If your learning programmes are built on instinct and inherited habits, the science of how the brain actually learns changes what good design looks like.
Brigid McCormack sits down with Tessa Forshaw, a cognitive scientist who studies how we work, learn and create, to unpack what neuroscience reveals about how adults really learn, and the myths still shaping L&D.
A cognitive scientist, award-winning designer, TEDx speaker and co-author of Innovation-ish, Tessa co-founded the Next Level Lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and teaches at Harvard's Division of Continuing Education and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She spent more than a decade designing corporate L&D before going back to study how the brain learns, and now brings that science back to real teams.
She breaks down why learning styles do not hold up, why nobody can multitask and how memory really works, then turns the science into practical design: learning that is deep, durable and practiced.
What you'll learn:
- Why the learning styles myth falls apart under the science, and how to match the method to the content rather than the person
- Why nobody can truly multitask, and the switching costs that break focus every time a learner dips into the side chat
- How memory really works, and why retrieval practice beats leaving recall to chance
- The groove in the sand model for building deep and durable learning through effort and desirable difficulty
- Why the strongest L&D leaders are moving from content provider to strategic advisor as AI automates the rest
🔗 Connect with Tessa Forshaw
📮 The Assembly Debrief
👋 Come and connect with us
We're always keen to hear what's resonating or what you're seeing in your world.
More from The Assembly & Assemble You
Learning that feels more like great content than training. Explore podcast-style lessons, video shorts, and series designed for real work.
https://www.assembleyou.com
Privacy & Data
What is The Assembly?
The Assembly: Where L&D Minds Assemble
The future of workplace learning doesn’t live in theory — it lives in lived experience, fresh research, and honest conversations.
That’s what The Assembly delivers.
Hosted by Adam Lacey, Co-Founder of Assemble You and digital learning veteran, and Brigid McCormack, a newcomer to the world of L&D, this is your go-to space for rich, real talk on what’s driving L&D forward.
In each episode, you’ll find:
Richer insights that go beyond surface-level tips to unpack what really works in learning today
Expert perspectives from leaders shaping the L&D landscape
Access to new research on tech, methods, and innovations defining tomorrow’s learning culture
Practical strategies you can use right now to build essential skills like leadership, communication, and adaptability
Whether you’re designing programs, shaping strategy, or driving culture change — if learning is your thing, this is your podcast.
Formally known as L&D Challenges.