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Workforce Development Insights
Articles, research, and field notes on capability, readiness, and the systems that build both.
1-10 of 14 results
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What Is an Engineered Epiphany?What Is an Engineered Epiphany? • Workforce Applied Research Center • • • Catalytic Curriculum Design Series An Engineered Epiphany is a consolidating, sense-making event in Catalytic Curriculum Design. In practical terms, it is a designed-for “aha” moment when the learner sees how the new idea fits with what they already understand. CCD seeks to…
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What Is the IRA-C Framework? Stages and Readiness GatesWhat Is the IRA-C Framework? • Workforce Applied Research Center • • • The IRA-C Framework™ is a structured approach to workforce learning that moves learners from foundational knowledge through reinforcement and application toward demonstrated competency. IRA-C stands for Introduction, Reinforcement, Application, and Certification. Its purpose is to connect learning progression to evidence of readiness….
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Why Can AI Avatars Feel Unnatural or DistractingWhy Can AI Avatars Feel Unnatural or Distracting? • Workforce Applied Research Center • • • In an earlier post, Do Flaws in AI Avatars Hurt Learning?, I looked at the broader question of whether flaws in AI avatars actually hurt learning. Here, I want to focus on one possible reason some avatars feel distracting…
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Do Flaws in AI Avatars Hurt Learning?Do Flaws in AI Avatars Hurt Learning? • Workforce Applied Research Center • • • Visual flaws in AI avatars may matter when they obscure an explanation, misrepresent a task, or undermine trust. But a designer noticing a flaw does not establish that it harms learning. The research discussed here offers reasons to reconsider automatic…
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What Are Catalysts for LearningWhat Are Catalysts for Learning? Workforce Applied Research Center • • • Article 2 of 6 A catalyst for learning is something that lowers the barrier to a new connection forming between new and existing knowledge, without adding to what needs to be learned. Picture a high school chemistry classroom. A single flask holds acetic…
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Why New Information Needs a Cognitive Schema to Become UnderstandingWhy New Information Needs a Cognitive Schema to Form Understanding Workforce Applied Research Center • • • Article 1 of 6 New information becomes durable understanding only when it connects to an existing cognitive schema. Without that connection, a fact can still be memorized, but it stays brittle and difficult to apply. In 1854, addressing…
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What Is Catalytic Curriculum DesignIN THIS SERIES A guided introduction to designing the conditions in which meaningful insight is more likely to form, develop and endure toward capability. Catalytic curriculum design is the deliberate preparation and orchestration of the conditions in which a particular insight is more likely to form. When…
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The Professional Discipline of Learning DesignLearning design is the professional discipline of turning knowledge into capability. This article explains why instructional design and curriculum design must move beyond content delivery, completion metrics, and polished course materials toward purposeful practice, evidence of readiness, and stronger learner-centered judgment.
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Why I’m Launching Workforce ARCI didn’t start Workforce ARC with a finished model in my head. I started with a frustration that kept coming back. For decades, I’ve worked around training, onboarding, instructional design, and workforce preparation. In that work, I kept seeing a pattern that was common enough to feel normal, but important enough that I couldn’t leave…
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What is Role Readiness?Organizations want stronger performance, more reliable hiring decisions, faster time to capability, and training that translates into real work. At the same time, employees want clearer expectations, fairer evaluation, and better support in reaching readiness and succeeding in their role. All these needs are often handled as separate challenges with separate tools….
