As online learning specialists and book lovers, we couldn’t help but wonder: what are the best books and podcasts about eLearning?
Reading is one of life’s most special pleasures. There’s nothing like picking up a good book and feeling the world melt away for a few hours. Additionally, we have the luck of living in a digital age. Books can be found with a quick Google search and taken with you on your mobile devices. Additionally, with the press of a button, that book becomes sound. Now you can listen to it while doing something else!
The same goes for podcasts. They’re great for taking in information whilst walking the dog or doing the laundry. Or perhaps just twiddling your thumbs. Yay to multi-tasking!
As stated in our top industry resources article, the eLearning space is always changing. As a result, it can be difficult to keep up. Furthermore, there are always some people who are looking for the best places to start their learning journeys. Well look no further!
This article is a round-up of the most informative and engaging eLearning-focused books and podcasts. All of them are born from the brains of top experts, who carefully condense their research into an easily digestible format for you to consume.
Please note: the list is in no particular order. Without further ado, let’s get going!
eLearning Books
Learning Technologies in the Workplace: How to Successfully Implement Learning Technologies in Organizations
Donald H. Taylor has experience at every level of the learning process, from design and delivery to acting as chairperson for organisations like The Learning and Performance Institute. He uses his expertise to review learning technology implementations and identify what made them so successful.
In this book, Donald lays out the four characteristics that make an effective eLearning team. The book also acts as a guide for how to implement new learning technology and win the support of key stakeholders. As such, it’s a great starting point for those just beginning their eLearning journey.
Click here to check out the book on Amazon!
The eLearning Designer’s Handbook: A Practical Guide to the eLearning Development Process for New eLearning Designers
He’s an award-winning designer and the creator of The eLearning Designer’s Academy. Kevin Slade wrote this book to answer any questions you may have about the eLearning creation process.
This is the second edition of the book. It goes into even more detail than the first and draws from his ten years of experience as an eLearning designer.
You can find out more about the book here!
How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens
Benedict Carey is an award-winning science reporter. His book is full of historical research to teach you all about the way we learn.
He answers vital questions such as:
- Is sitting at a desk the best way to study?
- Can distractions improve memory retention?
- How do our brains best absorb and retain information?
The answers he finds to these questions create an operating manual for your brain and help you make learning a more natural part of life.
Head here to see the great reviews people have left for this book!
Driving Performance through Learning: Develop Employees through Effective Workplace Learning
Andy Lancaster is Head of Learning at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
He wrote this book to optimise the flow of your L&D activities and help you improve business performance. It was runner up in the “HR & Management” 2020 Business Book Awards!
This eLearning book covers a wide range of topics, including how to use data and metrics to analyse learner performance effectively. It also talks about how to use technology and social collaboration to design great learning solutions.
You can find out more about the book here!
L&D Detective Kit for Solving Impact Mysteries
We’re big fans of Kevin Yates’ work at Growth Engineering! He has many years of experience in the industry and has worked with some amazing companies. We wrote about him in more detail in our top L&D experts article.
Kevin has distilled his expertise into this highly practical eBook. It transforms L&D practitioners into detectives who solve ‘impact mysteries’. By the end of the eBook, you’ll feel like eLearning’s very own Sherlock Holmes. Better than that, you’ll know how to effectively measure the impact of your learning solutions. By the end of the eBook. you’ll learn how to measure the impact of your training and learning solutions.
Download the book and transform into an L&D detective here!
e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning
We’re sure you can tell from the title of this book that it’ll be more than thorough. It’s a handbook written by both Ruth C. Clark and Richard E. Mayer. Ruth has over 30 years experience in the industry and is the president of her own consulting company. Richard is an educational psychologist who has made some remarkable contributions to theories of cognition and learning. We have a lot to thank him for!
The eLearning book is now on its fourth edition. It has been updated to incorporate the new multimedia approaches that we’ve seen in recent years. It includes guidance on a variety of topics. This includes design techniques, how to best apply visuals and even how to optimise your learning games.
