Continue the Learning: Recommended Resources
A curated reading list for Learning Managers who want to deepen their understanding of adult learning, instructional design, and building learning experiences that drive real behavior change on the Empath platform.
CONTINUE THE LEARNING
Continue The Learning: Recommended Resources R
Empath Learning Design Team
The Learning Manager Series covers the core ideas you need to create effective learning on the Empath platform. But for those who love understanding the why behind good learning design (you know who you are), we’ve gathered a few additional resources worth exploring.
The articles and books below expand on concepts from the series—like how adults actually learn, why experience matters, and how to design learning that leads to real-world behavior change. None of these are required reading, but they’re great for Learning Managers who enjoy connecting the dots and sharpening their approach.
Think of this as a small reading list for the curious.
Empath Knowledge Base
In addition to the resources on this document, the Empath Knowledge Base is an important companion to the Learning Manager series. While this list focuses on broader ideas about learning and instructional design, the Knowledge Base is where you’ll find guidance that is specific to using Empath effectively within your MSP.
These articles are designed to help bridge the gap between Empath as a tool in your tech stack and Empath as a product that meaningfully changes how your MSP operates day to day. You’ll find practical guidance, examples, and tips that help Learning Managers translate ideas from this series into how courses, learning paths, and workflows actually run inside the platform.
Most importantly, remember the goal of this series: you are the right person for this role. You don’t need years of instructional design experience to succeed as a Learning Manager. With curiosity, a willingness to experiment, and the resources available here—including the Knowledge Base— you can build effective learning experiences that support your team and your MSP.
Click the Emmy below to access the Learning Managers Knowledge Base!
Articles:
Applying Educational Theory in Practice
Adults’ accumulated experience is a “rich resource for learning.” Instruction should build on prior knowledge rather than ignore it.
Adult Learning Theory and the Principles of Andragogy
Adults learn differently because they bring context, agency, and goals—not because they need more information. Start with the problem and purpose, not the content.
Andragogy: Addressing the Unique Needs of Adult Learners
Adults want learning tied to real-world skills and opportunities to test ideas in practice.
Books:
Replaces “content delivery mindset” with behavior-change mindset.
Gives language for diagnosing why learning isn’t sticking.
Visual, fast, non-academic tone (approachable for non-designers) .
Design Thinking for Training and Development: Creating Learning Journeys That Get Results A practical playbook for designing learning around real problems, not just building courses. It introduces a simple design-thinking process to uncover what learners actually need to do differently and prototype solutions before fully launching.
A bit beyond what we typically do on the Empath platform, but a great stretch read for Learning Managers. It offers helpful perspective on mapping broader learning journeys and thinking like an experience designer, even if you don’t apply every step directly.
Write Better Multiple Choice Questions To Assess Learning
A practical guide to writing multiple-choice questions that actually assess learning—not just recall. It shows how to craft clear stems, plausible distractors, and questions that reveal whether learners can apply concepts rather than simply recognize the right answer. Especially helpful for Learning Managers who design quizzes or knowledge checks. A few simple techniques can dramatically improve the quality of assessments and make them a more reliable signal of what learners actually understand.
The Accidental Instructional Designer
A practical, approachable guide to instructional design for people who didn’t formally train in this area.
Covers core fundamentals like working with SMEs, structuring content, and designing engaging learning experiences.
Helps connect everyday course-building work to larger learning design principles Great foundation read for Learning Managers who want to build confidence and sharpen their approach.