Designing great user experiences for your learners is critical to their success in engaging with or using your content, tools, and apps. This session will break down what’s important in designing great experiences and provide you with resources to get started, from mobile to desktop and beyond. The discussion will cover design strategies, what works and what doesn’t, and how to plan and prototype, with several great examples. You’ll get more than 10 resources and inspiration to take your experiences to the next level.

Designing eLearning can be challenging enough, but designing eLearning for mobile platforms presents its own set of obstacles. In order to move your projects into the ever-growing mobile world, you need to know how responsive design differs from traditional eLearning design.

In this session, you will explore some of the common pain points associated with responsive design, and you’ll discover that these aren’t as painful as you may think. You will explore the full scope of a responsive project, including planning, design, and development. You’ll learn several tips and tricks for rapid responsive design to help you move your eLearning into the mobile realm.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to leverage the tools available to create responsive eLearning
• How to plan, design, and develop responsive courseware
• How to present the idea of mobile learning to the decision makers in your organization
• How to select the proper tool for your mobile eLearning design

Audience:
Intermediate designers, developers, managers, and directors.

Technology discussed in this session:
Adobe Captivate 9 and Articulate Storyline 2.

Video has traditionally been difficult, time-consuming, and expensive, but it doesn’t need to be. Today, eLearning professionals can produce live-action and animated videos easily, quickly, and on a budget. But which do you choose, live-action or animated? It can be challenging to determine which option will best tell your story and engage your learners while also making the most sense given your budget and time constraints.

In this session, you will learn how to determine the best choice between live action and animated video for your learning projects. You’ll explore when and where it’s best to use live-action video. You’ll discuss the pros and cons of animated videos. You will also explore how to shoot live video, how to create an animation, and how to incorporate both together for best results.

In this session, you will learn:

• When and where to use live-action video
• When and where to use animated video
• The pros and cons of live-action and animated video
• How to incorporate both live and animated videos together
• How to prepare to shoot live video and create animations

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Recorded live-action videos; animated videos created in GoAnimate.

Deconstructing Games is a new series of hands-on sessions where you’ll have the opportunity to play a game and then discuss how the mechanics in play can be applied in your own learning context.

Session Description:
In Plants vs. Zombies2, you are a homeowner who must grow, then use, various plants to prevent an army of zombies from entering your house. Each type of plant has special abilities for offense or defense, and each row of the game board requires strategy to protect your home.

In this session, you will explore Plants vs. Zombies 2 and how it shows ways to adjust in different scenarios. You will examine its game structure as a model for how to improve learning of content for success as well as learning through failure. 

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Smartphones are everywhere, and one of the most common uses for these phones is to play games. Their smaller screens require more skill to create a strong learning experience, game experience, and user experience.

In this session, you will explore various mobile games and discuss the decisions that influenced their game design, learning design, and UX. You will examine the differences in each of these areas of design. You will discover the important role prototyping plays in game design. You will leave this session with an understanding of the basic principles you need to follow when designing games for smartphones.

In this session, you will learn:

• About the differences between game design, learning design, and UX design
• About basic principles to consider when designing games for smartphones
• Criteria for evaluating game design, learning design, and UX design
• About the importance of paper prototyping mobile games before doing digital design or development

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, and project managers.

Technology has made it possible to offer scalable, experiential, and collaborative learning across the globe, while instructional videos can serve as a key delivery mechanism for content from instructor to students. Nevertheless, instructional videos often are too long, too dense, and offer little room for learners to interact with the content.

In this session, you will discover a process for designing and producing instructional videos to achieve learning outcomes. You will examine examples of effective instructional videos in MOOCs, online programs, blended courses, and distance learning sessions. You will also explore the use of 360-degree videos and virtual reality in digital learning. Join in to explore the future of instructional videos for better learning.

In this session, you will learn:

• About an instructional video design process
• About best practices for producing instructional videos
• About the possibilities of 360-degree video for teaching and learning
• About the possibilities of virtual reality for teaching and learning

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Technology discussed in this session:
Video, 360-degree video, virtual reality.

You want to create, edit, and enhance microvideos, but you don’t want to spend a lot of money on software or time on learning a complex program. You also need to collaborate with others on projects—and you need a way to organize your raw footage and media files. What are your options?

In this session, you will create videos and then edit them with a low-cost web video editing tool. You will also learn how to collaborate with others on joint editing projects or edit on the go with mobile apps. In addition, the tool that you use will also allow you to manage media including video, images, and sounds.

In this session, you will learn:

• The basics of video editing
• How to enhance your video
• How to import PPT files to create a video
• About the advantages of collaboration with video editing

Audience:
Novice designers and developers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Video creation, video editing, and exporting video for publishing.

Technology required:
Laptop or tablet with Internet access.

Have you heard the saying “If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a million”? Video content can explain very complex concepts, but usually lacks good navigation or interactivity. eLearning, on the other hand, delivers a great user experience, but often comes up short at conveying meaning with just words and pictures. Combining eLearning with video can give you the best of both worlds.

In this session, you will learn how to take large, unmanageable videos, break them into useful segments, and knit them into an eLearning template. You will discover how this enables your audience to navigate your content in a meaningful, organized fashion. Along the way, you’ll see how mixing different types of video content, such as conceptual and step-by-step instructions, with interactive elements can enhance the learning experience. You’ll also look at how to manage different types of content you receive from your team members and keep track of all the various elements as you produce your final product.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to use Camtasia Studio to take a large video and publish many smaller files
• How to build a Storyline template that seamlessly displays multiple videos in a specific order
• How to add navigation elements (next/previous buttons, chapter tabs) that allow a user to navigate to any part of your video content
• How content providers, who don’t have experience using an eLearning development tool, can provide video content for use in the final product
• Tips for getting various media elements (audio, screen recordings, graphics) from different members of your team
• How variables allow you to build a template that you can use to easily produce courses with varying numbers of videos
• How mixing content of different types (Camtasia, GoAnimate) works to enhance the learning experience

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, and project managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Articulate Storyline, Camtasia Studio, GoAnimate, and JavaScript.

Your company keeps growing, but your training department doesn’t. You feel like your current course development methods are making it harder to keep up with compressing development timelines, and yet you’re being asked to create more courses, different courses, smaller courses, and courses that are easier to access. Sales doesn’t like logging in to the LMS every time they need to take some training. And you’re getting tired...

This session will guide you through a case study that explores situations where video should and should not be used. You will learn about the tools, methodologies, and techniques you can use to develop professional-quality video training on a budget. You will discover great options for hosting, delivering, and tracking your video content. The group will round out the session together by discussing the future of video, sharing ideas and questions about how to leverage video for training.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to make a video training plan
• Which tools you need to succeed
• How to compress and encode video content
• How to discuss video training with your colleagues
• About lighting tools and techniques

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Technology discussed in this session:
Adobe Premiere, Encore, Media Encoder, and Captivate; Encoding.com; YouTube; Watershed LRS; and xAPI.

Deconstructing Games is a new series of hands-on sessions where you’ll have the opportunity to play a game and then discuss how the mechanics in play can be applied in your own learning context.

Session Description:
In The Trail, you set out as a pioneer on a long journey across an unknown countryside. Your mission is to reach the town of Eden Falls, but along the way you have to explore, collect items, learn to craft things to help you survive, and create items you can trade. But reaching town is only the end of the first phase of your journey.        

