Sponsored by iSpring

“The fundamental cause of the trouble in the modern world today is that the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.”

—Bertrand Russell

Yesterday, I had the honor of speaking at the Learning Guild’s online marketing for learning event. I shared some of my favorite marketing tools that can be “stolen” for use with L&D work. Anyone who is curious can check out my slides here. Do you use any marketing tools in your L&D practices? What are they and what do you like about them?

As always, thanks for reading.

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What I’m Listening To: Today I’m investigating another music recommendation from my daughter. This time it is Declan McKenna.

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Last Week’s Most Clicked:

Scenario-based learning: 5 best practices and examples

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📰 News & Notes

Behavioral Scientist’s Summer Book List 2023

The Behavioral Scientist’s Summer Book List for 2023 is a diverse collection of books published between January and August of the year. The list, meant to inspire curiosity and learning, covers topics from language and well-being to human and artificial intelligence, and also includes unconventional subjects like neuroaesthetics and psychedelics. I bet you’ll find something that catches your eye. I found several that I’ve added to my reading list!

Want to more book lists beyond just the behavioral science topic? Here are ten more book lists on a range of other topics.

🎯 Take away: Find your next great read and fill up your book bag for some great summer reading.

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4 Proven Toolkits to Master the Art of Learning

A meta-study on learning, memory, and metacognitive processes revealed that most learners hold outdated beliefs and commit errors that can hinder rather than enhance learning effectiveness.

In this article, Eva Keiffenheim shares four of the best toolkits for learning how to learn.

🎯 Take away: These resources help you adopt evidence-based learning strategies.

Why L&D should be at the forefront of the AI revolution

AI means that 50% of all employees will need reskilling or upskilling by 2025, according to the World Economic Forum. The velocity of AI is astonishing and any organization in any field that fails to keep up will be left behind.

🎯 Take away: Despite posing the most pressing obstacle to organizations of every magnitude, AI also holds the potential to resolve the very issues they currently confront, and on a large scale.

The upside of bad design

This article explores the unexpected benefits that can arise from poorly designed products or systems. The author suggests that while bad design is often seen as a negative aspect, it can actually foster innovation, creativity, and problem-solving. There are several examples where limitations and flaws in design have led to unexpected positive outcomes. These range from the creation of popular video games to the evolution of user-friendly interfaces.

🎯 Take away: ​Embracing the potential of bad design can serve as a catalyst for improvement and ingenuity.

Why the Brain’s Connections to the Body Are Crisscrossed

Dazzling intricacies of brain structure are revealed every day, but one of the most obvious aspects of brain wiring eludes neuroscientists. The nervous system is cross-wired, so that the left side of the brain controls the right half of the body and vice versa. This is a fascinating theory about why that might be.

🎯 Take away: In all bilaterally symmetrical animals, from humans down to simple worms, nerves cross from one side of the body to the opposite side of the brain. Geometry may explain why.

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News Without Motives
1440 is a free daily newsletter helping 2M+ Americans stay informed—it’s news without motives, edited to be unbiased as humanly possible. The team at 1440 scours over 100+ sources so you don’t have to. Culture, science, sports, politics, business, and everything in between – in a five-minute read each morning, 100% free.

Sign Up Now!

Actionable Productivity Delivered to Your Inbox
1440 is the daily newsletter helping 2M+ Americans stay informed—it’s news without motives, edited to be unbiased as humanly possible. The team at 1440 scours over 100+ sources so you don’t have to. Culture, science, sports, politics, business, and everything in between – in a five-minute read each morning, 100% free.

Subscribe for free!

Science for people who give a shit!
The critically-acclaimed and “refreshingly snarky” newsletter and podcast help you think deeply and act decisively about the world’s make or break science news, from climate to COVID, heat to hunger, and agriculture to AI ethics.

Subscribe for free

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🎧 Podcasts

These are the conversations that caught my ear this week.

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🧰 Tech, Tools & Tips

If tools are your jam, check out my new WorkSmarter newsletter

Connect your employees’ development with your company goals with this LMS, LXP, Talent Mgt & Knowledge Base platform

junojourney.com

Create online courses in a matter of minutes. Build a simple, yet powerful course platform with Notion.

courses.so

A new way to learn. Turn existing content into beautiful, engaging and interactive online courses with the help of AI.

courseau.co

Create, organize & share everyday activities just by speaking…or type when you have to.

www.jot.ai

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Workshop: Creating an Effective Scenario From Scratch

A Step-By-Step Walkthrough by Clark Aldrich

Learn to create engaging scenarios from one of the world’s best simulation designers, Clark Aldrich. Clark will tell you about common scenario types, what you should consider during the development process, how to create a scenario storyboard, and more – step by step!

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🧳 Where’s Mike?

CUNA Learning Live
September 16
San Antonio

Friday Finds is an independent publication that I produce in my free-time. You can support my work by sharing it with the world, booking an advertising spot, or by buying me a coffee.

Sponsored by iSpring

The best portion of a good man’s life is his little, nameless unremembered acts of kindness and love.

— William Wordsworth

Ted Lasso, an exceptional tale about a soccer coach from Kansas navigating his journey in Richmond, is an embodiment of optimism, grace, and humanity; it beautifully balances wholesome, aspirational storytelling with a raw edge of delightful cursing, making us wish all coaches were as inspiring and real as Ted, a beacon of light in an often perplexing world. Through the humor, heart, lessons, and colorful language, this show isn’t just about sports but about embracing the challenges of life, showing us that every day is a chance to begin anew and that even amidst the chaos, it’s possible to believe in the goodness of people and the power of connection.

Though it’s sad to see Ted Lasso end, its inspiring messages bring joy. If you haven’t, do yourself a favor and watch this delightful show.

As always, thanks for reading.

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What I’m Listening To: With the bittersweet finale of Ted Lasso being this week I’m tuning into the Season 3 soundtrack. Lots of great music in there.

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Last Week’s Most Clicked:

Visual Frameworks: A language of patterns

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📰 News & Notes

Scenario-based learning: 5 best practices and examples

Scenario-based learning is an effective training approach that encourages active participation and facilitates the application of knowledge in realistic work situations, allowing learners to experience the consequences of their decisions in a controlled environment​. It enhances content retention, provides real-time feedback, and is especially beneficial for teaching complex topics and in remote learning environments​​. The method’s success hinges on creating realistic scenarios, enabling learning from mistakes, and adhering to the “Five Cs of Scenario-Based Learning” (Context, Challenge, Choices, Consequences, and Contemplate), ultimately allowing learning and development professionals to tailor their programs to meet learners’ needs effectively​.

Take away: Scenario-based learning makes employees active participants in their own learning process, better preparing them for the real issues they may face at work.

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The Invisible Power of UI Typography

Typography is often overlooked in design, but it plays a crucial role in the success of a project. Even subtle typography issues can have a significant impact on user experience. This recorded webinar is led by Oliver Schöndorfer, a UI designer, typographer, and content creator. He explains how typography can be used to boost designs and shares his knowledge with a contagious enthusiasm.

