The eLearning Coach

Long-Term Memory: A User’s Guide

Sun, 07 Feb 2021 21:30:30 GMT

In learning, long-term memory is the ultimate destination. Here's what you should know about how we encode, store and retrieve memories.

ELC 066: Best Of | How to Write Compelling Stories

Sat, 06 Feb 2021 18:58:06 GMT

Lisa Cron, author of Wired For Story, is passionate about the power and value of stories for learning. In this conversation (recorded in 2013), Lisa will convince you that it is through stories that humans survive and it is through stories that people learn. She provides lots of relevant advice to learning experience designers who write stories, scenarios and vignettes for instructional purposes. If you are looking for ways to write irresistible stories and scenarios, listen in for advice from a pro who understands how stories bring meaning to our world.

WE DISCUSS:

* Real purpose of stories
* Dopamine and curiosity
* Most important element of a story
* Protagonist's inner world
* How to grab attention from the start
* Pros and cons of story structure
* First person or third person?
* Common mistakes in storytelling

TIME: 30 minutes

TRANSCRIPT: Download the
ELC 066: Transcript for How to Write Compelling Stories.

RESOURCES:

* Wired for Story by Lisa Cron
* Story Genius by Lisa Cron
* Story or Die by Lisa Cron
* Wired for Story website
* The Rules of Story article by Lisa Cron
* Why You Need to Use Storytelling for eLearning

Get the latest articles, resources and freebies once a month plus my free eBook, Writing for Instructional Design. SEND EBOOK NOW

Alternatives to Correct and Incorrect

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 18:00:27 GMT

Seven options for providing feedback that is informative, motivating or corrects misconceptions and moves the learner forward.

Learning Science Books to Inspire You This Year

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 21:45:07 GMT

Learning experience designers and educators are the beneficiaries of cognitive science research. These three books explain how to apply it.

Finding Your Place In an Instructional Design Career

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 20:00:32 GMT

No need to fit a square peg in a round hole. There are lots of options for instructional designers and developers.

ELC 065: Pro Tips For Working With Subject Matter Experts

Mon, 07 Dec 2020 19:59:18 GMT

Subject matter experts or SMEs are usually an indispensable part of a learning development team. Even though they are on the same team, however, the SME and the learning professional may be living in different worlds. How can we build good relationships with subject matter experts and what can we do when issues and obstacles emerge? In this episode, I speak with two very experienced learning professionals who answer these questions, Dawn Mahoney and Diane Elkins. They offer insightful strategies and techniques for successfully managing issues with SMEs.

Dawn, CPTD, is the founder of Learning In the White Space, a boutique consultancy devoted to all things learning. She also writes on learning topics and is the author of the "Last Word" column for Training Magazine.

Diane Elkins is co-owner of Artisan E-Learning, where she helps companies, non-profits and government agencies get up and running with e-learning initiatives. She has been in the training and development field for 20 years. Diane is the co-author of the popular E-Learning Uncovered book series and is a regular contributor to the ATD Learning Technologies Blog.

WE DISCUSS:

* Role of the SME in instructional design
* Recommendations for the qualities of a good SME to work with
* How to ensure you have a good working relationship from the start
* How to get busy experts to commit the necessary time to your project
* Difference between presentation reviews and storyboard reviews
* How to mind meld with a SME (extract tacit knowledge from them)
* How to prevent learning experiences from becoming brain dumps

TIME: 42 minutes

TRANSCRIPT: Coming soon.

RATE: Rate this podcast in Apple Podcasts

RESOURCES:

* Learning in the Whitespace (Dawn's consultancy)
* Artisan E-Learning: (Diane's company)
* E-Learning Uncovered (Book series co-authored by Diane Elkins)

Ten Working Smarter Hacks You Can Use Right Now

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 13:00:16 GMT

Productivity isn't about becoming an automaton. It's about focusing when it's time to focus, getting work done and having time for the rest of your life.

The Visual Design of Checklists

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 15:42:21 GMT

The visual design of a checklist has both a utilitarian and an aesthetic aspect. Here are several types of checklists you can adapt to meet your needs.

The World Needs More Checklists

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 22:00:27 GMT

The checklist is one of the most brilliant cognitive aids around. Hidden in this simple format is an ingenious type of performance support.

ELC 064: How to Create Meaning From A Torrent of Information

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 01:44:47 GMT

Every day, we engage in sense-making from a torrent of information. And we attempt to help others construct meaning in the learning experiences we design and provide. But what if we had a better understanding of how people create meaning as they interact with the world? Would that make you better at what you do? In this episode, I speak with Karl Fast, coauthor of Figure It Out: Getting from Information to Understanding.

Karl helps people think well in a world jam-packed with information. He has worked on complex information problems across startups, space science, intranets, education, and the Fortune 500. He holds a PhD in information science and is a former professor of User Experience Design. As a writer, he explores how information shapes the human experience.

WE DISCUSS:

* What the book covers: associations, external representations, interactions and coordinating for understanding
* Benefits to thinking of information as raw material
* The meaning of understanding
* How the science of mind is evolving: behaviorism, computational model, embodied cognition
* Evidence of the deep connection between mind, body and the world
* Difference between pragmatic and epistemic actions
* A taxonomy of actions that help us figure it out
* Coordinating it all for better understanding

TRANSCRIPT: Check back in a day.

