A Deeper Dive: Learning Theory & Design

Progressiventures’ work is guided by our broad experience in customizing cutting-edge cognitive learning theories and the most-current workplace/schoolhouse culture research to the knowledge distribution priorities of organizations, as well as the information-acquisition challenges of workplace teams and individual students.  

Our success has been in helping our clients create well-grounded and technically-sound learning tools and programs that go beyond being identifiable as “learner-centered”. In fact, each individual learning program Progressiventures participates in is strategically crafted to meet its specific performance benchmarks and also to nurture a broader workplace (or schoolhouse) culture of intentional-individual-learning and proactive-personal-growth. (See Bloom's Taxonomy at left).

Research-based theory also supports the tactical process of instructional tool design and learner progress management. In this case we begin with the end.  That is, by applying theory on the cognitive domain of human understanding (see one iteration of this research at right) we can help clients determine what behavioral trends or statistical evidence will best determine how successful our knowledge distribution effort will have been once it is deployed. Beginning there, we then can choose the specific emphases, methodologies and approaches in our learning tools and curricula that should most readily yield those types of desired results. As we measure during the deployment process, we can gauge effectiveness in real time and make in-stream adjustments if needed in a finely tuned way. 

That taps into the known factors that can motivate stakeholders to intentionally pursue personal and professional growth. So--let’s design based on the best research available on how people learn today and use this data to explore what can motivate them positively to seek continuous growth and improvement.

That allows for customization of the instruction wherever possible: So--let’s go the extra mile and look for customization opportunities in each level of your learning program to ensure maximum reach of positive impact and to leave no workgroup, team or individual crew member behind. 

That adjusts in-stream to sync with the learner’s “growth journey”: Let’s seek instructional tools, design and pedagogy that can be adapted by trainers or the e-learning program in-stream to better sync up with the unique progress each learner is demonstrating toward actionable understanding. 

That demands meaningful interaction and inspires learners “tell their own story” to the group: Let’s stop “click through learning” by always seeking to build learning tools that warrant personal investment: they inspire (even demand) that learners share their own accumulated experience in the topic area; they allow peer sharing on tricks of the trade and professional growth techniques. The truth is – and current learning research now shows – students and professionals at all levels today are never more productively engaged in learning than when they  have a meaningful forum in which to share their personal story with other humans.