Myth: Technology Automatically Improves Learning

A shiny new tool can feel like instant progress, but what if it quietly makes your course harder to learn? Jackie is tackling one of the most stubborn myths in instructional design and education: the idea that technology automatically improves learning. Whether you’re rolling out a new LMS, testing an AI content creation tool, or adding interactive features to eLearning, the real question isn’t “Is it modern?” It’s “Does it help learners do something meaningful?”

Jackie breaks down why this belief sticks around, especially when organizations are pressured to look innovative. Technology is easy to point to, while the deeper work of alignment, practice, feedback, accessibility, and transfer is less visible. Jackie also brings in Richard Mayer’s multimedia learning principles to ground the conversation in what we know about cognitive load and attention. When media and interactivity add noise, learners pay the price, even if the experience looks impressive on paper.

You’ll leave with a purpose-first design mindset and a set of practical questions to audit any platform, app, simulation, or AI tool before it becomes “required.” Jackie also shares a weekly myth reset challenge to review one technology-supported lesson and make one intentional adjustment, like simplifying the flow, removing an unnecessary tool, or adding clearer instructions and feedback.

If you want learning technology that actually supports performance, press play, then share this with a colleague and subscribe for more myth resets. If it helps, leave a review so more instructional designers and educators can find the show.

🔗 Episode Links

Please check out the resources mentioned in the episode. Enjoy!

Myth Reset Case File: Technology with Purpose

Mayer’s Principles of Multimedia 

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Transcript

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Welcome & Today’s Myth

Jackie Pelegrin 0:00

Hello, and welcome to the Designing with Love Podcast. I am your host, Jackie Pellegrin, where my goal is to bring you information, tips, and tricks as an instructional designer. Hello, instructional designers and educators. Welcome to episode 135 of the Designing with Love Podcast. Today we're continuing our series called Myths in Instructional Design and Education, where we unpack common beliefs that shape how we design, teach, train, and support learning. In the last episode, we challenged the myth that accessibility is optional if learners do not request it. We talked about why accessibility should be considered from the start, not only after a learner encounters a barrier. In this episode, we're looking at another common myth. Technology automatically improves learning. This myth can show up whenever a new platform, app, artificial intelligence tool, simulation, or interactive feature promises to make learning more engaging, efficient, or innovative. But technology alone does not create learning. The design decisions behind the technology matter. So grab your notebook, a cup of coffee, and settle in as we explore this topic together.

How The Myth Series Works

Jackie Pelegrin 1:22

Before we jump in, here's how this series will work. Each episode will focus on one common myth, why it has lasted, what we know instead, and how we can make stronger design decisions moving forward. Today's myth is technology automatically improves learning. At first, this idea can sound exciting. A new learning management system may promise better organization. A new quiz tool may promise more engagement. A new artificial intelligence tool may promise faster content creation. A new interactive platform may promise a more dynamic learner experience. And sometimes technology really can support learning in powerful ways. But the problem begins when we assume the tool itself will improve learning simply because it is new, digital, or impressive. Technology can support good design, but it cannot replace good design. So

Why The Tech Myth Persists

Jackie Pelegrin 2:20

why has this myth lasted for so long? One reason is that technology is visible. It is easy to point to a new tool, dashboard, platform, or feature and say, look, we improved the learning experience. But the deeper design work is less visible. Alignment, practice, feedback, accessibility, support, and transfer are always flashy, but they matter. Another reason this myth persists is that technology can create a feeling of progress. When an organization adopts a new tool, it can feel like innovation is happening. But innovation is not the same as effectiveness. A beautifully designed tool can still support a weak learning experience if the goals are unclear or learners do not have meaningful opportunities to practice. This myth also persists because designers, educators, and trainers are often under pressure to keep up. When new tools appear quickly, it can feel like we need to use them before we have had the time to ask whether they are the right fit. But choosing technology too quickly can lead us to design around the tool instead of designing around the learner. Here's where we need to shift the conversation. The

Purpose First Design Beats Tools

Jackie Pelegrin 3:39

issue is not that technology does not matter. Technology absolutely matters. The issue is that technology is only useful when it serves a clear learning purpose. A more accurate way to think about it is this. Technology does not automatically improve learning. Technology improves learning when it supports the goal, the learner, the context, and the instructional strategy. A tool is not a strategy. A platform is not a learning experience. A feature is not the same thing as engagement. And a digital activity is not automatically meaningful just because learners click, drag, watch, or respond.

