Instructional Designers In Offices Drinking Coffee

The term Gamification is often used, and over-used, in our industry.  But any time I hear about measurable results I am immediately interested.  In this episode we're talking with Jeanne Bakker, founder of Brain Bakery.  You may have seen her YouTube videos or attended one of her many keynotes around the world.  She also hosts the podcast No More Boring Learning, but it's not in English so I haven't heard it yet.We'll discuss how one of her client companies used gamification, storytelling, rewards, and manager commitment to redesign an onboarding program with real measurable results at Kirkpatrick Level 4. And we'll also make sure you leave with ideas about gamifying your own onboarding or other training programs as well as inspiration to measure your performance results.Jeanne Bakker (1972), founder of Brain Bakery, studied Psychology, English Literature and the Science of Education. Jeanne has released several books including the bestseller 'Dealing with Dragons'. She develops and leads international traini

Classroom training is still the most common method of delivering courses. Even after 2 decades of internet disruption and new technologies. It's not only time to change but we're way past it being the right time to change.It's important to remember that training is an event while learning is a long-term process.  Simple enough, right?  Once you understand this simple truth you begin to realize how traditional classroom events are inadequate in supporting the entire learning process.  We need to design more, or something totally different.In this episode we're talking with Ann Rollins about her experiences moving event-based training to learning journeys.  We'll talk about active learning experiences that inspire learners, creating high-level learner personas and learning journeys that are integrated into other corporate initiatives. Ann will also share with us how existing tech infrastructure can be used to create a better learner experience.In a post-pandemic world there are many new corporate initiatives th

Making learning and development (L&D) content inclusive and accessible for everyone is not only a good thing to do, it's the right thing to do. Designing Accessible Learning Content provides evidence-based advice on designing digital learning content that ensures all learners are included and are therefore able to perform to their full potential.Join us for a conversation with Susi Miller, author of Designing Accessible Learning Content.We'll cover the wide ranging topic of accessibility and how ID's and eLearning developers can do more to improve access for all.We'll also talk about the basics of accessibility and how you can level up your career by being more sensitive to designing and developing more accessible learning solutions.Susi Miller is an industry leading expert on accessible learning design and the founder and director of eLaHub (www.elahub.net). She is the author of Designing Accessible Learning Content - A practical guide to applying best-practice accessibility standards to L&D resource

Why do I need to know digital design if I'm already an instructional designer?Opinions vary on the answer to this question but the average instructional design is often also responsible for creating the final eLearning product that is loaded into the LMS.  So while ID is critical for the training organization you can level up your career quickly by upskilling with some digital design skills.Mark Lassoff will be joining us to discuss some of the things you'll need to learn in order to effectively supplement your ID knowledge with some DD skills.Mark's course on Digital Design describes it this way:"Digital designers create the user interface, design, and images for online products. Online products include (of course) web sites, mobile applications, social and marketing content, digital branding, signage, and more. The digital revolution continues, and the need for digital designers has increased exponentially."Some of that increased demand is also in eLearning. So you won't want to miss this episode and prepar

Just because you have an instructional design degree doesn't mean you're limited to only working in training teams.  The growing number of Software as a Service companies in recent years has placed Customer Experience teams above the standard training department. You might ask, but how could any department be more important than the training department? It's a long story, but here's the short version: Customer Experience directly impacts the company's bottom line. Internal training is important, but without customers there is no need for employees to be trained. But do not despair. Your ID knowledge and skills are useful and, as it happens, necessary.  Onboarding new customers is the new "onboarding".  It's different than onboarding new employees however both require learning. In this episode, we have the unique opportunity to talk with one of our own, Mel Milloway, who has decided to make the leap out of training into the world of CX.  Mel is a former guest on IDIODC and you all have certainly come to know h

There was once a day that instructional designers only selected ONE method of content delivery.  Those days are long gone.  With today's technology there are many, many, more options. As new technologies came along the industry began to call it blended learning solutions. But how do we decide which elements to choose? This is where The Periodic Table of eLearning Elements can help."Brian Washburn offers a simple yet elegant periodic table of learning elements modeled on the original periodic table of chemical properties. Washburn's elements which are organized into solids, liquids, gases, radioactive, and interactive categories similar to their chemical cousins are metaphors for the tools and strategies of the field of learning design; when they're combined, and under certain conditions, they have the potential to create amazing learning experiences for participants. They are that impactful."Join us for a fun and informative conversation around the elements and how we can all apply them to our eLearning desig

Just when I thought TikTok was ONLY for teenagers and the shuffle dance, I see one of our own corporate L&D colleagues, Mike Tholfsen, CRUSHING IT on TikTok with microlearning tutorials. Who knew?So, of course, I had to invite him on the show to talk about how he does it.  And why!Check out this "microtip" for excel: https://www.tiktok.com/@mtholfsen/video/6966327280356379909?lang=en&is_copy_url=0&is_from_webapp=v1&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6966263930818627078If you're anything like me, you've probably downloaded TikTok, tried it, then deleted it, and just watched your kids "play" with it.  Maybe you've joined them in a dance or 2... ya know, because they asked. But how in the heck could we ever incorporate this crazy little app into our professional, corporate, world of Learning and Development? The pandemic helped answer that question with medical professionals launching accounts and using the platform to explain COVID-19 and all the issues caused by the lockdowns. It's not all just