Subscribe to Oliver’s Font Friday newsletter to get more great stuff like this.

Take away: Typography probably matters more than you think it does and it pays to know how to do it well.

ChatGPT Prompts for Motivation

Dr. Philippa Hardman presents a compelling approach to enhance student engagement. Research like this and this shows that intrinsic motivation is an incredibly powerful lever for educators. By utilizing prompts generated by ChatGPT, educators can tap into learners’ curiosity and critical thinking skills, creating a dynamic learning environment that caters to individual interests and needs.

Take away: Incorporating ChatGPT prompts can be a powerful tool in motivating learners and fostering a more engaging learning experience.

Learning How to Learn (And 20+ Studies)

Interested in cognitive science and learning techniques that actually work? Well , brew yourself a big cup of joe, and settle into your favorite chill spot! This is a fascinating compilation of research on effective learning strategies, the amazing workings of our bodies, and how to keep our brains in tip-top shape. It’s got loads of references to scientific studies too. So sit back, sip on that coffee, and dive in!

Take away: ​A brilliant summary that synthesizes evidence-based research on best learning strategies, physiology, and brain health.

21 podcast picks to help unleash your facilitation superpowers

Want to take your facilitation skills to the next level? The good folks of at Butter have done the hard work of finding the best facilitation podcasts out there that can help you make your facilitation skills a superpower.

Take away: Save loads of time upping your facilitation skills with these podcasts curated by Butter.

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News Without Motives
1440 is a free daily newsletter helping 2M+ Americans stay informed—it’s news without motives, edited to be unbiased as humanly possible. The team at 1440 scours over 100+ sources so you don’t have to. Culture, science, sports, politics, business, and everything in between – in a five-minute read each morning, 100% free.
Sign Up Now!

Get smarter in 5 minutes with Morning Brew (it’s free)
There’s a reason over 4 million people start their day with Morning Brew – the daily email that delivers the latest news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. Business news doesn’t have to be boring…make your mornings more enjoyable, for free.
Check it out!

Science for people who give a shit!
The critically-acclaimed and “refreshingly snarky” newsletter and podcast help you think deeply and act decisively about the world’s make or break science news, from climate to COVID, heat to hunger, and agriculture to AI ethics.
Subscribe for free

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🎧 Podcasts

These are the conversations that caught my ear this week.

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🧰 Tech, Tools & Tips

If tools are your jam, check out my new WorkSmarter newsletter

Create a Journey to combine videos, slides, text and embeds from your favorite tools in one delightful experience.

www.journey.io

Powerful Free Online Photo Editing & Graphic Design Tool,

www.fotor.com

An audience interaction tool for your virtual and hybrid events and meetings. Engage your audience with live Q&As, Polls, Chat, Reactions, and Surveys, whether online, in-person, or in-between.

pigeonholelive.com

Perfect Writing. Zero Effort. All you do is talk. AI does the rest.

theoasis.com

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Employee Training Plan

Planning your training is the first factor that affects its success.

There are dozens of questions you ask yourself when you create a plan for the first time. What should you include in your training plan? How should you organize it? What should you start with?

Get started quickly and easily with this ready-made training plan template. It already has everything you need to lay out a proper foundation for your training. Just download it, fill it in with your specific info, and put it to use immediately.

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🧳 Where’s Mike?

Learning & Marketing Conference
June 7-8
Online

Friday Finds is an independent publication that I produce in my free-time. You can support my work by sharing it with the world, booking an advertising spot, or by buying me a coffee.

Sponsored by iSpring

“If you do not know how to ask the right question, you discover nothing.”

— W. Edwards Demming

Schools out, schools out, teachers let the monkeys out! The kids just wrapped up their final exams and we’re celebrating with a trip to New York City for some sightseeing and a Taylor Swift concert (My daughter’s Christmas present – maybe for the next 5 Christmases! ) If you know of any hidden or ‘must do’ things in NYC, please hit reply and send them my way.

As always, thanks for reading.

What I’m Listening To: This week I’ve been loving a new to me artist and creative speller – Biskwiq. Something with a little attitude, but still kinda chill.

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Last Week’s Most Clicked:

The Ultimate Guide to Curation for L&D

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📰 News & Notes

In The Know: Back to the FUTURE of L&D

In an engaging conversation with JD Dillon, Donald Taylor embarked on a journey through the evolution of Learning and Development (L&D) over the past two decades. They explored significant workplace trends, learning to identify valuable investments amidst fleeting fads.

🥡 Take away: Tune into this expert conversation if you’d like insights on how to navigate the dynamic L&D landscape with clarity and informed decision-making.

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10 Most Important Teaching & Learning Studies of the Past 50 Years

This post explores key findings in educational research over the past 50 years. It highlights the shift from teacher-centered to student-centered approaches. Important topics include the significance of feedback, the effectiveness of retrieval practice, the benefits of metacognition, and the role of technology in education. Overall, the post emphasizes active learning and the need for thoughtful integration of technology.

🥡 Take away: Educational research over the past 50 years has highlighted the importance of student-centered approaches, active learning strategies, and effective instructional techniques.

Visual Frameworks Library

Created by Dave Gray, this site offers visual frameworks—pictorial mental models—to help clarify thoughts and foster shared understanding about diverse situations. These intuitive sketches represent recognizable patterns and are designed to be easily understood. Inspired by the concept of the “pattern that connects,” Gray collects these patterns on his site, hoping they can help others navigate complex situations.

[A tip of the hat to Mathias Vermeulen’s newsletter for this one.]

🥡 Take away: This collection of visuals can help you tap into the power and utility of visual frameworks as tools for understanding complex concepts and situations.

The UX Cookbook

This site is packed with ‘recipes’ for all things UX – from research and personas to design and usability testing. And guess what? They’re always adding new stuff. It’s your one-stop-shop for creating impactful learning solutions that your users will love​​.

🥡 Take away: This site is a comprehensive and evolving resource for understanding and implementing User Experience (UX) principles that can improve the design of your learning design efforts.

AI’s Increasingly Important Role in L&D

This eBook by Markus Bernhardt, presents a synthesis of articles for L&D professionals covering the latest trends, technologies, and implications of AI in our industry. Give it a read to dive deeper into the future of adaptive and personalized learning.

🥡 Take away: While AI can be a useful tool in learning and development, it is important to be aware of its limitations and potential ethical implications..

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News Without Motives
1440 is a free daily newsletter helping 2M+ Americans stay informed—it’s news without motives, edited to be unbiased as humanly possible. The team at 1440 scours over 100+ sources so you don’t have to. Culture, science, sports, politics, business, and everything in between – in a five-minute read each morning, 100% free.
Sign Up Now!

Get smarter in 5 minutes with Morning Brew (it’s free)
There’s a reason over 4 million people start their day with Morning Brew – the daily email that delivers the latest news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. Business news doesn’t have to be boring…make your mornings more enjoyable, for free.
Check it out!