In this session, you’ll examine how The Trail game concept could apply to onboarding a learner to a new environment and how to offer clear short-term and long-term objectives and a personalized experience through the choice of challenges and a customized storyline. The game also reminds us that repetition must be meaningful, not just redundant, in order to keep learners engaged.

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers, project managers, managers, and directors.

The pairing of 360-degree video and virtual reality has hit the mainstream, with numerous companies launching new tools to view and even create this content on a constant basis. Yet it’s difficult to fully understand the possibilities of this technology without clear examples of how to use 360-degree video for education and training purposes, what tools are available to develop this content, and how to test whether it’s actually effective at sharing content.

In this session, you’ll experience 360-degree virtual reality projects created for a wide range of learning situations, including secondary education, professional acclimatization, and graduate medical training. After experiencing 360-degree video training firsthand, you’ll then discuss best practices and equipment needs for this kind of content. This will include discussing what costs are involved in producing 360-degree video, what learning domains to measure, and what techniques and processes can help you implement it quickly and effectively.

In this session, you will learn:

• How 360-degree video is already being used for situations such as clinical training scenarios, medical procedure walk-throughs, and middle school science classes
• How effective 360-degree video training is for different scenarios
• About best practices and equipment that can help you create and share 360-degree video simply and affordably
• About the costs involved with implementing 360-degree video

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, managers, directors, and senior leaders (VP, CLO, executive, etc.).

Technology discussed in this session:
Kodak 4K 360-degree video cameras; Ricoh Theta 360-degree still cameras; YouTube 360-degree video via Google Cardboard; Homido 360-degree video viewing headset; and various 360-degree video apps and equipment for smartphones.

From Gutenberg to Google, the old model of training that was disconnected from real-world practical experience has been: Read and remember. However, with the hardest skills, which training method is almost universally recognized as effectively impacting learning and retention of workplace skills? Hints: _____ makes perfect.  _____ is the best teacher.

With the hardest skills, how you learn determines how well you learn. This session will look at a new model of high-impact blended training enabled by online video. This approach to training simulations is staged to explode over the next decade: learning by doing, implemented effectively with blended learning solutions that use a variety of media types.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to select and sequence methods and media, similar to precisely arranging puzzle pieces, to have maximum real-world impact
• How to choose among a wide variety of one-to-one as well as one-to-many course relationships
• How to master the risk-opportunity continuum so your training is not just added “noise” for people who are already busy and overworked

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, and managers.

Eight seconds: the time you have to grab an employee’s attention. Five minutes: the time you can keep it. Both down by 50 percent in 10 years. What’s causing this societal attention problem? Every day, hundreds of emails, chats, texts, notifications, calls, and meetings compete for your employees’ attention and divert their focus. What tool can you use to grab and keep their attention? Training games. Games complement and improve the effectiveness of traditional training. Come learn more, play the Jump Game, and see data in action. High score at the game session wins a $250 gift certificate!

There are many opinions, myths, and facts that surround what mobile technology can or cannot do to influence, educate, and enable users. The problem is that many adult-learning professionals do not understand mobile technology and often end up developing a curriculum that fails to take advantage of mobile’s strengths or even ends up highlighting weaknesses.

In this session, you will learn the basics of how mobile technology works and a broad understanding of the options you have, like native mobile vs. responsive HTML5, custom vs. out-of-the-box, etc. You will learn how to ask the right questions and even call bunk when your IT department says such-and-such “isn’t possible.” You will learn tips, tricks, and what mobile usage habits mean for effective training content.

In this session, you will learn:

• About the basics of mobile technology
• What questions to ask the IT department
• How mobile usage habits will affect the success of your training content
• From examples of custom mobile solutions that have successfully transferred knowledge and improved the formation of positive habits among users
• How to find a community of experts who can answer your questions
• What questions to ask L&D pros who also are mobile developers

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Technology discussed in this session:
HTML5, iOS, Android, Articulate Storyline, laptops/desktops, smartphones, and tablets.

At one point or another, you’ve probably been forced to endure some kind of training that made you want to pull your hair out. You click through the slides as fast as you can, or you stare blankly at the lecturer reading bullet points from each slide. What if you could transform those mandated training programs into something engaging and entertaining instead?

In this session, you will explore how you can use video content to evoke an emotional connection between the audience and the class material. By examining a case study of diversity and inclusion training, you’ll explore how a few minutes of video can turn a subject that might otherwise be boring into one that is engaging and memorable. You will leave this session understanding when it is best to integrate video content into existing training, and when to develop entirely new training programs around videos.

In this session, you will learn:

• About the importance of audience engagement
• How to foster an emotional connection between your audience and your subject matter
• The basics of shooting an interview with a DSLR camera
• How you can use video and audio editing tools to edit and augment existing content

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Technology discussed in this session:
Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Audition, and basic DSLR videography.

Video is a great medium for learning content; however, designing and developing great videos can be challenging and labor-intensive. Additionally, gaining stakeholder buy-in on a curriculum based on microlearning, like videos, can be a challenge.

In this session, you’ll hear how a team of learning designers at a major investment brokerage started with a simple video and ended up having their curriculum featured in prime-time TV spots. You’ll learn what makes a great video and how to create one (even with limited resources). Most importantly, you’ll learn how you can use a microlearning video strategy to gradually build a library of stellar learning content and ultimately prove the value of education in your organization.

In this session, you will learn:

• About the qualities and characteristics that make for great educational videos
• How to design an extensive curriculum from modular video content
• About best practices for creating videos with limited resources
• Strategies to gain buy-in from stakeholders on your video content

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Technology discussed in this session:
YouTube, Adobe After Effects, TechSmith Camtasia, iMovie, and Windows Movie Maker.

After years of existing mostly in the world of science fiction, virtual reality is finally ready for its close-up. With VR normalizing itself within the consumer culture, the interest in using these technologies for learning and performance is growing. But where can curious learning professionals go to learn more about the power and potential of VR? The answer is simple: gaming.

In this session, you will explore how the world of VR gaming is shaping VR’s use for training. You will examine not only how VR gaming is creating new types of experiences, but also how it is transforming existing game paradigms. You will look at multiple examples of VR in gaming, and examine lessons for the training world in each example. You will also learn some of the questions to ask to determine whether VR is right for your organization.

In this session, you will learn:

• How the gaming world is blazing a path for VR
• About the lessons for trainers that are present in VR gaming
• How to determine whether VR is right for your organization
• How early adopters are using VR for L&D

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Technology discussed in this session:
Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR.

Thanks to the increase in easy-to-use tools and software, everyone now has access to cost-effective tools to create animations and video. Unfortunately, just because content is shared as a video doesn’t magically make it great, and these simple tools can also create a flood of ineffective and boring video content. If you’re not careful, weak content can kill the implementation of video in your organization and cause your audience to dread yet another bad video.

In this session, you’ll look at the simplest, yet hardest, thing to do with video: crafting a compelling structure and story for your content. You’ll go through the process of learning to quickly identify key messages and themes, build out a proper structure, then turn it into a compelling video. You’ll also take a closer look at how you can use the visual aspect of video to strengthen your storytelling and streamline your content. You’ll leave this session knowing how to make the videos you create both more entertaining and better at conveying the information your audience needs.

