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“New beginnings are in order, and you are bound to feel some level of excitement as new chances come your way.” 
— Oscar Auliq-Ice

Happy Friday! I hope this year end newsletter finds you well and that you’re feeling good as we wrap up another year.

I enjoy looking back on the previous year and considering how to do better. To achieve that with this newsletter, I need your feedback on how I’m doing.

I’d really appreciate it if instead of reading this newsletter as usual this week, you would take the time to respond to the survey below (Feedback is truly a gift so consider it a belated Christmas present to me.)

Thanks in advance for your help. I hope you have a fantastic New Year’s holiday and an even better 2023!

As always, thanks for reading.

What I’m Listening To: I’ve never been a big fan of New Years Eve parties, so today I’m listening to this nice “New Years Chill” playlist which kicks off with one of the best songs ever while I stay home and skip the “crazies” out there running around tonight.

Last Week’s Most Clicked:

How to Fill a Horizontal Slide With a Vertical Image

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🧳 Where’s Mike?

• Central Ohio ATD, January 18 @ Dublin Public Library
• Mid-New Jersey ATD, February 21, 2023 @ Online
• New Zealand ATD Conference March 15-16, 2023 @ Auckland, NZ

Check it out

The 4 best-read blogs on creating instructional videos

Thinking of making your own training video? Check out iSpring’s expert posts for helpful tips and inspiration:

Video-Based Learning: How to Become a Training Video Ninja

How to Make Tutorial Videos: A Complete Guide

How to Create a Training Video for Employees: A Practical Guide and Tips

The 38 Best Training Video Software for 2023

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

“Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, and stupid people already have all the answers.”
– Socrates

Happy Friday! As I reflect on the year that was, I can’t help but feel grateful and even optimistic for the year ahead. For this penultimate newsletter of 2022, I’ve rounded up the best of the best for your year-end reading pleasure. So grab a comfy seat, kick back, and let’s take a stroll down memory lane as we look back on the most clicked items of the year!

Thanks for reading. Merry everything and happy always!!!

What I’m Listening To: I  discovered these remixes of classic Christmas songs several years ago and they continue to be my absolute favorite holiday music.

Last Week’s Most Clicked:

Transfer of Learning:
The necessary step to make learning stick

📰 News & Notes

How to Fill a Horizontal Slide
With a Vertical Image

In need of a quick fix for an image that just won’t fit your slide? Fear not! With this simple trick, you can turn that vertical image into a stunning widescreen masterpiece in no time. And the best part? No fancy software or design skills required. Just follow these easy steps and watch as your slide transforms before your eyes. Trust us, your audience will be none the wiser. So go ahead, give it a try and see the magic happen.

Virtual icebreakers: 42 fresh activities from top facilitators

Feeling a little…cold…when it comes to virtual team building? Don’t worry, Anamaria Dorgo and the butter team has some great solutions to warm up those virtual connections! These 42 virtual icebreakers from top facilitators are sure to elevate your next online event. So go ahead, try one out and watch your audience transform from awkward strangers to fast friends in no time.

Learn more →

Seven neuroscience backed-up facts for better learning experience design

This article discusses seven neuroscience facts that can help improve the design of learning experiences. These include the importance of attention and motivation, the role of emotion in learning, the benefits of spacing and interleaving practice, the effectiveness of retrieval practice and feedback, the role of sleep and rest in consolidation, the importance of setting goals and providing a clear structure, and the impact of physical activity on learning.

Learn more →

Five Ways to Reduce PowerPoint Overload

Overwhelmed by the never-ending bullet points and cluttered slides of PowerPoint? It’s time to say goodbye to the days of information overload and hello to clear, concise, and effective communication. Fortunately, science has our back with a set of research-backed techniques to reduce PowerPoint overload and make our presentations more in tune with the way people learn. Your audience will thank you.

Learn more →

20 Googling Tricks 99% of People Don’t Know About

Did you know that there are special tricks you can use when searching for things using Google? These tricks can help you find exactly what you’re looking for faster and more accurately. Check out this article to make your internet searches more efficient and help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Learn more →

When Graphics Lower Learning

Did you know that too many flashy images and animations can actually hinder learning rather than enhance it? Research shows that overloading eLearning materials with graphics can lead to cognitive overload, causing learners to struggle to process and retain information. So the next time you’re tempted to go all out with the graphics, remember that sometimes less is more.

Learn more →

20 Things To Remember About Forgetting

Did you know that forgetting is actually an important part of the learning process? IWhen we forget something, it helps us to filter out unnecessary information and focus on what’s important. This is called the “forgetting curve,” and it shows that we tend to forget things quickly at first, but then the rate of forgetting slows down over time. There are a strategies we can use to help us remember things better, like spacing out our learning, using mnemonic devices, and practicing recalling information.

