Patti Shank, PhD is writing the Make It Learnable series to help anyone who builds adult instructional materials (content experts, instructors, instructional designers, trainers, and so on) apply critical learning, writing, information design, and usability principles. These principles make it easier for people to learn, remember, and apply what they are learning. The great news is that applying these principles is not hard!
Write and Organize for Deeper Learning tackles four strategies and 28 specific tactics. For each strategy, Patti offers specific actionable tactics that you can implement this very moment, with examples, checklists, and job aids. The four strategies are:
- Strategy 1: Understand your audience’s needs.
- Strategy 2: Write for clarity.
- Strategy 3: Make text readable and legible.
- Strategy 4: Organize for memory and use.
Praise for Write and Organize for Deeper Learning
Don’t you love it when a master demonstrates her knowledge and expertise? Well Patti Shank does just that with her latest book on designing instructional materials. You can view every one of the 28 evidence-based tactics presented in her book in action—right before your eyes! This is the most practical how-to-write book on the market.
Elaine Biech, Author of The Business of Consulting and The Art and Science of Training
Patti’s new book, Write and Organize for Deeper Learning, is the book I wish I had back when I was recruiting and developing instructional writers. Based on science, crafted in a voice from hard-earned experience, her book presents clear and urgent advice—helping instructional writing practitioners.
Will Thalheimer, PhD, President, Work-Learning Research, Inc.
Write and Organize for Deeper Learning is a treasure trove of high value, on-target, evidence-based guidance. The book is packed with practical, straight-forward techniques for making your instructional prose effective, efficient and impactful. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who has to write instructional scripts, content, storyboards, job aids or any instructional material, online or off.
Karl Kapp, Ed.D., Professor, Instructional Technology Bloomsburg University, and author of "The Gamification of Learning and Instruction.”
As a career trainer and instructional designer, I found Patti Shanks’s Write and Organize for Deeper Learning fascinating! I’ve cobbled my knowledge of good design from years of experience and believed I was doing the best I could. I was wrong! The strategies and tactics here did two things; confirmed what I thought was right, so I can keep doing it, and helped me correct and improve. I recommend Patti Shanks’s Write and Organize for Deeper Learning for instructional writers, trainers and anyone who wants to teach for understanding and retention. My writing is already clearer.
Karen Hyder, Online Event Producer and Speaker Coach, GuildMaster 2017, KarenHyder.com
This book is a must-have for anyone who writes instructional content. Patti makes it clear why it is critical to increase ‘learnability’ and explains how to do so. She practices what she preaches and offers incredibly useful tactics and job aids. My recommendation: Read it, use it, repeat.
Mirjam Neelen, Sr. Learning Experience Designer, The Learnovate Centre
Patti Shank’s Write and Organize for Deeper Learning provides a concise but comprehensive set of evidence-based tactics to guide the development of instructional materials. This book provides concrete guidance for sequencing, composing, presenting and formatting instructional text and visuals. Ideal for anyone who’s new to preparing instructional materials and a super refresher and fill-in-the-blanks book for those with experience
Saul Carliner, PhD, Professor of Educational Communication and Technology, Concordia University, Montreal
Patti Shank is an internationally recognized learning designer and analyst, researcher, and author who is cited as one of the elite international learning experts. She works with organizations to analyze and find solutions for organizational performance needs and is regularly asked to speak at conferences and train trainers, instructors, designers, and experts. Patti authored, co-authored, or edited numerous learning books and eBooks. She was an award-winning contributing editor for Online Learning Magazine and the research director for the eLearning Guild. You can find her articles and research in eLearning Guild publications, Magna Publications’ Online Classroom, eLearning Industry articles, and ATD’s Science of Learning and Senior Leaders and Executives blogs.