Science for people who give a shit!
The critically-acclaimed and “refreshingly snarky” newsletter and podcast help you think deeply and act decisively about the world’s make or break science news, from climate to COVID, heat to hunger, and agriculture to AI ethics.
Subscribe for free

---

🎧 Podcasts

These are the conversations that caught my ear this week.

---

🧰 Tech, Tools & Tips

If tools are your jam, check out my new WorkSmarter newsletter

Get the official ChatGPT app for iOS.

Create graphic designs with the aid of an AI assistant.

Photomator is a powerful yet easy-to-use photo editor for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

Musi is a new music app that rivals Spotify.

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Employee Training Plan

Planning your training is the first factor that affects its success.

There are dozens of questions you ask yourself when you create a plan for the first time. What should you include in your training plan? How should you organize it? What should you start with?

Get started quickly and easily with this ready-made training plan template. It already has everything you need to lay out a proper foundation for your training. Just download it, fill it in with your specific info, and put it to use immediately.

---

🧳 Where’s Mike?

Learning & Marketing Conference
June 7-8
Online

Friday Finds is an independent publication that I produce in my free-time. You can support my work by sharing it with the world, booking an advertising spot, or by buying me a coffee.

Sponsored by iSpring

“Doom is inevitable. Gloom is optional. Gloom has no positive effects on ameliorating doom. Doom happens. Gloom is a choice.”

— Seth Godin

It has been an incredible week in the weather department for us around here. I’m trying to be outside as much as possible while the window is open before the summer heat and humidity get here. I hope this finds you well and able to be outside enjoying your surroundings no matter what the weather is doing.

As always, thanks for reading.

What I’m Listening To: This playlist has been the perfect soundtrack for soaking up the sun and getting my vitamin D fix this week.

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Last Week’s Most Clicked:

16 UI Design Rule That Make a Big Difference

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📰 News & Notes

The Ultimate Guide to Curation for L&D

Najmah Salam & Nandini Bhudia from Filtered have just published this sweet guide so L&D professionals have a place to start and build a content curation strategy that will truly make an impact for their learners. It’s all in there starting with why to curate in the first place all the way through to creating and distributing your pathways.

Take away: Whether you’re a curation newbie or grizzled veteran, there is something in here for everyone that can up your curation game.

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Improving Training Videos Using Neuroscience with Patti Shank

Just because you have the skills to shoot and edit a video doesn’t mean it’s instructionally sound. This is why some videos are easier to learn from than others. And why that learning sticks. Watching video is a passive experience and therefore you might think there isn’t much more to it than just making it more entertaining. Yea, you’d be wrong.

Take away: Dr. Patti Shank shares some of the mental processing models you can use to your advantage to improve learning when producing videos.

Guide To Creating Successful Community Strategies

Feverbee’s Community Strategy Guide offers valuable insights on building and managing online communities. It emphasizes understanding community goals, engaging the target audience, and fostering inclusivity. Key points include defining objectives, researching the audience, establishing guidelines, managing conflicts, and measuring success.

Take away: If you’re considering starting up a community or already working with one this is a comprehensive resource for developing successful communities.

Effective educational videos

This study from Vanderbilt University finds that effective educational videos are strategic, engaging, and cognitively optimized. They should be goal-oriented, concise, and stimulating. Incorporating storytelling and pacing can enhance learner engagement. Interactive elements and practice opportunities help to consolidate learning. Videos should also be created with consideration for diverse learning needs. Lastly, it’s crucial to assess the effectiveness of the video, taking into account both the learners’ understanding and their experience.

Take away: Effective educational videos should be goal-oriented, engaging, inclusive, interactive, and their effectiveness should be regularly assessed.

7taps AI Content Transformer

I wanted to share some key takeaways from a recent talk via 7taps which is a quick and easy way to do that but it was even quicker and easier than I thought it would be. They have a new AI transformation feature that will build your micro-course from existing content. You can toss in a file like a PowerPoint deck or a PDF or give it a URL—from YouTube or Google Docs, etc. —and watch as it whips up a microlearning course in less time than it takes you to make a cup of coffee. Add your personal touches, tweak or add your interactions, and voilà! No more of the awful copy-paste monotony or even worse – recreating stuff from scratch. Watch just how fast and easy it is here and check out the final results here.

Take away: Give 7taps new AI transformation feature a try and see how good it does converting your existing content into a micro-course format.

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Your First Draft, Fast

Looking for some words of inspiration to kickstart your creative process? Magic Write in Canva Docs is your very own AI text generator to help you get out a first draft, fast. Simply start with a prompt and watch as copy, blog outlines, lists, bio captions, content ideas, brainstorms, and more appear in seconds.

Try Magic Write by Canva

Get smarter in 5 minutes with Morning Brew (it’s free)

There’s a reason over 4 million people start their day with Morning Brew – the daily email that delive/rs the latest news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. Business news doesn’t have to be boring…make your mornings more enjoyable, for free.

Check it out!

Get smarter with Refind

Every day we pick 5 articles that make you smarter, tailored to your interests. Refind is loved by 200,000+ curious minds.

Subscribe for free

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🎧 Podcasts

These are the podcasts that caught my ear this week.

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Artificial Intelligence. AI. ChatGPT. “But what is it, and how do I use it?” Join us as we demystify how ChatGPT works and give you practical ways to leverage ChatGPT and AI to help perform your L&D tasks – that you can use today!
Register now to claim your spot.

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🧰 Tech, Tools & Tips

If tools are your jam, check out my new WorkSmarter newsletter

Walling is a visual, fast tool to organize and share ideas on collaborative walls.

10 surprising features you didn’t know existed in Microsoft Edge

Omnivore is the free, open source, read-it-later app for serious readers.

A full-screen countdown timer for workshops, presentations and meetings that helps everything stay on time.

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The 10 Most Frequent Mistakes in Writing a Course Script

Attention all course developers, methodologists, and lecturers!

Struggling with online course engagement and adaptation? Join this upcoming webinar: “The 10 Most Frequent Mistakes in an Online Course Script.” Learn how to avoid common script-writing mistakes and get tips from our expert panel. Register now for your certificate of attendance and presentation gift. Don’t miss out on enhancing your online course development skills!

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🧳 Where’s Mike?

Learning & Marketing Conference
June 7-8
Online

Friday Finds is an independent publication that I produce in my free-time. You can support my work by sharing it with the world, booking an advertising spot, or by buying me a coffee.

Sponsored by iSpring

“Be an encourager. The world has plenty of critics already.”

— Dave Willis

Last week for National Password Day, I got to do a live webcast from our new studio. I thought it might be nice but had no idea that it would probably make most of our local television stations jealous. Now I’m going to be searching for every excuse possible to get back in there and do some more. I’m very lucky to have access to such nice facilities and the amazing people who make it all happen.

As always, thanks for reading.

What I’m Listening To: I’ve have liked Landon Conrath’s music for awhile now but never knew who he was – I do now and he’s definitely a favorite.

