New Directions in Training Designs

Abstract

Cognitive training is a rapidly expanding domain, both in terms of academic research and commercial enterprise. Accompanying this expansion is a continuing evolution of training design that is driven by advances on various fronts. Foundational learning principles such as spacing and interleaving have always, and continue to, inform the design of training for cognitive improvements, yet advances are constantly made in how to best instantiate these principles in training paradigms. Improvements in hardware have allowed for training to be increasingly immersive (e.g., using virtual reality) and to include multifaceted measurements and dynamics (e.g., using wearable technology and biofeedback). Further, improved training algorithms and gamification have been hallmarks of advances in training software. Alongside the development of these tools, researchers have also increasingly established cognitive training as a more coherent field through an emerging consensus regarding the appropriate methods (e.g., control group selection and tasks to test generalization) for different possible studies of training-related benefits. Hardware, software, and methodological developments have quickly made cognitive training an established field, yet many questions remain. Future studies should address the extent and type of generalization induced by training paradigms while taking into account the many possible patterns of improvements from training. Patterns of benefits vary across training types as well as individuals, and understanding individual differences in training benefits will help advance the field. As the field of cognitive training matures, the upcoming years are set to see a proliferation of innovation in training design.