Talk · Learning · EvidenceFeatured
The Illusion of Learning
A developing talk examining why the feeling of learning can be mistaken for evidence that learning has actually occurred.
The talk begins with a simple question: after two people attend the same lecture and both say they learned, how does either person actually know?
Talk
Talk in development
In Preparation
The Illusion of Learning
Approximately 7 minutes
The illusion
Attention, engagement, fluency, familiarity, and completion can create the feeling that learning happened without demonstrating changed capability.
- A lecture can feel meaningful
- A book can feel understandable
- A course can feel complete
- None alone establishes learning
Learning as a latent process
Learning cannot be directly observed. It must be inferred from evidence such as recall, independent performance, transfer, teaching, creation, and reflection.
- Learning is inferred
- Behavior provides uncertain evidence
- Different evidence supports different claims
- Confidence should remain proportional to evidence