Consulting


What are proven ways to help people learn and to produce lasting change in their behavior and habits?
How can the benefits of online education and e-learning be maximized?

Approach

The approach I take in answering this question draws on my research and expertise in cognitive science, and by using this scientific foundation to continually search out and synthesize proven principles from multiple fields. In addition to cognitive science, this has included insights from research in schools of education, behavior & habit change/modification, social psychology, clinical psychology, corporate e-learning, training & development, and education policy. I also continue to carry out scientific research, especially work that evaluates the impact of applying these principles to online education contexts.

While practical experience is invaluable, the critical advantage of scientific research is that it is directed at discovering what we do not learn from everyday experience.

The principles I draw on are represented in part by the hyperlinked article collection on the Education page, and in the presentations under Talks & Articles. These have been on the practical implications of Cognitive Science research for education, at EdX, Khan Academy, Bloomsburg's Corporate Advisory Council Meeting, and in a Google Tech Talk.

Currently I am working on projects that involve improving motivation by changing people's theories of intelligence (Khan Academy & MOOCs), prompting people with questions that help them learn from exercise & video (Khan Academy & MOOCs), testing principles for online instructional design, developing tools to support people's learning of generalizable study and problem-solving strategies, developing tools to support application of lessons about management to everyday interactions, and teaching cognitive behavioral therapy skills that promote behavior change. 

Consulting focus

The key ideas I apply concern how to: improve people's motivation, get people to think critically and ask questions that help them learn and solve problems, increase their ability to apply what they learn in novel situations, and overcome memory limitations so that knowledge persists over long time periods. The Education page reviews some of research that my approach builds on and extends. 

Examples of what I can do are:

  • Give workshops and presentations that synthesize learning or behavior change principles most relevant to your organization.
  • Evaluate and provide practical improvements to a particular product like an e-learning system, web-based exercises, or mobile app.
  • Provide written or oral reports on topics with links and references to relevant papers, books, online resources, or technology solutions.

    • Contact

    To find out more contact me by email, or connect with my LinkedIn profile.  

    When practical, a contingent contract can be used to price fees based on an evaluation of the successful learning outcomes of the consultation.