RATE: Rate this podcast in Apple Podcasts

TIME: 44 minutes

RESOURCES:

* Figure It Out: Getting from Information to Understanding by Stephen P. Anderson and Karl Fast
* More about Karl Fast
* Twitter: @karlfast
* How the Mind Works by Stephen Pinker
* Liquid Text
* Ikea Hackers :-)

The Importance of Writing Effective Distractors

Sat, 03 Oct 2020 15:31:01 GMT

Although writing effective distractors (wrong answer choices) is often difficult, they can play an important role in getting the measurement information you're seeking. Effective distractors discriminate between those who have achieved the performance objectives and those who have not.

Empathy Maps: A Tool for Learning Experience Design

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 00:36:43 GMT

Learning experience design uses human-centered strategies and tools, like the empathy map to develop empathy for a target audience. Download and learn how to use one here.

Best Stock Music For Multimedia Projects

Sun, 16 Aug 2020 15:45:06 GMT

Reviews of stock music sites for people who produce online learning, presentations and videos.

ELC 063: The Evolution To Learning Experience Design

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 16:23:23 GMT

Do you hear a lot about learning experience design (LXD) but aren't sure what it is? In this episode, we discuss the evolution of instructional design to learning experience design. We talk about what it means to us, how we can explain it to others and how we can support people on their learning journey. I’m replaying an episode of the Powered by Learning podcast that I was on from d’Vinci Interactive. I thought it was timely, since I’m currently writing a series of articles on learning experience design

WE DISCUSS:

* Meaning of learning experience design (LXD)
* Qualities of an effective learning experience
* User experience techniques that can improve outcomes
* Transitioning into learning experience design
* Learning from the audience when you don't have access to them
* Empathy maps complement personas
* Helping clients understand that learning is a journey
* How we need to evolve as learning professionals

TRANSCRIPT: It will be available on August 14, 2020. Check back please.

RATE: Rate this podcast in Apple Podcasts

TIME: 33 minutes

RESOURCES:

* d'Vinci Interactive
* 10 Principles of Learning Experience Design (first article in a series on LXD)
* Mastering Instructional Design Community
* Less Content More Learner (Learning Guild Research Report-become a free member to download)

Get the latest articles, resources and freebies once a month plus my free eBook, Writing for Instructional Design. SEND EBOOK NOW

10 Principles of Learning Experience Design

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 00:59:14 GMT

As we explore our transformation to learning experience design (LXD), we can see that some principles have solidified and are now considered best practices.

ELC 062: Starting An Instructional Design Career in Higher Education

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 14:56:46 GMT

Have you ever considered starting a learning design career in higher education? Have you wondered if academia is the best fit for your preferences and interests? In this episode, Peter Shea and I discuss the roles that instructional designers play in higher education and what it's like to work in that environment.

Peter manages an excellent Facebook community called Instructional Designers in Education, which has close to 7000 members. He is also an instructional designer, teacher, editor, and writer. Peter is an advocate for immersive learning experiences and for using learning analytics to inform learning design. He has spent several years as director of professional development in higher education and is co-editor of a forthcoming book on technology for learning and assessment. Peter also created another social media group in LinkedIn for people interested in data-informed learning design. See the links at the end for access.

WE DISCUSS:

* The role that instructional designers play in higher education
* How working in higher ed differs from L&D in the workplace
* Importance of faculty relationships
* Differences between working in community colleges versus universities
* Salary comparison
* Benefits and disadvantages of working in higher ed
* Using simulations for learning
* Importance of mixing it up with IDs in other fields
* How learning designers in higher ed can improve the field
* Effects of remote learning on higher education
* Learning analytics in higher education
* How to find a job in higher education
* How to prepare for the learning designer role

TRANSCRIPT: Check back tomorrow. The elves are busy.

RATE: Rate this podcast in Apple Podcasts

TIME: 39 minutes

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

* Instructional Designers in Education (Facebook Group)
* Data Informed Data Design (LinkedIn Group)
* Chronicle Vitae (Job listings)
* HigherEd Jobs (Job listings)
* Michael Feldstein Resilience Network

Get the latest articles, resources and freebies once a month plus my free eBook, Writing for Instructional Design. SEND EBOOK NOW

Two Books That Enrich Training & Development

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 03:33:49 GMT

If you are craving innovation and increased creativity, try these two books to enrich your practice. As the needs of the modern adult learner change, we need new approaches to push the envelope and meet their needs.

Alternatives to Bloom’s Taxonomy for Workplace Learning

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 02:37:20 GMT

Are you ready to explore different perspectives about learning outcomes and performance objectives? Check out these alternatives to Bloom's Taxonomy.

10 Best Practices for Designing Blended Learning

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 03:00:54 GMT

Blended learning refers to the use of more than one delivery method to provide and enhance training and support. This is one way to add continued support to people on their learning journey.

Designing Learning for Mental Models

Mon, 18 May 2020 12:00:52 GMT

By understanding a learner's mental models, we can improve our user interfaces, instructional interventions and overall learning experiences.