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Last Week’s Most Clicked:

Reducing Information Overload in Your Organization

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📰 News & Notes

Cultivating and Connecting Capabilities

John Hagel explores the importance of developing unique capabilities and forming strategic partnerships in a rapidly changing business world. Hagel suggests focusing on a few core capabilities and continuously improving them. He emphasizes the value of connecting capabilities across organizations through collaboration and digital platforms. By cultivating and connecting capabilities, organizations can stay ahead, create sustainable advantage, and drive innovation.

🥡 Take away: In today’s rapidly changing business environment, organizations need to focus on developing unique core capabilities, constantly improving them, and forming strategic partnerships to connect capabilities across organizations.

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16 Useful UI Design Rules That Make a Big Impact

While this insightful article is about designing user interfaces, the principles also apply to many other contexts including eLearning and other types of content. Browse his collection of before and after design tips to find a few “stealable” ways you can improve your own design skills.

Take away: With a handful of simple but powerful design guidelines, anyone can glean valuable design tips they can apply to their own work from these examples.

Where do great ideas come from?

There there is evidence that ideas are growing scarcer by the year. A Stanford University study titled “Are Ideas Getting Harder to Find?” detailed how “research effort is rising substantially while research productivity is declining sharply.” The study documents similar slumps in other industries like agriculture and healthcare. This article, looks at seven research studies that reveal the people, incentives, and environments that create innovation.

🥡 Take away: People seeking great ideas should embrace failure, adopt a beginner’s mindset, leverage structural holes, motivate innovation through intrinsic motivations, understand the burden of knowledge, and focus on effectively implementing ideas into actionable situations.

What Can xAPI Do For You?

Check out this insightful podcast with Sarah Mercier on the power of xAPI in #eLearning! She brilliantly explains how xAPI can track and analyze learner data, driving personalized and effective learning experiences.

Take away: Listen in to learn what xAPI is, exactly—and what are all the moving parts involved to make it work along with the biggest barriers to avoid when implementing xAPI.

Ten Great Books on How to Learn Better

Newsletter regular Scott Young has share a list of his 10 favorite approachable and actionable books on learning with a few ‘bonus’ books thrown in for learning specific subjects.

🥡 Take away: The article presents a diverse range of books that cater to different aspects of learning, with the aim of providing readers with practical insights and tools to become better learners.

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Your First Draft, Fast

Looking for some words of inspiration to kickstart your creative process? Magic Write in Canva Docs is your very own AI text generator to help you get out a first draft, fast. Simply start with a prompt and watch as copy, blog outlines, lists, bio captions, content ideas, brainstorms, and more appear in seconds.

Try Magic Write by Canva

Get smarter in 5 minutes with Morning Brew (it’s free)

There’s a reason over 4 million people start their day with Morning Brew – the daily email that delive/rs the latest news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. Business news doesn’t have to be boring…make your mornings more enjoyable, for free.

Check it out!

Get smarter with Refind

Every day we pick 5 articles that make you smarter, tailored to your interests. Refind is loved by 200,000+ curious minds.

Subscribe for free

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🎧 Podcasts

These are the podcasts that caught my ear this week.

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Are you looking for a webinar about ChatGPT geared toward Learning & Development professionals? You’ve found it! Join us as we explore over 50 practical AI prompts to help your L&D workflow become more efficient and powerful!
Register now to claim your spot.

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🧰 Tech, Tools & Tips

If tools are your jam, check out my new WorkSmarter newsletter

Zave

Save your most commonly used websites for personal reference or share them with the world.

https://zave.co/

Steno

Your favorite podcasts, fully transcribed.

https://steno.ai/

Good Tape

Good Tape is an automatic transcription service that makes it easy to turn audio recordings into text, regardless of language or sound quality.

https://www.mygoodtape.com

Rangeen

The tool to create and curate color palettes for your next project

https://www.rangeen.studio

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How to Assess Students Online – A Free Guide

Student assessment has changed in the new millennium. Although there’s still something to be said for old-fashioned paper and pencil methods, new technologies are evolving daily.

Download this resource to discover 9 ways to assess student learning using technology and get a step-by-step guide to creating online quizzes.

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🧳 Where’s Mike?

Festival Sektor 3.0
May 16
Poland & Online

Learning & Marketing Conference
June 7-8
Online

Friday Finds is an independent publication that I produce in my free-time. You can support my work by sharing it with the world, booking an advertising spot, or by buying me a coffee.

Sponsored by iSpring

“When you learn, teach. When you get, give.”

— Maya Angelou

Did you know that yesterday was World Password Day? May the 4th be with you! I wanted to take a moment to remind you that most of us have been taught to create passwords that are tough for us to remember, but easy for hackers to crack. But don’t worry, I’ve got three easy ways you can improve your password security and make managing them a breeze.

First up, try using passphrases instead of those frustrating gibberish passwords you’re probably using now. Next, use a password manager – it’s a no-brainer and helps you avoid reusing the same password (which is a big no-no!). Finally, enable MFA (multi-factor authentication) whenever possible. These three simple steps will make a world of difference in keeping your accounts safe and secure.

These three simple steps will make your password life much easier and much more secure. Now, go forth and password like a boss!

As always, thanks for reading.

What I’m Listening To: I’m not exactly how to refer to Public Library Commute – other than this is great music that I’ve been loving all week!

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Last Week’s Most Clicked:

Red Thread Research Learning Tech Trends

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📰 News & Notes

AI: Education’s Untapped Revolution

In her TEDX Santa Barbara talk, Dr. Philippa Hardman discusses the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to revolutionize education. She argues that AI can enhance the educational experience for both teachers and students, from personalizing learning to automating administrative tasks. She also highlights the need for teachers and educators to be trained and equipped with the necessary skills to effectively utilize AI in education.

Take away: AI has the potential to transform education by enabling personalized learning experiences and improving administrative efficiency. To fully realize this potential, educators and teachers need to be properly trained and supported in the use of AI technology

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MARGE: A Whole Brain Approach for Students and Teachers

Check out this free eBook on Arthur Shimamura’s MARGE Model which stands for Motivation, Attention, Retention, Generalization, and Evaluation. It explores brain structures and experiments, providing easy-to-understand models of common cognitive science concepts. It’s fascinating to learn about the role of the prefrontal cortex and how our brains form memories differently. MARGE is a valuable tool to optimize learning potential.

🥡 Take away: This ebook is packed with innovative ideas and strategies that will help you take your teaching to the next level. You can grab a 1 page summary here.

Prompt Engineering: A Guide for Marketers and Content Creators

The article is a guide for content creators on using prompt engineering to improve their AI-generated content. It explains how to craft effective prompts that achieve specific goals such as increasing engagement and generating leads. It also offers tips on understanding the target audience, using relevant data, and iterating on prompts. Additionally, it also highlights potential challenges and suggests ways to mitigate them.

🥡 Take away: This article helps marketers and content creators leverage AI-generated content by showing how to use prompt engineering effectively.

