Learning Myth #8: People Are Either Left-Brained or Right-Brained

How often have you heard someone say: “I’m a left-brained person.”? By which, they presumably mean, “I’m logical and analytical.” The notion of “brainedness” (analogous to “handedness”) is pretty prevalent in our culture. Some companies have even claimed to develop training materials that are optimized for either left-brained or right-brained thinkers. But what does the …

The Benefits of No Stakes Quizzing

Large numbers of studies have demonstrated the benefits of repeated testing. Requiring learners to retrieve and process previously learned information reinforces what they know and strengthens the neural connections, leading to long term retention. Most of these studies use classic experimental design. They split a learning group in two: One group studies in the normal …

Learning Myth 7 ½: The Cost of Microlearning

This wasn’t on my original list of learning myths but it caught my eye when I saw it on a vendor’s web site: Compared to traditional courses, microlearning videos cost 50% less and take 300% less time to produce. First, this raises red flag #1: If the numbers are nice and round they are, at …

Learning Myth #7: We Use Only 10% of Our Brains

For as long as I can remember I’ve heard this as a fact. I think this myth persists because it allows people to think: “If I’m only using 10% of my brain, imagine how smart I’d be if I could use the other 90%!”  And, like many learning myths, it is part of popular culture …

Learning Myth #6: So, You Think You Can Multitask?

It is common for people to describe themselves, or someone they know or work with, as an accomplished multitasker. And while it is certainly possible to walk down the street and chew gum at the same time, cognitive multitasking is not possible. Indeed, even the attempt to do so is detrimental, especially for learners. We …

Learning Myth #5: People Process Visual Information 60,000 Times Faster Than Text

If you have been following our series on learning myths you know that some “myths” are not really myths but are exaggerations or vendor hype grounded on some level of evidence. When I first saw this claim a few years ago the dial on my myth detector flew off the scale.  Surely no one actually …

Learning Myth #4 — Millennials Have the Attention Span of Goldfish

Does anyone seriously believe this? Unfortunately, yes. We’ve seen countless articles that begin with this premise, as if it were a canonical fact. If we are going to talk about attention span we first need to define what it is. (It’s interesting that none of the aforementioned articles that use the “goldfish” statistic ever actually …

Learning Myth #3: Overhyping and Misapplying Microlearning

Some Q&A about microlearning: Q: Is microlearning a myth? A: No. Q: Is it being hyped by everyone in the learning community? A: Definitely. Q: Is it being overhyped by many in the learning community? A: For sure. Q: Is it being applied effectively to maximize learning and learning retention? A: Often, no. What Problems …

Learning Myth #2: Dale’s Cone of Experience

Many of us in the learning field have encountered the following claim: We remember 10% of what we hear, 50% of what we see and hear, and 90% of what we do. It’s widely believed, but is it true? Unlikely. The claim is based on Dale’s Cone of Experience. We usually encounter it in a …

Learning “Myth” #1: Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve

The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve is one of the best-known results in learning theory. The Curve demonstrates that what humans remember after a learning event drops steeply soon after completion of the event. In fact, within a month, they will forget up to 80% of what they have learned: So, what do we mean when we …