So, for my last post, I had the Revolution Reading List, and it occurred to me that I’ve been reading a bit about deeper learning design, too, so I thought I’d offer some pointers here too.
The starting point would be Julie Dirksen’s Design For How People Learn (already in it’s 2nd edition). It’s a very good interpretation of learning research applied to design, and very readable.
A new book that’s very good is Make It Stick, by Peter Brown, Henry Roediger III, and Mark McDaniel, the former being a writer who’s worked with two scientists to take learning research into 10 principles.
And let me mention two Ruth Clark books. One with Dick Mayer from UCSB, e-Learning and the Science of Instruction, that focuses on the use of media. A second with Frank Nguyen and the wise John Sweller, Efficiency in Learning, focuses on cognitive load (which has many implications, including some overlap with the first).
Patti Schank has come out with a concise compilation of research called The Science of Learning that’s available to ATD members. Short and focused with her usual rigor. If you’re not an ATD member, you can read her blog posts that contributed (click ‘View All’).
Dorian Peters book on Interface Design for Learning also has some good learning principles as well as interface design guidance. It’s not the same for learning as for doing.
Of course, a classic is a compilation of research by a blue-ribbon team lead by John Bransford, How People Learn, (online or downloadable). Voluminous, but pretty much state of the art.
Another classic is the Cognitive Apprenticeship model of Allen Collins & John Seely Brown. A holistic model abstracted across some seminal work, and quite readable.
The Science of Learning Center has an academic integration of research to instruction theory by Ken Koedinger, et al, The Knowledge-Learning-Instruction Framework, that’s freely available as a PDF.
I’d be remiss if I don’t point out the Serious eLearning Manifesto, which has 22 research principles underneath the 8 values that differentiate serious elearning from typical versions. If you buy in, please sign on!
And, of course, I can point you to my own series for Learnnovators on Deeper ID.
So there you go with some good material to get you going. We need to do better at elearning, treating it with the importance it deserves. These don’t necessarily tell you how to redevelop your learning design processes, but you know who can help you with that. What’s on your list?
Yesterday I answered a question for someone about where practitioners find research. I’m glad to see that the list I provided has some overlap with your list above. I love Dirksen’s book and recommend it frequently.
A few of these are new to me though, so I’m adding them to my reading list. Thanks for compiling this collection!
Awesome list. I’d add the 6Ds book by Jefferson et al. Clark was one of those ah ha authors for me.