Reducing Information Overload in Your Organization

Information overload is the inevitable result of the modern organization’s always-on, more-is-better approach to communication. Unfortunately, it is also a driver of employees’ disengagement and poor decision making. While we are all, as employees and leaders, affected by this reality, the onus is on the company communicators themselves to craft a low-burden culture. It will require energy, expertise and coordination to architect and reinforce more human-centric communication practices.

🥡 Take away: Check out these practical strategies to streamline communication, prioritize information, and improve productivity by reducing information overload in your organization.

A Short History of Artificial Intelligence

This fascinating article traces the evolution of AI, starting from the early days of computer science to the present day. It highlights how the development of AI has been driven by the quest to create machines that can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence. The article also touches on how the concept of AI has evolved over time, from the initial perception of AI as an abstract, otherworldly concept to a more grounded understanding of AI as a tool to improve human life.

🥡 Take away: AI has made significant progress, but there’s still much we don’t know about its potential. Despite this, it has had a profound impact on our lives and will continue to shape our future.

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Your First Draft, Fast

Looking for some words of inspiration to kickstart your creative process? Magic Write in Canva Docs is your very own AI text generator to help you get out a first draft, fast. Simply start with a prompt and watch as copy, blog outlines, lists, bio captions, content ideas, brainstorms, and more appear in seconds.

Try Magic Write by Canva

Get smarter in 5 minutes with Morning Brew (it’s free)

There’s a reason over 4 million people start their day with Morning Brew – the daily email that delive/rs the latest news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. Business news doesn’t have to be boring…make your mornings more enjoyable, for free.

Check it out!

Get smarter with Refind

Every day we pick 5 articles that make you smarter, tailored to your interests. Refind is loved by 200,000+ curious minds.

Subscribe for free

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🎧 Podcasts

These are the podcasts that caught my ear this week.

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Artificial Intelligence. AI. ChatGPT. “But what is it, and how do I use it?” Join us as we demystify how ChatGPT works and give you practical ways to leverage ChatGPT and AI to help perform your L&D tasks – that you can use today! 
Register now to claim your spot.

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🧰 Tech, Tools & Tips

If tools are your jam, check out my new WorkSmarter newsletter

Freebies by People

A selection of free-for-commercial-use resources for designers and developers, conveniently collected and categorized in one place.

https://freebies.bypeople.com/

UI Goodies

UI Goodies is a curated directory of design resources and tools to help discover the best UI kits, icons, templates, and more.

https://uigoodies.com/

Ordently

Ordently is a productivity todo list app that helps you plan & organize your tasks, goals and do your tasks through a daily planner.

https://www.ordently.com/

guidde

Guidde lets you capture instant step-by-step videos and documents for anyone to create.

https://www.guidde.com/

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The Top HR and L&D Challenges eLearning Can Solve

4 HR Challenges and How to Handle Them with eLearning

The fields of HR and L&D are constantly evolving, with new challenges, such as high employee turnover and employee resistance to training, emerging every day. Download this guide to learn how you can leverage eLearning technologies to overcome these and the other most common challenges and drive business success.

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🧳 Where’s Mike?

Learning & Marketing Conference
June 7-8
Online

Friday Finds is an independent publication that I produce in my free-time. You can support my work by sharing it with the world, booking an advertising spot, or by buying me a coffee.

Sponsored by iSpring

“The important thing is not your process. The important thing is your process for improving your process.”

— Henrik Kniberg

Our trip to Seattle was awesome! Both campuses we visited were beautiful, and we had a lovely waterfront dinner with one of my high school classmates. We also hit the Boeing Museum of Flight where I had the privilege of chatting with a WWII bomber pilot who made a whopping 35 bombing runs in a B17. Can you imagine?! All in all, it was an unforgettable experience. Although, I must admit, I’m secretly hoping my son chooses a college closer to home.

As always, thanks for reading.

What I’m Listening To: young friend popped up in another playlist recently and that is just the right music to work along with today

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Last Week’s Most Clicked:

100+ ChatGPT prompts for creators: Speed up your workflow with AI

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📰 News & Notes

Learning Tech Trends

If you’re looking for a comprehensive overview of the latest learning tech trends, look no further than Dani Johnson and the redthread research team. They’re experts in the field and have their finger on the pulse of all the latest action. Lucky for use, they’ve got a webinar recording that’s sure to provide you with valuable insights.

🥡 Take away: The learning tech market is enabling skills and mobility for learning, connecting people, finding a signal through the noise, freedom to develop, and doing more with less.

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How to Quickly Create a Learning Resource Website Using SpreadSimple

You may know that I’m a big fan of #nocode tools and their potential for learning and development (L&D). In this post, Connie Malamed takes you on a step-by-step journey of creating an interactive learning resource website with SpreadSimple. Trust me, it’s an absolute breeze! All you need to do is gather your information in a Google Sheet, make a few design choices, and then let SpreadSimple do the rest of the work building a beautiful, interactive website in the blink of an eye. This is an amazing tool that you don’t want to miss out on, so be sure to add it to your digital toolkit.

🥡 Take away: No-code tools like SpreadSimple can be a game-changer for creating interactive learning resources quickly & easily.

Small acts of kindness matter more than you think

One reason small acts of kindness matter is because they can help bridge the “liking gap” – the phenomenon where we assume that others don’t like us as much as they actually do. By showing someone a small act of kindness, we can help them feel valued and appreciated, and potentially even strengthen our relationships with them.

Another reason small acts of kindness matter is because they can have a ripple effect. When we’re kind to someone, they’re more likely to be kind to others, and the positive impact can continue to spread.

But perhaps the most important reason small acts of kindness matter is because they’re a reminder that we all have the power to make a difference, no matter how small. Whether it’s smiling at a stranger, holding the door for someone, or simply saying thank you, each small act of kindness has the potential to brighten someone’s day and make the world a little bit better.

🥡 Take away: Text a friend, write a thank-you note, compliment a stranger — people appreciate these gestures.

What Instructional Designers Should Know About AI

Dr. Luke Hobson chats with William Cronje about the relevance of AI in the learning space and the skills that instructional designers (IDs) should have to effectively use AI in their work. They agree that AI is here to stay and will change everything, so IDs need to be adaptable and explore the limitations of AI while being creative. Prompt engineering is a crucial skill for creating high-quality content quickly, but IDs should not neglect the traditional instructional design process.

🥡 Take away: AI is an important and transformative tool and instructional designers need to have the right skills to effectively use it including: being adaptable, creative, a good communicator, and having prompt engineering skills.

Research Review: Evidence-based L&D Practices for 2023

Get ready to discover the latest trends in Learning and Development (L&D) for 2023. The Learning Guild has put together a research report where Jane Bozarth dives into 14 research articles covering a wide range of topics relevant to today’s L&D landscape.

🥡 Take away: Jane Bozarth has highlighted evidence-based practices that we should keep our eyes on to stay current with the latest L&D research.

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Your First Draft, Fast

Looking for some words of inspiration to kickstart your creative process? Magic Write in Canva Docs is your very own AI text generator to help you get out a first draft, fast. Simply start with a prompt and watch as copy, blog outlines, lists, bio captions, content ideas, brainstorms, and more appear in seconds.

