101 eLearning Boot Camp: All the Basics You Need to Get Started
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Tuesday, March 27
Junior Ballroom G
No formal eLearning background or training? Don’t have the time to slow down and learn the basics? You’re not alone. If that sounds like you, you may feel like you’re always a beginner—struggling to catch up with books and articles filled with academic and technical terms that don’t align with your practical experiences.
Whether you’re brand-new to eLearning, just exploring it for your organization, or simply want some help filling in some knowledge gaps, what you need is a quick, plainspoken foundation of eLearning basics. And in this session, you’ll learn what you need to get started with eLearning, including a few characteristics that define eLearning, a simple explanation of how eLearning works, and the people, process, and tools that go into making it. You’ll also take a look at basic design and development processes you can follow to more smartly manage your eLearning projects.
In this session, you will learn:
- What distinguishes eLearning from other types of online learning
- About the technology used to create, share, and track eLearning courses
- The meanings behind many common industry acronyms like SCORM and LMS
- About a simple, universal eLearning design and development process
- About easy tools and tips for smartly managing your eLearning projects
Audience:
Novice designers and developers. No prior knowledge of eLearning is required, but a basic understanding of web technology is helpful.
Technology discussed in this session:
eLearning tools, including everything from Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel to explanations of what authoring tools are, what they do, and the function of the LMS in delivering and tracking eLearning.
Trina Rimmer
Director, Community and Customer Engagement
Articulate
As the director of community and customer engagement with Articulate, Trina uses her many years of eLearning design and development expertise to guide the creation of inspiring content for our community of workplace learning professionals, E-Learning Heroes. Before joining Articulate, Trina worked as an instructional designer, eLearning developer, and writer focused on delivering creative, engaging, and effective learning solutions to various companies, from global aid organizations to Fortune 500s.
102 Comics for Adult Learning: What the Evidence Reveals
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Tuesday, March 27
Salon 14
Comics for learning have a long history of telling stories to teach concepts and processes. A one-page comic scene can describe a complex process, or a comic scenario with characters and dialogue can help explain more difficult situations by telling a story. Unfortunately, L&D professionals often discard the idea of using the comic medium in adult learning, seeing it as either an unacceptable medium or too costly both in time and budget. These misconceptions can lead you to bypass an effective medium for learning.
Recent evidence supported by research shows adults retained more information from a comic than from a text-only version of the same content, and they recalled the information at a higher percentage. In this session, you will explore and discuss the research into what makes for an effective learning comic, the difference between a printed vs. digital comic, and the effective uses of the emerging interactive graphic novel. Having evidence-based knowledge about comics will give you a better understanding of how to use comics in your organizational learning efforts, and give you the evidence you need to get others to buy in to this approach.
In this session, you will learn:
- About recent evidence and research on the effectiveness of comics for learning
- How comics are used in performance support initiatives
- About using the comic medium to mitigate complex and sensitive topics
- About the emergence of interactive graphic novels in the L&D industry
Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers and managers.
Kevin Thorn
Director of Development
Artisan E-Learning
Kevin Thorn holds an EdD in instructional design and technologies and is an award-winning eLearning designer and developer. He is the director of development for Artisan E-Learning, and principal owner of NuggetHead Studioz, LLC., a boutique studio specializing in consulting and developing custom learning experiences. Kevin combines his skills in technology, instructional design, eLearning development, illustration, graphic design, animation, video, and educational comics to develop innovative learning solutions. He is a well- known industry speaker and trainer in visual communication, eLearning development, and design workflows and is a certified facilitator in LEGO® Serious Play® methodologies. ?
104 Design Learning Like an Artist: Van Gogh’s 7 Principles for Learning
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Tuesday, March 27
Salon 3
Do you like to learn from extraordinary people? Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most admired artists in history. He reached his high level of mastery with almost no formal training at all. So what are the secrets of his learning journey? His letters give clear answers on the principles of learning that he applied. These principles are not just useful for the time when he lived—they’re also applicable for learning design today.
In this session, you will discover the learning principles and performance support that Van Gogh used to reach his extraordinary level of mastery. Informed by primary-source research into his letters, you’ll find out how Van Gogh managed to be very productive in poor circumstances, and you’ll learn the seven principles of learning and performance support that he applied. You will also get inspired and discover how you can apply these seven principles in learning design today. Be ready for the most colorful session you’ll ever experience!
In this session, you will learn:
- About fresh perspectives to apply to your learning design
- How smart blends of learning and performance support will lead to great results
- About the seven principles that Van Gogh used to reach his high level of mastery
- How practice, reflection, motivation, and social learning work best
- How to apply the seven principles presented in your learning design projects
Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers and developers.
Ger Driesen
Learning Innovation Leader
aNewSpring
Ger Driesen is a learning innovation leader at aNewSpring, the learner experience platform for training providers. He connects people, ideas, and inspiration in the global L&D community. He also works as a consultant in learning & leadership development at Challenge Leadership Development Academy, the company he co-founded. He's known as a "Dutch L&D trendcatcher" based on his articles, blogs, and tweets, and he is a regular speaker at international conferences.
SDD102 6 Steps to Awesome eLearning Scenarios
11:00 AM - 11:45 AM Tuesday, March 27
Expo Hall: Design & Development Stage
When training courses don’t feel relevant to your learners’ work, the learners are less likely to meaningfully engage. You can capture their attention by turning dull, text-filled slides into a relatable scenario. This type of interaction gives learners an opportunity to apply new skills and explore outcomes in a low-pressure environment.
Learn a simple, six-step instructional design approach to building awesome eLearning scenarios. You’ll find out how to translate content into a decision-making activity, select relatable characters, and set the scene for your scenario. You’ll also get tips for adding context and providing feedback that illustrates the potential consequences of your learners’ virtual choices.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to turn course content into a decision-making activity
- How to select characters for your scenario
- How to set the scene with background imagery
- Tips for adding meaningful context
- How to provide feedback
Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, and project managers.
Technology discussed in this session:
Microsoft PowerPoint.
Nicole Legault
Community Manager
Articulate
Nicole Legault is a community manager at the software company Articulate. Nicole has a varied skill set that includes expertise in instructional design, eLearning development, and more. She has written hundreds of articles on the topic of eLearning and instructional design. She is a skilled public speaker and has delivered many hours of training and presentations on a variety of topics related to training. Nicole strives to create engaging sessions based on practical skills that can be used immediately on the job.
SMM103 Language, Culture, and eLearning: How to Make Your Multilingual Learning Project Successful
12:00 PM - 12:45 PM Tuesday, March 27
Expo Hall: Management & Measurement Stage
Too often, eLearning developers and instructional designers create projects for a multilingual audience using only English as the framework language. They have it translated to their target languages, then scratch their heads over why global learners aren’t progressing as quickly as those in the United States.
To ensure your global audience is reaching their learning objectives, this session will discuss six elements that are crucial for developing successful multilingual, multicultural eLearning projects.
In this session, you will learn:
- Intercultural competency—what it is and how you achieve it
- How culture impacts your global training programs
- How to avoid culture clash
- Language complexities and eLearning white space
- Cultural and social norms, and the dos and don’ts of using localized jargon
- Learning techniques and culture—using cultural differences for effective teaching
Audience:
Intermediate to advanced designers, developers, project managers, managers, directors, and senior leaders (VP, CLO, executive, etc.)
Technology discussed in this session:
Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, and other authoring tools.
Ray Reyes
Vice President—USA
Zinacle
Ray Reyes is a vice president, USA at Zinacle, where he oversees strategic direction for the US market for the Spanish-based translation and localization company. With offices in Boston and Atlanta, and production teams in Spain and Romania, Zinacle is a leader in providing translation and localization services to the learning and corporate training industry. Ray is a global speaker and author who has worked with Fortune 500 multinational companies, as well as small to medium enterprises, to develop successful multilingual learning strategies. He attended the University of Georgia, Shorter University’s MBA program, and Harvard Business School’s Aligning Strategy and Sales program.
