Wake Learning

Research shows that adding more examples and extra information can sometimes make learning worse.

In cognitive psychology, this is known as the seductive details effect.

It refers to the idea that extra examples, interesting facts, or engaging stories can actually reduce learning if they distract from the main point.

When too much additional detail is introduced, attention gets split. Learners may remember the interesting parts, but miss the core concept they need to understand.

Research has shown that learners exposed to these seductive details often perform worse when asked to remember key information later or apply what they've learned in a real situation, compared to those given more focused, streamlined content.

This is why clarity and focus are so important in learning design. The goal isn't to include everything that might be interesting, but to make sure the most important ideas stand out and are easy to follow.

We are having a great time at ATD 2026. If you're here this week, come find us at Booth 2220. We're talking custom courses, scenario-based learning, content migration, and microlearning. Plus - we have great stickers.

Learners make thousands of decisions every day. Designing learning experiences that add to that load works against the goal.

During learning, people are often forced to decide what to click, what information matters, and what to do next. Those extra decisions take attention away from actually understanding the content.

A few ways to reduce that load:
✅ Make the next step obvious. Use clear buttons, labels, and linear navigation so learners always know where to go next.
✅ Highlight what matters. Use headings, bold text, and simple layouts so key points are immediately visible without scanning.
✅ Remove unnecessary choices. Limit navigation options and only include decisions where they directly support the learning goal.
✅ Keep interactions purposeful. Include questions or activities only when they reinforce understanding.

When learners aren't spending mental energy figuring out how to move through content, they can focus on understanding it.

Microlearning is supposed to be quick… so why can't people use it quickly when they need it?

Many people assume microlearning is about making content shorter or breaking it into smaller pieces, but what it’s really about is whether people can find and use it quickly while completing a task, without needing to stop and search through longer courses or documents.

Strong microlearning is built so employees can quickly access clear, practical resources at the exact point they need support, so they can continue working without interruption.

That’s why we design job aids and performance support resources that employees can open and use immediately while carrying out their work, built around how your organization actually works using your processes, standards, and internal documentation.

This can include walkthrough and explainer videos, infographics and visual job aids, flowcharts and process guides, as well as quick reference guides and checklists, all designed so employees can find what they need in seconds and use it straight away.

If you'd like to find out more about how we design practical learning resources, take a look at our website here 👉 https://hubs.ly/Q04fvsTx0

One of the first e-learning systems was built in 1960, decades before the internet existed. 💻

It was called PLATO. A computer-based learning platform that gave users access to lessons through a screen, long before any of the tools L&D teams work with today.

What researchers didn't expect: learners quickly started using it to message and socialize with each other instead of engaging with the content.

Even then, with brand-new technology, in an era when a computer screen was novel, engagement wasn't automatic just because the platform was new.

That's worth keeping in mind. The tools have changed completely. The challenge hasn't. Learning that doesn't give people a reason to engage will always compete with something more interesting.

The platform was never the answer by itself.

Not every learning challenge needs a course.
Different goals need different approaches. Defaulting to one format is one of the most common reasons learning doesn't land.

Here's how we think about it:
🔹 Microlearning — job aids, performance support, and just-in-time resources employees can access while they work, at the exact moment they need them.
🔹 Scenario-based learning — realistic situations that help learners practice decisions, apply judgment, and see how choices play out before they're in the field.
🔹 Custom courses — structured learning built around your content, your goals, and your audience. Takes learners from understanding through to application.
🔹 Content migration — existing materials transformed into clear, accessible learning people can actually find and use.

The right format for the right goal makes learning easier to follow, more relevant to the work, and far more likely to stick.

Find out more: https://hubs.li/Q04b3GBD0

We're heading to ATD 2026 in Los Angeles, May 17–20. We'd love to connect at Booth 2220.

ATD brings together L&D professionals from across the country to share what's actually working in the field. Hundreds of sessions, workshops, and real conversations about where workplace learning is heading and how organizations are building programs that stick.

Miranda Carter will be representing Wake Learning at the conference. If you're attending, connect with her ahead of the event 👉 https://hubs.li/Q04b3mLT0

Still finalizing your plans? There's still time to register 👉 https://hubs.li/Q04b3d9H0

Learners can retain up to 50% more when they test themselves instead of re-reading. 🧠

Cognitive psychology research is consistent on this: actively recalling information from memory strengthens long-term retention far more than reviewing notes.

Re-reading feels productive. That's the problem.

When something is easy to process, people assume they've learned it. This is called the fluency illusion, and it's one of the most common traps in learning design.

Retrieval practice works differently. It requires effort, and that effort is what builds memory.

That's why quizzes, recall prompts, and short exercises belong in the learning itself, not just at the end as assessments.

Try it: replace one re-reading section with 3-5 short questions that ask learners to recall key points without looking at their notes. Or pause after a section and ask them to write down everything they can remember before checking the material.

The most effective learning rarely feels the easiest in the moment.

What if better learning came from just doing less?

When schedules are tight, clutter stands out fast.

Learning rarely improves by adding more content, more steps, or more activities. It usually gets better when you remove one unnecessary thing.

Less noise. Less overload. Less friction.

When learning is stripped back to what really matters, focus improves and understanding follows.

A simple place to start:
✔ Remove any section learners never act on
✔ Delete one step that exists “just in case”
✔ Cut one page or screen entirely and see if anything breaks

Sometimes, progress starts with subtraction.

Learning rarely fails in training. It fails in the moment of need.

If people can’t quickly find what they need, understand it, and act on it, the learning hasn’t truly worked.

That’s why we focus on making content clear, searchable, and usable in context, not just well-designed in theory.

Learn more about how we help organizations do this:
https://hubs.li/Q042wG8m0

Publishing Services | Wake Learning PUBLISHING SERVICES Take your Educational Content, Assessments, and Activities to the next level.We provide a different experience at Wake! We combine the learning expertise of our in-house team with the subject matter expertise of professors across the country to create content that is pedagogicall...