The eLearn Podcast: Recent Episodes
Stephen Ladek, Principal eLearning Advocacy, Open LMS
The eLearn Podcast is your go-to resource for creating successful learner outcomes. Whether you’re an instructor, an eLearner, a parent supporting an eLearner, a content creator or just an eLearning enthusiast, our episodes provide the latest strategies, practices and technologies for supporting, engaging and retaining students... both on and off line! Learn more at https://www.elearnmagazine.com/elp
Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Dr. Ayelet Zur-Nayberg. She is the Director of Adult Student Success at the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), where he has been working for two years. She is responsible for developing and implementing policies, programs, and initiatives that support the academic and career goals of adult learners across 13 colleges and 40 campuses.
Ayelet is passionate about enhancing the quality and accessibility of higher education for all learners, especially those who face barriers and disadvantages. She has been nominated for several awards that recognize her work and efforts to advance the Latinx community and the use of innovative pedagogy in Colorado.
In this ‘inclusive’ conversation Dr. Ayelet and I talk about
00:00 › Start
02:09 › Adulting—We discuss the importance of adult learners and the significant role they play in the community college ecosystem, especially given the shrinking population of traditional college-age students
06:01 › Toughing It Out There—Dr. Ayelet then outlines the primary challenges faced by adult learners, from scheduling to recognition of prior learning. We also cover systemic barriers that hinder adult learner progress and steps being taken to address them
20:10 ›Strategizing—Dr. Ayelet then discusses strategies for recruiting and retaining adult learners, focusing on the need for transparent communication regarding schedules, costs, and potential returns on investment. This also includes the importance of rebranding the community college experience to make it more appealing and accessible to adult learners
33:51 ›Inclusiving—Finally, we discuss the significance of creating a supportive and peer-inclusive environment for non-traditional learners, emphasizing the need for tailored approaches to tutoring and learning resources.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, who is the Chief Thought Leader and Chair of Herrmann International. She is an Author, researcher and keynoter, whose work is specialized on the practical application of neuroscience and cognitive diversity to human and organization development and improvement.
Ann has several widely viewed TEDx talks and is the co-author of The Whole Brain Business Book, now in its second edition. Her current research includes workplace resilience and the brain, the future of work and the development of women leaders in the workplace.
**In this ‘very flowing’ conversation Ann and I talk about
00:00 › Start
02:27 › LITFOW—The core concept of "Learning In The Flow Of Work" and its significance in today's quickly changing work environments
04:03 › INSTINCT—Ann illustrates the natural human instinct to seek instant solutions and learning opportunities in everyday life challenges
15:43 › ACTION—We shift the discussion to the applicability of learning in the flow of work across different teams and its customization to fit diverse learning needs
29:21 › CONTEMPLATION—**We end our conversation contemplating the balance between immediate, on-the-job learning and the necessity of taking time out for deeper, more immersive learning experiences, especially when considering significant pivots in one's career path.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is James Robilotta.
James is a leadership author, motivational speaker, MC and trained improv comedian. After years of building, training, and leading teams, James followed an entrepreneurial dream and built two successful businesses. The first is an organization that incorporates freestyle rap into improv comedy—a success story for another day. The second, his speaking and coaching business, the success story we’re talking about today.
James’ cornerstone concept is that we as humans cannot learn from people who are perfect. We can only learn from people who are imperfect.
In this ‘very empathetic’ conversation
00:00 › Start
01:37 › Understand the Person—James sets the stage for understanding the person behind the professional and how he came to focus on empathy in personal development
04:20 › Are You Credible Or Relatable?—James discusses the difference between credibility and relatability and how these concepts play out in educational and leadership roles
10:08 › Making Your Transition—James explores the transition from credibility to relatability and provides practical advice for those of us looking to make this critical shift in their professional lives
13:12 › Don't Aim To Please—James ponders the appropriateness of relatability in various contexts and its potential pitfalls, adding a layer of complexity to our understanding of interpersonal dynamics
21:46 › Aim For Curious—James turns to curiosity, its significance, impact and transformative power. We also address challenges faced by introverts in being outwardly curious
31:43 › Ask Questions—We discuss practical advice on how to ask questions, and the risks associated with a lack of curiosity, within the broader implications for retention, innovation, and community building.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Charlotte Evans.
Charlotte is Senior Solutions Consultant at Coursera, and advises North American companies on their upskilling and reskilling learning solutions. She worked in Asia for five years in student services, where she also pursued a fellowship through the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Learners’ Voice program.
**In this ‘data driven’ conversation Charlotte and I talk about
00:00 › Start
01:12 › Her journey** and her role at Coursera where she assists companies in sifting through the overwhelming array of learning options to find the right solutions for their teams.
03:00 › The core of our discussion revolves around the Skills Compass report, a pivotal piece of research to which Charlotte contributed. We probe into the significance of this report, its findings and its relevance in today's fast-paced learning and development landscape.
