David Kelly’s Curated L&D Content for the Week of 06/12/17

kelly_davidThis week’s curated content includes links exploring the following:

  • A look at the Design Thinking frameworks and an example of it in practice
  • A fascinating look at what goes on in our brains when we pay attention
  • The risk of “brain hacking” that emerges as we better understand how the brain works
  • An example of elearning being used for greater good
  • An exploration of the phrase digital learning
  • Why game-based learning doesn’t fit into a traditional linear ID framework

Here’s the content for this week:

Working Through the 5 Steps of Design Thinking by Sandra Rodriguez
I share this post for two reasons. First, Desgin Thinking is growing in popularity in our industry, and this post does a nice job of explaining the framework in simple terms and sharing an example of it in process. Second, it’s a great example of “Working Out Loud”, where people share their work with the world to enhance their own learning, and to allow others to learn from their experiences.

What happens in your brain when you pay attention? TED Talk by Mehdi Ordikhani-Seyedlar
While this TED Talk isn’t specifically addressing learning, the research being shared and the implications it can have for how we learn are tremendous. It’s another example of why learning professionals should be following the amazing work being done in the field of Brain Science.

What is “brain hacking”? Tech insiders on why you should care. via 60 Minutes
Mobile devices have transformed our lives in many ways. Many of the apps we use today also use gamification techniques to motivate users to continue interacting with apps. In the case of something like exercise apps, using these techniques can be a great way to keep you motivated towards healthier living. However, any technology that can be used for good can also be used for evil. As understanding of how our brains work continues to grow, so to does the risk of manipulating users into addictive behaviors via lines of code. As we continue to leverage mobile devices and gamification for learning and performance purposes, we most always be mindful of where the line is drawn between motivation and manipulation. This report from 60 minutes does a great job of exploring that line and the importance of not crossing it.

How a simple USB drive can save lives by Parija Kavilanz
In the elearning world, we often place our focus on the latest technologies and how they can be used to support a 21st century workforce. Since many of us are working on workplace environments, this focus makes sense. But that focus can sometimes make us forget the way learning can fundamentally change a person’s life, and how sometimes the best technology for the job isn’t the shiniest one with all the bells and whistles. This post explores a project that succeeds from both of those perspectives, and shows elearning being used for a greater good.

How Do You Define Digital Learning? by Josh Bersin
The phrase “digital Learning” is growing in our field. But what does the phrase ultimately mean? Much like “learning ecosystem”, I expect the accepted definition of digital learning will evolve over the coming years as more and more organizations join the discussion and start altering their practices as a result. This post from Josh Bersin provides some nice examples of what one view of digital learning is starting to look like.

Game-based Learning is NOT Didactic Instruction by Karl Kapp
Game-based learning is an approach that continues to gain relevance and interest within the L&D community. As more people become interested in the approach, patterns can emerge – some that are good, proven practices that others can replicate in their own context, and some that are common errors that should be avoided. This post examines an example of the latter: people who try to adopt game-based learning approaches with a traditionally linear instructional design mindset.

Interested in taking a deep dive into the opportunities mobile, games, and video present for Learning and Development? Join us for FocusOn 2017 this June in San Diego!

Interested in taking a deep dive into the opportunities mobile, games, and video present for Learning and Development? Join us for FocusOn 2017 this June in San Diego!

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