Last month I was at DevLearn in Las Vegas. As usual for a really good conference, I left with a stretched mind and new perspectives (and, as is regrettably common in a conference, there was little about documentation, or templates, or any of the other themes that I’ve recently been discussing). One thing that caught my eye was what seemed to be a recurring theme of technological determinism. That is,[…]
READ MORE about Technology Drivers & Elearning|Takeaways from DevLearn 2019L&D Fundamentals
The Positives of a ‘Foolish Consistency’
“A foolish consistency,” Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.” I have, it seems, a very little mind. I adore consistency. And documentation, especially documentation surrounding expectations, enables a consistent approach, not only in training design, but also in working with training teams. If team members know the expectations, they also know what they need to achieve. We use[…]
READ MORE about The Positives of a ‘Foolish Consistency’The Training Manager’s Introduction to Accessible Elearning [Infographic]
This “Training Manager’s Introduction to Accessible Elearning” infographic explains why accessible elearning—online training that provides a welcoming (rather than frustrating) experience for all—is an important piece of raising training quality, availability, and effectiveness for learners, and for the moving your organization forward. [Skip to infographic transcript] The Training Manager’s Introduction to Accessible Elearning [Transcript] Elearning Generally, elearning is any form of training delivered electronically. Elearning can include PDF files, web pages,[…]
READ MORE about The Training Manager’s Introduction to Accessible Elearning [Infographic]3 Keys to Creating Effective Training
Last month, I discussed choosing a training method. In that commentary, I suggested that you choose a method that would be effective. This month, we take a quick look at what “effective” means, and one approach to creating training that gets the job done. To Develop Effective Training, Start at the Beginning What does it mean for training to be effective? I’ve recently finished Cathy Moore’s Map It: The Hands-On[…]
READ MORE about 3 Keys to Creating Effective TrainingChoosing a Training Method: 3 Things to Consider
Sure, you’ve got a training need—but the format? When you’re faced with choosing a training method, here are tips on deciding direction. Picking the Right Method for Your Next Training Project Matching Training Format to Training Need How do you fit the training format to the training need? Does a topic work better as in-person, instructor-led training; as an instructor-led webinar; as online, self-directed elearning? When choosing a training method,[…]
READ MORE about Choosing a Training Method: 3 Things to ConsiderMicrolearning—Is it a Good Fit for Your Training Program?
Organizations are finding that microlearning creates effective training more quickly and less expensively than traditional courses. Is microlearning right for you? Here are a few points to consider. Microlearning: Is it a Good Fit for Your Training Program? You might have heard about microlearning. It’s the idea that training is best delivered through targeted, short (no more than ten-minute) instructional segments, usually online. What’s more, several organizations have found that a[…]
READ MORE about Microlearning—Is it a Good Fit for Your Training Program?Accessibility Expertise: Determining Where It Belongs in Elearning Development
Building accessible online courses requires specialized skills—but do all accessible elearning development skills reside in a single role? Manage Accessible Elearning Development by Looking at Processes We talk a lot about making sure that elearning is accessible to all learners. Accessibility, in the context of elearning, means ensuring that people with disabilities (generally related to cognition, mobility, hearing, and vision) experience the course in the same way as those without[…]
READ MORE about Accessibility Expertise: Determining Where It Belongs in Elearning DevelopmentBut What Could *Possibly* Go Wrong? Testing Your Online Course
Testing Your Online Course: How to Evaluate Elearning Functionality before Launching How does testing fit into elearning development? It’s tempting to assume, when an elearning course has been created, that everything will just work. Advancing through the course will perform as expected; when questions are answered, the correct feedback will appear; completion will be properly registered with the user’s account. And yet… Here are some things that I’ve seen go[…]
READ MORE about But What Could *Possibly* Go Wrong? Testing Your Online CourseEmpowering Learning Development Project Managers
Two Types of Power to Move Your Learning Development Project Forward What Does a Project Manager Do, Anyway? We’ve talked about project management quite a bit on our blog, in videos, and in webinars. It’s a topic that contains multitudes. If you’re running a course development team, you need project management to help you develop your course on time, in scope, and within budget. I’d like to take a moment[…]
READ MORE about Empowering Learning Development Project ManagersThe SME Role in Course Development
What Does a Subject Matter Expert Do, Anyway? SMEs May or May Not Be Instructors Subject matter expertise can be part and parcel of instructing. A K-12 teacher is both an instructor and an expert in their subject (like fifth-grade math); a college professor is often a subject matter expert (SME) first (researcher in genetics) and a teacher second; corporate trainers often spend years in the field and then transition[…]
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