101 Engaging Employees in Targeted Discussions Using Multimedia
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Tuesday, March 26
Salon 9
Corporate descriptions of integrity, ethical decision-making, and other policy objectives are often written in dry, lofty, formal language that few employees truly read. Complying with a code of conduct can become an annual checkmark and not a mode of behavior. The Canada Revenue Agency used short animated videos to relate workplace ethical dilemmas where employees could indicate their responses and engage in conversations about the right course of action. A series of videos, with one released every two weeks, supported an agency-wide awareness campaign that is still yielding high results in repeat views and is being shared with other federal departments.
In this session, you will find out a formula for how to break down and tell a compelling short story that poses questions to stimulate employee discussion. You will then learn how to take that story and use PowerPoint to create simple videos about it that evoke high user-response rates. You will also find out lessons learned from the Canada Revenue Agency’s animated video project, including how user feedback was handled and what insights the design team obtained from post-production results
In this session, you will learn:
- A formula for simple storytelling
- How to pose questions to evoke a response
- How to create PowerPoint slides to support the story and the questions
- Options for how to capture user feedback and voting patterns
- How to create an awareness campaign for any given subject, using this story technique
Audience:
Designers, developers, managers, and senior leaders (directors, VP, CLO, executive, etc.)
Technology discussed in this session:
Microsoft PowerPoint
Joan Somerville
Program Leader and Senior Advisor
Canada Revenue Agency
Joan Somerville is a program leader and senior advisor with the Canada Revenue Agency. While she started out her career in social work and then commissionable sales, she eventually moved to the world of L&D through a role in sales management and training. Joan joined the public service in mid-life and founded the Canada Revenue Agency’s first electronic performance support system, KnowHow. KnowHow has spawned three more technical performance support systems and is the largest purveyor of video in the agency.
Robert Bangs
Senior Advisor
Canada Revenue Agency
Robert Bangs is a senior designer with the Canada Revenue Agency and a man of many talents; an accomplished musician, a world traveler with Cirque du Soleil, and an innovative creator of performance support solutions. Throughout his career he has taken a very casual approach to helping people learn, endeavoring to be the “friendly voice in your head”, and his strength on any design team is thinking outside the box. He’s also very much into gamification.
SMM103 Create Oscar Worthy Training Videos for International Audiences
12:00 PM - 12:45 PM Tuesday, March 26
Expo Hall: Management & Measurement Stage
What can Hollywood teach you about training international end-users? In this session, you will learn how to leverage video and app content to address non-English speaking audiences. Video localization techniques from film and entertainment will help you achieve maximum engagement and information retention—efficiently and cost-effectively. Come see how addressing multi-cultural and multi-language constituencies need not involve the complete recreation of existing video assets and programs.
An in-depth case study will illustrate the intricacies and pitfalls of video localization for corporate content and show you how to seamlessly embed video localization into your production workflows. Servicing multi-language audiences creates many challenges. Multiple factors impact the cognitive load and ultimate effectiveness of the final product, including accurate translation, cultural adaptation, display of subtitles, audio interpretation, and recording quality, among others.
In this session, you will learn key conceptual aspects of video localization for different types of content. Specific examples will demonstrate the comparative effectiveness of subtitling, lip-synced dubbing, and in-video graphic localization. Although techniques will be reviewed, this will not be a ‘how-to” workshop. We will discuss a typical workflow for simultaneous multi-language localization, and how it can embed with existing production cycles to significantly reduce turnaround times. Specific real-life examples will be presented for a lively illustration of how to create effective, alternate language versions for existing original content.
Translation providers usually outsource video projects, resulting in long lead times, overstretched decision loops, compromised quality, and inefficient cost allocation—often leading to abandonment of video localization altogether. We will dispel the complexity of taking your content global, and discuss all aspects of video localization with no technology-specific focus.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to assess the true cost and benefits of creating global-ready content
- How to tell if you have quality video localization
- When to use captioning, voice-over, dubbing, and subtitling
- Best practices for making all your video content localization ready
- Costly mistakes and how to avoid them in adapting video and apps for multi-lingual audiences
- The cognitive science behind localization
- What to ask when selecting a video localization partner/vendor
Technologies addressed:
This session will discuss all aspects of video localization, with no technology-specific focus.
