By Brian Austin, CSAA

1. Avoiding the Lure
of Potemkin’s
Village
And other Lessons of Success
and Failure in L&D
BrianAustin

2. Introduction
Potemkin’s Village
Lessons from Basketball
Learning Styles
L&D’s Inferiority Complex
Innovation
1
2
3
4
5
6

3. Potemkin’s Village

4. What we can learn
from basketball

5. Learning Styles

6. Learning Style Poll
• What is your learning style?
• Text the corresponding code to 22333
• Visual (210903)
• Auditory (211084)
• Reading and writing (211233)
• Kinesthetic (211251)

8. Learning Styles Myth
The world isn’t, and never was,
flat

9. What does this Mean?
Information retention
depends on context and
application
Information storage
Information is stored as a
meaning or concept, not
as a sensory mode
Context and Application
Retention
Storage
Basic Tittle

10. Context and Meaning

11. Why do we Care and Why does it Persist?
PersistCareWaste Resources
Create learning that
accounts for all
learning styles
Labeling
Dangerous. “I’m just
not good at learning
if I have to read.”
Romantic
Classically
traditional
Fear & Credibility
Mantras for false
credibility: adult learning
theory
Single source multi modal
output
ROI
Waste
Dangerous
Romantic
Fear

12. Reframe learning styles as a learning
preference:
“That’s an important point. We need to consider
how people’s preferences might affect their
learning.”
Point out that much of the research
done indicating learning styles was
actually done by companies that profit
in the sell of learning style inventories
with no supporting independent
research.

14. Stop
The push for better,
faster, cheaper
Quality vs. QuantityIf there isn’t data …
there isn’t data
Data
Technology
implementation
Project initiation
Conference
attendance
Ephemeral
Levels 1 – three/four
Seat time.
Context and Meaning
Fluff Pests Q vQ Yay

15. Start
Enhances credibility
CommunicateAnd then share
Lessons-Learned
Change management
Adoption rates
Improved results
Effective …
Acknowledge
Spirit of innovation.
Celebrate
Failure Apply Milestones Yay

17. Brian Austin
brian@brianaustin.org
@brianaustinbp
Thanks!