adding Informal Learning to the Blend. Wednesday March 24, 2:30p - 3:30p SESSION (Free Consulting and Question-Asking at Speaker Clinic):  Wednesday March 24, 4:00p - 5:00pWatch my brief (3 minute) introduction: http://screenr.com/5VxSign up to attend the conference: http://tinyurl.com/ydyzn9o

This is intriguing. Thought you might be interested in this sort-of-browsing, sort-of-data-searching technique.

Flashcards have been widely used in early childhood education but contrary to what you might think, this tool is not only useful for children. As a learning resource, Flashcards are the key to strengthening your memory and absorbing information easily. One of its main benefits, the development of an active… Read More

Thanks to Bill Ellet, editor of the unbiased Training Media Review, writes about the awards in our industry and how hopelessly biased and corrupt they are.Click to read Bill's excellent article.

The Displacement Hypothesis says that one activity can displace another activity.In the following research by Robert Weis and Brittany Cerankosky, boys given video games (1) did worse in school, (2) spent less time in other after-school activities, (3) had more behavioral problems, and (4) had lower reading and writing scores.Abstract of the Research Article:Young boys who did not own video games were promised a video-game system and child-appropriate games in exchange for participating in an "ongoing study of child development." After baseline assessment of boys’ academic achievement and parent- and teacher-reported behavior, boys were randomly assigned to receive the video-game system immediately or to receive the video-game system after follow-up assessment, 4 months later. Boys who received the system immediately spent more time playing video games and less time engaged in after-school academic activities than comparison children. Boys who received the system immediately also had lower reading and writing scores and greater teacher-reported academic problems at follow-up than comparison children. Amount of video-game play mediated the relationship between video-game ownership and academic outcomes. Results provide experimental evidence that video games may displace after-school activities that have educational value and may interfere with the development of reading and writing skills in some children.Analogs in Adult LearningAre there analogs in adult learning? In a quick database review I couldn't uncover any research on the displacement hypothesis with adults, but here are some learning events that may displace other learning events: Twitter Social Networking Web Surfing Blogs RSS following Gaming Postscript: When I asked the lead author if he knew of any studies on adults regarding the displacement hypothesis, he said "no," but he pointed me to this article on college students.

Robotics in STEM Education Infographic STEM Education promotes a learning environment for students around the world to be active in fields like Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Many STEM related programs use a hands-on learning approach that encourages students to be active and involved inside the classroom. This inspires and motivates students to continue their education in STEM related fields, like robotics, beyond school, building a career in an economy where job openings in STEM industries are skyrocketing. In fact, it’s predicted that by 2020, the demand for STEM professionals will add over one million new jobs in STEM fields.Government officials have started to recognize the need for improved STEM Education programs. In 2015, $100 million in federal grants were made available through White House initiative, TechHire. This initiative increase the number of STEM trained professionals inside schools and supports STEM programs across the country. The Robotics in STEM Education Infographic from KUKA Robotics shows the importance and the growth of robotics both in and beyond STEM Education and encourages programs to implement a hands-on approach to learning. KUKA has created the KUKA KORE Kart as a solution to the need for robotics in STEM classrooms. The KORE Program is designed to give students real world robotic application experience and can be implemented into any high school, community college, university, or technical center. By providing materials and a strong curriculum, educators and students are trained in the use of advanced robotic technology. Facts and Stats to Share: KUKA Robotics offers the most inclusive STEM robotics program STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Only 16 percent of American high school seniors are proficient in mathematics and interested in a STEM career. - US Department of Education KUKA KORE joins innovative robotic curriculum certification with career cluster credentials Only 30 percent of high school seniors who took the ACT test were cleared for college-level sciences Average income for STEM career: $77,880/year KORE packages include training, curriculum, course labs, tests, and student manuals Via: www.kukaconnect.comThe post Robotics in STEM Education Infographic appeared first on e-Learning Infographics.

Cammy Bean interviews me in regard to the three most important e-learning design flaws in today's e-learning. I discussed three---and then two more!! Five design flaws in all.How's your e-learning?Check out the interview here.You can also download the segments as podcasts.