201 Creating Engaging Learning Experiences
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Tuesday, March 27
Junior Ballroom G
Most of eLearning is deadly dull. The prose is turgid, the dialogue is worse, the stock photos are gratuitous, and the practice items are rote if not outright silly. Not only is this not fun, it’s not effective. There are plenty of reasons why: limited time and resources, and stakeholders who believe eLearning must be seen as serious. Yet, the outcome is unfortunate. And you can do better!
This session will examine the benefits of making learning engaging, and the steps that you can (and should) take. You’ll explore writing, graphics, introductions, examples, and—most importantly—practice that will engage learners. It’s not about points, badges, and leaderboards, but tapping into intrinsic motivation in ways that will cognitively and emotionally hook interest. You’ll also explore design processes that will systematically uncover the necessary information and bake what’s needed into your design. It’s time to go beyond boring and on to intrinsically interesting learning.
In this session, you will learn:
- About interesting ways to use SMEs
- About the power of story for you and your learners
- When to collaborate
- How to create characters with depth
Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers and managers with experience designing for learning.
Technology discussed in this session:
Authoring, branching, and cartoon tools.
Clark Quinn
Chief Learning Strategist
Upside Learning
Clark Quinn, PhD is the executive director of Quinnovation, co-director of the Learning Development Accelerator, and chief learning strategist for Upside Learning. With more than four decades of experience at the cutting edge of learning, Dr. Quinn is an internationally known speaker, consultant, and author of seven books. He combines a deep knowledge of cognitive science and broad experience with technology into strategic design solutions that achieve innovative yet practical outcomes for corporations, higher-education, not-for-profit, and government organizations.
202 Better Feedback for Scenario-Based eLearning
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Tuesday, March 27
Salon 7
When you create a scenario, you work hard to make it realistic and relevant for your learners. Unfortunately, even otherwise engaging scenarios sometimes include abstract feedback like “Incorrect. Please try again.” Simply saying the choice is right or wrong can make learners lose interest and focus, and it doesn’t help them learn from their mistakes.
In this session, you will learn how to show learners the consequences of their decisions rather than telling them they’re right or wrong in scenario-based eLearning—the difference between “intrinsic feedback” and “instructional feedback.” You will explore several options for intrinsic feedback, such as progress meters, character responses, and environmental changes. You’ll learn guidelines for when to use immediate feedback and when to delay the feedback in scenarios. You will discuss how to design feedback to meet the needs of both novice and expert learners. You’ll also learn when direct instructional feedback is beneficial for learning.
In this session, you will learn:
- Multiple methods to show the consequences of decisions in scenarios
- When to use immediate or delayed feedback
- How to provide appropriate feedback for novice and expert learners
- When to use intrinsic feedback (showing consequences) and instructional feedback (direct coaching)
- How to work with SMEs to get information to provide realistic consequences
- How to write better feedback for short scenarios and complex branching scenarios
Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, and managers. This session will be especially helpful for those who have created (or attempted to create) scenario-based learning. Anyone with an interest in creating scenario-based eLearning, at any level of experience, can benefit.
Technology discussed in this session:
Adobe Captivate.
Christy Tucker
Learning Experience Design Consultant
Syniad Learning
Christy Tucker is a learning experience design consultant with over 20 years of experience helping people learn. She specializes in using scenario-based learning to engage audiences and promote skill transfer to real-world environments. She has created training for a wide range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit associations, state and local government agencies, universities, and more. Christy has been blogging about instructional design and eLearning for over 15 years and is a regular speaker at industry conferences and events.
203 Closing the Skills Gap with Personalized Pathways and Social Learning
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Tuesday, March 27
Salon 2
There is a growing disconnect between the supply and demand of skills required to fill some of the most essential jobs globally. A “one size fits all” approach to learning and development is simply not working, putting business performance and innovation at risk. How people learn, where people learn, and what people learn must change to allow individuals to experience a specific pathway that fully meets their individual needs.
During this session, you will learn how providing a personalized learning pathway enhances engagement and performance, resulting in improved business outcomes. An international case study will be analyzed, highlighting the benefits of offering a journey that meets the needs of each and every individual. The session will show you how to create a learning experience that enhances progress and ensures completion using blended learning principles. In addition, you will learn how you can use social media to communicate with learners and provide collaborative opportunities to bridge the skills gap and deliver personalized pathways.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to create a personalized learning culture within your organization
- Why personalized pathways engage and motivate learners
- How a personalized learning journey can positively impact business outcomes
- How to deliver individual pathways using a blended learning approach
- How social media contributes to a personalized learning culture
Audience:
Intermediate project managers, managers, directors, and senior leaders (VP, CLO, executive, etc.). An understanding of the main social media channels would be beneficial.
Technology discussed in this session:
Social media platforms.
Mark Griffiths
Client Partner
Newleaf Training & Development
Mark Griffiths is a client partner at Newleaf Training & Development and heads up the East Coast office in Orlando, Florida. Mark has a degree in IT and a postgraduate degree in education, and he has personally gained over 15 years’ experience in the training, eLearning, and talent development arena—working with nonprofit, educational, and privately held organizations such as Randstad, Boston Scientific, and Citrix to create and deliver high-impact blended learning solutions using a wide range of eLearning authoring tools.
Wendy Richard
Resort Operations Manager
Walt Disney World
Wendy Richard is a resort operations manager at Walt Disney World. A media-trained, multilingual strategic thinker, he has accumulated experience in a variety of areas across the Walt Disney World Resort over the past 15 years, including learning and development, diversity, recruitment, and theme parks as well as resort operations. He earned his doctorate in organizational leadership with a specialization in organizational development. Wendy’s primary research focus involves social media and workplace learning. He currently serves as VP of engagement at the Association for Talent Development (ATD) Central Florida Chapter.
STP105 Creating Amazing Experiences: Let’s Get Inspired!
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM Tuesday, March 27
Expo Hall: Tools & Platforms Stage
Designing great user experiences for your learners is critical to the success of how they engage; how they utilize content, tools, and apps; and how they focus on the task at hand. This session will break down what’s important in designing great experiences, and provide you with resources to get you started and inspired from mobile to desktop and beyond.
This session will cover design strategies, what works and what doesn’t, and demonstrate how to plan and prototype, using several great examples. You’ll get more than 10 resources for building inspiration and getting you and your organization to the next level.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to evaluate what you see, hear, and feel, and how to apply what resonates with your audience
- How to conduct interviews and create feedback loops to improve your concepts
- About a new series of resources and tools to implement on your next project
- How to share, get inspired, and motivate your organization to grow
Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, project managers, managers, directors, and senior leaders (VP, CLO, executive, etc.).
Technology discussed in this session:
Apps and tools: Paper, PowerPoint, PDF, Marvel, and DropBox Paper.Nick Floro
Learning Architect/Imagineer
Sealworks Interactive Studios
Nick Floro, a co-founder and learning architect at Sealworks Interactive Studios, has over 25 years of experience developing learning solutions, applications, and web platforms. Nick is passionate about how design and technology can enhance learning and loves to share his knowledge and experience to teach, inspire, and motivate. As a learning architect, Nick gets to sketch, imagine, and prototype for each challenge. He has worked with start-ups to Fortune 500 companies to help them understand the technology and develop innovative solutions to support their audiences. Nick has won numerous awards from Apple and organizations for productions and services.