In this session, you will learn:

• Why taking time to craft a strong story and structure makes your videos more effective
• How you can create a compelling story
• What animation and film principles can make a story more compelling and make the video shorter
• How to use visuals in place of dialogue and narration
• What visual styles and themes work best for educational videos

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, project managers, managers, and directors.

A team working with major electronics in public areas—installing slot machines in casinos—needed to follow several safety processes. After a year or longer of monthly safety emails and talks at all-hands meetings, the company took its safety program for field service technicians to SMS bimonthly delivery. What happened next?

This case-study session will explore development of the SMS Safety campaign, the decisions made on delivering it, and results from the first eight months of the yearlong campaign. You will learn about both quantitative and qualitative results drawn from the messages, responses, and safety records. This case study explores one organization’s culture of going mobile and how its technicians are adapting.

In this session, you will learn:

• About considerations for designing a yearlong SMS campaign
• How to adopt culture change in transitioning to a mobile workforce
• About lessons learned from the campaign
• About the impact on technicians’ perception of SMS and safety
• About the impact to on-the-job safety

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, managers, and directors.

Technology discussed in this session:
Mobile Coach.

Gamification is about using game elements to drive motivation and engagement. Although gamification is most effective when used to drive intrinsic motivation, it is frequently abused as an extrinsic reward system, which hinders learning. Studies have shown that learners seek more rewards in demotivating environments and that players lose interest in an activity after receiving extrinsic rewards. How do you combat bad game design and find the right balance to maintain motivation?

This session will review the most effective practices for gamification, supported by academic research and practical experience. Instructional designers will leave better equipped to leverage gamification in future courses. Some of the best examples of gamification will be highlighted, include role-plays, simulations, and interactive models. Additionally, you will explore the idea that gamification is increasingly being designed as a journey, with meaningful elements such as a narrative, open paths, fun activities, and opportunities to reflect.

In this session, you will learn:

• About the academic and scientific underpinnings of gamification and intrinsic motivation
• How to apply gamification techniques in online and offline courses
• What gamification techniques to avoid
• About actionable steps you can take to improve your next course

Audience:
Intermediate to advanced designers, developers, and managers.

A government office was going through a major reorganization; there was confusion and concern about the future organization. Each division had been working with minimal contact with other divisions, which resulted in a culture of lack of trust and personal connection with other employees. The problem was intensified because employees worked in various geographic locations and time zones. Learning leaders needed to help the employees understand the new organization and purpose.

In this session, you will find out how learning leaders helped employees overcome their concerns and learn about the new organization. They created a fun solution to help overcome the anxiety of change, based on what people already experienced: an “on-demand TV series.” Season one consisted of nine episodes featuring an unedited video interview with each future division director, who all shared information about themselves and their divisions. To encourage viewership (and increase ratings), the team incorporated several gamification techniques. Come to this session to learn how they did it with magic wands, hidden clues, and “Emmy Awards.”

In this session, you will learn:

• How to use gamification techniques to engage learners during change initiatives
• How to create an environment to produce engaging video interviews
• How to write engaging video interview questions

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, managers, and directors.

Technology discussed in this session:
Video, Articulate Storyline 2, and LMS (Cornerstone OnDemand).

Consultants face challenging career transitions while working in fast-paced environments with high performance standards. Learning that supports such transitions requires simulation of the complex mix of skills and trade-offs that consultants face on the ground, yet traditional digital simulations often fail to incorporate that complexity.

In this session, you will explore how to leverage game mechanics to introduce the pressures and constraints of real work and to take learning and engagement to the next level. You’ll discuss how to create more engaging and realistic learning experiences for high-performing, time-crunched learners. You’ll see examples of learning games where consultants faced the same time pressures, capacity constraints, and dynamically changing contexts they would in the real world, and you will gain insights into learner behavior and performance.

In this session, you will learn:

• About one firm’s journey from simple digital simulations to more complex serious games for learning
• How to leverage game mechanics (not just gamification features) to create an engaging learning experience for high-performing, time-crunched learners
• About aspects of gaming that L&D can embrace to attract the attention and engagement of learners
• How to leverage advanced analytics behind the scenes to visualize game-play and set authentic benchmarks on performance

Audience:
Intermediate to advanced designers, managers, and directors.

Technology discussed in this session:
Learning simulations and games, and back-end analytics outputs.

New for FocusOn this year! This is a popular session being offered twice. It's also available as session 606.

In business, you are often faced with problems that don’t have neat or clear solutions. There are often multiple solution paths and some solutions that are more optimal than others. How do you simulate the types of complex problems that you face in your career? How do you create interesting game-based learning that allows learners to explore different types of solutions?

In this session, you will examine a single case study in the use of BranchTrack. Throughout, you will learn about creating game-based learning interventions through a choose-your-own-adventure–style game development program. You will first explore the value of game-based learning, simulations, and failure in education. You will then examine one particular use of BranchTrack simulations in training passport acceptance agents. Afterward, you will learn about the features of BranchTrack that make it easy for instructional designers to develop simulation-based learning interventions.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to identify complex problems within your organization
• About the value of game-based learning, simulations, and failure in education
• How to create game-based learning interventions to teach complex problem-solving skills
• How to design a learning intervention using BranchTrack

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers and developers.

Technology discussed in this session:
BranchTrack.

Deconstructing Games is a new series of hands-on sessions where you’ll have the opportunity to play a game and then discuss how the mechanics in play can be applied in your own learning context.

Session Description:
Apples to Apples is an easy-to-learn game that is different every time. You deal everyone a hand of response cards (often nouns or phrases). When it’s your turn, draw a situation card. Everyone plays a noun response card and the dealer chooses the best answer.             

In this session, you’ll explore the reality that the answer is often “it depends,” or that there are several possible right answers. These situations create an opportunity to discuss the possibilities as a group. This has worked well in various areas, including leadership, project management, and training.

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Most instructional designers have experience creating storyboards prior to developing eLearning solutions. The storyboarding process enables the designer to work through a concept and test various ways of structuring content. Storyboards are also used to communicate design concepts to eLearning developers when working in teams to build training solutions.

In this session, you will learn how the design process is similar and different for mobile. You will learn to apply a step-by-step approach to mobile design and the common approaches to creating design documents that translate well in a mobile environment. This approach may be incorporated into some existing storyboard processes. Yet, you will likely change the way you view design for all forms of eLearning!

In this session, you will learn:

• About the differences between traditional eLearning design and a mobile design approach
• Practices to create a mobile sketch
• To develop a simple wireframe using standard templates and tools
• About mockup tools to help you test and demonstrate your design’s functionality

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers and developers.

Technology discussed in this session:
A variety of mobile design tools to support everything from wireframing to mockups.

You love the idea of using mobile, but you’re not sure how to get started, how to test a concept, or how to improve the design to be on the same level that mobile users are used to with their latest apps.

In this session, you will learn four primary methods for designing a mobile experience. You’ll also learn how to take a concept, sketch, or prototype and design for an amazing learner experience. You’ll actually walk through using paper, then mobile tools, and finally doing everything from your desktop based on your preference.

In this session, you will learn:

• About four primary delivery methods for designing mobile experiences
• How to sketch and prototype using just your phone or tablet
• How to use a web browser to prototype
• About best practices for sharing and gathering feedback
• About resources and tools to help you get started
• How to create advanced prototypes

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, project managers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Sketching techniques and mobile and web-based apps for prototyping, such as Marvel, Marvel Pro, and Proto.io.