Learn more →

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• “The best new app for newsletter reading”
  Reading newsletters in the inbox is frustrating – it is noisy and easy to lose control of subscriptions. Now you can enjoy your newsletters outside the inbox with Meco, an app built for reading.
  Try Meco – it’s completely free!
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• 2.6 Million People Wake Up to This Newsletter Every Morning
  There’s a reason so many people start their day with Morning Brew-the daily email the delivers the latest news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. News doesn’t have to be dry and dense…make your mornings more enjoyable for free.
  Check it out!

🎧 Podcasts

Huberman Lab
Podcast

Andrew Huberman is a neuroscientist and Professor of Neurobiology at Stanford University School of Medicine. His podcast is a super informative adventure of the latest research on well-being, health and longevity with top global experts.

Listen now »

Learning Uncut
Podcast

Learning Uncut is a podcast by Michelle Ockers that focuses on topics related to learning, education, and personal development. Episodes feature interviews with educators, researchers, and other experts in the field, as well as discussion and analysis of various aspects of the learning process.

Listen now »

Presentation
Podcast

The Presentation Podcast is a podcast that offers tips, tricks, and insights on how to create and deliver effective presentations. Episodes feature interviews with experts in the field of presentation design and delivery, as well as practical advice on how to improve your skills as a presenter.

Listen now »

🧰 Tech, Tools & Tips

🧳 Where’s Mike?

• Central Ohio ATD, January 18 @ Dublin Public Library
• Mid-New Jersey ATD, February 21, 2023 @ Online
• New Zealand ATD Conference March 15-16, 2023 @ Auckland, NZ

Check it out

The 4 best-read blogs on creating instructional videos

Thinking of making your own training video? Check out iSpring’s expert posts for helpful tips and inspiration:

Video-Based Learning: How to Become a Training Video Ninja

How to Make Tutorial Videos: A Complete Guide

How to Create a Training Video for Employees: A Practical Guide and Tips

The 38 Best Training Video Software for 2023

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

“Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.
If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.”
– Tecumseh

Happy Friday! It’s that time of year again: the season of mistletoe, hot cocoa, and good cheer. And what better way to spread some festive joy than with this week’s edition of the newsletter? So pour yourself a mug of eggnog, curl up by the fire, and let the holiday magic begin!

Want to send holiday cards this year but aren’t crazy about the time and expense involved? Try one from BrightCarbon’s big collection of Powerpoint-made greetings. Choose from over 100 options that you can personalize and use to spread some festive cheer PowerPoint style!

Thanks for reading.

What I’m Listening To: I don’t think I’m quite ready for non-stop Christmas music yet, but this Christmas Holiday Jazz playlist pairs nicely with reading your favorite newsletter. 8-)

Last Week’s Most Clicked:

32 Non-L&D Books for L&D Pros

📰 News & Notes

How Zapier’s L&D team saved 1,000s of hours of work with automation

Zapier’s Learning and Development team hasn’t created a calendar event or manually promoted internal workshops since 2020. They outsourced the admin work to automation so they could spend time on tasks that need a human touch—like coaching and facilitating.

This article walks you through how it works along with a few advanced Zap-building tricks to inspire you to think big when it comes to automating.

Curious to see how you rank as an automator? Take this automation score quiz to find out.

The ever-growing importance of L&D in the future of work

In the future of work, it’s not just robots and AI that will be taking over – it’s also the constant need for learning and development. As the business world evolves at a rapid pace, it’s becoming increasingly important for companies to invest L&D.

So, put down that VR headset and read on to discover why L&D is the key to thriving in the future of work.

Learn more →

Behavioral Scientist’s Notable Books of 2022

It’s that time of year again: the holidays are coming and behavioral science enthusiasts are gathering to discuss the latest and greatest books on the subject. This annual round-up is sure to provide food for thought for anyone interested in understanding the mysteries of the human behavior. So grab a cup of cocoa and dive into the latest and greatest in the world of behavioral science.

Browse the list →

Should You Trust the Myers-Briggs Personality Test?

Are you an introverted intuitive who loves deep conversations and hates small talk? Or maybe you’re an extroverted feeling type who loves to be around people and always puts others’ needs before your own? If you’ve ever taken the Myers-Briggs personality test, chances are you have a good idea of where you fall on the personality spectrum.

But here’s the million-dollar question: should you trust the results of this popular personality test?

Learn more →

Transfer of learning: The necessary step to make learning stick

Transfer of learning is a concept that should be top-of-mind when planning any learning and development program. Without a solid understanding of the factors that affect the transfer of learning, the gulf between training and job performance is difficult to bridge.