301 Developing Informal Learning Content for Retail Organizations
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Tuesday, March 27
Salon 16
Learning content is often walled off from other categories of content developed in the enterprise. Learning content is often considered inappropriate for audiences outside the organization because it’s designed to talk to employees and has a tone (and, most often, a quality level) that is not appropriate for consumer communication. Due to this attitude, loads of quality content is wasted that could have an impact on the organizational bottom line.
In this session, you’ll take a look at an approach for multi-purposing internal learning content in a way that communicates well not just with internal stakeholders, but also external consumer audiences. This content creation strategy will allow you to develop a library of content that can turn internal educational content into external marketing, saving your organization development time and costs while also helping your employees and consumers become experts in your products and services. You’ll find out how to create informal learning that works for educating both your consumers and internal audiences, and how to get internal stakeholders on board with this approach.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to create informal learning that works for consumer and internal audiences
- How and when to use video for informal learning content
- How to appropriately brand informal learning for external use
- About the quality standards that outside audiences expect
- How to use product reviews profitably
- When NOT to use informal learning as a marketing tool
- How to communicate the value of informal learning to internal stakeholders
Audience:
Intermediate to advanced designers, managers, directors, and senior leaders (VP, CLO, executive, etc.).
Technology discussed in this session:
Blogs and blogging, digital magazines, YouTube, Roku, and Apple TV.
Mark Lassoff
Founder
Dollar Design School
Over two million people have learned coding and design from Mark Lassoff. Mark and his company are pioneers in new media learning, having created the first streaming media network dedicated to learning workforce and career skills. They produce broadcast-quality learning content that focuses on digital skills such as design, coding, and digital productivity. Mark is an in-demand speaker and has traveled the world to teach. He was named to the 40 under 40 in both Austin, Texas, and Hartford, CT. In 2017, Mark was awarded the prestigious Learning Guild Guild Master Award.
303 Starting with Empathy
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Tuesday, March 27
Salon 9
Every session and course you build is intended to improve people’s work performance in some way. So, before jumping into building the content, it is vital to find ways of seeing things from the learning audience’s point of view. Doing this well improves their learning experience, ensuring they get the right content and just what they need.
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. During this session, you’ll explore ways of using empathy to see things from the learners’ points of view—and how to use that insight to craft better learning experiences. You’ll explore techniques and determine ways of answering important questions about your learning audience. For example: What do the learners already know? How do they feel about having to complete the content? Are they clear about the way they’ll use the content in their work?
In this session, you will learn:
- About the importance of beginning with empathy
- How to ask better questions to get better answers
- How application of real-world experience improves the learning experience
- How an empathy-centered approach can raise the level of learning retention
Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, and managers.
Dawn Mahoney
Owner
Learning In the White Space
Dawn J. Mahoney CPTD is a talent development professional who is passionate about developing people through better learning content, better learning strategy, and better dialog. In 2015, Dawn founded Learning In the White Space, a boutique consultancy devoted to planning a learning strategy and bringing it to life. Dawn writes the "Last Word" column in Training Magazine and is the author of Lean Learning Using the ADDIE Model.
SDD106 What eLearning Design Can Learn from Web Design
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM Tuesday, March 27
Expo Hall: Design & Development Stage
eLearning technologies, conventions, and trends are progressing daily, and the path they’re on is not so different from that of the web. Web design reached “high design” status long ago, while eLearning design is much more often left to grassroots methods and simply “what we’ve done before.” This session seeks to bridge the gap by exposing what eLearning design can learn from web design.
This session will offer a brief overview of the histories of both eLearning and web design and compare their trajectories to demonstrate why it’s important to consider web design principles when making decisions for your eLearning courses. Then you’ll explore the specifics of what you can learn from well-established web design conventions to make your eLearning more effective. Some of these takeaways include: effective typographic choices (hierarchy, consistency and rhythm, negative space); humanizing design with micro interactions and screen size considerations; and why adaptive design is growing in importance.
In this session, you will learn:
- Why it’s important to consider web conventions when designing your eLearning
- Why utilizing micro interactions is so important
- How to design eLearning with a tech-savvy audience in mind
- How to leverage simple typographic principles to make your courses more effective
- How to design accessible learning for mobile devices
Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, and project managers with a basic understanding of the limitations of popular eLearning development software.
Technology discussed in this session:
Articulate Storyline 2 and 360, Adobe Captivate, Adapt, Microsoft PowerPoint, and web browsers and mobile devices in general.
Bryan Marcum
Graphic Designer
Infinitude Creative Group
Bryan Marcum is a graphic designer at Infinitude Creative Group. He graduated from Oklahoma State University as a nationally recognized graphic and motion graphics designer. By complete accident, Bryan ended up in the corporate learning space and fell in love with the way people learn. He has since added eLearning development, web design, and audio engineering to his list of proficiencies.
401 Learning by Practice: Microlearning with Immediate Application
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Tuesday, March 27
Junior Ballroom G
Many learners want shorter nuggets of content. It can be challenging, however, for instructional designers to fit everything they need to do into five- to seven-minute chunks. If you’re not careful, the lessons can end up being mostly teaching, and what gets lost is the chance for learners to practice the skills being taught and the chance to apply the new skills to their own situation.
In this session, you’ll walk through a case study of 30 microlessons (built in 30 days) that focus primarily on practice and application. You’ll learn how to keep the formal learning part to a minimum so you can give learners a chance to try techniques out for themselves and even apply them to their own lives immediately, before ever leaving the course. You’ll get to see real-life examples of many microlearning formats, including branching scenarios, skills and drills, games, and application activities.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to focus your microlearning designs on practice and application
- How to pick a narrow, targeted topic that learners can explore in a short period of time
- How to design opportunities for students to apply techniques to their own lives
- How to incorporate teaching points throughout an interaction, rather than use the “teach then quiz” model
Audience:
Novice to advanced designers and developers.
Technology discussed in this session:
Articulate Storyline.
Diane Elkins
Owner/Founder
E-Learning Uncovered
Diane Elkins is owner of Artisan E-Learning, a custom eLearning development company, and E-Learning Uncovered, where she helps people build courses they're proud of. She has built a reputation as a national eLearning expert by being a frequent speaker at major industry events for ATD, The Learning Guild, and Training Magazine. Her favorite topics include accessibility, instructional design, and Articulate Storyline. She is co-author of the popular E-Learning Uncovered book series, as well as E-Learning Fundamentals: A Practical Guide, from ATD Press. She is a past board member of the Northeast Florida and Metro DC chapters of ATD.
411 BYOD: Harnessing the Power of the Narrative—Storytelling and Adobe Spark Video
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Tuesday, March 27
Salon 1
You think your content is important, but does your audience? Stories provide context for facts, and a narrative is an effective way to capture your audience’s attention, change a perspective, or explain something well; and yet, many L&D professionals are not using storytelling enough during the learning and development process. How do you add more narrative to information you need others to understand?
There are plenty of TED talks and books about why storytelling is important, but in order to truly get better at telling your story, you must experience the story creation process. In this interactive session, where everyone will write a story, you will learn how to select the most important details from your content to include in your story; how to keep your narrative succinct and relevant; and how you can use stories to train others. Once you write your story, you will create a video to tell your story using a free and easy-to-use tool called Adobe Spark.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to harness the power of a narrative
- How to incorporate the essential elements of a good story
- How to translate your content into a story
- How to leverage technology to more effectively tell your story
Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, managers, directors, and senior leaders (VP, CLO, executive, etc.).
Technology discussed in this session:
Adobe Spark.
Participant technology requirements:
A laptop or device with a word processor tool, such as Microsoft Word, and a free Adobe account to access Adobe Spark. Participants should be logged into Adobe Spark at the beginning of the session.
