Design For How People Learn -voices That Matter- May 2026

If you buy only one beginner-to-intermediate learning design book, make it this one. Pair it with eLearning and the Science of Instruction (Clark & Mayer) for depth, but start here for clarity and heart.

Here’s a concise, critical review of Design For How People Learn (2nd Edition) by Julie Dirksen, part of the Voices That Matter series. In one sentence: This book bridges the gap between abstract learning theory and practical, visual, brain-friendly course design better than almost any other on the market. What Makes It Great 1. It’s Visual & Skimmable Unlike dense academic texts (e.g., Clark & Mayer, Sweller), Dirksen uses hand-drawn sketches, diagrams, flowcharts, and margin notes. You can grasp a concept like cognitive load or the forgetting curve in seconds. Design For How People Learn -Voices That Matter-

Chapters on “What motivates learners?” and “Design for habit formation” go beyond standard ADDIE models. She draws from BJ Fogg’s behavior model (B=MAP) and Daniel Pink’s Drive — but makes it feel concrete. If you buy only one beginner-to-intermediate learning design