The Science of Learning: How Adaptive Training Meets Learners Where They Are

Episode #

60

The Science of Learning: How Adaptive Training Meets Learners Where They Are

Healthcare staff have limited time for training, and course completion alone doesn’t show whether learning will carry into practice. Cognitive psychologist Matt Hays joins co-hosts Tim Jones and Kris Baird to explore how adaptive training identifies what learners already know and focuses instruction where they need it.

Matt discusses a CLABSI training study in which infection rates at the trained location fell by 79%, with a median training time of 23 minutes. He explains why respecting learners’ prior knowledge matters, how confidence and spaced practice affect learning, and what training data can reveal about barriers in the workplace. The conversation also looks at how AI can support learners and training teams.

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Matthew Hays

Amplifire eLearning

SVP, Research & Analytics

Matthew Hays, Ph.D., is a cognitive scientist and e-learning executive serving as Senior Vice President of Research & Analytics at Amplifire. Holding a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from UCLA—where he trained under renowned learning researchers Robert and Elizabeth Bjork—he specializes in applying human memory and learning principles to adaptive e-learning platforms, soft-skills simulators, and AI-powered analytics tools. Over a 12-year tenure at Amplifire, Dr. Hays built the research, data science, and analytics functions from the ground up, leading customer ROI modeling, controlled outcome evaluations, and the strategic alignment of cognitive science with the company's AI initiatives and intellectual property. Backed by a career that includes developing life-saving training systems at USC's Institute for Creative Technologies, four granted patents, and over 1,500 academic citations, he bridges academic rigor with executive sales strategy to deliver evidence-based training platforms that yield measurable real-world outcomes.

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