Heather Snyder
Director of Instructional Design
Endurance Learning
Heather Snyder, a director of instructional design at Endurance Learning, is a passionate learner who started her career as a computer geek on a helpdesk. Always driven by her appetite to find the best ways to absorb new information, Heather discovered a passion for training. After spending eight years as an informal trainer, she began her role as an eLearning designer and developer in 2013, which led to her current role at Endurance Learning.
F02 Strategies for Supporting Complex Skill Development
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Tuesday, March 27
Salon 5
eLearning has a satisfactory set of options if your goal is information delivery or procedural training, but what about creating meaningful eLearning for complex skill development or for the not-so-procedural problems that show up more and more in the workplace? What about creating learning for those situations where your SME can’t tell you what good performance looks like except to say, “Well, you know it when you see it”?
Frameworks from complexity science and the science of expertise development can help you diagnose these kinds of complex learning problems, and can help point to eLearning design strategies that can actually address and support complex skill development. You will learn how variables like frequency of use, tacitness or explicitness, and level of automaticity affect skill development. This session will address assessment strategies for complex learning as well.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to diagnose a complex skill problem
- How to use complexity models such as the Cynefin framework for learning
- How to use alternative assessment and feedback strategies for complex learning environments
- How to use learner self-assessment as a tool for complex learning
Audience:
Intermediate to advanced designers and managers.
Technology discussed in this session:
eLearning specific examples: Cynefin complexity model, Ericsson Skill Development Research.
Julie Dirksen
Learning Strategist
Usable Learning
Julie Dirksen, a learning strategist with Usable Learning, is a consultant and instructional designer with more than 15 years' experience creating highly interactive eLearning experiences for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to technology startups to grant-funded research initiatives. She's interested in using neuroscience, change management, and persuasive technology to promote sustainable long-term learning and behavior change. Her MS degree in instructional systems technology is from Indiana University, and she's been an adjunct faculty member at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She is the author of Design For How People Learn.
SDD107 Create a Design Blueprint for Workflow Learning
4:00 PM - 4:45 PM Tuesday, March 27
Expo Hall: Design & Development Stage
Do your learning solutions end when your learners depart? Do you struggle to know what content to include in your limited time? How are you shaping the 70 percent and the 20 percent of the 70:20:10 mix? There is a lot of talk today about informal or workflow learning, but what are you doing to design it? What if there was a proven way to design for the 70 and 20?
Do you talk about informal learning but struggle with the “how”? Are your instincts telling you that workflow learning sounds right, but you don’t know where to begin? Join this session to review the Five Moments of Learning Need and how this methodology extends learning into the workflow. The Five Moments approach plans both formal and informal learning in the workflow and courses. What if you could leverage existing resources, clearly identify gaps in content, and sketch how to close those gaps? You’ll explore the Learning Experience and Performance (LEaP) Plan, which is the blueprint for designing informal learning and a project plan for workflow learning projects.
In this session, you will learn:
- About the difference between informal learning and performance support
- About the Five Moments of Learning Need, and how you can use them to create an effective mix of formal and informal learning as part of a blended workflow learning program
- How you can leverage the LEaP Plan for learning, performance support, or a combination of both
- How to identify skills and knowledge that can safely be learned through informal or workflow learning, as well as skills and knowledge that should absolutely be taught by an instructor in a classroom
Audience:
Intermediate to advanced designers, developers, project managers, managers, and directors.
Technology discussed in this session:
Electronic performance support systems (EPSSs).
Chris King
Executive Director
APPLY Synergies
Chris King is a recent addition to APPLY Synergies, but a long-time practitioner of the 5 Moments of Need®. As the executive director of the 5 Moments of Need Academy, Chris is responsible for spreading the word about workflow learning and optimizing how organizations learn and perform. He leverages his credentials as a PMP, Certified ScrumMaster, 5 Moments of Need® Designer, and a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® certified facilitator to modernize the typical approach to learning.
STP107 Creating Robust Onboarding with the Tools You Already Have: A Case Study
4:00 PM - 4:45 PM Tuesday, March 27
Expo Hall: Tools & Platforms Stage
Effective onboarding can be pivotal for retaining new hires. Employees who don’t feel engaged often leave during the first year, costing the company up to five times their annual salary. At Fidelity, a percentage of employees were voluntarily leaving within 18 months of hire, many to pursue other opportunities. The onboarding experience needed a radical overhaul on a lean budget, both financially and in terms of organizational capital.
In this session, you will learn how Fidelity transformed its onboarding program into a customized, streamlined experience using existing technology, without massive cost outlays. You’ll learn how the change was implemented without extensive organizational capital to obtain buy-in. You’ll find out how automation was built without purchasing new applications and how the program accomplished a global reach without increasing human effort to run it. You’ll see how it saved managers’ time and organized the onboarding process by consolidating resources. Finally, you’ll see the results, including a 19 percent drop in new-hire separations in the first year.
In this session, you will learn:
- What components of an onboarding program are vital to new-hire success
- How to provide a consistent, immersive experience to help new hires stay engaged
- How to use technology you may already have to automate and customize the training process
- How to plan your program using the design thinking method for maximum impact
Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, managers, directors, and senior leaders (VP, CLO, executive, etc.).
Technology discussed in this session:
Microsoft SharePoint.
Donna Tortorella
Director of Project Management & Instructional Design, Asset Management Talent Development
Fidelity Investments
Donna Tortorella is a director of project management and instructional design at Fidelity Investments. She has more than 16 years of experience in the learning and development industry, with areas of focus that include performance consulting, instructional design, assessment design, project management, and operations and resource management. Donna studied educational psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, and communication theory and marketing at the University of Pennsylvania. At Fidelity Investments, she provides oversight and guidance on design, development, and implementation of a range of learning solutions for varied associate populations.
Yogish Gowda
Web Developer, Asset Management Learning and Development
Fidelity Investments
Yogish Gowda is a web developer at Fidelity Investments with over four years of professional experience in the learning and development industry. He is an expert in development of SharePoint workflows and administration and specializes in the development of custom websites, digital campaigns, and eLearning. Yogish has a computer science engineering degree from Jain University, India.
502 Targeted Curation for the Savvy Learner
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Wednesday, March 28
Salon 3
Curation is a hot topic in learning. No longer is L&D expected to create all training materials. To remain competitive, you need to explore and leverage multiple types of training resources. But how do you find targeted content? What is the right mix of training resources? How do you decide what to include?
In this session, you’ll find out how New York Life Insurance Company resolved these questions and found content that aligned with business goals. You’ll get an inside look at their entire process, including how they collaborated with SMEs in defining a skill and competency; what processes they used to structure the design of their learning concept; the lessons they learned when searching for training assets; and how the structure has continued to evolve over time. You’ll also find out more about their review process, as well as why you need to offer diverse training assets.
In this session, you will learn:
- What targeted learning content is, and how it benefits your learners
- How to structure learning content that follows specific design principles and also meets business goals
- How to apply best practices for curating diverse learning content to meet the needs of all learners
- Why targeting the right content increases the adoption and socialization of learning
Audience:
Intermediate designers, managers, directors, and senior leaders (VP, CLO, executive, etc.).
Eileen Mickas
Curator
New York Life Insurance Company
Eileen Mickas is a senior associate of curation for New York Life, where she has worked for 27 years. She has been involved in corporate education for over 17 years and has a broad range of experience designing, implementing, and managing core business training programs related to regulatory and compliance topics, as well as designing onboarding curriculums. Eileen’s expertise includes eLearning; she was responsible for designing and developing asynchronous eLearning training programs. In her role, Eileen supports learning by curating content across the enterprise to align core competencies, skills, and roles.
503 Architecting for Results
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Wednesday, March 28
Salon 9
The mantra these days is to increase learner engagement, because if learners aren’t engaged, then they’re not learning, right? So learning designers have spent a lot of energy adding bells and whistles—anything to increase engagement. But while learners seem to like all this engagement, is L&D actually seeing any measurable results? According to CEB/Gartner, traditional training only creates 37 percent learning transfer back to the workplace. That’s a problem!
