Clark Quinn

OCTOBER 17, 2023

How do you know what’s dubious research? There are lots of signals, more than I can cover in one post. However, a recent discovery serves as an example to illustrate some useful signals. I was trying to recall a paper I recently read, which suggested that reading is better than video for comprehending issues. Whether that’s true or not isn’t the issue.

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Research Study Statistics Issue 168

Clark Quinn

OCTOBER 10, 2023

I’m currently advising several organizations on their approaches to the use of technology to support learning. Moreover, I’ve been doing so for more than two decades, and see a lot more such situations as well. One of the things that I struggle with is seeing folks getting all agog over new technology, yet without getting the design right beforehand.

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Virtual World Brain Slides Quality 158

Clark Quinn

OCTOBER 3, 2023

I was looking to wrap up my slide deck for DevLearn (will be talking learning science), and wanted to see if there was anything missing. In particular, I knew I had a fair bit on retention, but I was checking on what I call ‘transfer’ In doing so, I realized that colleagues and others use the term differently! Which means it’s time to talk ‘transfer’ So one of our good research translators is Will Thalheimer.

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PDF DevLearn Engineering Slides 143

Clark Quinn

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

So, I’ve been let know that my feedback is ‘blunt’ Which, I suppose, is better than some other alternatives. Still, I’d at least like to contextualize it, since I really can’t deny it. Hey, other people’s opinions are valid! They may not be correct, but I’m willing to acknowledge that it’s probably true.

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Alternatives Analysis Instructional Instruction 180

Clark Quinn

SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

I’ve talked in the past about mental models (and continue to do so), but they seem a difficult concept to grasp. I was discussing them again in preparation for this post by partner Elevator 9. Despite their utility, grounding in fundamental cognition, and value in learning, they continue to be absent or misunderstood in our learning interventions.

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Wikipedia Cognitive Toolkit Predictions 140

Clark Quinn

SEPTEMBER 12, 2023

Last week, Donald Taylor wrote an interesting post , wondering about ‘learner engagement’ That’s a topic I do talk a wee bit about ;). He closed with a call for feedback. So, while I did comment there, I thought it potentially would benefit from a longer response. I think it’s more general than learner engagement, so I’m talking about engaging people at work.

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Culture Theory Analysis Innovation 142

Clark Quinn

SEPTEMBER 5, 2023

I maintaining a fascination in design, for several reasons. As Herb Simon famously said: “The proper study of mankind is the science of design.” My take is to twist the title of Henry Petroski’s book, To Engineer is Human into ‘to design is human’ To me, design is both a fascinating study in cognition, and an area of application.

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Cognitive Design ADDIE Instructional Design 153

Clark Quinn

AUGUST 31, 2023

Somehow I missed colleague Jane Hart’s annual survey of top 10 tools for learning ’til just today, yet it’s the last day! I’ve participated in the past, and find it a valuable chance for reflection on my own, as well as seeing the results come out. So here’s my (belated) list of top 10 tools for learning 2023. I’m using Harold Jarche’s Personal Knowledge Mastery framework for learning here.

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Tools Apple Mac Write Blog 152

Clark Quinn

AUGUST 29, 2023

Ok, so I admit that I’m a bit of a pedant (and I hear you, saying “a bit?”). So, when I see categorizations, I should be more accepting of pragmatic approaches. Yet, I still get upset when I see same, when there are clear conceptual breakdowns that could be used instead. My hypothesis is that the good conceptual ones end up making the discriminations (eventually), with perhaps a bit more explanation needed, but…they don’t leave misconceptions as likely to occur.

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Performance Support Offline Mobile Education 176

Clark Quinn

AUGUST 22, 2023

I”ve advocated, repeatedly, the importance of practice. Yet, too often, we still see an ‘event’-based model, where it’s one and done. Unfortunately, this doesn’t align with how our brains work! I was looking at one of Elevator 9 ‘s Liftology videos (caveat: I did the original scripting), where they mentioned ‘practice like we play’ I’d heard it before (in various incarnations), but this time it struck me that perhaps it’s the right vehi

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Brain Behavior Sales Study 213

Clark Quinn

AUGUST 15, 2023

I just finished up teaching my six week workshop on the missing LXD (where we unpack nuances), when I received a message from a colleague. In it, she recited how she’s being pushed on video length. It struck me that what was missing was a finer focus, and it drove me back to previous writings. What I replied is that people focusing on video length are missing the point.

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Cognitive Movie Attention PDF 172

Clark Quinn

AUGUST 8, 2023

A recent post on LinkedIn dubbed me in. In it, the author was decrying a post by our platform host, which mentioned Learning Styles. The post, as with several others, asks experts to weigh in. Which, I’ll suggest, is a broken model. Here’s my take on why I say don’t use AI unsupervised. As a beginning, learning styles isn’t a thing.

