The latest L&D news, reports, research and updates, personally compiled by TJ’s Editor, Jo Cook. This week: Leaders overestimate AI use, research probes whether “seductive details” hinder learning. Brain training may cut dementia risk for decades. Diet-driven energy crashes sap productivity. IDTX speakers and Learning Technologies debate L&D’s AI future.
Women’s voices are being targeted online and event platforms must respond
Women-led online events linked to International Women’s Day were reported to have been disrupted with explicit content and coordinated interference. The abhorrent incidents have sparked calls for stronger platform safeguards and a renewed focus on practical event security, raising wider questions about safety, visibility and participation in professional digital spaces.
One in three neurodivergent workers feel their employer does not cater to their needs at events
New research from Center Parcs Conferences & Events released to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week (16-20 March), shows that the appetite for work events among neurodivergent employees is strong and growing, with almost half (42%) stating the number of events they attend has increased over the last three years. However, almost one in three (30%) say their employer doesn’t cater to their needs at events.
The powerful teacher: A power hypothesis for the benefits of learning-by-teaching
This study advanced a novel power hypothesis of learning-by-teaching: When assuming the role of a teacher, students experience a heightened sense of power in influencing others, which increases their own learning. Teaching or explaining to others improved students’ research question generation and comprehension more than writing study notes for their own learning.
Innovation paradox in the American workplace, new INTOO/Harris Poll study
Innovation is no longer optional in today’s workplace. According to a new study conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of INTOO, nearly three out of four full/part-time employed Americans (74%) say they are expected to bring new ideas to improve things at work, like processes, strategies, or results.
The good news: employees are rising to the challenge. More than three-quarters (78%) report that they regularly contribute new ideas for improvement at work. Yet the study reveals a striking tension at the heart of workplace culture. Despite strong expectations—and strong participation—nearly two-thirds (64%) of employees say they wish they were more innovative at work. At the same time, 41% admit they are afraid of being fired if they make a mistake, such as giving incorrect information or forgetting to complete a task.
AI mistrust is making work slower, not faster – employees spend almost as long checking AI as using it
AI mistrust could be costing large UK businesses £29 billion per year in unrealised value, according to new Censuswide research commissioned by UnlikelyAI. Despite widespread adoption, AI’s promise to make tasks quicker and better is failing to materialise due to employee time spent checking, verifying or redoing AI-generated work.
The cross-industry study of 1,000 business decision-makers in energy, utilities, finance, insurance, healthcare and the public sector has revealed a clear gap between stated confidence in workplace AI and actual behaviour. Almost all respondents (99%) spend at least some time checking AI outputs each week – citing everything from quick sense checks (minor verifying, 18%) to redoing some or all of the task manually in order to verify it (20%) or even ignoring the output entirely (18%).
Perception gaps leave leaders overestimating daily AI use on the frontline, according to Multiverse data
New research from AI upskilling platform Multiverse has uncovered a significant perception gap in the UK’s white collar workforce. Currently, 59% of leaders believe their employees collaborate with AI every day, yet only 42% of employees report doing so—a 17 percentage point disparity that highlights a critical lack of visibility into frontline operations.
The study suggests that many UK executives may be flying blind during this major technological shift. The disconnection is most pronounced in the realm of autonomy. While 23% of CEOs believe employees are already delegating entire tasks to AI, only 8% of employees say they are doing so.
Seductive details, cognitive load, and learning outcomes: A multi-level meta-analysis and MASEM
The seductive details effect on learning outcomes has garnered increasing scholarly attention; however, empirical findings remain inconsistent. Although cognitive load theory is frequently used to explain this effect, the specific mediating roles of intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load are still under explored. This multi-level meta-analysis investigates the overall impact of seductive details on learning outcomes.
Just five weeks of brain training may protect against dementia for 20 years
A simple brain-training program that sharpens how quickly older adults process visual information may have a surprisingly powerful long-term payoff. In a major 20-year study of adults 65 and older, those who completed five to six weeks of adaptive “speed of processing” training — along with a few booster sessions — were significantly less likely to develop dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, even two decades later. Participants who received the boosted speed training had a 25% lower dementia risk compared to those who received no training, making it the only intervention in the trial to show such a lasting protective effect.
Workplace wellbeing blind spot: 68% of US employees say diet is hurting their focus and energy
Employers may be overlooking one of the most immediate drivers of workplace performance: diet. New research from global healthy eating app Lifesum reveals that more than two-thirds (68%) of US employees say unhealthy eating leaves them feeling tired or unfocused at work — highlighting a significant gap in many employer wellbeing and benefits strategies.
More than half (57%) say food cravings affect their focus during the workday, while 52% experience afternoon energy crashes linked to what they eat.
Think clearly or fail quietly: IDTX tackles a cognitive crisis
A cognitive neuroscientist and a physician researcher join the IDTX: Evidence Informed Practice speaker lineup to address what happens when the people designing training can no longer think straight.
IDTX: Evidence Informed Practice is pleased to announce two further speakers for its inaugural conference on 29th May 2026 in Birmingham.
L&D’s future debated at Learning Technologies 2026
L&D in an AI World: Creating a New Future for the Profession – Donald H Taylor & Eglė Vinauskaitė at the Learning Technologies Conference this April in London. As AI becomes embedded in everyday work, it is forcing a fundamental re-examination of L&D’s purpose, influence, and identity. This session block explores how the profession is shifting away from content creation toward organisational enablement, system design, and strategic impact, drawing on both global research and lived leadership experience. Together, these sessions challenge long-held assumptions about L&D’s value and offer a clear-eyed view of what it will take for the profession to remain relevant in an AI-enabled future.
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