This session will explore current trends in learning and how, in spite of all the effort to improve engagement, the results still come up short. You’ll take a look at what research says about the keys to achieving learning transfer and performance improvement. Finally, you’ll learn about concrete steps you can take to improve learning transfer and review three case studies to see those steps in practice.
In this session, you will learn:
- What current research shows about learning transfer
- What steps you can take to improve learning transfer
- Ideas and inspiration to improve your own learning solutions and outcomes
Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, managers, directors, and senior leaders (VP, CLO, executive, etc.).
Technology discussed in this session:
Fairly technology-agnostic; the focus will be more on design and approach than specific tech. That said, there will be examples using Totara, Adapt, Storyline, and other tools.
Cammy Bean
Senior Solutions Consultant
Kineo
Cammy Bean started in the industry as a junior instructional designer in 1996 and has since collaborated with hundreds of organizations to design and deliver training programs. She’s worked at small startups, mid-sized training companies, boutique eLearning shops, and as a freelance instructional designer. An English and German studies major in college, Cammy found an affinity for writing and making complex ideas and concepts clear to an audience. In 2009, she helped start up US operations for Kineo, a global provider of learning solutions. Originally Kineo’s VP of learning design, Cammy is currently a senior solutions consultant. In this role she leads the North American sales team, supports clients through the initial discovery process, and manages Kineo’s portfolio of custom client accounts to help organizations meet their strategic business objectives through better learning solutions. She is the author of The Accidental Instructional Designer: Learning Design for the Digital Age – second edition (ATD Press, 2023).
SDD202 Usability Testing: Answering the Design Questions You Never Knew You Had
11:00 AM - 11:45 AM Wednesday, March 28
Expo Hall: Design & Development Stage
When designing eLearning, you may be so familiar with the content and delivery systems that you are blind to the problems your actual users encounter. When reviewing learner evaluations, you may get vague comments such as “there were glitches,” but how can you address such issues without understanding the root of the problem or knowing how much of that is under your actual control?
In this case study session, find out how the Morton Arboretum has leveraged usability testing to check assumptions of how basic tasks are being performed on their LMS. You will examine the general process, the benefits, and the limitations of asking users to think aloud while performing tasks and recording their actions. You may be afraid that such testing will be expensive or indicate a need for a complete overhaul of the way you do things; in reality, you probably already have the resources you need to conduct DIY usability testing, and the process can help spark creative solutions to actual learner-identified problems.
In this session, you will learn:
- What usability testing is
- Guidelines for performing usability testing
- About some limitations to usability testing
- Tips on applying knowledge gained during usability testing within the constraints of available resources
Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, and project managers.
Technology discussed in this session:
eLearning authoring tools, learning management systems, webcams, and screen recording tools.
Annalisa Burke
Digital Content Specialist
The Morton Arboretum
Annalisa Burke is a digital content specialist at the Morton Arboretum. With nearly 20 years’ experience in the field of education, she has worked as an instructor, project manager, and curriculum developer in corporate, higher ed, and nonprofit settings. She has learned to appreciate the importance of incorporating a diversity of perspectives into projects, and she’s led various cross-departmental evaluation projects designed to enhance the learner experience. Annalisa has an MEd in educational policy from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an MA in romance languages and literatures from the University of Chicago.
SMM203 Onboarding Millennial Employees for Lasting Engagement
12:00 PM - 12:45 PM Wednesday, March 28
Expo Hall: Management & Measurement Stage
Do you want to learn how to onboard Millennial employees to set them up for long-term success?
This session will go over ways to identify development opportunities, create a training program and onboarding schedule that’s customized to the employee, and incorporate other team members to foster collaboration from the start. You’ll receive templates you can use to start conversations and keep track of the onboarding process.
In this session, you will learn:
- About common motivators for Millennial employees
- How to create a new employee onboarding schedule
- How to identify development opportunities for long-term success
- How to foster team-building and collaboration during onboarding
Audience:
Novice to intermediate project managers and managers.
Shea Hanson
Manager of Content, Business Skills
LinkedIn Learning
Shea Hanson is a manager of content for business skills at LinkedIn Learning, where she and her team create training courses that help professionals improve their skills. Shea manages the content strategy for leadership and management, project management, human resources, sales, customer service, marketing, and finance and accounting training. With a background in instructional design, Shea’s passion is to help professionals improve their skills and transform their lives through simple and helpful video courses.
601 Design Critique Party: Getting Feedback, Having Fun
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Wednesday, March 28
Salon 5
Something big is missing from the L&D field: design critiques. Critiques are collaborative sessions that help designers find solutions to design problems. Many creative fields use design critiques to improve the implementation of their products. Input from others brings new perspectives and insights to one’s work. Feedback makes designers more effective and creates a positive work culture. Yet, in learning experience design, critiques are vastly under-used.
You can change the culture by participating in this critique party and bringing your new skills back to the job. This session will quickly run through the rules of running an effective design critique. It’s all about posing questions that help others solve their design problems. Then volunteers will have the opportunity to present their (draft or finished) work, state what they want to achieve, and get ideas, inspiration, and feedback from their peers in 10- to 15-minute rounds. This is an excellent way to break through obstacles if you are stuck and to improve your instructional and visual design skills.
In this session, you will learn:
- The etiquette and rules for running an effective design critique
- How to maintain an open discussion
- How to focus on achieving the designer’s objectives
- The difference between critique and criticism
- How to verbalize potential solutions so they are helpful
Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, project managers, and managers. Attendees should have a basic understanding of learning experience design and be willing to have an open discussion to help others find solutions to design challenges.
Technology discussed in this session:
eLearning, websites, mobile designs, learning portals, informal approaches, slides, etc.
Connie Malamed
Founder and Mentor
Mastering Instructional Design
Connie Malamed helps people learn and build instructional design skills at Mastering Instructional Design. She is a consultant, author and speaker in the fields of online learning and visual communication. Connie is the author of Visual Design Solutions and Visual Language for Designers. She also publishes The eLearning Coach website and podcast. She was honored with the Guild Master award in 2018 for contributions to the learning technologies industry.
602 Build Once, Deploy Anywhere: How RBC Is Leveraging Adapt Learning
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Wednesday, March 28
Salon 16
All businesses need to provide learning that is relevant and timely to their employees, while attempting to maximize learner receptivity by providing it through one of learners’ many available devices. This can make it difficult to create eLearning that is engaging, flexible, and responsive as well as being accessible across multiple devices seamlessly.
Adapt Learning is a rapid development tool that meets these needs. In this session, you will learn about Adapt Learning and get a look at how the tool is changing the way the Royal Bank of Canada designs, develops, and delivers modern deep scrolling content faster than ever. Adapt Learning keeps your eLearning flexible and practical by allowing you to start learning on your work computer, finish on your tablet, and refresh on your smartphone. You’ll never notice a reduction in quality, but you’ll definitely appreciate the flexibility it provides.
In this session, you will learn:
- About the Adapt framework, including interactive components, sophisticated theming, branding options, and deep scrolling content
- How Adapt content is changing the way learners at RBC consume content on a device of their choice
- How Adapt has allowed RBC to be agile, co-develop, and expedite development
- How RBC employs a “build once, deploy anywhere” process that lets the bank share test cases pertaining to efficiencies gained and development time
Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, managers, and directors.
Technology discussed in this session:
Adapt Builder (free and proprietary versions).