Learn the 16 factors addressed in the Learning Transfer System Inventory (LTSI) and how the transfer of learning must be an underlying design principle for L&D teams.

Learn more →

• NXPowerLite File Compressor
  Over 3 million people use NXPowerLite to help them easily email large files. 4.9-star rated and the “best file compressor money can buy!” — if you ever struggle with large documents or images then give NXPowerLite a try – free for 14 days
  .
• “The best new app for newsletter reading”
  Reading newsletters in the inbox is frustrating – it is noisy and easy to lose control of subscriptions. Now you can enjoy your newsletters outside the inbox with Meco, an app built for reading.
  Try Meco – it’s completely free!
  .
• 2.6 Million People Wake Up to This Newsletter Every Morning
  There’s a reason so many people start their day with Morning Brew-the daily email the delivers the latest news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. News doesn’t have to be dry and dense…make your mornings more enjoyable for free.
  Check it out!

🎧 Podcasts

The 3 Pillars of
Great Content

If you write copy or work in the content creation business, then do not sleep on this episode. Dakota Robinson discusses the three content pillars and share five actionable tips for writing better copy. Here’s a quick example: use simple language and short sentences.

Listen now »

Thriving amid
Information Overload

Ross Dawson shares battle-tested strategies for excelling in a world of massive information including: 

The five information superpowers, how to consume information optimally, & how to discern the good sources from the bad ones

Listen now »

Can ChatGPT Make This Podcast?

It’s writing podcast scripts, finishing students’ homework and correcting mistakes in computer code: ChatGPT, the A.I. chatbot from OpenAI, is suddenly everywhere. Who should decide how it’s built? What could go wrong? And what could go right?

Listen now »

🧰 Tech, Tools & Tips

🧳 Where’s Mike?

• Mid-New Jersey ATD, February 21, 2023
• New Zealand ATD Conference March 15-16, 2023

4 Must Reads About PowerPoint and eLearning

Do you know that you can create eLearning courses right in PowerPoint? Here are some blog posts that will let you get started immediately:

How to Convert Your PowerPoint Presentation into an eLearning Module

Animation in eLearning: PowerPoint Tips and Tricks

How to Make a Timeline in PowerPoint (Template Inside)

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

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look
back and realize they were the big things.”
– Robert Brault

Happy Friday!  A heartfelt thanks to everyone who replied to my query into whether anyone reads this space. I see you all and be forewarned that there may be a dad joke somewhere on the horizon. (Sorry, Judith. I promise I won’t over do it.) 

Thanks for reading.

What I’m Listening To: I’ve been a big fan of Louis Armstrong for as long as I can remember. Today I’m listening to this playlist that kicks off with Wonderful World – makes me smile every time!
(You can follow me on Spotify)

Last Week’s Most Clicked:

Improving Multiple Choice Questioning

📰 News & Notes

It’s Not a Headline, It’s a Hook Point

The world is a busy place with millions of people and brands competing for attention on digital platforms. If you want to succeed and see results, you need to hook people in with your content and message.

Hook Points can be applied to any content you make and distribute, so start thinking about what your perfect Hook Point might be.

Simply Put: A guide for creating easy-to-understand materials

This guide from the CDC is intended to help design clear and understandable health materials. It provides steps (and checklists) with detailed information and tips for developing communication materials that are evidence-based, user-friendly and also applicable to other topics as well.

If this resonates, you may also be interested in a deeper dive available in the “Toolkit for Making Written Material Clear and Effective“.

Learn more →

32 Non-L&D Books for L&D Professionals

L&D is an integrative domain that draws on so many other subjects. Therefore, it’s essential that we educate ourselves on these subjects. 

Learnovators has compile a list of the disciplines that are of interest to those in our field, including marketing, behavioral economics and others along with some book suggestions under each discipline.

Browse the list →

10 AI Content Tools Worth
Checking Out

While AI isn’t ready to replace us yet, some of these new tools can speed up and simplify your work. New tools are evolving fast and here are 10 good ones worth knowing. 

Imagine letting the Open AI Chatbot write your script, putting that into Murf.ai to generate the voice over and then dropping it into Descript with some b-roll video.  For the right topics, you can do that now and it only takes minutes instead of hours or even weeks. 

Learn more →

Plain Language Is For Everyone, Even Experts

A common objection about plain language is that it dumbs down content and insults intelligent readers. Some writers use an academic tone out of habit or try to impress readers with complex sentences and showy vocabulary. The idea that long sentences and big words make you sound smarter (or more professional) results in great sacrifices to readability and credibility.

Learn more about the advantages of clear, straightforward writing in this article from the Nielsen Norman Group.