15:32 › The conversation then moves into ROI in learning, with Charlotte discussing how companies can balance short-term gains with long-term value through skill development.
20:17 › Charlotte then addresses the challenge of content chaos and how companies approach Coursera for help in organizing their learning strategies and making sense of the overwhelming amount of learning content available.
26:24 › Finally, we end our conversation talking about the impact of company size on approaches to learning and adapting to generative AI, with Charlotte sharing her observations on the diverse strategies employed by different organizations.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Devin Hughes. Devin founded a boutique training and development firm to help established and emerging leaders grow to reach their potential and their teams’.
Devin is a speaker, author, and culture expert. He is the author of 21 books and has spoken in over 15 countries.
His approach draws from the science of positive psychology, positive organizational research, appreciative inquiry, neuroscience, mindset, and mindfulness.
**In this ‘very positive’ conversation we talk about
00:00 › Start
00:32 › Gratitude—**Devin starts us off by sparking an insightful conversation about the power of dedicating time to reflection and thankfulness and the broader implications of using positive psychology in our lives
02:14 › Optimistic—Devin then shares his background, work, and the impact of positive psychology on organizational culture and personal well-being, offering listeners a deep dive into the principles that drive positive change
04:41 › Constructive—Devin then offers practical applications of positive psychology in educational settings, discussing strategies for educators and learners alike to foster environments that promote well-being and engagement, including how to start and end classes or lectures on a positive note
10:22 › Impact—Devin then discusses the lasting effects of positive psychology interventions, revealing how these moments of "fantasticness" can extend beyond the classroom and into the broader aspects of a learner's life
15:08 › Growth—We turn our attention towards the significance of human connection and the design of public spaces that encourage interaction, reflecting on how societal design impacts our ability to connect with one another
20:50 › Thrive—We wrap up our conversation with practical tips for educators on creating experiences that not only educate but also connect and enrich the lives of learners, emphasizing the role of educators in fostering environments of growth and belonging.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Bridgett McGowen. Bridgett is an award-winning author, publisher, and international speaker who is known to be both comical and memorable. She will not only energize you, but she will inspire you to not let anyone or anything get in the way of you being the most unforgettable person in the room.
In this ‘very presentable’ conversation Bridgett and I talk about
00:00 › Start
03:39 › The Art Of Engaging an audience effectively—Bridgett shares where she would start when it comes to captivating an audience, whether online or in person
04:00 › Your Engagement Style—Bridgett then tackles the positive aspects of engagement by outlining what successful engagement looks like across different teaching formats, offering actionable insights for educators and presenters alike
06:31 › Enhance, ENHANCE—Bridgett discusses common challenges faced by individuals aiming to enhance their presentation skills and provides solutions to overcome these hurdles and elevate your presenting game
08:29 › Role Nuances—Bridgett breaks down the roles of facilitator, teacher, and presenter, explaining how each persona interacts with their audience and the unique challenges they face. This segment is crucial for understanding the nuances of effective communication
14:03 › For Introverts—Bridget considers introverted professionals and their path to engagement success, by sharing personal anecdotes and tips for those who may not naturally seek the spotlight but still wish to make a significant impact
19:18 › Pacing—We shift to content delivery and pacing. Bridgett advises on how to balance your material within the constraints of time without overwhelming your audience
24:49 › Tweak It—Bridgett shares one or two small but powerful adjustments you can make to up your game in online presentations or webinars
26:33 › Cues—Finally we discuss the importance of nonverbal cues, camera positioning, and the choice of attire in enhancing online engagement. Bridgett provides practical advice to create a more personal and impactful online presence.
🎓
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is James McKenna, the author of Upskill, Reskill, Thrive! Optimizing Learning & Development in the Workplace (2023). He serves as Assistant Director of Professional Learning and Leadership Development at the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. He also runs a consulting firm, McKenna Learning, where he helps organizations take a human-centered approach to learning and improvement.
