In the report The Science of Learning: Key Strategies for Designing and Delivering Training, the Association for Talent Development (ATD) presents a framework of five learning concepts and three teaching strategies that contribute to learning. The framework is designed to help talent development professionals enhance their organization’s learning experience by highlighting the key concepts and strategies necessary for them to understand. These concepts and strategies include memory, cognitive load, motivation, connecting to prior knowledge, creating appropriate difficulty in learning, retrieval practice, spacing, and interleaving.

ATD surveyed talent development professionals about the consideration they give the eight concepts when designing or delivering training. The study also examined the importance of each of the concepts now as well as the anticipated future importance. The report further discusses who is involved in conversations about the science of learning, as well as how important it is for people in various job roles to understand the science of learning. Finally, the report covers whether the framework concepts and strategies are tied to better learning and business outcomes and even effectiveness.