Jeremy Pearce
Senior Manager - Design, Innovation, and Development
RBC—Royal Bank of Canada
Jeremy Pearce is a senior manager of design and innovation at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). He has a varied skillset with experience in the creation of eLearning training programs, gamification, video development, web design, graphic design, and animation. With over 10 years of experience, Jeremy and his team work to balance an exceptional learner experience with the art of the possible.
604 2018 Trends: What the Research Says About Microlearning, Social Tools, and Video
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Wednesday, March 28
Junior Ballroom G
In this session, The eLearning Guild’s director
of research, Jane Bozarth, reviews the Guild’s most recent reports on video,
microlearning, and social tools for learning. We’ll look at what’s happening—or
not happening—industry-wide, with an emphasis on what works, such as what
factors support success and what content lends itself best to particular
approaches.
This review of research is designed to
familiarize you with what’s happening in the field and to help you find ways to
be successful with approaches you’re considering or are already using and would
like to enhance. You’ll leave with practical, evidence-based advice to
help you engage in conversations and apply new ideas back at work.
In this session, you will learn:
- What practical insights we can gain from current research into microlearning, social tools, and video
- State-of-the-industry practices in these areas
- Benefits and barriers facing practitioners
- Solutions to common challenges
Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, managers, directors, and senior leaders (VPs, CLOs, executives, etc.).
Technology discussed in this session:
Video, social tools, assorted technologies used in microlearning solutions.
Jane Bozarth
Director of Research
The Learning Guild
Jane Bozarth, the director of research for the Learning Guild, is a veteran classroom trainer who transitioned to eLearning in the late 1990s and has never looked back. In her previous job as leader of the State of North Carolina's award-winning eLearning program, Jane specialized in finding low-cost ways of providing online training solutions. She is the author of several books, including eLearning Solutions on a Shoestring, Social Media for Trainers, and Show Your Work: The Payoffs and How-To's of Working Out Loud. Jane holds a doctorate in training and development and was awarded the Guild Master Award in 2013 for her accomplishments and contributions to the eLearning community.
609 User Testing: A Deep Dive
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Wednesday, March 28
Salon 13
User testing is one of the most powerful tools in creating solutions that work the way you want—and the way your learners expect. Unfortunately, it’s often overlooked and can even be scary if you’ve never done it before. But solid user testing techniques can actually be easier to start using than you might expect.
In this session, we will cover a simple and reliable process—including customizable templates for each step—and recommended tools that are easy to learn and cheap (or even free) to use. Whether you’re new to eLearning or just new to discovering usability principles, you will leave this session with the knowledge, tools, and confidence you need to get started making user testing a part of your process, and you’ll even have your first user test under your belt!
In this session, you will learn:
- How user testing can be used specifically in the world of L&D to make what we create better
- What user testing can help you with and what it can’t
- Everything you need to start performing user tests, from planning to reporting
- Which amazing, easy, and free tools will be the most help with your user testing process
Audience
Novice and intermediate designers and developers.
Technology discussed in this session:
Productivity and collaboration software such as Google Sheets, Docs, and Forms; web conferencing software such as Zoom and GoToMeeting; advanced user testing software such as TechSmith Morae.
Judy Katz
Project Manager
PeBL Pro by Eduworks
Judy Katz makes stuff that helps people learn. Since 1997, she's worked in education and training strategy, design, development, and delivery. She's thrilled to be on the Eduworks team as an instructional designer and product manager for PeBL Pro. Judy has a passion for great design and technology, usability, and social justice. She has a BA in English, an MBA, and an MEd in instructional design for workplace learning.
SDD204 Converting Existing Training Materials into Meaningful Learning Programs
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM Wednesday, March 28
Expo Hall: Design & Development Stage
You have instructor-led courses, recorded webinars, product training, onboarding videos, documentation, and more. You believe you can somehow turn all of this into a great learning program, but how? How do you make sense of all of your materials and determine what’s necessary for a great learning experience? Is eLearning the right solution? And if it is, in what format and with what kinds of features?
In this session, you’ll learn how to approach the conversion of your instructor-led training materials—as well as other forms of existing training and documentation—into great learning programs. You’ll learn various tips for conducting a proper needs analysis, you’ll explore different learning formats and features, and you’ll be forced to think about the goals driving the need for your learning program. At the end, you’ll be armed with the proper questions and tools that you can use to evaluate a conversion project of your own.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to organize and prioritize your existing training materials for use with developing a new learning program
- How to conduct a needs analysis for a learning program
- About different types of eLearning formats, such as microlearning, and their pros and cons
- How to ensure your learning solution is in line with your overall business goals
Audience:
Novice to advanced project managers, managers, directors, and senior leaders (VP, CLO, executive, etc.).
Cherie Simmons
Storyboard Project Manager
Artisan E-Learning
Cherie Simmons is a storyboard project manager at Artisan E-Learning with over 25 years of experience in training, strategic planning, coaching, and curriculum development. Organizations have turned to her to build full curriculums and facilitate tailored workshops. Cherie has designed and led entire school districts and companies through high-level strategic planning. While each strategic process is unique, she crafts them all to deliver creative approaches, strong ownership, realistic plans, and effective outcomes. Her approach to instructional design and writing eLearning content is no different. Cherie recently joined Artisan E-Learning, where she oversees the writing and direction of storyboards developed for clients.
701 Micro vs. Macro: Which Learning Experience Works Best?
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Wednesday, March 28
Salon 9
Is the LMS dead? Can a combination of today’s mobile apps, social interactions, and game-enabled microlearning replace yesterday’s “macrolearning” platforms? Do your training programs need to be so structured and prescriptive when modern adaptive approaches are now a reality? The ever-evolving educational technology landscape presents more choices than ever, but finding the right solution in the deep and wide pool of possibility isn’t always simple.
It is easy to fall in love with today’s “shiny object” solutions that promote an “out with the old, in with the new” strategy to fix your legacy programs. But should these new solutions really be cast as full replacements for the stable, workhorse systems you rely on to organize and track performance? In this session, you’ll discuss how striking a balance between old and new likely represents the best approach for many companies seeking to modernize key training programs and metrics. You’ll explore just how legacy platforms can meld with specialized technology sets to craft purpose-built solutions to support your current and future learning needs.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to combine your macrolearning needs with your microlearning desires
- Why the rumor of the LMS’s death (or imminent demise) is false
- About successful case studies where teams extended the old with the new to address changing requirements and heightened use expectations
- About a mixture of commercial solutions and open-source utilities that can help you assemble your own modern learning experience platform solution
Audience:
Intermediate to advanced designers, developers, managers, directors, and senior leaders (VP, CLO, executive, etc.).
Technology discussed in this session:
Mobile apps, social interactions, game-enabled themes, and extensible APIs, including commercial solutions as well as open-source tools that can enhance and extend legacy learning platforms.
Robert Gadd
President
OnPoint Digital
Robert Gadd is president of OnPoint Digital and responsible for the company’s vision and strategy. OnPoint’s online and mobile-enabled offerings support more than one million workers and include innovative methods for content authoring, conversion, and delivery extended with social interactions, gamification, and enterprise-grade security for workers on their device or platform of choice. Prior to OnPoint, Robert spent 10 years as CTO of Datatec Systems and president/CTO of spin-off eDeploy.com. He is a frequent speaker on learning solutions—including mobile, informal learning, xAPI, and gamification—at national and international T&D conferences.
702 Taking a Page from Fiction: Applying Novel-Writing Tricks to Learning Design
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Wednesday, March 28
Junior Ballroom F
Fiction writers know that readers expect certain patterns of dramatic tension and resolution, and if those are absent, a work loses its ability to engage readers. These tried-and-true techniques are gaining popularity as more writers bypass traditional publishing channels. Along the way, their applicability to learning design is becoming apparent.
