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“Everything has been said before, but since nobody listens, we have to keep going back and beginning all over again.”
—André Gide
Time’s flying faster than a kite in a windstorm, and in case you blinked and missed it, Bianca and I had a fantastic conversation with our friends at aNewSpring this week. We were thrilled to explore our mutual interest in discovering the most effective marketing strategies for L&D, particularly focusing on content strategy. Did you miss the live-action? No worries, you can still watch the recording and grab some bonus resources over here at your convenience.
Thanks for reading!
🎶 What I’m Listening To
I snagged a new favorite artist from my daughter’s playlist – Noah Kahan. She’s got good taste!
👆 Last Week’s Most Clicked
Watch the recording and access resources from our recent aNewSpring webinar.
📰 News & Notes
When Instructional Designers Can’t Talk to the Target Audience
Connie Malamed emphasizes the importance of understanding the work environment and challenges faced by learners to create effective eLearning experiences. It highlights the need for positive learning transfer, where learners can apply what they’ve learned to new situations. She suggests empathizing with learners through observation, informal chats, formal surveys, and additional research when direct contact is not possible. It stresses the significance of imagining the learner’s perspective to enhance the realism and effectiveness of the learning experience.
🎯 Take away: To create impactful eLearning experiences, immerse yourself in the learner’s environment and challenges, ensuring that the content is relatable and applicable to real-world situations.
Accelerating Excellence?
Dr. Philippa Hardman and Gianluca Mauro are pioneering research into the impact of AI on learning design, specifically testing the hypothesis that specialized AI tools can outperform traditional human-only and ChatGPT-assisted processes in terms of speed and quality. Their early findings suggest that AI significantly enhances both the efficiency and effectiveness of learning design. This research aims to revolutionize the learning design landscape, much like Figma did for UX/UI design, by empowering designers with tools that enable evidence-based decision-making and elevate the standards of learning experiences.
🎯 Take away: The advent of specialized AI tools holds the promise of transforming learning design by significantly improving its speed and quality, potentially reshaping the role of learning designers towards deeper specialization in AI literacy, data interpretation, and behavioral science.
9 Instructional design principles and how to use them
Instructional design principles serve as the bedrock for creating effective and engaging learning experiences. These principles, rooted in cognitive psychology and learning theory, emphasize the importance of understanding the audience, setting clear objectives, designing interactive content, and incorporating feedback mechanisms. They advocate for a learner-centered approach, promoting active learning and ensuring that the material is relevant and accessible. By adhering to these guidelines, educators and instructional designers can craft courses that not only impart knowledge but also inspire and empower learners.
🎯 Take away: Instructional design principles are a guide to creating impactful, learner-centered experiences that foster engagement, understanding, and growth.
Does your organization primarily offer instructor-led training, whether in-person or virtually, over a webinar platform like Zoom? You might need to consider alternatives to your instructor-led training, such as eLearning if you answered “yes” to any of the above. But how can you ensure the success of your training migration project?
Consider these five key questions before converting your live training to eLearning!
🧰 Tech Tools & Tips
If tools are your jam, check out my new Work Smarter newsletter.
Consensus: AI Search Engine for Research
Consensus is a search engine that uses AI to find answers in scientific research.
Lummi Photos
The best free stock photos and royalty-free images. Powered by robots everywhere.
🎧 Podcast
This is the conversation that caught my ear this week. Check out previous episodes in the Friday Finds podcast playlist.
How Should I Be Using A.I. Right Now?
Ethan Mollick is the perfect guide: He’s a professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania who’s spent countless hours experimenting with different chatbots, noting his insights in his newsletter One Useful Thing and in a new book, “Co-Intelligence: Living and Working With A.I.” This is a very rich conversation that is well worth listening to.
🧳 Where’s Mike?
- ATD ICE, New Orleans May 19-22
- Canadian eLearning Conference, Toronto, June 13-14
- Greater Cincinnati ATD, September 4
If you or your event needs a speaker or workshop that is highly interactive and super practical, we should talk.
sponsored
Elevate Your eLearning Game with the Right Authoring Tool
Are you looking for the ideal course authoring software to bring your eLearning projects to new heights? If so, download this comprehensive guide, “How to Choose the Right eLearning Authoring Tool.” This valuable resource is designed to help you navigate the myriad options and select the perfect tool for your specific needs.
In this free guide, you’ll gain insights on evaluating key features, comparing different solutions, and making an informed decision that aligns with your goals. Whether you are new to eLearning or want to enhance your current tools, it will provide you with valuable knowledge to make the best choice.
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