Technology required:
Android or iOS phone or tablet, and a laptop with a modern web browser (Chrome, Safari, IE11, or Edge).

Most people interact with social media via their smartphone on a continual basis throughout the day. Smartphones and social media are integrated into daily life. Interactive and social learning can maximize learning opportunities by engaging in actions that people are already accustomed to.

In this session, you will explore the creation of an interactive microlearning session for deployment to mobile devices. You will create a less-than-one-minute interactive video using your phone or laptop, be able to post your videos on social media channels, and direct the video to individuals or groups. You will learn how to best utilize techniques to focus your microlearning and integrate social media in order to leverage the everyday use of smartphones and create an environment for smart learning.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to integrate the use of social media into learning
• How to create an interactive video
• How to leverage mobile learning opportunities

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers and developers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Android or iOS mobile phone, Adobe Premiere Clip, HapYak, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.

Technology required:
Laptop and mobile phone with Internet connection.

The industry is saying that video is the way to go for online learning—great. But before you get started, it is important to think strategically about why and how video will create the most value in your course. This session will explore the best questions to ask before you incorporate (or don’t incorporate) video into your courses.

In this session, you will learn to identify the top video types that are best for courses, as well as the best questions to ask to determine whether video is the right solution for your project in the first place. You’ll learn how to determine whether video will improve your learners’ experience and explore the best way to start incorporating video into your courses, even if you don’t have a big budget.

In this session, you will learn:

• Which video types are best for online courses
• Which questions to ask to determine whether video is right for your project
• How video affects the learner experience
• How to get started with video in your courses, even on a small budget

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, project managers, and managers.

Performance support videos are everywhere. From YouTube to the workplace, you can learn pretty much anything by watching a step-by-step video. Some of these videos are good; others, not so much. So how can you be sure that the video you are producing for your client or organization is high-quality—and effective?

In this session, you will learn 10 tips and tricks for producing a video that will have impact. These tips will help you through various stages of the development process, including pre-production, production, and post-production. You’ll get tips on tools, working with SMEs, equipment, output delivery, accessibility, and maintenance. And, time permitting, there may be a few bonus tips. This session won’t show you how to make your video. Instead, it will help you make your video better!

In this session, you will learn:

• How to determine which tools to use
• Tips for working with subject matter experts and clients
• Ideas for developing your video to suit the delivery method
• Tricks to assist you in every step of the production process
• Small ways to make a big difference in your video’s effectiveness

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, project managers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Camtasia Studio, Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline, Audacity, and Adobe Audition.

Deconstructing Games is a new series of hands-on sessions where you’ll have the opportunity to play a game and then discuss how the mechanics in play can be applied in your own learning context.

Session Description:

This is a game designed to build a mobile learning strategy. It was created by Kris Rockwell and Alicia Sanchez and first appeared at mLearnCon 2011. In it, training and performance challenges are presented to two or more players, who can then play technology, hardware, and expert cards to offer up a potential solution. Both players state their case, and then they can either debate or they can have a third party judge their proposals. Game of Phones is a simple game style that can be expanded, replicated, or added to for team members to create a wide range of strategy or solutions.

Audience:

Novice and intermediate designers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Chances are that your favorite characters are your favorites because of what they taught you. How can you ensure that characters in your games are effective in supporting learning?

This session will explore the impact of characters on learning outcomes; and, more importantly, you’ll learn how you can incorporate powerful, memorable characters into your games to make learning last. Join this hands-on session to get started creating meaningful characters in your learning games!

In this session, you will learn:

• About the deeper impact of characters in learning
• About examples of powerful characters in media and literature
• How to create characters to support learning

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Should you turn on your webcam during virtual training classes? Or does the webcam detract from the learner experience? What about using pre-recorded training videos in your virtual platform—how do you ensure they actually work and provide value to the learning outcomes?

In this session, you will learn how to incorporate video into your virtual training classes. You’ll first learn the importance of advance planning for video using a three-step process. You’ll observe firsthand how to set up your platform, your learners, and yourself for a seamless video experience. Next, you’ll explore the common challenges with virtual training videos and learn two simple techniques to eliminate them. In addition, you’ll learn when to use webcams for live video (and when not to), along with three keys for quality streaming. You will leave this session with practical tips for using video in your next virtual training class.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to use a three-step advanced planning process to seamlessly play pre-recorded video in virtual training classes
• How to apply two simple techniques to eliminate video challenges during virtual events
• How to incorporate live video effectively into virtual training events

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, project managers, and managers.

Many organizations try to address their learning needs with intranet content, eLearning courses, and reminder emails, but these efforts often fail to get the desired results. Busy employees just don’t have lots of time for learning content, particularly when it feels like a content dump. So how do you cover what employees and managers need to know and do without writing even more text? Short multimedia presentations and videos are one of the best ways to simply and quickly convey concepts and context, influence behavior, and, best yet, reduce text overkill.

In this session, you’ll learn more about how to write and produce short yet powerful video content for your audience. With examples from the Canada Revenue Agency, you’ll learn how to produce quick videos that deliver microlearning bursts for your eLearning or performance support systems. You’ll leave this session with strategies you can use to craft videos that will increase people’s engagement with your content, without adding to the feeling of text and content overload.

In this session, you will learn:

• How video can convey content more effectively than text
• How to create stories specifically for learning or training purposes
• About formulas and templates that can help you write engaging scripts
• How to create simple video storyboards for web developers

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, project managers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Video production.

How do you know your content is ready for a global audience? Will you be able to translate it? What kind of issues will you run into? This session explores the design and technical challenges of getting your content properly internationalized and ready for consumers worldwide.

HBO has an app. So do other major TV channels like Comedy Central and ESPN. With major media brands like these distributing content via television-based apps, and an increasing number of people cutting the cable cord, television-based app development is a rapidly growing segment of media. Learning media and content isn’t far behind; in fact, it’s already happening. However, most developers have little understanding of the television app ecosystem and how L&D can benefit.

In this session, you’ll learn about opportunities to distribute learning content using television-based apps. You’ll find out what universities like Harvard and Georgetown and businesses like Lynda.com and Coursera have discovered about teaching on TV and why it’s changing the direction of these companies. You’ll discuss the major ecosystems for television-based apps, such as Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Google TV. You’ll then explore how learning organizations can exploit the explosion of smart TVs and TV-based apps.

In this session, you will learn:

• About the major TV-based operating systems and the app distribution process for each one
• How major media companies are already using TV for training and learning
• What resources you’ll need to develop educational TV apps
• How to optimize your video for TV-based apps
• How small companies can benefit from TV-based learning

Audience:
Intermediate to advanced developers, managers, directors, and senior leaders (VP, CLO, executive, etc.).

Technology discussed in this session:
Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Google TV, and OTT (over-the-top) television.

New for FocusOn this year! This is a popular session being offered twice. It's also available as session 409.

In business, you are often faced with problems that don’t have neat or clear solutions. There are often multiple solution paths and some solutions that are more optimal than others. How do you simulate the types of complex problems that you face in your career? How do you create interesting game-based learning that allows learners to explore different types of solutions?