This session explores the rules and patterns that fiction writers use, and how learning designers can use them to improve learner experience and enhance engagement. You’ll go beyond familiar concepts such as metaphor and analogy and dive into plot, protagonist, point of view, character arc, setting, and style. You’ll look at how each of these concepts (and more) can help you create compelling learning that keeps your audience on the edge of their seats.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to map a learning story from beginning to end
- How to identify the protagonist, villain, and supporting characters for your learning
- How to plot a positive-change character arc and use it to drive engagement
- About tools writers use to stay organized and focused that you can add to your own workflow
Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers and managers.
Technology discussed in this session:
Scrivener and mind-mapping technologies.
Joe Fournier
Learning Infrastructure Designer
Anthem
A long-time learning professional, Joe Fournier has been a hands-on practitioner, manager, director, and consultant to many Fortune 100 companies. He is currently a learning infrastructure designer focusing on the edge and exploring the use of technology in learning and performance contexts. Joe's current projects and interests include mobile learning, AI/machine learning, chatbots, and blockchain. Joe leads the internal Learning Innovation and AI Enthusiasts learning communities at Anthem.
703 Onboarding for the Modern Global Learner
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Wednesday, March 28
Salon 5
At Catalina Marketing, new employee onboarding consisted of disparate programs across functions and countries. In some parts of the company, no structured onboarding existed at all. When updating this program, their goals were to provide a consistent experience across the globe; break down silos across different areas of the organization; create an environment for early employee engagement; and socialize Catalina’s culture, values, and behaviors globally. So how did they do it?
In this case study session, you’ll learn how to package eLearning, videos, an online onboarding management system, and feedback mechanisms to execute a global onboarding program. You’ll find out how Catalina, with a small team and minimal budget, designed the new-hire onboarding program to meet the expectations of a youthful global audience. You’ll explore the adjustments they made to the program over time based on feedback, what they considered their big wins, and the tough lessons they learned throughout execution.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to personalize the onboarding experience for every employee
- Ways to engage with employees through highly interactive online learning
- How to influence leadership to take accountability and ownership of the onboarding process
- Ways to maximize existing tools to break down silos in a global organization
Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, managers, directors, and senior leaders (VP, CLO, executive, etc.).
Technology discussed in this session:
Workday Onboarding, Cornerstone LMS, Articulate Storyline, GoAnimate, Wufoo, and translation services.
Erika Hebert
Director, Learning & Development
PODS
Erika Hebert has been working with learners for 20+ years to provide development focused on operations, service, sales, and leadership. She provides engaging, innovative learning opportunities through a blended approach of eLearning, live facilitation, and on-the-job training. In 2018, she spoke at the Learning Solutions Conference & Expo. In 2017, she accepted the Skillsoft Innovation Award in the Small/Medium Business category for delivering outstanding business results using learning and talent solutions. In 2020, Erika earned the SHRM Certified Professional designation, which recognizes experts in the HR field.
801 Using Prototyping to Revolutionize Your Development Process
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Wednesday, March 28
Junior Ballroom G
How many times have you had to redo a project after you thought you understood the challenge, the goals, or the requirements? As you start to build more complex interactions and applications, you need a process that will allow you to test a concept, measure its results, and iterate over and over until it meets the needs of your audience.
In this session, you will explore how prototyping can improve your process, lead to better results, and reduce your time in development. You will learn how to adopt and utilize this software development concept as you start your next project.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to use prototyping as soon as you get back to your office
- How to use tools you already have and PDF for quick testing and gathering feedback
- How to pick the best tool for your prototype techniques for sharing and gathering feedback
- How to effectively gather feedback from users before, during, and after each iteration
- Dozens of tips and resources to get you started
Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers, developers, project managers, managers, and directors.
Technology discussed in this session:
Prototyping, the Paper app, Microsoft PowerPoint, and the Marvel app.
Nick Floro
Learning Architect/Imagineer
Sealworks Interactive Studios
Nick Floro, a co-founder and learning architect at Sealworks Interactive Studios, has over 25 years of experience developing learning solutions, applications, and web platforms. Nick is passionate about how design and technology can enhance learning and loves to share his knowledge and experience to teach, inspire, and motivate. As a learning architect, Nick gets to sketch, imagine, and prototype for each challenge. He has worked with start-ups to Fortune 500 companies to help them understand the technology and develop innovative solutions to support their audiences. Nick has won numerous awards from Apple and organizations for productions and services.
802 Instructional Design Basics
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Wednesday, March 28
Junior Ballroom F
People get into eLearning from a variety of professions. Some were subject matter experts or trainers; others had focused their careers on media or web development. At some point, though, someone asked or encouraged them to develop eLearning. So, they bought and learned to use an authoring tool, but they likely weren’t given much background on instructional design techniques and how these can help them build better eLearning.
During this session, you’ll get a solid introduction to the core basics of instructional design. Participants will define what quality eLearning experiences are like by reviewing self-paced courses and discussing likes and dislikes. Then, you’ll look at how using instructional design principles and processes improves quality, ROI, user satisfaction, and success rates. You’ll explore how needs assessments can help you know what your audience needs, and you’ll plan your own needs assessment approach. You’ll also build your skills by learning to write measurable behavioral objectives based on your needs assessments; see examples of course design documents and storyboards; and receive a list of resources that can help you continue to grow your eLearning skills after the session.
In this session, you will learn:
- About the differences between high- and low-quality eLearning
- Why following instructional design processes and principles improves success
- What ADDIE is, and what the stages of this common instructional design process are
- How to develop a needs assessment approach that helps you avoid common eLearning pitfalls
- How to write behavioral objectives that lead to measurable results
- What the process of designing, storyboarding, and producing eLearning looks like
- How to implement and evaluate eLearning
- About skill sets needed for developing high-quality eLearning, and how to obtain them
Audience:
Novice designers and developers, as well as subject matter experts, media specialists, and trainers.
Technology discussed in this session:
This tool-agnostic session will show courses that have been developed in Articulate Studio, Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, Trivantis Lectora, and Udutu.
Jennifer De Vries
President
BlueStreak Learning
Jennifer De Vries is the president and chief solutions architect at BlueStreak Learning. Jennifer, a CPT, has over 25 years of experience managing eLearning programs for companies such as IBM and Motorola. She frequently writes about eLearning for industry journals and is best known for her groundbreaking report, Rapid E-Learning, published by Bersin & Associates. In 2010, Jennifer was named one of the 20 most influential people in online learning by Online University Rankings. In 2016, she was named Most Influential Woman in eLearning by Corporate America News. BlueStreak Learning focuses on helping organizations successfully start and grow high-quality, customer-focused eLearning programs.
F04 Panel Discussion: The Evolution of Instructional Design
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Wednesday, March 28
Salon 3
Instructional design remains at the core of all formal learning solutions. However, as the nature of work changes and technology advances rapidly, how is the science and practice of instructional design evolving to answer the bell?
In this session, our panel of experts will explore the future of instructional design. They will examine the workplace changes that are driving the need for ID to evolve, and the technologies being employed to address these evolving needs. They will explore the impact that new research is having on traditional beliefs about instruction. Additionally, the panel will draw upon their personal observations about where they see instructional design headed, and how they are adapting their practices to meet these changes.
In this session, you will learn:
- About the latest ideas and advances in instructional design strategy
- About common misconceptions and myths in ID
- About the changing nature of work and its impact on instructional design
- How technological change is influencing the design of formal learning
- How scientific research is creating new ideas for how to approach ID
- About the latest tools to aid in the ID process
Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, project managers, managers, directors, and senior leaders (VP, CLO, executive, etc.).
David Kelly (Host)
Chairman
The Learning Guild
David Kelly is the Chairman of the Learning Guild. David has been a learning and performance consultant and training director for over 20 years. He is a leading voice exploring how technology can be used to enhance training, education, learning, and organizational performance. David is an active member of the learning community, and can frequently be found speaking at industry events. He has previously contributed to organizations including ATD, eLearn Magazine, LINGOs, and more.