Try Magic Write by Canva

Get smarter in 5 minutes with Morning Brew (it’s free)

There’s a reason over 4 million people start their day with Morning Brew – the daily email that delive/rs the latest news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. Business news doesn’t have to be boring…make your mornings more enjoyable, for free.

Check it out!

Get smarter with Refind

Every day we pick 5 articles that make you smarter, tailored to your interests. Refind is loved by 200,000+ curious minds.

Subscribe for free

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🎧 Podcasts

These are the podcasts that caught my ear this week.

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The Neovation Learning Hub can become your source of eLearning articles without the sales pitch! Explore topics like creating custom content, training platform uses, eLearning libraries, learning analytics, and AI for instructional design – never miss an update – subscribe for free today!

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🧰 Tech, Tools & Tips

If tools are your jam, check out my new WorkSmarter newsletter

Course.ai

Transform any subject into a stunning online course with this AI-powered authoring tool makes course creation effortless.

https://courseai.co/

ChatABC

ChatABC is better ChatGPT with features like teams collaboration, prompt library, never-down service and so much more

https://chatabc.ai/

Poised

AI-powered speaking coach. Speak with confidence and clarity and improve your communication skills in real-time.

https://www.poised.com/

Peerlist

Tired of sending resumes? Peerlist is a professional network where you can showcase your work, and get hired by the best companies.

https://peerlist.io/

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How to create a course in Moodle

An Illustrated step-by-step guide for educators

Do you consider creating a course in Moodle to be a daunting task? That’s not the case if you’re equipped with this step-by-step guide provided by iSpring. It’s brimming with insights and pro tips on how to create an interactive course with a knowledge check twice as fast. And here it is, ready to download. Feel free to grab it and take course creation in Moodle to the next level!

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🧳 Where’s Mike?

Microlearning Conference
April 27
Online

Learning & Marketing Conference
June 7-8
Online

Friday Finds is an independent publication that I produce in my free-time. You can support my work by sharing it with the world, booking an advertising spot, or by buying me a coffee.

Sponsored by iSpring

“The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice.”

Brian Herbert

My son and I are in Seattle this weekend to check out some colleges. To be honest, he’s head over heels for this city, but I secretly hope he stays a bit closer to home. Even so, I can’t wait to spend some quality time with him, exploring some cool places – like the Boeing flight museum (so cool!) and, of course, sampling some good food along the way. I hope you’ve got something fun lined up for the weekend too!

As always, thanks for reading.

What I’m Listening To: This week I discovered the Peach Tree Rascals and I’m enjoying them again today.

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Last Week’s Most Clicked:

The Learning Content Maturity Model

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📰 News & Notes

Ten of My Favorite Papers on the Science of Learning and Thinking

Newsletter regular Scott H. Young has compiled a list of his favorite papers on the science of learning. From topics like effective studying techniques to the psychology of motivation, these papers offer valuable insights into how we can optimize our learning process. Whether you’re a student or a lifelong learner, these papers will help you better understand the science behind learning and how you can use it to your advantage. So grab a cup of coffee and dive into these fascinating reads. Your brain will thank you for it!

🥡 Take away: These papers provide valuable insights into how we can optimize our learning process and improve our ability to learn.

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The cult of bare minimum learning

In today’s fast-paced world, where everything is available at our fingertips, we have developed a cult of bare minimum learning. We are accustomed to finding quick answers on Google or asking Alexa for help, rather than taking the time to understand the underlying concepts. We have become obsessed with efficiency and productivity, leading us to prioritize speed over depth of knowledge. This mindset has created a culture where we celebrate knowing the bare minimum to get by, rather than striving for excellence and mastery.

However, this approach to learning is detrimental in the long run. It limits our potential and prevents us from fully understanding the world around us. By only learning the bare minimum, we miss out on the intricacies and nuances that make a topic truly fascinating. It also impedes our ability to think critically and creatively, as we rely on surface-level knowledge rather than digging deeper. To truly succeed in today’s world, we must break free from the cult of bare minimum learning and embrace a growth mindset that values continuous learning and personal growth.

🥡 Take away: the “cult of bare minimum learning” is a dangerous mindset that encourages people to focus only on efficiency and speed, at the expense of quality learning.

Becoming an Expert Generalist

The article by Nick DeWilde explains how being an expert generalist can give you a unique advantage in today’s fast-changing and complex world. It describes the characteristics of an expert generalist, such as having a broad range of interests, being curious and open-minded, and having the ability to make connections between different fields.

He also shares practical tips on how to become an expert generalist, including reading broadly, experimenting with new skills, and building a diverse network of people. A great read for anyone who wants to expand their knowledge and skills beyond their current field or industry.

🥡 Take away: This article provides valuable insights and actionable strategies for those who want to become more versatile and adaptable in their personal and professional lives.

Our big problem is not misinformation; it’s knowingness

In a thought-provoking article, “Our big problem is not misinformation – it’s knowingness,” Jonathan Malesic challenges the prevailing belief that misinformation is the root of many of our societal issues. They argue that our culture’s tendency towards “knowingness” – the belief that we already know the truth and have no need for further inquiry or education – is a more significant problem. By embracing a humble mindset that acknowledges the limits of our knowledge, we can foster more meaningful and productive conversations and make progress towards a better future. (If you’re a Ted Lasso fan like me, this probably reminds you of this scene.)

🥡 Take away: The problem of the ‘knowingness’ problem requires a willingness to recognize and acknowledge our own limitations and biases, as well as a willingness to engage in honest, open-minded dialogue with others who hold different beliefs..

100+ ChatGPT prompts for creators: Speed up your workflow with AI

This collection of prompts from the Descript team can help supercharge your creative workflow with the power of AI. Diving into this treasure trove of handpicked prompts, you’ll discover how ChatGPT can transform your projects and save precious time, no matter the task.

From brainstorming ideas, drafting content, and editing text, to polishing your final product, ChatGPT has you covered. Leverage these to generate innovative concepts, optimize your writing process, and refine your message like never before.

🥡 Take away: Experiments have shown that ChatGPT boosts productivity by a whopping 35% and these prompts can help you tap into that

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Transform Your Training with Hollywood’s Best!
eLearningArt’s free Hollywood Training program offers a unique approach to learning by immersing you in the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. With expert guidance and state-of-the-art resources, you’ll feel like a Hollywood insider in no time. Don’t settle for ordinary training – join us for an unforgettable experience that will elevate your skills and set you apart from the crowd.
Enroll now for free to start your journey to the top! 👉

Get smarter in 5 minutes with Morning Brew (it’s free)
There’s a reason over 4 million people start their day with Morning Brew – the daily email that delivers the latest news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. Business news doesn’t have to be boring…make your mornings more enjoyable, for free.

Check it out!

Tech news is confusing – so we changed that.
Join over 450K people reading Tech Brew – the 3-times-a-week free newsletter covering all updates from the intersection of technology and business. We provide free tech knowledge that’ll help you make more informed decisions.
Subscribe For Free

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🎧 Podcasts

These are the podcasts that caught my ear this week.