Kevin Thorn joins us for another "drink'n'draw" episode to help you find your creative inner voice. Everyone can be creative. Like everything else you do as an instructional designer, it just takes practice. Kevin helps ID professionals all over the globe learn simple step by step processes for being a better instructional designer, storyboard creator, sketcher, and learning game designer. Kevin is an award-winning eLearning designer & developer, consultant, and owner of NuggetHead Studioz, LLC., a boutique custom design and development studio specializing in online learning experiences.After retiring from the US Army, Kevin pursued a career in corporate IT and Training & Development. With his combined military and industry experience, Kevin started the Studioz in 2012 working with clients in various industries solving problems in a wide-range of creative projects.Based in the North Mississippi Delta, Kevin, the Chief NuggetHead harnesses a bench a creative practitioners in instructional design, elear

Very few instructors can successfully teach online...alone. The last year of lockdowns and mandatory zoom training have exposed this weakness to the world.  The best online training courses are co-produced with a super hero behind the curtain: The Producer.Having a producer does not guarantee a great instructional experience. However, it does give you a superior advantage.  In this episode, Kassy LaBorie returns to share her experiences and strategies in producing online learning events. We'll talk about why having a producer is so valuable, as well as clarifying the role of the producer. Not everyone is cut out to be a good producer. Just like not everyone is cut out to be a good instructor. But the right combination makes a very powerful learning team.Join us and level up your corporate online training sessions so that you can guarantee better learning results and reduce the dreaded zoom fatigue. Greetings from Rochester, NY everyone! I enjoy sharing my geographical location because with the work I get to d

Understanding the basics of xAPI is a hurdle most instructional designers have already crossed over the last few years. We've all been waiting to see xAPI in action. Theory is great but seeing what new innovations can do changes minds and gets projects approved.If you've still been waiting to SEE it before you can believe it then this episode is the day we make that happen for you.  Duncan Welder has been building xAPI solutions for a very long time and joins us to share a few examples of "xAPI in the wild".We'll look at a few examples:Tracking the Mastery of ObjectivesMicrolearning/Spaced RepetitionxAPI in Games and SimulationsAdaptive LearningVisualizations for L&DWe hope this conversation will also give you some inspiration to finally jump into the world of xAPI and begin building xAPI-enabled learning solutions.Duncan Welder is a Director of Client Services for RISC. He is an educational technology geek having spent over 20 years designing and implementing learning management systems, domestically and

Karl Kapp, Deb Thomas, and Kevin Thorn are heavy hitters in our industry and specifically in learning game design.  More specifically they are skilled at teaching others how to design games for learning. And that's why they started their event Stepaway.design. The pandemic shutdown of 2020 forced event producers to pivot towards virtual events and so they did the same. At the beginning of 2021 they ran their first virtual event and the attendee created games have been completed and they're ready for show'n'tell. We're excited to have them join us to talk about the game design process as well as show us the results of that process. Go ahead and Stepaway from what you're doing and join us for this fantastic episode of IDIODC. Kevin is an award-winning elearning designer & developer, consultant, and owner of NuggetHead Studioz, LLC., a boutique custom design and development studio specializing in online learning experiences.After retiring from the U.S. Army, Kevin pursued a career in corporate IT and Trainin

As we begin to see a light at the end of the pandemic shutdown tunnel, let's talk about what we learned about working from home. And also what's next. Many companies have made bold moves, like announcing continued teleworking options for employees. But those are general announcements for the entire company. In this episode of IDIODC we wanted to talk with the community specifically about how going back to work effects the work we do and the training departments we work in. Tom Spiglanin, author of "Everyone's Guide to Teleworking", joins us to help us talk through the future ahead. Tom is a friend, and also the only rocket scientist we know working (retired) in training & development. His perspective is unique in many ways, but for our community he has a special connection, and understanding, of the struggles we face as corporate training professionals.Join us. And bring your stories of success and/or failure from the past 12 months and perhaps even share your plans for the future... if you have them. It'

Everyone needs inspiration for their elearning designs. The best way to find that inspiration is to see what other developers are doing, and learning how they do it. Tim Slade is one of the best and he has the awards to prove it.Join us for an engaging and educational conversation with Tim Slade. Become virtual friends with the IDIODC gang on Twitter. Remember you can always stay in the loop by searching through the #IDIODC tag: Tim: @sladetimBrent: @BSchlenkerChris: @Chris_V_WIDIODC: @TeamIDIODC Brent Schlenker is dominKnow's Community Manager. Chris Van Wingerden is dominKnow's Sr. VP Learning Solutions. Want to join us live? Follow us on Crowdcast: https://www.crowdcast.io/dominknow