Multimedia Learning & Cognitive Load

Jackie Pelegrin 4:21

This is where Richard Mayer's work on multimedia learning can be helpful. His principles remind us that learning with media works best when the design reduces unnecessary cognitive load and helps learners focus on the most important information. The question is not what tool should we use. The stronger question is what do learners need to practice, understand, decide, create, or apply? Once we answer that question, technology can help us support the learning experience more intentionally. It might help learners receive faster feedback. It might help them practice in a realistic scenario. It might help them access content more flexibly. It might help them collaborate, reflect, or revisit information when they need it. But the learning purpose should come first. So what does this mean for us as instructional designers, educators, trainers, or learning leaders?

Questions To Ask Before Choosing Tech

Jackie Pelegrin 5:21

It means we need to move from tool first thinking to purpose first design. Instead of asking, how can we use this tool, we might ask, what problem am I trying to solve? Instead of asking, how can I make this more interactive? We might ask, what kind of interaction would actually support learning? Instead of asking, what is the newest option? We might ask, what is the right option for these learners, this goal, and this context? Before choosing a tool, we can pause and ask a few design questions. What is the learning goal? What do learners need to do with the content? Where are learners likely to struggle? What kind of practice or feedback would help? What barriers might the tool create? How much time will learners and facilitators need to use it well? These questions help us avoid using technology just because it is available. They also help us avoid creating extra complexity for learners. The goal is not to use more technology. The goal is to use the right technology in service of the right learning experience. Here's

Myth Reset Challenge & Close

Jackie Pelegrin 6:35

today's myth reset. Instead of believing technology automatically improves learning, remember that technology only improves learning when it supports a clear instructional purpose. A tool can make learning more accessible, flexible, interactive, or personalized. But it can also make learning more confusing, distracting, or overwhelming if it is not aligned with the goal. This week, look at one technology-supported lesson, module, activity, or training experience and ask yourself, is the technology helping learners do something meaningful, or is it simply adding another layer? That question can help us design with purpose instead of pressure. Today we challenged the myth that technology automatically improves learning. We looked at why this belief has lasted, what it gets wrong, and how we can replace it with a more intentional design approach. Your myth reset challenge this week is to review one tool, platform, activity, or technology-supported learning experience you currently use or are considering. Ask yourself, what learning goal does this technology support? What does it help learners practice, understand, decide, create, or apply? Does it make the experience clearer or more complicated? Does it support accessibility and learner needs? Is there a simpler option that would work just as well? Then choose one adjustment. Maybe you simplify the activity, remove an unnecessary tool, add clearer instructions, build in feedback, or choose a technology that better supports the goal. The goal is not to avoid technology. The goal is to use technology with intention. In the next episode, we'll continue the series by looking at another common myth. Good teaching equals good instructional design. Before I conclude this episode, here's an inspiring quote from John Dewey. If we teach today's students as we taught yesterday's, we rob them of tomorrow. That quote is often connected to innovation and education, but I think it also reminds us that change should be thoughtful. The goal is not to chase every new tool. The goal is to design learning experiences that prepare learners, support them, and help them grow. If this episode gave you something to think about, I'd love for you to share it with another educator, instructional designer, trainer, or learning leader who is ready to rethink what really works in learning. And don't forget to check out the companion myth reset case file for this episode. It will help you investigate the myth, review the design shift, and apply this week's challenge to your own course, lesson, module, or training experience. Thank you for joining me today as we opened another case in our myths and instructional design and education series. As you move through the week, I hope this episode encourages you to pause before accepting a familiar belief as fact. Sometimes, the best design decisions begin when we question what we have always assumed to be true. Until next time, keep learning, keep questioning, and keep designing with love. Thank you for taking some time to listen to this podcast episode today. Your support means the world to me. If you'd like to help keep the podcast going, you can share it with a friend or colleague, leave a heartfelt review, or offer a monetary contribution. Every act of support, big or small, makes a difference, and I'm truly thankful for you.