Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.
Desmond Tutu
Happy Friday! My old age is benefitting me this week. As of yesterday I’m eligible for a COVID vaccination and I’ll be headed off for my first shot Monday afternoon. Meanwhile, we’re trying to go skiing today but the temperature is supposed to be in the 50s (F) with a chance of rain. This could be a very “interesting” and slushy/muddy day. At the very least we’ll get a nice change of scenery.
Thanks for reading!
What I’m Listening to: As I’m writing this, I’ve got a nice mellow-ish playlist of jazzy/70s tracks running in the background.
Last week’s most clicked item: 100 New Tech Tools & Tips
Study: Pre-Recorded Videos Prove More Effective for Student Learning Than In-Person Instruction
A recent study published in Review of Educational Research, found that “…even when you swapped a face-to-face lecturer or tutorial or whatever you were doing at university for a video, you got a small but significant improvement in student learning…” Click through to learn more about the details.
https://diverseeducation.com/article/2061AERADivC34/
That is Not How Your Brain Works
Sometimes, old scientific beliefs persist, and are even vigorously defended, long after we have sufficient evidence to abandon them. In this insightful post, List Feldman Barret tells us to forget these scientific myths to better understand your brain and yourself. If you like this, you might want to check out her book Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain
https://nautil.us/issue/98/mind/that-is-not-how-your-brain-works
Three Laws of Human Behavior
Only now in the twenty-first century are practitioners beginning to take seriously the findings and methods of behavioral science to harness them within industry. Here are some valuable insights worth knowing from Aline Holzwarth.
https://www.behavioraleconomics.com/the-three-laws-of-human-behavior/
The Neuroscience of Optical Illusions
“Reality” is constructed by your brain. Here’s what that means, and why it matters. “It’s really important to understand we’re not seeing reality,” says neuroscientist Patrick Cavanagh, a research professor at Dartmouth College and a senior fellow at Glendon College in Canada. “We’re seeing a story that’s being created for us.”
Why Does a Design Look Good?
This article from the Nielsen Norman Group tells us that visually aesthetic designs use consistent typography, establish a clear hierarchy, utilize a refined color palette, and align to a grid.
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/why-does-design-look-good/
A few other things just because I can.
Podcasts
Here are three podcast episodes from this week that are worth a listen:
- First Principles of Instruction for Creating Better eLearning with Dr. David Merrill on the Instructional Designers in Offices Drinking Coffee #IDIODC podcast
- Evidence-based L&D with Andy Lancaster, Laura Overton, and Owen Ferguson on the CIPD podcast.
- Storytelling as a Learning Device, with Rance Greene on the Train as You Learn podcast.
Tools, Tips & Resources
I also publish a daily L&D Tech Toolbox newsletter. You can find those and subscribe here.
- Rows – Rows is the first true spreadsheet with built-in integrations and a slick sharing experience. Made for teams to build and share their work, all in one place.
- SVG Repo – 300.000+ SVG Vectors and Icons free for commercial use
- Flameshot – Powerful and easy to use screenshot tool
- Google Fonts Icons – Google Fonts now includes icons starting with their own Material Design icon set
- Office 365 — A new way to convert a Word document to PowerPoint or Sway
Where You Can Find Me
- Learning Solutions – May 3-14
- Pushing the Elearning Envelope – June 9/10
- Canadian Elearning Conference – June 10/11
- Nashville ATD – Using Technology for Training – September 16
Interested in the things that didn’t make the cut here? Follow me on Twitter or connect with me on LinkedIn
If you’re looking for a helping hand or someone to speak at your event, let’s talk! Speaking and Workshop Information Sheet.
Mike Taylor 