---

The Neovation Learning Hub can become your source of eLearning articles without the sales pitch! Explore topics like creating custom content, training platform uses, eLearning libraries, learning analytics, and AI for instructional design – never miss an update – subscribe for free today!

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🧰 Tech, Tools & Tips

If tools are your jam, check out my new WorkSmarter newsletter

Nano.Site

Build a profile page in minutes. Share your world with nano.site

https://nano.site

ReadyMag

Readymag is a web-based design tool that helps create websites, presentations, portfolios, and all kinds of digital publications without coding.

https://readymag.com

play.ht AI Voice Generator

AI Voice Generator with 600+ AI voices. Generate realistic Text to Speech voice over online with AI. Convert text to audio and download as MP3 & WAV files.

https://play.ht/

PromptPerfect

Optimize prompts for GPT-4, ChatGPT, Claude, MidJourney, DALL-E, StableDiffusion, Kandinsky, Lexica. Automatic prompt engineering done right!

https://promptperfect.jina.ai/

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Two days of lectures and workshops given by top industry experts

iSpring Days 2023 is a free online eLearning conference where top industry experts will gather to share best practices and proven solutions that elevate digital learning experiences and result in improved KPIs.

Speakers: Cara North, Holly Owens, Tom McDowall, Patricia Rieger, Clark Aldrich, and others.

Dates: April 27-28

What you’ll learn:

• Boost training metrics & improve your bottom line
• Build effective and engaging scenarios
• Design impactful eLearning programs
• Avoid common course design mistakes
• Choose training goals that align with business objectives
• Increase employee retention
• Overcome hurdles along the road to eLearning success

See you at the conference!

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🧳 Where’s Mike?

Microlearning Conference
April 27
Online

Learning & Marketing Conference
June 7-8
Online

Friday Finds is an independent publication that I produce in my free-time. You can support my work by sharing it with the world, booking an advertising spot, or by buying me a coffee.

Sponsored by iSpring

“Be content with what you have. Rejoice in the way things are. When you realize nothing is lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”

— Lao Tzu

I’ve been doing some reading lately on one of the most unlikely topics. I’ve been diving into the world of breathing. And I know what you’re thinking: “A whole book about breathing? What, are they just talking about inhaling and exhaling for 300 pages?!” But let me tell you, your breath can impact your stress levels and even the shape of your face! Crazy, right? Anyway, if you’re curious and want to check out the books I just devoured, here they are: “Breath”, by James Nestor and “The Oxygen Advantage” by Patrick McKeown. Trust me, your mind, body and face will thank you.

As always, thanks for reading.

What I’m Listening To: When I was in high school, I spent about a week one summer painting our house when Howard Jones had a popular album out and I’ve liked his stuff ever since. So that’s what I’m working along to today.

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Last Week’s Most Clicked:

The Better Deck Deck

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📰 News & Notes

The Learning Content Strategy Model

The Learning Content Strategy Maturity Model is a framework designed to help organizations assess their current state of learning content strategy and identify areas for improvement. It consists of five levels that represent a progression from an ad-hoc approach to a fully integrated approach to learning content strategy. At the first level, organizations have an ad-hoc approach to learning content, while at the final level, organizations have a fully integrated approach to learning content strategy.

By using this model, organizations can evaluate their learning content strategy and create a roadmap for continuous improvement. They can identify areas where they need to improve their strategy, such as aligning content creation with organizational goals, measuring the impact of their learning content on business outcomes, or adopting a data-driven approach to content creation.

🥡 Take away: Using this approach, organizations can create learning content that drives business outcomes and improves learner skills.

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PowerPoint Accessibility Freebies

In this video, Stephy Hogan shares some great accessibility tools and resources for PowerPoint and reminds us about the importance of making PowerPoint presentations accessible to all. By following accessible slide design principles such as using preset layouts, readable fonts, descriptive links, and alternative text, everyone in the audience can acquire the same information and enjoy the same experience. If you like this one, check out the rest of the series on Presentation Accessibility.

Take away: Grab the free guide on Fundamental PowerPoint Accessibility and make sure your presentations are accessible to everyone.

How to use Google Bard as a research tool

Meet Google Bard – the AI-powered chatbot that can tackle a wide range of text-based tasks, from writing poetry to summarizing complex ideas and translating languages. With Bard, you can say goodbye to the hassle of sifting through multiple pages and links to find what you need. Simply ask Bard a question, and it’ll provide you with a concise, human-like response. Plus, you can ask follow-up questions to get more details. While it’s not perfect yet, Bard’s potential to revolutionize the way we search for information is undeniable. Check out this Google’s answer to ChatGPT and take a peek at the future of search today!

🥡 Take away: Unlike ChatGPT, Bard can access Google Search to provide up-to-date information.

How to use AI to unstick yourself

Ethan Mollick has become a must-read for me when it comes to using AI. In this article, the he delves into the potential of AI for breaking through mental blocks and sparking creativity. By using AI-powered tools like GPT-3, he explains, one can generate fresh ideas, explore new perspectives, and even enhance their writing skills. He goes on to provide a quick guide on how to use GPT-3 and offers some practical examples, such as generating blog post ideas or brainstorming.

🥡 Take away: This article highlights the value of AI as a tool for anyone seeking to overcome creative roadblocks and find inspiration.

The Operating Manual for Your Nervous System

Have you ever felt overwhelmed or stressed out and wondered how to take control of your nervous system? Well, wonder no more, because this article has got you covered. This article explains the basics of the autonomic nervous system and how it controls our responses to stress and relaxation. It also provides some simple, practical tips for regulating your nervous system, such as deep breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation.

🥡 Take away: By learning how to control your nervous system, you can improve your overall well-being and better manage stress and anxiety.

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What do skills, AI, learning analytics and other 2023 L&D topics mean for you as a training provider?

Do you want to stay ahead of the curve in the L&D world and prepare yourself for the future? Then don’t miss this upcoming webinar on April 25th, from 12:00 – 13:00 CEST!

Donald H. Taylor and Ger Driesen will clarify the results of the 2023 Global Sentiment Survey (GSS). How will topics like reskilling/upskilling, Artificial Intelligence and learning analytics, shape the L&D world in the coming year and how does this inform your strategy as a training provider? If you can’t make it live, they’ll send you the recording.

Join the webinar 👉

Get smarter in 5 minutes with Morning Brew (it’s free)
There’s a reason over 4 million people start their day with Morning Brew – the daily email that delivers the latest news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. Business news doesn’t have to be boring…make your mornings more enjoyable, for free.

Check it out!

Tech news is confusing – so we changed that.
Join over 450K people reading Tech Brew – the 3-times-a-week free newsletter covering all updates from the intersection of technology and business. We provide free tech knowledge that’ll help you make more informed decisions.
Subscribe For Free

---

🎧 Podcasts

These are the podcasts that caught my ear this week.