Target audience:
Novice, intermediate, and advanced managers and senior leaders (directors, VP, CLO, executive, etc.)
Haitham Wahab
CEO
CMI Media Management
With international roots and a strong background in finance and media, CMI Media Management CEO and co-owner Haitham Wahab oversees strategic direction. He is passionate about linguistics and is fluent in Arabic, English, French, German, and Spanish. Starting with his arrival at the company in 2008 as CFO and head of business development, Haitham has leveraged his background in business and finance, his passion for language, and his focus on excellence to drive CMI’s growth. Previously, he was a founding partner at the investment bank, Daroth Capital in New York. He earned a bachelor of science from the London School of Economics.
STP103 Using Video in Training: What to Look For and Why
12:00 PM - 12:45 PM Tuesday, March 26
Expo Hall: Tools & Platform Stage
Video is a unique beast. It's more engaging than a training manual, but sharing it on your LMS (or worse, on YouTube) can create problems. It helps you scale your training worldwide, but every new recording is a pain to produce. And it would be ideal for just-in-time learning, if only it could be effectively searched.
Dave Dumler, head of Panopto evangelism, will demonstrate how using video for training can be remarkably easy and straightforward. He'll discuss the essential items you should expect from a video platform, including inside video search and live casting. He’ll also demonstrate how Panopto's video learning platform dramatically simplifies video management; showing how easy it can be to create, edit, and share a training video.
In this session, you will learn:
- How search inside video drives training material discovery
- How to create and edit training videos
- How quizzing can easily be added to any video
- Why video analytics is a key capability that can make your training decisions more data-driven
- About modern video platforms; what to expect and why
- How video platforms can be integrated into a variety of enterprise solutions, including LMS
- Results other organizations have achieved by using video in their training programs
Target audience:
Designers, developers, managers, senior leaders, or anyone wishing to better understand how to demonstrate a higher ROI and business impact
Technologies that will be discussed:
Video analytics, video quizzing, video search, video recording & streaming
Dave Dumler
Head of Product Evangelism
Panopto
Dave Dumler heads product evangelism at Panopto. His mission is to help learning professionals understand how video can be used to improve employee training, retention, communication, ROI, and organizational productivity. Prior to Panopto, Dave held a variety of technical and sales roles at a variety of companies, including a key stakeholder position at Microsoft.
214 BYOD: Adobe Illustrator Basics for eLearning and Slides
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Tuesday, March 26
Salon 7
It’s quite common for instructional designers and developers to use graphics from stock photo sites in their courses, and often these graphics are vector illustrations published in EPS, SVG, or AI formats. These vector graphics are stylish and scalable, meaning they can be used at any size. Yet many L&D professionals don’t know how to work with vector graphics and adjust them for their needs, because the tools to do so can feel difficult to learn.
In this session, you will learn the foundations of using Adobe Illustrator to create and modify vector graphics. The focus will be on basic tasks common to L&D situations that will help you produce aesthetically pleasing, professional graphics to use in learning materials. This will set the stage for you to be better able to use and edit vector graphics in your own work, and to continue learning and practicing with Illustrator on your own.
In this session, you will learn:
- About the advantages of vector versus raster graphics
- To feel comfortable and familiar with the Illustrator user interface
- How to modify stock vector graphics
- How to work with vector-based text
Audience:
Designers and developers
Technology discussed in this session:
Adobe Illustrator
Technology required:
To participate in the exercises, attendees should have Adobe Illustrator on their laptop. Attendees can also watch the demonstrations.
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.
406 The Power of Sound: Simple Tips for Audio Editing
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Tuesday, March 26
Salon 18
Audio can be one of the most powerful tools in your toolbox when it comes to creating effective and impactful eLearning. Bad audio, however, can be one of the most destructive tools, distracting the learner and making your course feel unprofessional or unfinished. Don't let your courses fall prey to bad audio. There are easy steps you can take to create high-quality audio without big-budget voice talent.
