Thoughts on Learning Design @thelearningthread - Tumblr Blog

What if impact isn’t something you measure at the end of design but something that constrains it from the start? If learning is meant to change something, this question isn’t optional.

#"behaviour change learning #"learning design impact #designing for learning outcomes #evaluation vs impact learning #evidence in learning design #instructional design outcomes #learning analytics interpretation #learning evaluation design #measuring learning impact #training effectiveness

A reflective piece on LMS selection from a learning design perspective, focusing on the design consequences of platform decisions and the quieter forms of influence learning designers often hold, even when they are not part of procurement.

#accessibility in LMS platforms #assessment design constraints #educational technology decisions #educational technology workflows #learning design governance #learning design influence #learning designers in higher education #LMS accessibility considerations #LMS procurement in HE #LMS selection

Measuring Behaviour Change in Learning: From Initial Use to Sustained Practice

Behaviour change is often treated as the clearest indicator of learning impact. Behaviour change is often treated as the clearest indicator of learning impact. Early behaviour change may reflect novelty, compliance, or temporary support rather than durable learning, yet this distinction is frequently overlooked. Enduring transfer is quieter and harder to detect but is what matters for impact…

#"initial vs sustained transfer #"measuring behaviour change in learning #behaviour change evidence #behaviour change over time #evaluating learning transfer #learning impact claims #learning transfer evaluation #sustained behaviour change #training impact evaluation #transfer of learning

A refreshed version of my pillar post on the role of technology in learning design, revisiting familiar tools and newer developments through a design‑first lens. Rather than focusing on what technology can do, it looks at how it shapes decisions, responsibilities, and everyday practice.

#choosing learning technologies #digital learning technologies #digital tools for workplace learning #edtech for instructional design #examples of edtech in training #how technology supports learning design #learning technology tools #tech‑enhanced learning design #technology in learning design #trends in learning technology

The Importance of Pre- and Post-Training Assessments

Pre‑ and post‑training assessments are often treated as simple before‑and‑after checks. Used uncritically, they offer limited insight. Designed carefully, they can support meaningful interpretation of change. These assessments are not neutral benchmarks. They are designed moments of evidence, shaped by timing, format and assumptions about what learning looks like. Baseline assessments are…

#"pre and post training assessments #"pre post assessment design #assessment literacy in learning #baseline assessment in training #learning assessment design #learning baseline data #measuring learning change #measuring learning impact #training evaluation assessments #training evaluation inference

Learner motivation is often discussed as though it were a personal trait. As something learners either have or do not. In practice, motivation is far more situational. It is shaped by interest, context, clarity, cognitive demand, and how supported learners feel throughout the experience.

#designing engaging eLearning experiences #how to keep learners motivated online #learner engagement strategies #learner motivation #learning design engagement #maintaining learner motivation #motivational design for digital learning #motivational strategies in eLearning #online learning motivation #supporting learner persistence

Quantitative vs Qualitative: The Wrong Distinction for Interpreting Learning Outcomes

Discussions of learning impact often position quantitative and qualitative data as opposing choices. In practice, the distinction is less about preference and more about inference. Different forms of evidence answer different questions. Understanding learning outcomes depends on recognising what each method can and cannot reasonably tell us, and how assessment design constrains…

#"quantitative vs qualitative learning outcomes #evaluation judgement in learning #evaluation of learning outcomes #interpreting learning data #interpreting learning outcomes #learning data interpretation #learning evaluation interpretation #learning outcomes analysis #quantitative and qualitative evidence #quantitative vs qualitative evaluation

Effective feedback is one of the most powerful tools we have in learning design. Thoughtful, intentional feedback design can transform a digital learning experience from static content into a dynamic, interactive, and supportive journey.