In this session, you will examine a single case study in the use of BranchTrack. Throughout, you will learn about creating game-based learning interventions through a choose-your-own-adventure–style game development program. You will first explore the value of game-based learning, simulations, and failure in education. You will then examine one particular use of BranchTrack simulations in training passport acceptance agents. Afterward, you will learn about the features of BranchTrack that make it easy for instructional designers to develop simulation-based learning interventions.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to identify complex problems within your organization
• About the value of game-based learning, simulations, and failure in education
• How to create game-based learning interventions to teach complex problem-solving skills
• How to design a learning intervention using BranchTrack

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers and developers.

Technology discussed in this session:
BranchTrack.

Visual directions provide the framework upon which producers, editors, and animators base their content production, and many IDs introduced to today’s expanding eLearning departments lack familiarity with and experience in writing targeted visual directions for video scripts. This can result in increased costs in the form of ongoing revisions and can undermine the quality of the final product.

In this session, you will learn strategies and best practices designed to improve the effectiveness of script-based visual directions. These strategies will increase IDs’ success when adding targeted visual directions to SME materials, and they will increase interdepartmental collaboration among producers, editors, and animators in order to create a more effective and visually engaging educational product. You will also discover some best practices for adding targeted visual directions to video scripts, including strategies for adding storyboarding elements to assist with script-based visual direction.

In this session, you will learn:

• Writing strategies for composing effective visual directions for video scripts
• Storyboarding best practices that assist producers, editors, and animators
• Scene tagging strategies that ensure variety and engagement throughout instructional videos
• Production strategies that increase efficiencies and minimize cost overruns

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, project managers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Computers, tablets, mobile devices, YouTube, Adobe After Effects, and Adobe Photoshop.

Deconstructing Games is a new series of hands-on sessions where you’ll have the opportunity to play a game and then discuss how the mechanics in play can be applied in your own learning context.

Session Description:
Hanabi is a cooperative card game for two to five players where you can’t look at your own cards, but can see everyone else’s hands. Players take turns giving clues to other players about what cards to play, with certain constraints. Players often have to make choices with imperfect information, and it’s difficult to get a perfect result.               

In this session, you will explore Hanabi and how its format is useful in helping decide which information to give to whom. You will look at the game in terms of how to address teammate mistakes and frustrations. This game also lends itself to project management and dealing with having imperfect information.

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Chatbots are becoming more and more commonplace for consumers to help automate simple tasks and make life easier. But what about using chatbots to facilitate learning?

In this session, you will see examples of common chatbots on Facebook and Slack that are transactional and responsive in nature, and you’ll contrast them with programmatic chatbots that drive a learning experience. You will also see examples of the various channels in which you can reach learners through a chatbot, such as SMS, Facebook, or even your corporate learning mobile app. Finally, you’ll brainstorm creative ideas for how this form of artificial intelligence can transform your digital learning infrastructure!

In this session, you will learn:

• What a chatbot is
• About common uses of chatbots
• What a programmatic chatbot is
• How to use a chatbot to support corporate learning and development
• About examples of chatbots that support corporate learners
• How to develop and author a chatbot
• About ideas of where artificial intelligence is headed for the future of corporate learning

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, project managers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Facebook and Slack’s bot framework.

So, your boss wants you to produce a video for a training project. Great! Well, aside from the fact that you’ve never worked on video production and don’t even know where to begin. If you’re in a situation where you’ve been tasked with creating video content, but have never actually been involved with formal video production before, there can be a lot of pressure to create something polished despite your lack of experience. But amateur videos can be surprisingly easy to create with a few tips and tricks to get you started.

In this session, you’ll explore a wealth of useful tips that can help any accidental video producer create a training video from start to finish. You’ll take a closer look at the most common pitfalls in an amateur video production and ways you can avoid them. You’ll also investigate how the video production process works and what steps you’ll want to take to step up your own. You’ll then get tips and resources for how you can make your videos look polished and professional. By the end of this session, you’ll have the skills you need to make your video production run smoothly and create a fantastic final product.

In this session, you will learn:

• About common mistakes new producers make and how to avoid them
• What a solid video production process should look like and consider
• How to make your videos look more professional
• About post-production tools that can help you add even more polish to your videos

Audience:
Novice designers, developers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Adobe Premiere Elements.

Come see, hear, and do as you explore three levels of interactive learning experiences. This session will share three different use cases with increasing levels of interactivity for learners. You’ll hear about an eLearning course designed to improve a highly technical skill in learners; an interactive gaming experience that allows learners to record themselves and get involved; and a virtual reality experience that allows learners to interact with products directly. You will learn about approach, technology, and user experience, and you’ll gain tangible ideas and action items for creating your own interactive experience.

By making the transformation from the ordinary world of uninspiring online learning to the special world of deeply immersive and compelling online learning elements, you can create games that learners will engage with willingly, repeatedly, and excitedly. Embrace the call to adventure in this session, and return to your job with elixir!

As instructional designers skilled in eLearning design begin offering mobile experiences to learners, the ways in which they approach instructional design and development need to change. What works for a full-screen desktop experience doesn’t work on a mobile phone. So how can you shift your thinking to consider things like screen experience and what that means to learners? And once you’ve considered new design concerns and approaches, what development platforms should you consider to make your mobile design come to life?

In this case study session, you’ll follow an instructional design and development team’s thought process and deliverables on a mobile course from start to finish. This course was originally designed for desktop only, but was then adapted to two different mobile development platforms (Adobe Captivate 9 and dominKnow Flow), leading to a total of three different user experience approaches. You’ll find out what the designers had to consider when adapting content to mobile; about the differences between how Captivate 9 and Flow approach the mobile experience; and how the team used user feedback to guide their choices. Apply these lessons to your own projects to save time and heartache along the way.

In this session, you will learn:

• About design considerations when moving from desktop to mobile and responsive screens
• What’s different about responsive screen development approaches and their development timelines
• How to select a development platform for mobile that will work for your project
• About the differences and similarities between mobile experiences in Adobe Captivate 9 and dominKnow Flow

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, project managers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Adobe Captivate 9 and dominKnow Flow.

Each year, PG&E Academy was spending nearly $1 million on printing costs to support required instructor-led training programs. Large binders of student materials had to be manually updated, and often would never be referenced again after training. PG&E Academy was driving to web-based training (WBT) and blended solutions that could leverage mobile devices; however, the organization needed to cover the costs of student tablets for use back on the job.

In this session, you will learn how mobile workbook cost savings paved the way for mobile devices to be rolled out to employees, enabling other mobile training and support programs. You’ll learn about the mobile workbook program, how it was implemented, and the tools needed for its development. You’ll also learn how the other mobile training initiatives, such as mobile WBT and field exams, benefited from getting mobile devices into the field. Finally, you’ll receive tips on identifying the right audience, easing the transition to mobile, and gathering metrics and feedback.

In this session, you will learn:

• How multiple mobile initiatives, including workbooks, training, assessments, and job aids, can be aligned as mobile use grows
• About calculating the cost savings and other program benefits of going digital
• About the change management requirements in moving from paper-based to digital workbooks
• About the operational needs before, during, and after the classes using iPads
• About the conversion of instructor-led materials to mobile devices

Audience:
Novice developers and project managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
iPad, Smart Utility Systems, apps for taking course notes, Adobe Acrobat, Author-it, and Metrics that Matter (survey tool).

