No one ever says, “I have a better idea about how accounting should be done. I prefer to use a different currency every month.” Accounting is governed by standards, not preferences.
And yet, in the world of learning, preferences are everywhere.
- “I don’t like breakout rooms—I prefer to learn on my own.”
- “I prefer slides that contain all of the information I need to know.”
- “I learn better by watching videos.”
Everyone seems to have an opinion.
The question is: should those preferences guide how we design learning? No.
First, who am I to begrudge a preference. It is natural for people to have them—I certainly do. We shouldn’t, however, design and deliver learning according to preferences. Our north star is what actually helps them remember, apply, and change behavior.
The research on learning preferences
The research on preferences is interesting. What people say they like is not always what helps them learn. Sometimes their stated preferences—like wanting no interaction or preferring word heavy slides—works against the very outcomes they came for.
For example, cognitive neuroscientist Carmen Simon studied how people engaged with information delivered live on Zoom compared with reading the same material in an eBook. When asked, participants expressed clear preferences. But brain data told a different story. During Zoom sessions, attention drifted more, fatigue set in faster, and participants’ memory suffered. With the eBook, people stayed more focused. The kicker? There was no correlation between what participants said they preferred and what actually helped them process and remember information.
It could have been an email instead of a Zoom meeting?
Learning expert Paul Kirschner uses a food analogy to make the same point. Ask children what they prefer to eat, and many will choose candy and soda. Not exactly the diet that will help them grow strong and healthy. Preferences may satisfy in the moment, but they don’t always nourish. He cites Ruth Clark’s ((1982) Educational Psychologist) research:
“Learner preference was typically uncorrelated or negatively correlated to learning and learning outcomes.”
The ultimate preference in learning is “learning styles,” the myth that people learn better visually or auditorily, for example. Matching instruction to those preferences has no measurable impact on learning outcomes. In fact, it can even harm learning by reinforcing unproductive habits.
So what do we do with their preferences
It can be hard to redirect a preference, particularly when the learner is a paying member or course participant. We must still try. Instead of designing around preference, we can acknowledge it and explain the why behind your choice.
- “I don’t like breakout rooms.” → “I get that. It can be hard to meet new people. I’ll give you plenty of notice, and you’ll get more out of today’s session if you share your ideas with others.”
- “I prefer just to listen.” → “You’ll have time for that. And a little interaction makes it easier to remember what you hear later.”
- “I want all of the information on the slides.” → “I hear you. It is helpful to have all of the information in a handy way. That’s why we’ve created a handout with information formatted in a user-friendly way.”
- “Can’t we just have a checklist?” → “You’ll get one. And the context behind the checklist will make it more useful.”
- “I’m a visual learner.” → “You are, and the cool thing is that you are also an auditory learner, a kinesthetic learner, and every other kind of learner. I’m going to work hard to make sure we tap into all of those ways to learn.”
Validate the preference, then connect it back to learning that lasts.
I may prefer chocolate, but I’ll eat broccoli—because I know it helps me thrive. Learning is no different. Preferences may tempt us, but nourishment sustains us. Our job is to serve the broccoli… with a side of chocolate.
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