Artificial intelligence is only one of the many topics we'll discuss with world wide learning leader, Donald Clark. The digital area has significantly impacted every industry of modern life. It's been good in many ways and bad in others. Sadly, the lecture is still the primary means of educating humans in our current systems. Even if that lecture is presented online. But is that as far as digital technology can impact education and our learning systems?  I don't think so. And neither does Donald.We'll discuss the many changes in pedagogy throughout the years in an effort to better understand where we're going in the future. Artificial intelligence plays a major role in that future. But do we really understand how it impacts the work we do for businesses and higher education? Maybe not completely, but we're getting very close.This timely conversation is a perfect transition into the new world of work.  Whether your office stays at home or you move back into the corporate HQ, how you engage with content, create

Microlearning has been a popular topic in the eLearning industry for many years now.  Many people still don't agree on the same definition, but I think it's safe to say that most definition involve 2 elements: Shorter media of any kind, and mostly short videos.  Instead of forcing learners to sit through a training video that is an hour long, target your message and create individually focused, shorter videos instead. LaTarshia Wooten gave an amazing virtual session at last years online version of DevLearn.  We're very happy to bring her to IDIODC so the community can get to know her as well. She's a motivated practitioner of Learning Experience Design and quickly embracing a growing career. We'll discuss 5 different methods for creating microlearning videos and the pros and cons of each. We'll also talk about why microlearning is a trend and what the value is to your business.  Who knows, you may already be creating microlearning and didn't even know it. Join the conversation and find out.LaTashia is a Learn

Welcome to another Drink'n'Draw with Kevin Thorn on IDIODC. In past episodes we've kept the concepts very basic to help our instructional design colleagues begin to realize their own creative talents. But in this episode we're going to move into the digital world.Kevin is going to teach us how to create our own eLearning scenario characters from digital versions of the classic figure model. He'll share some of the tools that currently exist, but then we'll dive in and create our own character using a couple different methods.These are tips and tricks for quickly creating your own characters for your eLearning courses. Of course you can still simply settle for buying the same character libraries that everyone else buys. But what fun is that? These methods will help you create the perfect character for that perfect branching learning scenario. The next time you're building a scenario or simulation and can't find that perfect character/avatar, you'll be armed with the knowledge to create your own.Join us and let

What can learning designers, instructional designers, and content developers do to maximize the chance that learning transfer will happen? The design of the learning experience falls squarely on the shoulders of the learning designer. And providing learners with access to training does not guarantee post-training behavior change. Even the most engaging piece of learning content won't inspire a change in the thoughts or actions of learners.There are many elements that influence learning transfer, and each element must work in harmony for the training to be a success. As a designer of learning, you play an important role in promoting learning transfer. Through the medium of learning design, you can bridge the gap between learning and performance by making it easier for learners to see the connections between training and the work environment. We'll review these evidence-based learning design methods and help you maximize the chances of your learning designs leading to learning transfer.Fergal is a learning tran

I don't know how to explain "art". But I know what I like when I see it. I'll bet most of us have felt this way at one point of another. Some practitioners in our field come with a background in graphic design, video production, or general design, but not many. The rest of us have learned how important visual messaging is by studying neuroscience or simply experiencing great instructional design with strong visuals. The bottom line is that visual design is critical to the success of all eLearning projects.Our guest, Rachel Dillon, reminds us that we often have to take the reins as designers without years of graphic design training. And that professional graphic designers build their design vocab by critiquing each other's work, and as a result they become better designers. So, in this episode, we'll bring this practice of critiquing visual designs and defining design theory together to instructional design.Rachel Allen Dillon graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1994, with a Bachelor of Scie

Creating alternative learning solutions is often the best instructional design choice. But it's rarely what internal stakeholders, customers, clients, ask from you. Trends in performance support like the 5 Moments of Need have been leading the way in alternative learning solutions and yet, a large portion of practitioners still need to create courses.Jeni Johnson published a short LinkedIn post to highlight part one of her project with an Animal Rescue organization. I was impressed with her enthusiasm to take on ALL the roles for the project. This is very common in our industry and many are hesitant to spend time perfecting their graphic design, writing, editing, photography, and video skills. But it's a perfect opportunity to learn new software as well as take some chances with alternative learning solutions.Here is the link to her original Linkedin post:https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jenijohnsoniowa_instructionaldesign-traininganddevelopment-activity-6764645053999702017-np9oPlease join us for this amazing s

As a corporate training professional it's important to know your learners and understand their work, context, and needs. Yea duh, right?Maybe, but did anyone ever teach you how to do that when your audience numbers are in the hundreds, thousands, or maybe tens of thousands? Maybe someone showed you early in your career, or maybe you've come from a marketing background or environment.  If so, you've probably heard about User Personas.Marketers have been using personas for decades to draw a picture of an ideal buyer in order to push the right content at the right time. Instructional designers can use this same approach to create eLearning that is more appropriate for that specific audience.Become virtual friends with the IDIODC gang on twitter. Remember you can always stay in the loop by searching through the #IDIODC tag:Bianca: @BiancaBaumannBrent: @BSchlenkerChris: @Chris_V_WIDIODC: @TeamIDIODC Brent Schlenker is dominKnow's Community Manager. Chris Van Wingerden is dominKnow's Sr. VP Learning Solutions. Want