{
  "name": "The Learning Curve",
  "url": "https://thelearningcurve.net",
  "page": "https://thelearningcurve.net/facts/",
  "checked": "2026-11-11",
  "facts": [
    {
      "id": "name",
      "group": "The publication",
      "label": "Name",
      "value": "The Learning Curve",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/about/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "what",
      "group": "The publication",
      "label": "What it is",
      "value": "An independent publication on how to design online courses that work.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/about/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "url",
      "group": "The publication",
      "label": "Website",
      "value": "https://thelearningcurve.net",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "first-published",
      "group": "The publication",
      "label": "First articles published",
      "value": "30 October 2026",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/guides/addie-model/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "sections",
      "group": "The publication",
      "label": "What it publishes",
      "value": "The Library (one evergreen page per learning principle), Guides (practical course and instructional design), Reviews (course platforms scored with one published method) and Trends (dated news on online education).",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/about/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "audience",
      "group": "The publication",
      "label": "Who it's for",
      "value": "People who build online courses.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "not-connected",
      "group": "The publication",
      "label": "Not to be confused with",
      "value": "The Learning Curve at thelearningcurve.net is not connected to other businesses, podcasts or publications with the same name.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/facts/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "founder",
      "group": "Who's behind it",
      "label": "Founder",
      "value": "Jim Lounsbury, who reviews, edits and approves every article before it's published.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/about/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "founder-role",
      "group": "Who's behind it",
      "label": "Jim Lounsbury's work",
      "value": "A learning designer and documentary filmmaker based in Sydney, Australia.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/about/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "founder-avondale",
      "group": "Who's behind it",
      "label": "Educational development",
      "value": "Jim works in educational development at Avondale University, designing course content and microcredentials.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/about/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "founder-credentialcraft",
      "group": "Who's behind it",
      "label": "Other business",
      "value": "Jim runs CredentialCraft, a course-design studio.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/disclosure/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "founder-film",
      "group": "Who's behind it",
      "label": "Film and television",
      "value": "Jim has made documentaries and factual television in more than 20 countries, seen on Apple TV, Prime Video, Stan and National Geographic, among others.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/about/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "funding",
      "group": "Funding and independence",
      "label": "How it's funded",
      "value": "Affiliate links and clearly labelled advertising.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/disclosure/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "affiliates",
      "group": "Funding and independence",
      "label": "Affiliate relationships",
      "value": "Current or applied for with Thinkific, LearnWorlds, Teachable, Kajabi and TalentLMS.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/disclosure/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "no-sponsored",
      "group": "Funding and independence",
      "label": "Sponsored content",
      "value": "None. No company pays for coverage, and no article is sponsored.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/disclosure/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "ads-reviews",
      "group": "Funding and independence",
      "label": "Ads on reviews",
      "value": "Never. Advertising doesn't appear on platform reviews or comparisons.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/disclosure/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "scores",
      "group": "Funding and independence",
      "label": "Commissions and scores",
      "value": "Affiliate commissions never affect a score, a ranking or whether a platform is covered.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/disclosure/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "credentialcraft-rule",
      "group": "Funding and independence",
      "label": "The founder's business",
      "value": "CredentialCraft is named as the founder's business at first mention and is never ranked or scored against the platforms reviewed.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/disclosure/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "method",
      "group": "How it works",
      "label": "Review method",
      "value": "Seven criteria scored 1 to 5: learning design (retrieval, assessment, credentials, learner analytics) weighted 60%, business tools (pricing, payments, marketing) weighted 40%.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/how-we-review/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "testing",
      "group": "How it works",
      "label": "How platforms are tested",
      "value": "A real course is built on each platform, comparing the cheapest plan that includes certificates.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/how-we-review/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "sources",
      "group": "How it works",
      "label": "Sources",
      "value": "Each research claim links to its source.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/about/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "library-recheck",
      "group": "How it works",
      "label": "Library updates",
      "value": "Each Library page is re-checked against new research every year.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/about/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "ai",
      "group": "How it works",
      "label": "Use of AI",
      "value": "AI tools help research and scaffold articles; every article is reviewed, edited and approved by a person before publication. Illustrations are sometimes AI-generated. Research excerpts and charts are built from the cited studies.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/disclosure/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "contact",
      "group": "Contact and email",
      "label": "Corrections and suggestions",
      "value": "hello@thelearningcurve.net",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/about/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "newsletter",
      "group": "Contact and email",
      "label": "Newsletter",
      "value": "Monthly, sent with Beehiiv, with a one-click unsubscribe in every email.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/disclosure/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    },
    {
      "id": "email-sales",
      "group": "Contact and email",
      "label": "Email addresses",
      "value": "Never sold or rented.",
      "source": "https://thelearningcurve.net/disclosure/",
      "checked": "2026-11-11"
    }
  ]
}