Find out more about the book and their other books about eLearning here. You can download it onto your Kindle too!
Course Design Formula: How to Teach Anything to Anyone Online
Rebecca Frost Cuevas is the founder and CEO of Learn and Get Smarter Inc. She uses over 12 years of research and two Masters degrees in Education to bring you this resource. Her eLearning book was a finalist for multiple awards and has proved to be incredibly useful for improving instructional design knowledge.
It also draws on research from other key figures such as Jean Piaget. The end result is a guide that will help you to create engaging and effective online learning solutions.
You can learn more about Rebecca’s book here!
eLearning Podcasts
Now that we’ve covered some great eLearning books, let’s dive into some of the amazing eLearning podcasts out there!
The eLearning Coach
Connie Malamed has over two decades of experience as a consultant. She’s also written two books on eLearning and a free email course. On her podcast, Connie has insightful conversations with other people in the eLearning space.
These free-ranging conversations tackle a variety of topics. Whether you’re learning about microlearning, storytelling or inclusive design. There is always a lot of information to take away from this podcast!
The Learning Uncut Podcast
This podcast has listeners in 106 countries and also has over 100,000 downloads. It also regularly has top guest speakers like Donald Taylor, Arun Pradhan, Jane Hart and countless others.
It’s hosted by the brilliant Michelle Ockers and is definitely one to listen to for fresh insights on the eLearning industry.
Check out this five-star rated podcast here!
Rod’s Pulse Podcast
Rodney B. Murray created this podcast for anyone interested in learning about the latest eLearning technologies. He has over three decades of experience leading entrepreneurial software development teams in various sectors.
On this podcast, he offers special insights into the industry. These include fresh takes on how COVID-19 affects the way we learn and also features talks with key figures of well-known LMS providers.
If you’re interested in listening, click here!
The Talented Learning Show
John Leh has over 25 years of experience in the learning and development industry. During his time he has seen it all. In this podcast, John speaks to the world’s most innovative and successful learning system executives, customers and other experts.
As somebody who has a background in LMS sales, John is able to share a lot of knowledge about the LMS evaluation, selection and implementation process. Some of his topics include how to drive engagement and insights into new technologies like AI.
You can listen to the podcast here!
The Gamification Quest
This brilliant podcast is hosted by Monica Cornetti. She’s the founder of Sententia Gamification and has also written a great eLearning book. It’s called Totally Awesome Training Activity Guide: Put Gamification to Work for You.
The podcast is all about — yep, you guessed it — gamification. Monica’s guests include L&D professionals who provide you with tips, tools and techniques to add to your training strategies.
Head here to hear Monica and her guests’ insights!
Scenario Secrets Podcast
Anna Sabramowicz is the coach and co-founder of eLearningsecrets.com. There she helps instructional designers learn about interactive storytelling. This powerful learning approach can be used to produce remarkable results.
Anna also has her very own podcast, Scenario Secrets. There, she shares strategies to help you design your own award-winning scenarios and utilise psychology to optimize learning outcomes. Check it out if you’re ready to be captivated and inspired!
The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!
Instructional Redesign Podcast
Last but certainly not least, this podcast first came to be in August 2017. It’s hosted by Cara North and Joseph Suarez. Together, they explore a variety of topics, often alongside a special guest!
Throughout their discussions, they have tackled common L&D myths, the L&D recruitment process, leading creative teams and much more! If you’re a fan of well considered and researched conversations about learning, then you’re sure to like this podcast!
Final Words
And that’s all folks! As we always say, there’s a multitude of resources available. This list is merely a drop in the ocean of all the amazing eLearning books and podcasts out there. Be sure to check back for an updated list next year!
We hope you’ll use these resources to expand your knowledge of the eLearning industry. Some of you may be just starting out. Some of you may be as experienced as the people mentioned on this list. Regardless, there’s plenty to dive into here. Enjoy!
We’ve got some great resources of our own. In our Resource Library, we provide our well-informed takes on the eLearning industry. There’s also interviews with top experts, premium research data and more! Click here to access our vast library of useful resources!