This session will explore some easy ways to create high-quality and professional-sounding audio files for your eLearning modules. You will go through the entire audio-recording journey, starting with some tips and best practices for choosing your microphone, setting up your "sound studio," and recording your own audio. Next, you'll learn about different software (free and paid) to help you edit that awesome audio you just recorded, and finally, you'll bring it home by learning some quick, easy, and highly effective audio editing techniques to clean up that audio and make it shine.
In this session, you will learn:
- Which type of microphone is best suited for your recording needs
- Tips and tricks for recording your own audio, including how to set up your own basic studio
- About different audio editing software available to developers
- How to quickly and effectively edit your audio files
Audience:
Designers, developers, managers
Technology discussed in this session:
Adobe Audition, Audacity (and other free audio editing software), studio microphones and accessories
Vicky Hale
Chief Learning Officer
GAAP Dynamics
Vicky Hale is a director of eLearning at GAAP Dynamics. With a degree in accounting (and a minor in visual arts) from the University of Richmond, her path to the learning community has been nontraditional. Vicky began her career as an auditor at PwC and still holds an active CPA license. A desire for teaching and the need for a more creative outlet led her to GAAP Dynamics, where she spearheaded the company's eLearning initiative. She is passionate about instructing, accounting, eLearning, and marketing, and looking for ways to combine them all!
LaTarshia Wooten
Learning Experience Designer
LaTarshia Wooten is a learning experience designer with a background in communication and education media. She is passionate about helping others learn and understands the importance of reaching them on different platforms. She believes that learning should be fun, interactive, and provides value to the learner.
407 The 7 Deadly Sins of Video Production
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Tuesday, March 26
Salon 14
Many learning professionals are approaching video without formal training. While creating video has gotten simpler, it’s easy to make a bad video. This session will look at 7 “gotchas” video creators should know about.
To make a good instructional video, you need to know more than just how your equipment works. You'll also want to uncover the problems and issues that commonly arise in video production, and what to do about them. In this session, you'll explore seven deadly sins of video creation. While they won't kill you, they can make your production more frustrating and your final video less effective. You'll take a closer look at these common video creation mistakes, and learn what you can do to avoid or overcome them.
In this session, you will learn:
- The dangers of failing to know what your equipment can do
- Why you want to avoid thinking you'll fix a problem in post production
- How to succeed at framing your video
- How to ensure proper lighting
- Why you can't ignore your audio
- Tips for keeping your video moving
- How to edit with the end destination in mind
Audience:
Designers, developers
Technology discussed in this session:
This session will talk about video in general, and is tool-agnostic
Matthew Pierce
Learning & Video Ambassador
TechSmith
Matthew Pierce, learning & video ambassador from TechSmith, has created videos for learning and marketing for over a decade. He is the lead behind TechSmith Academy, a free platform teaching video and image creation for business, which has been used by tens of thousands of users. He is host of The Visual Lounge Podcast from TechSmith, which streams live on Youtube and LinkedIn weekly. Matthew is a regular speaker at multiple learning and development-focused conferences and is a regular contributor to various training publications.
STP201 Deliver High-Impact Training with Video
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM Wednesday, March 27
Expo Hall: Tools & Platform Stage
Technology is driving every aspect of business, and learning is no exception. Driven by an always-on, mobile culture, learners today have an “instant gratification” mindset and are easily distracted by email pings, text messages, and fitness tracker updates. For instructional designers and other eLearning pros, this means every second counts when fighting for attention, focus, and retention. How do you arrest attention away from everyday distractions and deliver engaging content?
Video is a catalyst for engagement. Studies show that adding video to your content improves the ability to remember concepts with effects that increase over time. Plus, your audience prefers video over static content like slide decks—it’s simply more interesting.
In this session, you’ll learn how to move from static presentations to video. You’ll find out how to boil your subject matter down to its key components, approach story and dialogue writing, and re-imagine your content as video. Learn to use the power of dynamic visual elements, sound effects, and music to captivate your audience and drive your message home.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to develop compelling stories and scenarios that hold learners' attention
- How to write realistic-sounding dialogue that supports your learning objectives
- How to visualize your ideas in a storyboard
- How to build a complete animated video from start to finish
Audience:
Designers, managers, senior leaders (directors, VP, CLO, executive)
Chetan Parmar
Customer Success Specialist Lead
Vyond
Chetan Parmar is a customer support specialist lead at Vyond. He assists customers using the Vyond Studio platform by responding to inquiries via email, Live Chat, and phone calls. He has led initiatives and created new processes to help enhance how the customer support team interacts with customers. He also assists the sales team in providing demos of the platform to prospective users. He and his team set up Vyond’s customers to experience success when using the product.