---

🧰 Tech, Tools & Tips

If tools are your jam, check out my new WorkSmarter newsletter

Gemoo

With Gemoo, you can record and share video and image messages that are organized, informative, and engaging

https://gemoo.com/

Freepik Videos

Browse the Freepik collection and find the perfect video for your next project.

https://freepik.com

Icônes

⚡️ Icon Explorer with Instant searching, powered by Iconify.

https://icones.js.org/

Microsoft Loop – Think, plan and create together

If you have a work or school account, you can now kick the tires on Microsoft’s latest collaborative document/content creation tool.

https://loop.microsoft.com/

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Make blockbuster courses in PowerPoint

A pre-recorded webinar series

What makes blockbusters so exciting? Action. Special effects. Plot twists. Learn how to pack your learning content with the same elements to keep your learners engaged!

PowerPoint vs iSpring Suite is a series of pre-recorded webinar sessions on how to harness the power of these tools to design the most advanced eLearning content. Learn how to enhance your online courses with animations, mini-games, flashcards and more! 

You’ll be able to confidently:

• Synchronize audio and PPT slides
• Set up triggers and animations in your course
• Create mini-games for online courses
• Create flashcards

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🧳 Where’s Mike?

Microlearning Conference
April 27
Online

Learning & Marketing Conference
June 7-8
Online

Friday Finds is an independent publication that I produce in my free-time. You can support my work by sharing it with the world, booking an advertising spot, or by buying me a coffee.

Sponsored by iSpring

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.

— Maria Robinson

As someone who’s been working in the L&D profession for several years, I can honestly say that I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this amazing community. I truly believe that there’s no other field quite like L&D, where people are so welcoming and helpful to one another. Whether it’s sharing ideas, offering support, or just lending an ear, there’s always someone out there who’s willing to help. And the best part? The opportunity to connect with L&D pros from all over the world! From attending conferences in New Zealand to making new friends from China, Turkey, Brazil, and beyond, it’s been super cool to meet and talk with such wonderful learning professionals. So here’s to being a part of the L&D community – I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of it!

What are you most grateful for?

As always, thanks for reading.

What I’m Listening To: It is spring break around here and Groove Armada Radio is just the right mix of funkiness and fun.

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Last Week’s Most Clicked:

The Better Deck Deck

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📰 News & Notes

If learning matters, make it a campaign

The article by Ross Garner argues that learning and development should be treated as a marketing campaign, with clear objectives, target audiences, messaging and tactics. By adopting a campaign mindset, L&D professionals can create a more engaging and impactful learning experience that resonates with learners and drives behavior change. He also offers practical tips and examples to help L&D teams apply campaign principles to their programs, including using data and analytics to measure success, leveraging social media and influencers to amplify the message, and creating personalized content that speaks to the specific needs and interests of different learner segments. More great stuff to #StealFromMarketing

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The Magic of Knowing When to Use Concrete vs. Abstract Language

Using concrete language (words that describe tangible things) can make messages more memorable and easier to comprehend, while abstract language (words that describe concepts) can be effective for conveying complex ideas. Knowing when to use each type of language is a valuable communication skill that can improve how effectively you connect with your audience. By using concrete language to clarify instructions and abstract language to convey emotions and values, you can make a lasting impact.

Why Less is More in Learning Design

In this post, Connie Malamed discusses the importance of cognitive load in learning. When learners are presented with too much information at once, their working memory becomes overloaded, and they are unable to effectively process the information, which can lead to poor learning outcomes. She recommends several strategies for reducing cognitive load to create learning experiences that are more effective and enjoyable for learners.

The Multi-Store Memory Model

The multi-store model of memory is a theory of memory that proposes that information is processed in three stages: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Sensory memory is a brief store that holds information from our senses. Short-term memory is a limited-capacity store that holds information for a few seconds. Long-term memory is an unlimited-capacity store that holds information for an indefinite period of time.

The multi-store model of memory has helped us understand how information is processed and stored in the brain. This has led to new teaching methods and learning strategies such as spaced repetition, mnemonic devices, retrieval practice, and elaboration. These strategies can help us learn more effectively.

You Are You, We Live Here, This Is Real Life

In his article, Freddie deBoer argues that people should be more accepting of differences and focus on commonalities to build a sense of community. He suggests that in the current political climate, people are too quick to dismiss others who don’t share their beliefs or experiences, and this leads to division and conflict. Instead, deBoer suggests that people should embrace diversity while recognizing the shared experiences and challenges that unite us as human beings. By doing so, we can create a more harmonious and inclusive society. Does this resonate with you?

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Learn from one of the most respected voices in the learning industry, Donald Taylor!

In this upcoming webinar on April 25th, 12PM – 1PM CEST, powered by aNewSpring, Donald H. Taylor will dive deep into the 2023 Global Sentiment Survey (GSS) results. It clues you in on which topics will shape the L&D world in the coming year and what this might mean for you.

Trend catcher, Ger Driesen, will also provide a unique perspective on how the survey results could impact the training provider industry. With this exclusive insight, you’ll be ahead of the curve and ready to adapt to the latest trends. Join the discussion!

Attend the webinar

Get smarter in 5 minutes with Morning Brew (it’s free)
There’s a reason over 4 million people start their day with Morning Brew – the daily email that delivers the latest news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. Business news doesn’t have to be boring…make your mornings more enjoyable, for free.

Check it out!

Tech news is confusing – so we changed that.
Join over 450K people reading Tech Brew – the 3-times-a-week free newsletter covering all updates from the intersection of technology and business. We provide free tech knowledge that’ll help you make more informed decisions.
Subscribe For Free

---

🎧 Podcasts

These are the podcasts that caught my ear this week.

---

🧰 Tech, Tools & Tips

If tools are your jam, check out my new WorkSmarter newsletter

How Password Managers Work and Why You Need to Use One

One password to rule them all.

https://medium.com/the-useful-tech/how-password-managers-work-and-why-you-need-to-use-one-3205954f2e4e

Kapwing

The collaborative video editor for modern teams.

https://www.kapwing.com/

STORYD

Data presentations leaders love, in seconds.

https://www.storyd.ai/

Loaf

Animated SVG icons you’ll love to use.

https://getloaf.io/

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iSpring Days

Two days of lectures and workshops given by top industry experts

iSpring Days 2023 is a free online eLearning conference where top industry experts will gather to share best practices and proven solutions that elevate digital learning experiences and result in improved KPIs.

Speakers: Cara North, Holly Owens, Tom McDowall, Patricia Rieger, Clark Aldrich, and others.

Dates: April 27-28

What you’ll learn:

● Boost training metrics & improve your bottom line

● Build effective and engaging scenarios

● Design impactful eLearning programs

● Avoid common course design mistakes

● Choose training goals that align with business objectives

● Increase employee retention

● Overcome hurdles along the road to eLearning success

See you at the conference!

---

🧳 Where’s Mike?

Microlearning Conference
April 27
Online

Learning & Marketing Conference
June 7-8
Online

Friday Finds is an independent publication that I produce in my free-time. You can support my work by sharing it with the world, booking an advertising spot, or by buying me a coffee.