Work-Learning Research , Inc. Information

Work-Learning Research, founded in 1998, works in the learning-and-performance field, bringing research knowledge to practice and practicality to research. We help instructional designers, e-learning developers, trainers, and performance consultants develop a practical understanding of the human learning system and utilize research-based knowledge to build effective learning-and-performance solutions. Our central objective is to improve learning-and-performance practice by bridging the chasm between practitioners and researchers. We provide instructional designers, trainers, performance consultants, and other practitioners with research-based knowledge that they can trust to be practical and effective. We also work with researchers to promote the development of a viable body of applied research. Why is Evidence-Based Practice Needed? For too long, the training and performance fields have jumped from one fad to another-from the "pellet-reinforced" programmed learning technologies to the "the-learner-knows-everything" adult learning theory; from the "put-the-handcuffs-on-me-please" instructional-systems-design methodology to the "this-will-sound-really-impressive" neuro-linguistic programming. The list goes on and on. What's sad is that most (though not all) of these fads have something valuable to offer. So why do we swing from one to another? Because we have no anchor that grounds us, no firm footing from which to make a stand about what works and what doesn't. Work-Learning Research was founded to provide the field with a clear understanding of the human learning system; to energize researchers to create a practical body of knowledge; to motivate practitioners to demand verifiable, research-based information to guide their design decisions. Only when each and every one of us have this understanding-the vital mental models of how learning works to produce performance-only then will we find our footing. Only then will we be able to deflect the fads, separate effective ideas from marketing claims, and provide ...