David Kelly’s Curated L&D Content: 2017 in Review

As 2017 draws to a close, I revisit some of my favorite links from the year.

Teachers must ditch ‘neuromyth’ of learning styles, say scientists by Sally Weale
There are a number of myths in our field, but the one that is arguably the most common is the myth around learning styles. Despite a growing body of evidence against the idea, many educators still believe that tailoring instruction towards an individual’s preferred learning style will improve learning. This post, spurred by a letter sent by thirty leading academics, explores the myth and the science related to it.

How to really involve learners by Cathy Moore
Engagement. It’s a word we throw around a lot in training and development, but what does it really mean, and how can we truly achieve it. This post explores a number of ways we can involve people in the learning programs we create, breaking away from the autopilot that often takes the form of online engagement.

The Disruption of Digital Learning: Ten Things We Have Learned by Josh Bersin
There’s a lot of people talking and writing about how the world of corporate training is changing. Too many of the posts have a revolutionary, “what you’re doing now is wrong” vibe that lacks context. That’s what I like about this post. It talks about many of the changes that are currently shifting the world of corporate training. It’s not judgmental; it’s just a commentary that explores what’s changing and why those changes matter. If you’re interested in staying ahead of the curve of industry trends, this is a good read.

Microlearning: What’s Old Is New Again by Bob Mosher
Microlearning is one of the hottest buzzwords in our industry, and that’s why I share it here. To be clear, I don’t share it because of microlearning; I share this for it’s focus on buzzwords in general, and the rigor we must apply to trends before grasping onto the latest shiny object.

Blockchain Expert Explains One Concept in 5 Levels of Difficulty via WIRED
I love this video, and I share it here for two reasons. First, it’s a great primer for what Blockchain is. Blockchain is a technology that is currently disrupting how trades and transactions are being made, and while it’s not yet disrupting education and training, the potential is there, and people in our field would do well to track how blockchain evolves. While the explanation of blockchain makes this video worthy of sharing on its own, the primary reason I share this video is for its format. The idea of explaining a complex idea to multiple levels of expertise is a great exercise for educators in learning how to explain something effectively. At the same time, the video itself is a great resource for education, as the understanding of the concept deepens as the complexity increases with each conversation.

5 User Experience Research Techniques To Borrow For Learning Design by Connie Malamed
There are plenty of ways user experience techniques can be adapted for learning design. This post not only explores 5 such examples, it also does so in a fabulous way, first explaining the user experience technique itself, and then exploring how the technique can be adapted for learning design.

How 3 Games Make Players want to Explore in VR via Oculus Rift
Virtual Reality has the ability to transport us into entirely new worlds. But once there, how can we explore these new places while physically tethered to a computer? The gaming industry has been tackling these challenges for some time, and currently leverages three primary tools for BR exploration: teleportation, room-scale, and third-person. This quick video shows three great examples of each in practice. If you’re curious about how VR can accommodate exploration, this video is great.

We should stop using the term “learner” because… by JD Dillon
Language is a powerful thing. Used effectively, it can help us understand each other much better. But sometimes, we use language and labels that can cause a disconnect without even realizing it. This post explores one of the labels we use in our industry all the time – Learner – and shares a number of reasons why we should discontinue its use.

What Makes a Great Tutorial? by Nataniel Peacock
When someone needs to start using a new system or technology, there’s often a tutorial in place that the user can engage before actually using the software in to learn how to navigate the system. While software applications have been doing this for years, their tutorials are too often dry and sterile. One area that takes a much different approach to tutorials is gaming. Gaming tutorials provide the necessary instructional content in a much more engaging way that is part of the experience rather than separate from it. This post explores a number of different ways games approach tutorials, all of which could easily be adapted for use in learning and development programs.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Says This Is His Most Important Message Ever by Paul Ratner
Earlier this year thousands participated in the March for Science. I’ve spoken with a few people who wonder why such a march is needed. This video sums it up brilliantly, regardless of your political affiliation. In addition to considering the video on its own merits, consider how what is being shared may be applied to our own work and some of the myths that can dilute our practices.

10 Things You Could Create Instead of an E-Learning Course by Trina Rimmer
The course is a staple of the elearning world. In many organizations, a course is a cultural expectation for any training intervention. Don’t get me wrong – I actually love the elearning course and the value it can provide. I don’t hate the course; I hate the course as the default. The are plenty of other elearning options besides just creating a course, and we should give all of them equal weight to be used wherever appropriate. This post explores a few simple ideas to consider other than a course for your next project.

Why Curation Revolutionizes Education & Learning by Robin Good
Curation is a tool that helps L&D build learning programs and support resources that are more effective and delivered faster than we could ever create content ourselves. It is also a practice that reflects how the world around us is changing. This post explores 10 reasons that curation is uniquely positioned to support a needed shift in education and training.

Met Museum Makes 375,000 Images Free by Joshua Barone
Images are a major part of elearning, the costs of licensing them can often add up. For this reason, royalty-free images are often held in high regard. With the Met Museum making 375,000 images free, you’d do well to bookmark this site.

7 Gamification Myths, Debunked by Amy Jo Kim
Gamification is one of the hottest buzzwords in our industry, and I’ve always disliked buzzwords. It’s not the words I have an issue with; it’s the concept of a buzzword. I define buzzword as “A term whose usage has spread faster than it’s understanding.” Gamification is definitely in that space, and posts like this help bridge the gaps that exist when buzzwords spark myths. If you’re interested in gamification, this is a must-read post.

Why Almost Everything You’ve Been Told About Millennials And Gen Z Is Wrong by Thomas Koulopoulos
Reducing discrimination is something our society has made great progress in the last few decades, yet there’s a group of people who it seems like society is still OK with discriminating against: Young people, specifically Millenials and Gen Z. Not only is this discrimination wrong, but like most discrimination, the complaints assigned to Millenials and Gen Z are based on inaccurate stereotypes, as described in this article.

We Need to Change the Culture Around Sexual Harassment Training By David Kelly
The recent avalanche of sexual harassment stories has put the problem in our culture under a microscope. It’s forced us to look at some unpleasant truths, including one that applies to our industry: Sexual Harassment Training does little to nothing to protect people from sexual harassment. My latest post explores the opportunity we have at this moment to change that.

Get a Jump on 2018 Growth…

The New Year is a time fresh beginnings, and a renewed focus on personal goals. It’s a great time to consider what you plan to do to help you grow professionally in the coming year.

Consider adding the new Learning Solutions Conference and Expo to your professional development plans for 2018. This year’s conference expands to include more of what people love about the event, with the addition of more hands-on sessions, more for learning managers and directors, more for instructional designers, and well… even more!

Join us in Orlando March 27-29, and learn from proven practices you can put into practice in your work in 2018.