About the book
A training request is only the beginning. The real work is helping people understand, practise and use what they have learnt.
The Science and Practice of Learning gives trainers, facilitators, learning designers and learning and development managers a practical route through that work. Across 17 chapters and 130 sections, it connects the science of adult learning with the decisions you face when planning a course, leading a group and supporting performance afterwards.
Learn how to investigate a learning need before choosing a solution; turn objectives into meaningful practice; build workable agendas, materials and assessments; and give feedback that helps learners try again. Explore ways to handle questions, disagreement and group participation, adapt learning for virtual and hybrid settings, and work thoughtfully across languages and cultures. Then plan the support people need on the job and choose evidence that helps you judge what the learning has achieved.
Worked fictional cases put you inside recognisable situations, from operational training and leadership meetings to community organisations. Each supplies the information you need to make a decision. Questions, practical exercises and changed scenarios invite you to apply an idea, examine your reasoning and attempt a fresh challenge. Detailed answers explain why a choice works, where alternatives fall short and how an answer changes when the circumstances change.
Diagrams, chapter reviews, a glossary and extensive references help you connect ideas and return to them when a new problem arises. No previous study of psychology or instructional design is assumed.
Whether you are preparing your first workshop or developing other trainers, keep a real piece of work beside you as you read, and use each chapter to improve it.