#actionable learning feedback #designing feedback for online learners #digital learning feedback #effective feedback design #elaborative vs corrective feedback #elearning feedback #feedback as a learning activity #feedback timing in elearning #how to write good feedback messages #instructional feedback strategies

Effective Data Collection Methods for Learning Programs

Much of what passes for “evidence” in learning evaluation persists not because it is strong, but because it is administratively convenient. In many organisations, evidence is selected not to inform design decisions but to satisfy assurance, compliance, or audit requirements; purposes that quietly shape what counts as “acceptable” data. Metrics such as satisfaction scores, completion rates, or…

#"designing evidence for learning #"learning data collection methods #data collection in learning evaluation #evaluation data quality #evidence‑based learning evaluation #learning evaluation metrics #learning impact evidence #measuring learning effectiveness #training evaluation data #training evaluation surveys

AI makes answers easy. Thinking is still the hard part. How learning designers can protect and strengthen critical thinking in a world where shortcuts are everywhere.

#AI and cognitive skills #AI‑supported learning design #analysing AI‑generated content #cognitive demand in AI activities #critical thinking and AI #designing thinking skills in digital learning #evaluating AI outputs #higher‑order thinking in elearning #how to teach critical thinking with AI #using AI for evaluation tasks

AI makes answers easy. Thinking is still the hard part. How learning designers can protect and strengthen critical thinking in a world where shortcuts are everywhere.

#AI and cognitive skills #AI‑supported learning design #analysing AI‑generated content #cognitive demand in AI activities #critical thinking and AI #designing thinking skills in digital learning #evaluating AI outputs #higher‑order thinking in elearning #how to teach critical thinking with AI #using AI for evaluation tasks

Measuring the Impact of Learning Programs

Measuring learning impact is often treated as a reporting task, something done after a programme finishes to demonstrate value. In practice, it is a design problem long before it becomes an evaluation one. What can plausibly be claimed about impact depends on what was designed into the learning from the start: the questions asked, the evidence gathered, and the assumptions made about what counts…

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Engaging eLearning isn’t about adding more “stuff.” It’s about clarity, flow, and purposeful design. Practical tips to make your content more effective and more human.

#creating effective elearning #elearning engagement strategies #engaging digital learning design #examples of engaging online activities #how to design engaging elearning #improving learner motivation online #instructional engagement techniques #online learning engagement #practical engagement tips for L&D #reducing passive learning in elearning

Engaging eLearning isn’t about adding more “stuff.” It’s about clarity, flow, and purposeful design. Practical tips to make your content more effective and more human.

#creating effective elearning #elearning engagement strategies #engaging digital learning design #examples of engaging online activities #how to design engaging elearning #improving learner motivation online #instructional engagement techniques #online learning engagement #practical engagement tips for L&D #reducing passive learning in elearning

An examination of mobile learning as a stress test for learning design, considering what mobile access reveals about assumptions, accessibility, assessment, and how learning fits into real working lives.

#Accessible learning design #assessment design for mobile learners #designing for on‑the‑go learning #desktop versus mobile learning #digital poverty and learning access #flexible learning design #learning design for real world contexts #mobile accessibility considerations #Mobile Learning Design #mobile learning in higher education

Bloom’s isn’t just a pyramid. It’s a practical tool for designing deeper thinking. Here’s how to use it to write better outcomes, activities, and assessments.

#aligning activities to Bloom’s levels #Bloom verbs for objectives #Bloom’s examples for workplace training #Bloom’s model for elearning #Bloom’s Taxonomy learning design #Bloom’s taxonomy practical guide #cognitive levels explanation #difference between apply analyse evaluate #how to write learning objectives #instructional objectives taxonomy

Bloom’s isn’t just a pyramid—it’s a practical tool for designing deeper thinking. Here’s how to use it to write better outcomes, activities, and assessments.

#aligning activities to Bloom’s levels #Bloom verbs for objectives #Bloom’s examples for workplace training #Bloom’s model for elearning #Bloom’s Taxonomy learning design #Bloom’s taxonomy practical guide #cognitive levels explanation #difference between apply analyse evaluate #how to write learning objectives #instructional objectives taxonomy

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