506 The Good, the Bad, and the Awesome: A Video-First Approach to Learning
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Wednesday, March 27
Salon 5
Video, while an awesome medium for conveying information, isn’t usually the primary delivery method in L&D. It takes time, effort, and a particular skill set to make it effective. However, there are benefits to video, including a vast of amount of complicated information that can be conveyed in a short amount of time. But is it feasible or realistic to take a video-first approach to learning? What are the challenges that need to be overcome? What are the gotchas that will bring a video-first strategy to a grinding halt? The path isn’t just challenges—there are benefits as well.
If you’re looking to move to a video-first approach strategy or want to use video more prominently in your learning offerings, it can be helpful to know what to look out for on that path. This session will look at what it takes to make video a primary player in your strategy, drawing on lessons learned by launching a video-first learning platform. You’ll explore the good, bad, and awesome of planning, creating multiple videos, launching them, and measuring success. This session will focus on the strategy of using video—how to set about planning, creating, and implementing video in your eLearning—not on specific video creation skills.
In this session, you will learn:
- About the benefits and drawbacks of a video-first (or video-heavy) strategy
- Tips for optimizing timelines for video development
- What challenges to expect around hosting and delivering video
- Some of the metrics to watch, and how to understand them
Audience:
Designers, developers, and managers
Technology discussed in this session:
Video and video-hosting platforms
Matthew Pierce
Learning & Video Ambassador
TechSmith
Matthew Pierce, learning & video ambassador from TechSmith, has created videos for learning and marketing for over a decade. He is the lead behind TechSmith Academy, a free platform teaching video and image creation for business, which has been used by tens of thousands of users. He is host of The Visual Lounge Podcast from TechSmith, which streams live on Youtube and LinkedIn weekly. Matthew is a regular speaker at multiple learning and development-focused conferences and is a regular contributor to various training publications.
513 BYOD: Using PowerPoint as a Photo Editor
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Wednesday, March 27
Salon 2
When designing eLessons, job aids, and more, you may have photos or illustrations to incorporate into your designs. And while it would be great to further edit or add some effects to those pictures, you might think it’s not possible without a lot of time and a working knowledge of an expensive photo-editing software.
Fortunately, you don’t necessarily need a graphic design background or fancy software to produce creative and visually intriguing picture effects. You can easily add more visual interest to your pictures with a tool you probably already have: PowerPoint! In this session, you’ll take a hands-on approach to learning how to use PowerPoint to change the shape of your pictures, isolate parts of a picture, pop out colors, pop out an entire element of the photo, and more.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to create professional-looking photo effects
- About the differences between picture tools and drawing tools
- How to combine shapes and pictures
- How to change the colors of your photos
Audience:
Designers
Technology discussed in this session:
Microsoft PowerPoint
Technology required:
A laptop running PowerPoint
Kristen Hull
Communication & Instructional Design Analyst
Choice Hotels
Kristen Hull is a communication and instructional design analyst with Choice Hotels. Previously, for 10 years, she was a technical trainer and instructional designer for various software applications, traveling all over the US and the world. Kristen has created and delivered content to hotel staff, accountants, and telecom administrators. She also has a background in choir singing and applies those vocal techniques to create eLearning voice-overs for her department.
606 Software Training Doesn’t Have to Be Boring
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Wednesday, March 27
Salon 18
Most of the training videos produced by trainers are for software. Some of them are really engaging, but many are boring and turn people off rather than helping them learn a new program. Sometimes the training videos are nothing more than nasal voice-over with a mouse moving on the screen. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Many editorial and production techniques that media professionals use to make television interesting can be applied to software videos to make them more engaging and better support learning.
In this session, you’ll explore five principles of video content that drive professional television production, and that you can apply to software training videos to keep learners engaged and make content quicker and easier to understand. You’ll also learn five specific techniques to make your training videos look more polished and interesting that you can immediately put into action.