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Social Networks LinkedIn Trust Learning Styles 149

Clark Quinn

AUGUST 2, 2023

A colleague recently suggested that I write about how I get so much done. Which is amusing to me, since I don’t think I get done much at all! Still, her point is that I turn around requests for posts the next day, generate webinars quickly, etc. So, I thought I’d talk a bit about how I work (at risk of revealing how much I, er, goof off).

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Cognitive PKM Apple Write Blog 223

Clark Quinn

JULY 25, 2023

Ok, so the title’s a bit over the top, but…I think there’s something here. Everyone is now talking about how AI can take over a bunch of ID roles. Frankly, I agree (and have said so). In thinking about it (on a walk, as usual ;), I realized there’s a reframing, and I think it’s important. Despite being a tad flip, I do think emotion is the new ID.

Cognitive 142

Cognitive Embed Picture Roles 142

Clark Quinn

JULY 18, 2023

I’ve previously complained about the RFPs that orgs send out. And, having just reviewed one, I have to say that I stopped short. There’s more that a company should do if they want to get a good proposal. It has to do with the actual requirements for learning, not for the proposal. There’s always that stuff (what sections, what deadlines, etc).

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vendor Media Games Solution 158

Clark Quinn

JULY 11, 2023

Last week, I gave a webinar with the CEO of Upside Learning on microlearning. In the commentary, one of the attendees pointed to the research of Pooja Agarwal. Turns out she’s worked with Roediger (one of the authors of Make It Stick, a book on my list ). In a paper I found there, I found justification there for an approach I’ve advocated.

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DevLearn PDF News microlearning 154

Clark Quinn

JULY 4, 2023

It’s easy to talk principle. (And I do. ;) Yet, there are pragmatics we have to deal with, as well. For instance, with ‘clients’ (internal or external), giving us their desired outcomes that are vague and unfocused. We generally don’t want to educate them about our business, yet we need more focused guidance. Particularly when it comes to designing meaningful practice.

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Metrics Harassment Training Customer Service Sales 156

Clark Quinn

JUNE 27, 2023

Look, doing is good. It’s better than not doing, for sure. When I say doing, by the way, I mean doing the things that need to be done. In your work, for instance. You should do your instructional design, your strategy. That’s all good. However, I want to suggest, it’s not enough. Don’t just do, do more! At least, if you want to continue to learn (and you should; let’s not talk about the alternative, but either you’re growing, or, well, you’re not).

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Internationalization Voice Library Conference 128

Clark Quinn

JUNE 20, 2023

Not quite 15 years ago, I proposed that Web 3.0 would be system- generated content. There was talk about the semantic web, where we started tagging things, even auto-tagging, and then operating on chunks by rules connecting tags, not hard wiring. I think, however, that we’ve reached a new interpretation of Web 3.0 and system-generated content.

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Web System Content Tagging 142

Clark Quinn

JUNE 13, 2023

Our colleague, Connie Malamed , posed a question on Twitter. She asked: “What areas and skills are essential (in order of importance if possible) for those who want to transition into learning and development.” So, I used some of my tiny brain and generated an initial list. I’m sharing it for her (I responded with just the categories on Twitter), and for discussion.

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Cognitive Skills Instructional Design Twitter 152

Clark Quinn

JUNE 6, 2023

In a conversation, we were discussing how L&D fares. Badly, of course, but we were looking at why. One of the problems is that L&D folks don’t have credibility. Another was that they don’t measure. I didn’t raise it in the conversation, but it’s come up before that they’re also not being strategic. That came up in another conversation.

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Performance Support DevLearn Conversation Survey 206

Clark Quinn

MAY 30, 2023

I was thinking about what too often we see as elearning. That is, the usual content dump and knowledge test. There’s good reason to believe that it isn’t effective. So, why are we seeing it continue? Is it a placebo effect? I tend to view this as a superstition. That is, the belief that information presentation will lead to behavior change is held implicitly.

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Effectiveness Behavior Change Problem 231

Clark Quinn

MAY 23, 2023

In a recent conversation, the issue of storyboards came up. It was in the larger context of representations for content development. In particular, for communicating with stakeholders (read: clients ;). The concern was how do you communicate the content versus representing the experience. So, the open question is what is the role of a storyboard? So, there are (at least) several elements that are important in creating a learning experience.

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Storyboard Roles Examples Performance Support 162

Clark Quinn

MAY 16, 2023

Many years ago, I was accused of not knowing the realities of learning design. It’s true that I’ve been in many ways a theorist, following what research tells us, and having been an academic. I also have designed solutions, designed design processes, and advised orgs. Still, it’s nice to be grounded in practice, and I’ve had the opportunity of late.

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Policies Director News Attention 171

Clark Quinn

MAY 9, 2023

Ok, so I’m going to go out on a limb here, and talk a wee bit about what I’ve been learning about designing curricula. I care about doing it right (and probably haven’t always). It’s not the average course that’s the issue, but big ones, or multiple courses addressing skill gaps. It’s been challenging to find a systematic approach, which is why I’m teetering on a curriculimb.