Learn more →

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🎧 Podcasts

Why Curiosity in the Workplace Is Important

Stefaan Van Hooydonk has conducted research on the topic of curiosity at work. He believes that curious individuals need curious environments to thrive and that in times of economic turmoil, individuals and companies need to start embracing the power of intentional curiosity.

Listen now »

The link between learning transfer & assessment

This episode of the Learning While Working podcast with Keith Keating, explores the science of learning, some of the greatest challenges with learning transfer, why L&D experts should be viewed as trusted advisors, & more.

Listen now »

Humor’s Role in the 21st Century Workplace

Institutions as serious as Wharton, MIT, and the London Business School agree: it’s time to bring some laughter in the workplace.

Listen now »

🧰 Tech, Tools & Tips

🧳 Where’s Mike?

• Mid-New Jersey ATD, February 21, 2023
• New Zealand ATD Conference March 15-16, 2023

Great resources for gamification in eLearning

Did you know that engagement in employee training continues to be the #1 challenge for L&D professionals? One definite way to boost it is to integrate gamification into your training strategy. Here are some great resources that will give you a great deal of useful information on gamification and resources for implementing it in your projects:

eLearning Gamification: How to Apply It and Win the Game

Prefer to watch this content on gamification? We got you

Gamification vs. Game-Based Learning

4 Easy Gamification Tricks for PowerPoint and iSpring Suite

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

“You cannot do a kindness too soon because
you never know how soon it will be too late.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

What I’m Listening To: If you’re on Spotify you probably know that they send you year-end recap of what you’ve been listening to. Here is my Spotify Wrapped for 2022 with the songs & artists I listened to the most. (You can follow me on Spotify)

Last Week’s Most Clicked:

Articulate Rise Interaction Character Limits

📰 News & Notes

The Promise of Habit-Based Learning

Subconscious, habitual learning is far more common, complex, and important than we’d realized. This type of learning has been making a comeback everywhere except where it’s needed most—education. Students need both fast and slow systems to learn well. Yet over the past fifty years, education has dismissed the importance of fast automaticity in learning. In this article, Barbara Oakley & Terrence Sejnowski look at the Neuroscience of Fast and Slow Learning.

Content Maintenance: Knowing What to Update & When to Kill It

You should have a content maintenance plan so that your content stays fresh and up-to-date. You’ll also want to know when it’s time to say goodbye to any items that are no longer relevant. Learn more about creating a maintenance schedule for your content.

Learn more →

Don Norman on Why People-Centered Design Matters

Design is a way of thinking, understanding people real, fundamental needs, and designing systems that fulfill those needs in an understandable, enjoyable manner. It starts with observation, then progresses to deep analysis of the underlying issues, to rapid prototypes, testing, and continual iteration.

Watch Video →

Improving Multiple Choice Questioning

In this article, Blake Harvard describes a method to more efficiently and effectively use multiple choice questioning as a tool for self-assessment and as an assessment of learning technique. It is incredibly simple and easy to implement with students in class and is also quite useful for students to utilize in their own, individual studies.

Learn more →

Using the Think Aloud Protocol to Test Usability of Learning Designs

Usability testing is often missing from the traditional instructional design process. We need to make sure that eLearning courses and other digital products aren’t obstacles to learning. The think aloud method is perhaps the best way to discover problems with the user interface, navigation, layout, and instructions.

Learn more →

• Emerging Tech Brew | A 3-times-a-week email delivering the latest tech news impacting our future. Best part? It’s free and only takes 5 minutes to read so there’s no reason not to try it. Subscribe for free
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• Meet the Tesla of Productivity Apps Many of the most impactful leaders know exactly what they need to accomplish before the day starts. They use productivity apps like Sunsama to help them organize their weekly goals and smaller tasks to become the most productive version of themselves.
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🎧 Podcasts

Understanding design, content and bias

David Dylan Thomas talks to Kristina about design, content and bias. With a focus on patterns, assumptions and the need to have meaningful conversations.

Listen now »

Why No Two Brains
Are Alike

There’s no such thing as a “normal” brain. And according to Dr. Chantel Prat, a neuroscientist at the University of Washington, that’s a very good thing indeed. In this podcast, she explains how to get the most out of the brain you’ve got.

Listen now »

Great Minds on Learning with John Helmer

John Helmer talks with David James about a host of things including that Learning and Development professionals don’t know or aren’t aware of as much of learning theory and science as perhaps you’d expect.

Listen now »

🧰 Tech, Tools & Tips

🧳 Where’s Mike?

• New Zealand ATD Conference March 15-16, 2023

Claim Your Spot

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Most instructional designers know how to create amazing courses. But when it comes to the business side of things, they often get lost. Yet, everyone wants to have flexibility, lots of happy clients, and generate passive income. This webinar will look at seven steps to build a successful freelance eLearning business.

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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.