The fluency illusion

You remember the last time you felt that you've understood something, only to realize later that you can't actually explain it?

This happens because when we read or listen to material that is well-organized or structured, it can create a feeling of understanding or fluency.

But real fluency actually requires retrieval, application, and practice. Without these, the initial impression of fluency creates a false confidence.

For example, in eLearning, polished videos, smooth narration, and sleek infographics can feel satisfying but they may end up masking shallow learning. That's why we build knowledge checks and feedback into the experience. It's at these friction points, the effortful parts, where learning actually happens.