The Bias We Don’t See: Hidden Assumptions in Learning Design

We like to think our learning designs are objective, fair, and grounded in evidence.

However, if we look closely and with fresh eyes, we might see that bias appears in our work – even when we don’t intend it to.

Here’s the tricky bit: we all operate from mental frameworks shaped by our own experiences, and those frameworks inevitably influence how we approach learning design. The research you prioritize, the examples that feel “obviously” relevant, the way you interpret feedback – all of it gets filtered through your particular lens on the world. This isn’t malicious or careless; it’s simply how human cognition works.

The challenge is that these mental patterns, while helping you work efficiently, can also create gaps between what you think you’re designing and what learners actually experience. Your particular perspective on how people learn, what motivates them, and what “effective” training looks like becomes the default template for your programs. When that template doesn’t match the reality of your learners, it can limit learning outcomes and exclude perspectives in ways you never intended.

That’s why this Coffee Chat is all about “The Bias We Don’t See: Hidden Assumptions in Learning Design.”

This isn’t about achieving perfect objectivity or feeling bad about being human. It’s about developing the awareness to recognize these patterns before they become embedded in your programs. We’ll discuss which assumptions show up most frequently in learning design and exchange practical approaches for spotting them in your own work. The conversation will focus on expanding perspectives, gathering more representative feedback, and designing with greater awareness of our blind spots.

What you can expect:

1. Common Blind Spots: Discussion of hidden assumptions that frequently surface in learning design and how they show up in our work
2. Spotting Your Patterns: Sharing techniques for recognizing the beliefs and frameworks that influence your design decisions
3. Broadening Perspectives: Exchanging strategies for gathering input from diverse viewpoints and expanding beyond your own experience
4. Creating Accountability: Building practices into your workflow that help catch assumptions before they limit your programs

👉 Register now to join us. 

Can’t Make It In Person? No Worries, We’ve Got Your Back! Register And Receive The Following:

✅ Access to the Learning Rebels resource page with all the extra goodies

✅ Copy of the video recording

✅ Copy of the chatbox transcription

✅ Copy of the full session transcript & summary

✅ Additional resources such as books, articles, and handouts