In this session, you will learn:
- Five key principles of effective video based on professional media practices
- Five specific techniques you can apply to your software videos to make them more engaging
- General techniques to make video content quicker and easier to understand
- Key questions to ask when reviewing your training videos
Audience:
Designers and developers
Technology discussed in this session:
Video
Jonathan Halls
Author, Rapid Media Development for Trainers
Jonathan Halls
Jonathan Halls, who has spent 30 years as a media trainer, started his professional life in radio hosting a daily live news talk show. Author of Rapid Media for Trainers, Rapid Video for Trainers, and Video Script Writing, he formerly headed up the BBC’s production training in Britain, and is today an adjunct professor at the George Washington University where he teaches digital media. Based in Washington, DC, he provides workshops and consulting for training organizations in how to make instructional videos and podcasts. He has trained thousands of broadcasters, journalists, and trainers in 25 countries, including people from The Financial Times, Daily Telegraph, London Times, Straits Times, Time of India, DeVolkskrant and many more.
614 BYOD: Leveling Up Your Visual Design
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Wednesday, March 27
Salon 7
The project deadline is upon you, and you’ve just received the approved content for final development. As a team of one (or a few), it’s once again time to shift from instructional designer to graphic designer to get your material out the door. The content is text-heavy and there’s plenty of it. So how can you level up your content to achieve effective visual design and user interface in a short timeline, with limited resources and personnel?
In this session, you’ll explore how various levels of design enhancements can universally improve your content regardless of your graphic design experience. You’ll learn how to analyze existing content design and improve it at several “treatment levels” to fit the time and resources available to you. Finally, you will begin to translate those treatment levels to build the bones of a design system that you can leverage for future projects to consistently achieve cohesive and clean content design.
In this session, you will learn:
- Basic principles of design that can enhance your visual design skills
- How to analyze content and improve weak areas of a design
- How to enhance content at several varying levels of effort
- About the benefits of a design system to streamline development
- How to create a design system for personal or organizational use
Audience:
Designers and developers
Technology discussed in this session:
Microsoft PowerPoint and Apple Pages
Technology required:
Laptop running PowerPoint or Pages
Caitlin Steinbach Locke
Learning Strategist/Project Manager
AstraZeneca
Caitlin Steinbach Locke, learning strategist/project manager at AstraZeneca, is an instructional designer by trade and learning enthusiast by design. Caitlin has worked with clients in higher education, commercial real estate, and government contracting. Caitlin holds a MS Ed in adult education/human resource development with a concentration in instructional design, and is currently pursuing her CPLP designation.
706 Creating Better Audio and Video on a Budget
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Wednesday, March 27
Salon 3
You probably have suffered through online learning content that featured poor audio or video. You suffered through it because the material was valuable. But have you ever stopped and asked yourself why? Why would anyone sit through this? Why would anyone come back for more? And as an L&D professional, how can you improve the quality of your audio and video content for your learners?
In this session, you will learn how to improve your audio and video quality by optimizing your recording workflow and making smart equipment purchases that won’t break your budget. See exactly which pieces of equipment are critical for professional-quality audio. Learn which software will give you the best results and how to fine-tune it to ensure you are getting the best audio and video captures. Because quality begins at the source, learn how to quickly turn any room into a sound booth and dramatically improve your audio quality. Learn how to use existing lighting to your advantage, and how to supplement it with additional lighting for better video captures. You can create amazing audio and video even if you are on a budget.
In this session, you will learn:
- What equipment you need to record great audio and video
- How to configure your camera and microphone for quality
- How to improve your videos with lighting
- How to improve sound quality with simple adjustments to your recording space
- How to achieve better green screen results
- Which export settings you should be using for the best results
Audience:
Designers and developers
Technology discussed in this session:
Video cameras, DSLR cameras, mobile phones, preamps, microphones, audio, interfaces, lighting, Adobe Audition and Premiere, TechSmith Camtasia, and Audacity
William Everhart
Lead Developer
Artisan E-Learning
William Everhart is a lead developer at Artisan E-Learning, helping clients fulfill their learning needs. His favorite thing in life is witnessing "aha!" moments in his students’ faces—that moment when they finally grasp a concept or technique that has eluded them for so long. As an Adobe Certified Instructor, William has taught thousands and continues to do so as a contributing author at LinkedIn Learning and Pluralsight. Through classroom training, one-on-one coaching, and online programs, he helps people learn to create amazing learning content.
