In the fast-paced world we live in, traditional long-form learning experiences may not always align with the demands of busy adult learners. That’s where microlearning comes in. Microlearning involves delivering bite-sized, focused learning content in short modules or activities. This article explores the benefits of microlearning for adult learners and provides insights into designing effective microlearning experiences that maximise retention. Benefits of Microlearning for Adult Learners Time Efficiency Adult learners often have limited time available for learning. Microlearning offers conci ..read more

In today’s digital age, eLearning has become increasingly prevalent in adult education. eLearning, or electronic learning, refers to the use of digital technology to deliver educational content and facilitate learning experiences. This article explores the advantages and disadvantages of eLearning in adult education and provides best practices for creating effective online courses. Advantages of eLearning in Adult Education Flexibility and Convenience: eLearning offers adult learners the flexibility to access course materials and participate in activities at their own convenience. Learners can ..read more

In recent years, the field of education has witnessed a significant shift towards blended learning, a powerful approach that combines traditional face-to-face instruction with online learning components (Garrison & Kanuka, 2004). Blended learning has gained popularity across various educational levels, and it has proven to be particularly effective in adult education. This article explores the benefits of blended learning for adult learners, including increased flexibility, personalisation, improved learning outcomes, and the importance of instructional design in its implementation. One o ..read more

Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system and the brain. In recent years, learning design has found more and more application in this field. We can create learning experiences that are more effective and efficient if we have a better knowledge of how the brain processes information and learns. In this article, we’ll look at some of the main ideas from neuroscience that can be used in instructional design. Theory of Cognitive Load Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) explains how the brain processes information and how to improve learning by minimising cognitive burden. According to CLT, there are ..read more

Youth – they’re not quite adults, but they’re not young children either! How do we bridge the gap between child and adult learning to design experiences for youths that are engaging and relevant to their lives? Differences between adult and youth learning Both pedagogy and andragogy are models used to plan, design and deliver learning. Pedagogy has an emphasis on education for children, whilst andragogy is most effective for adult learning. This is because historically, pedagogy is teacher-led and subject-centred, whereas andragogy is self-directed and problem-centred[1]. Since youth is a tran ..read more

With technology, learning is at our fingertips – podcasts, how-to videos and blogs are just some of the ways we feed our hunger for learning just about anything! As modern learners, we expect resources to be engaging, set up to enable shared learning, to-the-point and accessible just-in-time. So, why is it that these preferences are often overlooked when it comes to ‘training’? Although an abundance of resources may be available, few are assembled in a way that supports change. The ‘classroom’ is still a primary delivery mode, with many programs being inflexible in catering for individual pref ..read more

The problem with ‘training’ events Instructional Designers (ID) have a wide range of learning theories, models, methodologies and design tools to draw from, yet research indicates that a large amount of adult learning does not successfully transfer[1]. Why is this the case? And what can we do about it? After taking time away from day-to-day tasks to attend training, employees often return to their roles feeling pressure to play ‘catch-up’. When they’re swamped with emails, meetings and deadlines creeping closer, training understandably becomes a distant memory. Weber (2014) suggests that IDs t ..read more

Let’s face it – most webinars are mundane, mediocre and mind-numbing. They’re often met with a groan, and a question of ‘is this really worth my time?’ So – how do you keep your audience’s minds from wandering, or even get them to show up in the first place?! We’ve summarised five top tips to attract more viewers and up your webinar game. 1. Make it clear and to the point Be clear about what your audience will gain from the webinar. How will the content make their lives better? Why is it worth their time? What key points will it cover? Make sure the answers to these questions are clear in your ..read more

eLearning is convenient. It’s flexible in time and place and is a perfect solution for just-in-time learning. However, without a facilitator to swiftly adapt their approach on-the-spot to meet learner needs, it’s critical that we design eLearning in a way that caters for diverse learners. This starts with making learning accessible. What is accessible eLearning? Accessible eLearning means that all learners can access the content and participate in activities and experiences, regardless of their needs. This means a program that caters for people with disabilities – including visual, auditory, o ..read more

Many organisations are moving further away from face-to-face learning to blended solutions that incorporate online learning, or programs that are entirely digitised. It’s no surprise; online learning allows you to expand your reach beyond the traditional ‘classroom’. It’s flexible for participants, convenient for facilitators and can be a cost-effective alternative for organisations. With this digital transformation comes the need to explore innovative ways to immerse participants in their learning to ensure they’re getting as much value out of virtual sessions as they would face-to-face. We’v ..read more