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Teach Issue Design Track 167

Clark Quinn

MAY 2, 2023

Attention is a complex phenomena. Thinking that we can simply address is probably naive. Worse, there is at least one pervasive myth about it. Trivial attention is probably overrated, but meaningful attention is underrated. Attention, I’ll suggest, is how we pay conscious awareness to our thinking. We pay attention to the sensory stream that’s available, and as working memory is has limits, our attention chooses what ends up being in working memory (which is where we see conscious th

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Attention Movie Picture Streaming 150

Clark Quinn

APRIL 25, 2023

Recently, I saw a claim that was, well, a tad extreme. Worse, I think it was wrong, and possibly harmful. Thus, I feel it’s right to address it, to avoid misleading malarkey. So, here’s the claim that riled me up: Short-form edutainment is the most effective teaching method for both children and adults. TikTok and YouTube shorts will ultimately replace high schools and universities.

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YouTube Gamification Conversation Teach 176

Clark Quinn

APRIL 20, 2023

We interrupt your regularly scheduled reading for this commercial announcement: What is Learning Experience Design (LXD)? Further, why should you care? Finally, (and arguably most important) what does it mean you should do differently? Those, to me, are important questions. My short answer is that LXD is the elegant integration of learning science and engagement.

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Director Instructional Design Standards Site 151

Clark Quinn

APRIL 18, 2023

For many reasons, I end up reading relevant books to our field. A recent one underway is Wiggins & McTighe’s Understanding by Design. In it, I found a quote that really resonated. It highlights to me one of the biggest barriers I think we face, that the details matter. Not everyone will see this, however. So, the quote is from Bransford, Brown, & Cocking’s masterwork, How People Learn , funded by the National Academies of Sciences.

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Pedagogy PDF Instruction Instructional 178

Clark Quinn

APRIL 11, 2023

Humor is important, we have to address this seriously! Speaking of irreverent , I’ve argued, in the past , that we don’t use comics enough in learning. In general, I mean serious comics, graphic novel formats, to tell dramatic stories. However, we can use comics for humor, as well. In particular, to accomplish our motivation goals on opening.

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Open Cognitive Alternatives Trust 164

Clark Quinn

APRIL 4, 2023

I’m not flamboyant, nor funny. I’m occasionally irreverent , and those who know me personally can probably regale you with my love for puns and wordplay. Of course, I think irreverence is undervalued, and am inclined to think it may be the only truly effective tool for addressing myths , superstitions, and misconceptions. So I took some time on my walk today and thought about it a bit.

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Images Leadership Attention Market 168

Clark Quinn

MARCH 28, 2023

For the LDA debate this month, Ruth Clark talked to Matt Richter and I about aesthetics in learning. Ruth, you should know, is the co-author of eLearning and the Science of Instruction , amongst other books, a must-have which leverages Rich Mayer’s work on multimedia learning. Thus, she’s knowledgeable about what the research says. What emerged in the conversation was a problem about tradeoffs in aesthetics, that’s worth exploring.

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Cognitive Theory Problem Emergent 129

Clark Quinn

MARCH 21, 2023

In conversations, I’ve begun to suspect that one of the biggest, if not the biggest, problem facing designers wishing to do truly good, deep, design, is client expectations. That is, a belief that if we’re provided with the appropriate information, we can crank out a solution. Why, don’t you just distribute the information across the screen and add a quiz?

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Problem Quiz Quality Instructional Design 309

Clark Quinn

MARCH 14, 2023

Of late, I’ve been talking a fair bit about my take on learning experience design (LXD). To me, it’s the elegant integration of learning science with engagement. Of course, I’m biased, as my two most recent books are specifically to those ends! I don’t claim it’s automatic, but I do believe that with practice, it gets easier.

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Productivity Product Cognitive Integrate 152

Clark Quinn

MARCH 7, 2023

Let me suggest that one of the biggest gaps in our thinking is about doing. Too often, we think about ‘learning’ as the end goal, and it’s not. (I’ve gone as far as suggesting we rename L&D!) We need to rethink and ask about doing, not learning; we need to ask about people: what to do ? To start with, for organizational needs we don’t learn for intellectual self-gratification.

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Performance Support Consulting Analysis Performance 201

Clark Quinn

FEBRUARY 28, 2023

Several books ago, I was asked to to talk about myths in our industry. I ended up addressing myths, superstitions, and misconceptions. While the myths persist, the misconceptions propagate, aided by marketing hype. They may not be as damaging , but they also are a money-sink, and contribute to the lack of our industry making progress. How do we address them?

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Kirkpatrick Taxonomy PDF microlearning 193

Clark Quinn

FEBRUARY 21, 2023

I finally put my mitts on ChatGPT. The recent revelations, concern, and general plethora of blather about it made me think I should at least take it for a spin around the block. Not surprisingly, it disappointed. Still, it got me thinking about thinking artificially. It also led me to a personal commitment. What we’re seeing is a two-fold architecture.

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Engineering Internet Problem Learning Styles 187