Rabbit Holes, Hyperfocus, & AI in L&D

Just over a year ago, I discovered I have ADHD, and it completely changed how I see my brain and even my "lack of focus." My hyperfocus is both my challenge and my superpower. When I get excited about solving a learning problem, I can lose hours exploring trends and tools.

This week, I let myself play. I went down rabbit holes chasing the question: How do we help our clients and our learners get information fast (micro-learning), personalized (AI), and just-in-time (mobile), without breaking the bank?

Here’s what I found.

Misses (feel free to explore, but not for us):

• Knewton Alta: Cool adaptive concept, didn't quite hit the mark.
• DominKnow ONE: Solid, but felt behind newer tools and applications.

Hits (and still exploring):

• Mindsmith: Builds AI-driven courses in minutes. Tons of personalization potential - I have a demo next week.
• Perplexity: My new go-to for AI research because it shows sources. Try asking: “What are three ways AI can personalize mobile learning?”
• Stanford AI Index 2025: A 400-page goldmine on AI trends, I used AI to summarize it for L&D implications.
• Moodle: Still one of the best affordable LMS options for small clients. It's free!!
• Articulate Rise + Mighty by Maestro: Cyndi (on our team) attended training with David Anderson on Rise’s new features (next level coolness), then joined Maestro’s Art School, which also plugged us into a creative community of peers building seriously cool things.

And somewhere between all that exploring, I took time to write, just for fun. That creative recharge always reminds me that play fuels innovation.

Takeaway:
Curiosity drives progress. Let your brain wander. Try one new tool, test one new idea, and see what sticks.

Prompt to try in Perplexity:

“I want to create a microlearning course on the platform Mindsmith (or Rise, using their cool AI builder) about time management for people with ADHD. What are some evidence-based strategies and design ideas I could include to make it short, engaging, and ADHD-friendly?”

(Drop the ADHD part if you just want to create a quick course on time management to see what happens.)

Bonus prompts you can experiment with:

• “Give me 3 examples of interactive activities that support focus and retention for learners with ADHD.”
• “What are the top cognitive science principles to consider when designing microlearning for neurodiverse learners?”
• “How can AI personalize a time management course for someone with ADHD based on user behavior?”

At Taproot Learning Connections, we believe curiosity and creativity grow the strongest learning solutions. If you’re exploring ways to make your training more personalized and more impactful - let’s experiment together.

Connect with us to explore what’s next for AI and adaptive micro-learning in your organization.

Author: Megan Gutierrez