715 BYOD: Mind-Blowing PowerPoint. No, Really!
2:30 PM - 5:00 PM Wednesday, March 27
Salon 7
Extended BYOD (2 Hours)
Why are most presentations so bad? Truly terrible? They’re too wordy, text-based, and generally dull. They don’t tell stories that engage, excite, or inspire. And they generally do little to actually help people learn. They are linear and nonresponsive, with no interaction: pretty much everything that you know doesn’t work to convey information effectively. Few people enjoy creating, delivering, or watching PowerPoint presentations, but you can change that.
This session is packed full of techniques to create mind-blowing presentations. Want to know how to create visual slides? Manipulate images? Master animations? Make it interactive? And produce presentations that astound your audience? Then come along for a master class in capturing your audience’s attention and helping them learn. This is a highly practical session where you’ll work on creating half a dozen amazing slides that work effectively, and you’ll look at how to use those skills on many other slides when you’re developing your own presentations. So, don your thinking cap, get ready to critique some dreadful “before” slides, and take part in transforming them into truly mind-blowing presentations that energize your audience and make your next training course the best ever.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to create visual slides using the full range of PowerPoint’s tools to generate your own graphics
- How to use custom highlighting to focus attention and make your point clearly
- How to tell compelling stories using animations, from simple to sophisticated
- How to create interactive visual content to engage your audience, whether in person or online
- How to develop navigable presentations so that you can respond to your audience
Audience:
Designers, developers, and managers
Technology discussed in this session:
Microsoft PowerPoint
Technology required:
Laptop running PowerPoint—ideally PowerPoint 2010 onward, though PowerPoint 2007 will work. Mac versions of PowerPoint will be fine with most techniques, but the layout is somewhat different.
Richard Goring
Director
BrightCarbon
Richard Goring is a director at BrightCarbon, a presentation and eLearning agency. He enjoys helping people create engaging content and communicate effectively using visuals, diagrams, and animated sequences that explain and reinforce the key points.
808 Extraordinary Video with Ordinary Equipment and Award-Winning Results
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Wednesday, March 27
Salon 1
Most people carry around a video camera every day—it just happens to also be a smartphone. If you think video taken on a smartphone won’t be professional enough for your eLearning courses, think again. This session will share essential tools—including apps, a gimbal, lights, and microphones—that can help you produce high-quality video without breaking the bank. In case you’re not convinced, you’ll see how this setup was used to produce video for a Storyline course that was voted Best Immersive/Simulation Solution at the Learning Solutions 2018 DemoFest.
Legitimate movies have been filmed on a smartphone, and you can do it too! Whether you’re creating talking-head video or something a little more cinematic, this session will teach you about the apps, equipment, tips, and tricks you can use to produce professional-quality video without a Hollywood budget. You’ll explore the logistical considerations that can make or break your video production, where to find professional actors who can get the job done, how to plan and budget for a video shoot, and what it takes to execute. Finally, you’ll see examples of these videos in action.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to build a tool kit you can use to produce professional-quality smartphone video
- How to budget for a custom video shoot, and where to focus your spending
- How to record video successfully using an iPhone, gimbal, external microphone, and a few other pieces of equipment
- About production techniques and post-production tools that can make the process more efficient
- About a specific case study where these video techniques were used to produce an award-winning eLearning course
Audience:
Designers, developers, managers, and senior leaders (directors, VP, CLO, executive, etc.)
Technology discussed in this session:
iOS (iPhone, iPad), FiLMiC Pro/Remote, DJI Osmo Mobile gimbal, Shure MV88 microphone, Zoom H6 recorder, and Adobe Creative Suite (Prelude, Audition, Premiere Pro, After Effects)
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.
