Learning Science for Instructional Designers

CHAPTER 2

From Neural to Useful

•  The information-processing cycle

•  Stores: sensory, working, and long-term

•  Processes: perception, attention, rehearsal, elaboration, and retrieval

Some years ago, there was a spate of “brain training” apps released that were supposed to exercise your thinking skills. And, you’ll notice, they’ve largely disappeared. That’s because training on some things doesn’t transfer to other, dissimilar things.

We are quick to latch on to ideas that seem good. The important thing is to drop them when they prove to be ill-advised. Yet, in learning and development, certain ones continue to be marketing draws despite their lack of efficacy.

There’s been a current surge of approaches labeled “neurolearning” and “brain-based” ...