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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 our learners with the best possible learning and performance experiences.

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