Amy Morrisey
President
Artisan E-Learning
Amy Morrisey, president of Artisan E-Learning, has spent her career in learning and development. Before working with Artisan, Amy spent 17 years in corporate training as a classroom trainer and executive coach teaching sales training and coaching international teams to deliver persuasive business case presentations. Amy has helped Artisan define its culture, drive business goals with real data, and realize operational efficiencies to double production capacity. While the day-to-day operation of the company takes most of her time, her passion for giving learners solid training with actionable results means that she's usually elbow-deep in a project or two as well.
906 Designing Interactive Video for a Learning Context
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM Thursday, March 28
Salon 5
Interactive video often has a wow factor that’s hard to deny. What’s critical for L&D, though, is thinking beyond the wow factor to ensure interactive video truly supports learning and performance improvement. Interactive video offers a range of design models, each with different strengths. Understanding how to align those strengths to different learning needs simplifies your design process, reduces development costs, and produces the best results for your organization.
In this session, you’ll explore a range of interactive video options in order to build a reference framework. You’ll discover how these models can then be applied to different learning needs, contexts, and situations to take advantage of each model’s strengths. You will also walk through instructional design strategies for each model to help you begin your planning and design work. And you’ll hear a range of practical tips to help you make your designs come to life with the best possible results for your organization.
In this session, you will learn:
- About the design models commonly used for interactive video
- How design models can support different learning needs and contexts
- Instructional design and planning strategies for each design model
- Practical design and creation tips for interactive video that speed up the creation process and improve the learning experience
Audience:
Designers and developers
Technology discussed in this session:
Interactive video examples and eLearning authoring and delivery tools
Chris Van Wingerden
Sr VP Learning Solutions
dominKnow Learning Systems
Chris Van Wingerden is Sr. VP Learning Solutions at dominKnow Learning Systems, where he leads dominKnow's content and its training and client success teams. In his almost 20 years with dominKnow, Chris has helped create hundreds of hours of online learning programs, from traditional eLearning courses to immersive game-based designs, as well as working in responsive design projects to meet mobile device needs. Chris is also co-host of the popular weekly live video session and podcast, Instructional Designers in Offices Drinking Coffee (#IDIODC). Chris has a BA in adult education and a BA in English literature.
1006 You’re a Human—Stop Narrating Like a Robot!
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Thursday, March 28
Salon 13
The standard advice you hear about eLearning narration has taken you down the wrong path. You’ve been told to “billboard important phrases,” “speak at a comfortable and steady pace,” and “e-nun-ci-ate your words.” All this advice has done is turned you into a predictable and boring script reader. “Billboarding” causes you to sound unsure of what you’re saying. That “comfortable pace” is slow, repetitive, and disengaging. And “enunciating” makes you sound like a robot. Since the beginning of civilization, people have passed along information through speech. Narration engages your learners by connecting with them at a primitive and emotional level—a human level. It’s time to throw out the old advice and start talking to your learners like a human.
In this session, you’ll learn how the old narration advice has led to poor learner engagement. You’ll explore new ways of approaching your script that will connect you with your learners as if you were talking directly to them, and you’ll make your narrations more engaging and more human. You’ll start applying the new concepts immediately, so you won’t be left with a bunch of ideas in the form of scribbles on paper. Scripts will be provided, and you will have the opportunity to volunteer and be coached live during the session. This will be a no-pressure environment, with feedback and coaching provided from a place of respect and a mutual desire to improve learning outcomes.
In this session, you will learn:
- How the old advice has led to poor learner engagement
- What you should have really been taught when someone said “billboard important phrases”
- How to use your imagination to put yourself in the room with the learner and talk directly to them
- Specific techniques that help you sound more relatable and human
- How to make awkward script elements, like long lists and questions, sound conversational
- How to “talk to one person” when you’re narrating
Audience:
Designers, developers, managers, and anyone who has to narrate their own eLearning projects
Josh Risser
Voice Over Talent
DIY Narrator
Josh Risser is a professional voice over talent and host of the DIY Narrator podcast. He originally got his start in voice over by designing, developing, and narrating eLearning projects. He developed a strong passion for L&D as a former corporate trainer for a Fortune 500 company and board member of the Big Sky Chapter of ATD. He's on a quest to remove dry and lifeless eLearning narration from the world, ensuring nobody ever suffers through boring training again.