Clark N. Quinn - Learning Science for Instructional Designers: From Cognition to Application

2021 ASTD DBA the Association for Talent Development (ATD)
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To all the researchers who advance our understanding of
learning, and the designers who apply that research to create
effective and engaging learning experiences.

If were truly being professionals about designing learning, theres a clear onus to be aware of what learning science tells us. And that runs from the cognitive story at the core through to the learning prescriptions that emerge. Quite simply, we have a responsibility.

If a doctor pursues approaches unjustified by science, theyre liable for malpractice. Similarly, we should be implementing scrutable practices. There are consequences for not doing so. If we use approaches that arent justified, we can squander resources, but more importantly, we can undermine our own goals. In the worst case, lives are lost. In fact, youll see that industries with significant potential downsides of getting it wrong practice in ways not typically seen in corporate America. Look at the military and airlines as two examples.

So, we have a responsibility to our learners, our organizations, and ourselves to understand and apply whats known, whether from a deep-seated curiosity and caring, or just because its whats required of us.

I come from the former category. I was kind of at loose ends, degree-wise. I was tutoring (physics, calculus, chemistry) on campus for some extra income, and taking some computer science courses. I ended up doing computer support for the office that coordinated the tutoring. And a light went on: computers supporting learning! My university didnt have an appropriate degree program (back then, many didnt; I was carrying around decks of punch cards in order to run the computer programs), but it did have a way to design your own. So, thats what I did, and learning design and technology has been my career ever since.

Ive programmed educational computer games; gone back for a PhD in what was, effectively, applied cognitive science; and gone the academic route: a post-doctoral and then a faculty position. For complicated reasons, I also joined some government-sponsored initiatives in online learning before joining a startup in educational technology. When that went four paws to the moon in the economic chaos that characterized the collapse of the internet bubble, I ended up as a consultant (which went from being a euphemism for unemployed to a way of life). However, my career has always been about exploring ways to use technology that allow us to pursue our goals more effectively and efficiently.

Along the way, Ive maintained a passionate interest at the intersection of four related fields. Ive looked at learningbehavioral, cognitive, post-cognitive, social, educational, even machine learningto see whats known. Similarly, Ive followed whats known about engagement, including motivation, anxiety, curiosity, drama, and humor, to understand how we create experiences that are meaningful, even transformative. Ive also followed technology trends from before personal computers, including artificial intelligence, mobile, content systems, constructed realities (augmented and virtual), and more, to find out what new capabilities we might use. Finally, Ive looked at design, including interaction, industrial, graphic, software engineering, and of course instructional approaches, to ensure that were applying this knowledge in the most useful ways.

Thats my mission: Discover how to create experiences that tap into our hearts and apply our minds to achieve useful ends. Its all about strategic learning experience design (LXD). (And through technology, since Im admittedly a sucker for the latest toy.) Which means I have looked at practical ways to integrate this suite of knowledge. Here, Im focusing on learning, and its application to instruction.

And, as youll see, our brains consolidate information. We dont remember many exact details; instead, we remember a synthesis. And thats what Im doing here. This is not a detailed academic treatise, but rather an attempt to digest and communicate a practical interpretation of whats known about cognition and learning to provide a basis for better design.

I hope you find it comprehensible and useful.

There are so many people I owe gratitude to, and Ive tried to catalog them in previous books. A few who continue to support me include the following.

Jim Sky Schuyler has been a mentor, colleague, and friend since out of college and continuing on. A great role model.

Marcia Conner has been a mentor at stages in my career, providing opportunities and helping me learn important lessons.

My Internet Time Alliance colleagues, instigated by the late, great Jay CrossJane Hart, Harold Jarche, and Charles Jenningsall have served to improve my understanding of learning and life.

My IBSTPI colleagues, including Mark Lee, Kathy Jackson, Davida Sharpe, Fernando Senior, Saul Carliner, Florence Martin, and Stella Porto, have been sources of inspiration and learning.

Thanks also to all my colleagues in many different forums; in particular (and in no particular order), Will Thalheimer, Karl Kapp, Patti Shank, Julie Dirksen, Mirjam Neelen, Donald Clark, Jane Bozarth, Jen Murphy, Chad Udell, Connie Malamed, Matthew Richter, Guy Wallace, and the other mythbusters and science interpreters have all helped shape my rigor and understanding. Apologies if I havent mentioned you! And Im grateful to so many more colleagues who inspire me and support us all in doing better.

Im grateful to all the organizations that have given me platforms to share my thinking on how to improve the field, through workshops, keynotes, talks, articles, books, and courses. Thanks to societies, publishers, private organizations, individuals, and more.

Also, thanks to the organizations that have brought me in to work with them. Its a deep pleasure to be able to get hands-on with real problems and try to Quinnovate some new ideas. Ive learned so much from these opportunities with public and private companies, not-for-profits, governmental bodies, educational institutions, and more.