Sales reps struggle to have quick and easy access to their product and services portfolio at the point of sale. Marketing, sales management, and L&D struggle to provide sales reps with the most up-to-date, consistent, and synthesized product messaging in an ongoing way. They also struggle to understand the impact their training is having on their sales reps.

This session will focus on three essential concepts: (1) how to align the strategies and messaging of sales, marketing, and L&D for sales reps; (2) how to better empower sales reps at the point of sale through mobile sales enablement and just-in-time learning; and (3) how to leverage real-time data and analytics to measure sales behavior, sales engagement, and the impact of training programs. The session will cover best practices, and a detailed case study of Pitney Bowes will serve to illustrate these points.

In this session, you will learn:

• About best practices for deploying a mobile sales enablement program
• About the value of just-in-time learning as it pertains to increased sales
• How technology can bridge the gap between sales, marketing, and L&D
• How to leverage user-generated data to gain powerful insight into the impact of your marketing and training materials
• How Pitney Bowes uses sales enablement tools and technology to provide its reps with a consistent, relevant, just-in-time and offline sales and learning platform

Audience:
Intermediate developers, managers, and directors.

Technology discussed in this session:
Mobile and tablets.

Deconstructing Games is a new series of hands-on sessions where you’ll have the opportunity to play a game and then discuss how the mechanics in play can be applied in your own learning context.

Session Description:
Spaceteam is a game that challenges up to eight players to work together as a team to repair and control a rapidly deteriorating spaceship. Unique orders appear on each device relevant to other players’ control panels. Players must then verbally communicate these orders to crewmates who can complete the task in order to progress.

In this session, you will explore the importance of providing clear, task-specific instructions in fast-paced, chaotic operational situations. Spaceteam emphasizes working towards small goals and thinking rapidly. Using group exercises, the game simulates communication challenges on a cross-functional team in a high-pressure environment. It’s a great jumping-off point for discussions about workplace communication, interdependency, team-building, trust, leadership roles, maximizing productivity, and prioritizing in high-pressure environments.

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Feeling like you can’t get past gamification? Tired of matching, memory, or Jeopardy-style games? Everyone hits creative road blocks. Maybe you see a great example of a learning game online, but feel held back creatively by learning objectives. How do you create a serious game while ensuring you meet your learning objectives?

In this session, you’ll learn about common game mechanics and how to apply them to serious games in learning. You’ll walk away with real gameplay and game-based learning examples that can achieve almost any learning objective.

In this session, you will learn:

• Why serious games perform better than gamification
• How to interpret game mechanics in gameplay
• How to apply game mechanics in your design
• How to achieve almost any learning objective with game-based learning

Audience:
Intermediate and advanced designers and developers.

You would like to design and develop animated videos, but you’re not sure how to get started or apply the tools you have to create new content. You may have a subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud but may not be sure how to get started with Adobe After Effects.

In this session, you will learn how to get started building and designing animated motion videos and compositing to improve your video-based deliveries. You will learn the finer points of audio, video, and effect creation and the best practices for compositing green screen. Finally, you will learn how to export your video for anytime, anywhere use.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to get started with Adobe After Effects
• About graphics, audio, and effects that can help create dynamic videos
• Best practices for compositing green screens
• Techniques and best practices for working with motion elements
• How to prep, animate, and export videos for delivery everywhere

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Technology discussed in this session:
Adobe After Effects and green screen technology.

Technology required:
Laptop running Adobe After Effects (if using trial version, sign up for Creative Cloud trial 20 days prior).

Everyone has seen truly terrible training videos at some point—everything from awkward educational films that put you to sleep in school to unintentionally hilarious training videos that have you laughing more than learning. It’s abundantly clear that just because content has been put into video form doesn’t mean it’s something people want to watch. But while these training video failures may not be fantastic at what they were designed to do, there’s a surprising amount that we can learn from their mistakes.

In this session, you’ll learn how to make engaging video content by taking a look at some impressive examples of what not to do. You’ll watch samples of some of the most amusingly odd training videos and then critically discuss why they didn’t succeed and what you can do in your own work to avoid their mistakes. And while the videos you’ll watch will make you laugh, they’ll also help you better understand how to use this medium more effectively.

In this session, you will learn:

• What can make your audience tune out of your video content
• How to share information in a way that doesn’t leave viewers cringing
• What to avoid when trying to make a training video that actually works
• How to separate what’s not working in a video idea from what is

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Video.

Today, anyone with a smartphone has video capabilities—just look at the number and variety of videos posted on YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter. In addition to phones, you now have drone capabilities and cameras that you can attach to yourself and your pets or embed in your doorbell. The possibilities are seemingly endless. So how do you take advantage of these options for training?

Join this session to learn how a team at Farmers Insurance has been exploring new ways for using video technology to enhance training for employees and agents. You’ll explore options for using tools like drones, smartphones, and GoPro-style cameras to record video, going beyond the bells and whistles to look at how to use these tools in ways that aren’t just cool, but also make a real difference in how effective your content is. You’ll review options for how you can use these recordings in your courses, performance support, and testimonials. And you’ll also look at how to add interactivity to your videos using software like Captivate and Storyline, giving you even more options for what kinds of projects you can create.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to use drones, smartphones, and GoPro-style cameras to record video for your projects
• How to use these recordings to enhance your courses, performance support, and testimonials
• How to add interactivity to your videos using Captivate, Storyline, and other software
• Tips and tricks to help you create your own videos for training

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, and project managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Adobe Captivate 9, Articulate Storyline 2, and Camtasia.

Many people in the eLearning realm are attempting to use gamification and serious games to spark employee engagement and drive learning retention. And while the intent is to make the best serious games that will enhance the learning objectives and help people retain content, unfortunately, they don’t always go as planned. Common issues with these unsuccessful serious games and gamified learning experiences include little to no planning, tough-to-pinpoint metrics, little to no implementation strategy, and insufficient or nonexistent post-deployment support. So what can you do to ensure your game-based project actually works?

In this session, you’ll discuss what makes a serious game a success or a failure. You’ll look at the proper steps to take throughout each phase of your project to ensure its effectiveness. This journey will include investigating best practices as well as highlighting common pain points throughout the development process and how to address them. You’ll leave this session with a better sense of not just why games can be a powerful tool for learning, but also what steps you’ll need to take to develop effective ones.

In this session, you will learn:

• What gets in the way of creating serious games that work
• Best practices to ensure successful implementation of a serious game
• About the first steps to take when creating serious games
• What other organizations’ serious game projects can teach you about the development process

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, managers, directors, and senior leaders (VP, CLO, executive, etc.).

Technology discussed in this session:
Mobile games; motion tracking with Leap.

Deconstructing Games is a new series of hands-on sessions where you’ll have the opportunity to play a game and then discuss how the mechanics in play can be applied in your own learning context.

Session Description:
Story Cubes is a creative story game using dice imprinted with pictures. Each player rolls nine dice and tells a story based on the dice pictures facing up. There is no winner, just great fun to be had listening to improvised stories.

In this session, you will explore opportunities for designers and developers to decide how unique pieces of content fit together. You will examine the idea of looking for common threads, deciding what the purpose of a story is, and determining its beginning, middle, and end. Finally, you’ll learn how the Story Cubes structure could be useful in the scriptwriting process.