Clark Quinn
Chief Learning Strategist
Upside Learning
Clark Quinn, PhD is the executive director of Quinnovation, co-director of the Learning Development Accelerator, and chief learning strategist for Upside Learning. With more than four decades of experience at the cutting edge of learning, Dr. Quinn is an internationally known speaker, consultant, and author of seven books. He combines a deep knowledge of cognitive science and broad experience with technology into strategic design solutions that achieve innovative yet practical outcomes for corporations, higher-education, not-for-profit, and government organizations.
Kevin Thorn
Director of Development
Artisan E-Learning
Kevin Thorn holds an EdD in instructional design and technologies and is an award-winning eLearning designer and developer. He is the director of development for Artisan E-Learning, and principal owner of NuggetHead Studioz, LLC., a boutique studio specializing in consulting and developing custom learning experiences. Kevin combines his skills in technology, instructional design, eLearning development, illustration, graphic design, animation, video, and educational comics to develop innovative learning solutions. He is a well- known industry speaker and trainer in visual communication, eLearning development, and design workflows and is a certified facilitator in LEGO® Serious Play® methodologies. ?
Diane Elkins
Owner/Founder
E-Learning Uncovered
Diane Elkins is owner of Artisan E-Learning, a custom eLearning development company, and E-Learning Uncovered, where she helps people build courses they're proud of. She has built a reputation as a national eLearning expert by being a frequent speaker at major industry events for ATD, The Learning Guild, and Training Magazine. Her favorite topics include accessibility, instructional design, and Articulate Storyline. She is co-author of the popular E-Learning Uncovered book series, as well as E-Learning Fundamentals: A Practical Guide, from ATD Press. She is a past board member of the Northeast Florida and Metro DC chapters of ATD.
Connie Malamed
Founder and Mentor
Mastering Instructional Design
Connie Malamed helps people learn and build instructional design skills at Mastering Instructional Design. She is a consultant, author and speaker in the fields of online learning and visual communication. Connie is the author of Visual Design Solutions and Visual Language for Designers. She also publishes The eLearning Coach website and podcast. She was honored with the Guild Master award in 2018 for contributions to the learning technologies industry.
902 Learner-Generated Content and the Future of Practical Social Learning
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM Thursday, March 29
Junior Ballroom F
Social media has changed the way learning professionals manage knowledge on a fundamental level, and shared content—created and curated through collaborative applications and social media—is the future of instructional design. As the sheer volume of learning content continues to grow in this environment of curation, many learning organizations will feel obligated to pore over the information piece by piece, day by day. There’s a better way.
In this session, you will explore social learning within the context of meta-moderation. Meta-moderation invites learners to rank content according to quality, reliability, and usefulness, and these rankings determine which content should be consumed by learners and adapted by IDs. This leads to a targeted, scalable body of knowledge that learners maintain themselves and feel ownership over, as well as more time for instructional designers to focus on custom training needs. Throughout the session, you’ll experience this firsthand as you create learner-generated content and curate other relevant content. Then, using meta-moderation, you will design your own micro curriculum. In other words, you will attempt to create “learner-generated content” within the presentation itself.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to seamlessly incorporate libraries of curated and learner-generated content into learning programs
- How to identify quality examples of learner-generated content
- How to implement meta-moderation to improve the quality of available learning content
- How to apply content curation strategies to current and future training programs
Audience:
Intermediate to advanced designers and managers.
Joe McCahill
Senior Instructional Designer
Caveo Learning
Joe McCahill is a senior instructional designer with Caveo Learning and founder of the Social Learning Design Group. Over the last 15 years, he has designed, developed, and managed educational content and programs for a variety of notable organizations, including America Online, FedEx, George Mason University, NASA, Nike, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His recent professional efforts focus on the fields of social learning, content design, and management methodology. He holds a master’s in education from George Mason University and a bachelor’s in sociology from George Washington University.
1001 Next-Generation Learning Methodologies: A Case Study in Healthcare
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Thursday, March 29
Salon 9
Emerging technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), big data, machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced learning and organizational analytics are exciting the L&D field. Yet these powerful tools won’t necessarily translate into powerful learning unless they are carefully utilized. The key to this is adaptive learning, a sophisticated methodology that intelligently adapts the learning experience to each individual learner and enables this new generation of technologies.
This session will demonstrate, within the context of a radiology training case study, how these emerging technologies were seamlessly blended into one complete adaptive learning experience. It will also demonstrate the advanced analytics and reporting to stakeholders, including the necessity of reliable indicators such as process deviation, guessing, understanding, behaviors and alignment to competency frameworks, ROI, and residual risks to the organization.
In this session, you will learn:
- What can be achieved through a detailed demonstration utilizing the latest thinking, best practice methodologies, and the latest emerging technologies in one complete solution
- About true adaptive learning, including why it is a crucial component in the next generation of training, to enable truly meaningful learning analytics and the integration of emerging technologies
- How to intelligently integrate emerging technologies into training, and how to overcome key technical challenges
- How to achieve deep learning data, and about the shortcomings in shallow measurement techniques to ensure common pitfalls are avoided
- How to communicate the abilities of better training design to stakeholders
Audience:
Intermediate to advanced designers, developers, project managers, managers, directors, and senior leaders (VP, CLO, executive, etc.) with an interest in emerging technologies and how to implement them.
Technology discussed in this session:
HTC Vive, big data, AI, and machine learning.
Glenn Bull
CEO & Founder
Skilitics
Glenn Bull is the founder and CEO of Skilitics, which is the creator of an enterprise training development platform designed for integrated learning measurement. The Skilitics platform is fast gaining attention globally for its disruptive and innovative approach to training design and measurement. Glenn is the visionary behind this cloud-based solution and spearheads the company’s global strategy. He is also the editor of TheNewID.com training comic, contributed to by many of the industry’s key thought leaders. Glenn is one of six members of The eLearning Guild Academy’s Advisory Council.
1003 Better Instructional Design Through Mind Mapping
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Thursday, March 29
Junior Ballroom G
Uncovering the need is one thing, but organizing the mountain of content from an SME is an ID’s nightmare. You have to keep the goal in mind. Mind mapping helps you define the goal and align content to the intended outcome.
In this session, you will learn how to leverage mind mapping for (1) needs analysis brainstorming; (2) laying out the goals, outcomes, and objectives of the course; and (3) aligning the assessment, content, and activities you want to use in the course. In the end, you’ll leave with an easy system for a course blueprint.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to lead and map a needs analysis brainstorming session
- How to define the course goal, and how to map outcomes and objectives to it
- How to map content to the goal, outcomes, and objectives
- How to create collaborative online mind maps
- How mind mapping can define the course architecture for an eLearning course
Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers. Basic ID skills are helpful but not required.
Technology discussed in this session:
MindManager, XMind, and MindMeister.
Jean Marrapodi
VP/Senior Instructional Designer
UMB Bank
Jean Marrapodi, Ph.D., CPTD, has designed and developed eLearning for over 20 years in various industries and higher education. Named a Guild Master in 2016 by the eLearning Guild, she is considered an industry thought leader. Over the last 10 years, Marrapodi has presented more than 75 workshops and webinars for industry organizations and has taught over 40 graduate and undergraduate courses at New England College of Business, where she served as director of eLearning. Her expertise lies in her ability to make the complex simple, and pinpoint client needs to drive to business outcomes. She is a soup-to-nuts eLearning designer, able to single-handedly build a project from idea to rollout and work in a specific role on a project team. She is the chief learning architect at Applestar Productions, providing targeted eLearning and custom workshops for her clients.