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Developing mobile learning solutions can become complicated if you’re not careful. One wrong turn can leave you mired in extra work you didn’t anticipate. Sometimes this happens due to design decisions. In other cases, the problem stems from choosing the wrong tool, failing to set up templates properly, or any number of other issues. Thankfully, one of the best ways to figure out how to reduce or even avoid your development complexity is simple: Look at successes and snags from previous projects.

In this session, you’ll examine the complexity of developing mobile learning solutions through examples of problems faced during the development of real mobile learning courses and performance support tools. You’ll explore these actual projects and take a closer look at the issues that made their development more complex than it needed to be. You’ll get a chance to hear from the developer himself about how, in retrospect, he’d reduce this complexity; and you’ll also have an opportunity to formulate your own ideas for simplifying these processes.

In this session, you will learn:

• About the impact of choosing the wrong type of tool for the task
• Techniques for making templates easier to use
• Tips for efficient mLearning programming in a variety of authoring tools
• Proven approaches to troubleshooting problems when they arise

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers and developers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Articulate Studio, Articulate Storyline, Trivantis Lectora, Adobe Captivate, HTML5, and JavaScript.

Mobile and performance support seem like a perfect team. A just-in-time performance support system can improve efficiency, reduce errors, lessen the need for upfront training, and even improve morale; and mobile devices have tremendous potential to help workers solve problems on the go. That said, designing a mobile performance support solution requires a different mindset and approach than designing traditional training. So how can you best use this pairing to improve performance?

In this session, you’ll see how a design process built around the audience and goals can lead to the creation of successful performance support products. You’ll explore a specific case study: a mobile system that includes video, a search component, and advice on common problems and how to best diagnose and solve them. Along with the case study, you’ll learn more about a design and development process that can help you quickly get from wondering how you can best use mobile to actually creating effective, just-in-time mobile performance support yourself.

In this session, you will learn:

• When to consider a performance support approach rather than training
• How to gather content from subject matter experts and craft it into an effective performance support system
• How to incorporate different contexts and use cases into the design of a mobile product
• How to follow a mobile design process that focuses on performance goals

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Technology discussed in this session:
Smartphones and tablets; brief references to PhoneGap (a cross-platform app development platform).

Instructional designers and writers are increasingly turning to branching scenarios as a way to embrace experiential learning and move beyond page-turners. But authoring an effective scenario is challenging, as the branches can become overwhelming. Moreover, if you don’t apply good game-design principles, the scenarios can turn out to be as flat, boring, and ineffective as a series of multiple-choice questions.

In this hands-on session, you will play, deconstruct, and discuss branching scenarios as a full group and in small teams. You’ll experience what makes branching scenarios work well. You’ll play the highly cited “Haji Kamal” branching scenario as a group, and learn how the design team used Jesse Schell’s Art of Game Design lenses in designing the scenario’s story, structure, and media. Then you’ll play another scenario in a print-and-play format, in small groups. You will discuss the design principles applied to that scenario and explore how paper-based scenarios can be used for team training. You’ll leave this session with a cheat sheet for taming scenario structures, as well as reflection prompts to help you apply the design principles to your own learning challenges.

In this session, you will learn:

• What game design lenses are helpful in designing branching scenarios
• Which core techniques can help you keep your branching structure under control
• About approaches that can improve your branching scenario storytelling
• How to apply these principles to your own projects

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Branching scenarios.

When a pet is undergoing anesthesia, the veterinary nurses who monitor that process are put in a high-stakes environment where the patient, not training, needs to be the focus. One organization wanted a way to bridge the gap between what veterinary nurses understood about the theories behind anesthesia monitoring, and effective real-world application of those principles. To solve this dilemma, the team needed to find a scalable solution to provide a lower-stakes environment, allowing nurses to practice the important patient assessment and remediation techniques they needed before they began actual anesthetic monitoring on the job.

In this case study session, you’ll learn how the team enhanced clinical learning with a simulation that bridged the gap between eLearning content and the actual practice of anesthesia monitoring. You’ll find out how creating a lower-stakes environment than the real world, but a higher-stakes environment than eLearning, can lead to better job performance. You’ll then learn how to create simulations yourself using the “gradual release model,” whereby users are given increasing amounts of responsibility over the content as they move through the curriculum. You’ll also get tips for how to create your own simulations, including how to leverage your SMEs to help create content, how to develop and deploy a simulation, and how to measure its impact.

In this session, you will learn:

• Why simulations can lead to better performance
• How to use the gradual release of learner responsibility model in your simulations
• How to leverage SMEs effectively to develop simulation content
• Strategies for both developing and deploying a simulation
• How to evaluate the efficacy of simulation-based learning

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Technology discussed in this session:
Fully immersive simulation developed on Unity gaming platform; integration of simulation with Totara LMS.

Over the last decade, there has been industrywide emphasis on developing learning objects with embedded gamification elements. However, taking the concept of gamification past the singular learning objects to the more global, overall learner experience is more of a rarity.

This session outlines the specifics of one company’s journey and lessons learned so that participants can take those practices to their own company. You will explore the realities and challenges of designing and developing a gamified open-learning platform. The session will focus on the learner experience design process with specific emphasis on the engagement model, learning space and journey, and game economy. You will learn how issues were solved relating to employee goals and ambitions, the learner lifecycle and engagement loops, and learner motivation and emotional engagement, as well as establishing criteria and conditions that set a solid foundation for the game economy.

In this session, you will learn:

• The considerations necessary for building a learner engagement model
• The elements to apply when designing for a gamified learning environment
• How to evolve your system to add new functionality and stay relevant

Audience:
Intermediate designers, developers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Technology discussed in this session:
Examples of the gamified platform that the company built.

We know that simulations are a fantastic way to allow people to practice skills in a realistic but safe environment that gives them the opportunity to learn from mistakes. However, actually sitting down and creating a simulation that feels real to your audience is definitely harder than it sounds. So learn from the industry that’s been successfully simulating real and imagined situations for years: video games! Video games aren’t just a fun diversion, there’s also a lot in common between how they’re created and the way a strong simulation should be designed.

In this session, you’ll take a look at how video games developers have overcome some of the same major hurdles that we experience when developing simulations for training, such as deciding what your simulation structure should be, narrowing down potential ideas to just the ones that work, and making player choices matter (or at least seem like they matter). You’ll also learn about game design techniques that will make your simulation development process run smoother, such as iterative design and prototyping. Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or someone who couldn’t recognize Pong if your life depended on it, you’ll still learn a lot about what video games can teach us about making simulations that are fun and effective.

In this session, you will learn:

• How the audience you’re designing for should influence the game you create
• How to decide how much choice to give your players
• How to avoid the “uncanny valley” of sims
• How prototyping and iterative design can lead to better game experiences
• What games to check out when you’re looking for simulation design inspiration

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers and developers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Branching and simulation games, including The Walking Dead, Papers Please, and Lifeline.

Deconstructing Games is a new series of hands-on sessions where you’ll have the opportunity to play a game and then discuss how the mechanics in play can be applied in your own learning context.

Session Description:
It's a typical card game where one deals out cards, then the players draw, play cards, and try to achieve winning state, etc - with a twist. The cards change the rules of play as you play. They can affect how many you draw, put out, can swap hands, and most importantly, change the goals of the game.

This game is used to illustrate the importance of rules and constraints in simulations. It helps illuminate how important models are that capture relationships with importance for learning, and modeling those relationships  in designing scenarios and simulations.  It also can illustrate pattern matching in cognition and agility in innovation and the impacts of rules on organizational culture as well.

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers, project managers, managers, and directors.

It seems video has been around forever. Video was a primary source of training for the military during World War II. Most classrooms used reel-to-reel players for video-based learning, a format that soon evolved into VHS/TV carts that easily rolled in and out of the room. In the early part of this century, video began to migrate online, but it’s only in recent years that the world of video has truly transformed itself and continues to do so rapidly. What lies ahead in the evolution of this powerful medium?

In this session, you will tour the world of video in 2017. You will examine how the world of video is much bigger than it has ever been, while at the same time becoming smaller than you ever thought possible. Using a number of examples, you will examine these changes and the possibilities they open up for learning and performance improvement.

In this session, you will learn:

• How video for training has changed in the past few decades
• From case studies of video used for L&D
• About the future possibilities for video and training
• Tips for incorporating video into your L&D strategy

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, project managers, managers, and directors.

The role of the learning developer is expanding in scope and responsibility. Today’s learning professionals need to understand how to use mobile devices to deliver useful content at the time of need. They have to consider the complete user experience, including user context, device capabilities, mobile interface design, and audience personas. And they have to understand how all of these variables translate into a memorable experience for their audience.

This session will present foundational strategy and guidelines for effective user experience design for mobile and other new platforms, including hands-free devices such as watches and smart glasses. The session will examine how user-centered design can produce training deliverables that resonate with your audience. You’ll explore the importance of context and how it should impact your UX choices, as well as new technologies and design disciplines that can influence your UX, such as industrial design and deep learning. You’ll also hear about the UX lessons learned from real-world case studies in mobile and performance support projects.

In this session, you will learn:

• Essential principles for effective user-centered design
• How to analyze and evaluate what your target audience needs from your UX
• How the environment affects the user experience, and how to design for the right context
• About the wide variety of mobile device capabilities that enhance UX
• What effective UX looks like in real examples of augmented reality performance support

Audience:
Intermediate to advanced designers, developers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Handheld mobile devices (smartphones, tablets); wearable devices (glasses, watches, sensors, headsets); and augmented reality performance support.

As companies support using more devices to access training content, the balance between standardizing the training experience and supporting learning on the go becomes more challenging. There are distinct differences when accessing content on a computer versus a tablet or smartphone, including screen size, ways to interact with the content, and sometimes even people’s expectations of the experience. Is one experience better than the other? And is it possible to support both well?

In this session, you’ll compare the experiences of online learning through two lenses: desktop versus mobile. You’ll take a closer look at best practices for each medium, in particular when working with geographically dispersed users. You’ll also explore an example of how one Fortune 250 company experimented with collaborative online learning by offering its course in both a desktop and mobile version. This case study will help you uncover what you need to know about how desktop faces off against mobile in real-world learning applications, and what you can do to make both effective for your audience.

In this session, you will learn:

• About the strengths and weaknesses of desktop and mobile for engaging with content
• Best practices for designing for mobile and desktop
• About the key differences in designing content for mobile versus desktop
• What a real-world experiment with mobile versus desktop content can tell you about both options

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Desktop computers, mobile phones, and NovoEd.

Increasingly more participants in live online virtual training classes are joining by mobile device—which means they connect via the platform app instead of using the full desktop program. While this gives people substantially more flexibility in where and when they can access virtual training, it has a big drawback as well. Most virtual training designs assume that all tools and features will be available for learning activities, but most virtual classroom apps only have limited features. Given this challenge, it can be tricky to know how best to design virtual training content that’s engaging but that every member of your audience can fully experience.

In this interactive session, you’ll learn how to design engaging virtual training programs when some (or even all) of your participants connect to the session from a mobile device. You’ll start out by learning why virtual training platform functionality isn’t the same on mobile devices and explore the common key differences between the app and desktop experiences. You’ll then take a closer look at three common limitations that mobile learners face. Finally, you’ll dive deep on how to work around these challenges, with techniques ranging from how to prepare learners in advance to how specifically to design virtual content so it’s just as effective for mobile audiences as for desktop audiences.

In this session, you will learn:

• About the common key differences between virtual classroom desktop programs and their corresponding mobile apps
• About the specific limitations that people face when connecting to virtual training via mobile device
• How to prepare your audience in advance when they plan to connect via mobile device
• Techniques to design engaging virtual training when participants are connected via mobile device

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers and developers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Adobe Connect will be the main presentation platform; however, the session will touch on other virtual classroom platforms, such as WebEx Training Center and GoTo Training.

In a world of short attention spans and the need to “break through the clutter,” how can you ensure your learning videos leave your audience remembering your message? Maybe it’s time to look outside L&D for inspiration and toward a field that already does this well: advertising. If advertisements can influence people to purchase items they don’t need, are there ways to use this field’s secrets to influence learners (and do this without their feeling manipulated)?

In this session, you’ll learn how the techniques that influence purchasing behavior can also change the behavior of your audience. You’ll find out what exactly makes an ad so compelling that it can persuade you to spend your money, then you’ll apply these secrets to make your next learning video successful. You’ll explore the hooks that grab viewer interest, the components that lead to an effective video concept, and a framework you can use to shape a successful learning-video strategy.

In this session, you will learn:

• About a strategic framework for designing and evaluating effective video for learning
• About two “hooks” that make the content in your learning video memorable
• About four components that make an effective video concept
• About two techniques for using drama to design or evaluate videos

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers and managers.

Learning videos can range from astoundingly effective to painfully bad. And while most people can at least create content that avoids the latter category, it’s not always easy to know what makes the difference between video content that truly resonates with your audience and content that is fine but forgettable. Thankfully, one of the best solutions is to take a closer look at examples that work well.

In this session, you’ll get inspiration for making your video content even better by taking a critical look at some of the most effective videos used for learning. You’ll look at a wide range of approaches to using this medium for teaching content and engage in in-depth discussions about what made each approach successful. Through exploring this curated selection of video examples, you’ll find out more about what makes video content memorable and get new ideas for techniques you can use in your own work.

In this session, you will learn:

• About different approaches for using this medium to share content
• What successful learning videos tend to have in common
• How knowing your audience impacts the effectiveness of your videos
• Where to look for training video inspiration

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Video.

Deconstructing Games is a new series of hands-on sessions where you’ll have the opportunity to play a game and then discuss how the mechanics in play can be applied in your own learning context.

Session Description:
In Wits and Wagers, all players are asked questions that require a number answer. After recording their numbers, the answers are arranged in numerical order. Each player wagers a chip on the right answer. If they are right, the “house” pays them; if wrong, they lose their chip. The person who gave the right answer also wins a chip.      

In this session, you’ll explore how technical product details and traditional company history or information can be presented in this game format. Wits and Wagers illustrates collaboration, sharing of information, and evaluation.

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Deconstructing Games is a new series of hands-on sessions where you’ll have the opportunity to play a game and then discuss how the mechanics in play can be applied in your own learning context.

Session Description:
Candy Crush is the popular mobile puzzle-based game with incremental progress against a game board path. 

In this session, you’ll explore how we can development skills through problem-based learning and with incremental progress towards a goal. All enhanced through social support/outreach.

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers, project managers, managers, and directors.