**In this ‘very expert’ conversation James and I talk about
00:00 › Start
01:33 › Workforce Insight—James shares insights from his book, which sets the stage for a deeper discussion on expert learning and its significance in today’s workforce
05:43 › Experiment, To Learn—James delves into the critical topic of experimentation and learning from failures, where he advises introducing these essential skills to colleagues and creating an environment that nurtures innovation and resilience
08:42 › Culture Roles—James then explores the pivotal roles within the workplace that enable and support a learning culture, highlighting the importance of leadership, management, and peer support in facilitating continuous growth and development 13:42 › OMG Moment—We pivot to address the "OMG moments" of learning discoveries that have the potential to transform organizational processes and outcomes, discussing how to effectively bring these insights back to the team without resistance 17:21 › Of All Sizes—James underscores the principle that "one size doesn't fit all" in learning, elaborating on how expert learners navigate and personalize their learning journeys to meet their unique needs and objectives 22:21 › When Learner Goals Deviate—James discusses the challenge of managing learners who might deviate from organizational goals in their quest for knowledge, seeking strategies to balance individual learning aspirations with business objectives 24:54 › Learning Culture Forward—We examine the common obstacles that organizations face in creating and sustaining a learning culture, emphasizing the mindset shifts and systemic changes necessary to overcome these barriers 29:30 › Practicalities—Our dialogue shifts towards practical steps for integrating a learning culture into the daily workflow, discussing how organizations can make learning an intrinsic part of their operations without overwhelming their employees 33:35 › Owning Every Learning—We touch on the importance of recognizing and formalizing learning achievements, exploring ways in which individuals can showcase their skills and competencies in a manner that aligns with career advancement goals 36:06 › James offers actionable advice for organizations eager to start implementing expert learning practices today, providing a roadmap for gradual, impactful change**
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is JD Dillon, an L&D expert who helps frontline employees do their best work every day. JD is currently the VP of Strategic Alignment at Axonify, founder of LearnGeek, and he’s recently published his second book: The Modern Learning Ecosystem
**In this ‘very influential’ conversation JD and I talk about
00:00 › Start**
01:45 › JD’s Current Endeavors, why he’s located close to Disney World, and how it influences his work
03:04 › Insights Into JD’s Background, where he sheds light on his passion for supporting frontline employees and his journey through the world of learning and development
05:57 › Why Influence — JD provides a compelling narrative on Why influence is considered the essential skill for L&D professionals today? And how he has seen its impact over the years
10:55 › Reevaluate The Way You Learn — JD then ponders whether the term "learning" needs reevaluation within the professional lexicon to better align with adult education and workplace training
17:55 › Integrals — We then shift gears to the challenges of integrating learning into the structured, scalable frameworks of large organizations, seeking a balance between systematic approaches and individual learning needs
25:17 › JD Offers Real-World Examples that highlight the discrepancies between problem-solving as a consumer, versus navigating the complexities within corporate settings
27:20 › Questioning? — We explore the art of questioning within the learning process, discussing the transition from identifying the right questions to applying AI in enhancing workplace performance
31:37 › Buy More Proactive — JD then discusses proactive strategies in L&D, emphasizing the significance of data-driven decision-making in shifting from reactive problem-solving to anticipatory learning initiatives
42:18 › Tactics — JD shares his favorite creative problem-solving tactics, including the improv classic "yes, and" approach, and reveals how understanding the day-to-day reality of job roles can significantly enhance learning outcomes.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guests for today are Dave Kerschbaum and Alejandro Ruelas, Learning Experience Designers at SAP with more than 20 years of combined experience.
In this ‘bridged’ conversation we talk about
00:00 › Start
02:22 › A Learning Sap—The roles Alejandro and David have at SAP Concur and how they partner with others in the organization to create learning experiences
10:00 › Bridging—Alejandro and David discuss the start of building the “bridge” in their learning experience design, what their framework looks like, and where ideas or decisions about what needs to be created come from
17:07 › Saying No—David and Alejandro relate how often they find themselves saying 'no' to a project that comes to them
20:55 › Mind Shift—We then discuss the mindset shift needed for someone entering the instructional design field, especially regarding the consultative process
27:23 › Management, Commitment—Alejandro and David talk about what managing people, budgets, and time, after committing to a project beyond creating learning materials and what the delivery process entails
43:31 › Looking out 2024—We end by looking towards 2024, and what David and Alejandro expect to shift in their career as learning experience designers that they're excited about.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Josh Kamrath, the CEO of Bongo, a start-up whose mission and vision is to change the way people are evaluated in the workplace, the classroom, and beyond.
In this ‘very personalized’ conversation we talk about
00:00 › Start
01:24 › Enter Josh—The unusual way Josh entered the eLearning space
06:07 › Mind, Bridge The Gap—How Josh defines the gap between Higher Education and corporate learning in terms of real-world applications
10:18 › AI-driven—Josh discusses the common challenges he faces when introducing Bongo and AI-driven learning, or when discussing the gap between education and corporate learning
16:44 › AI-overtaken?—Josh considers the increased use of AI-driven learning and whether or not it is due to its availability and on-demand nature, or because it's perceived as a better method
20:23 › On Real-time Coaching, Feedback—Josh elaborates on how Bongo focuses on assessment and offers tools for coaching and feedback in learning in real time
27:19 › Success Tales—Josh shares specific success stories and future plans and developments for Bongo in the next 18 to 24 months.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Dr. Conrad Gottfredson. Conrad is a founding partner and the Chief Learning Strategist at APPLY Synergies, an organization that specializes in helping learning professionals design, develop, maintain, and measure effective learning and performance support through the “5 Moments of Need” design methodology. His consulting firm specializes in helping learning organizations design, develop and measure effective learning and performance support strategies to meet those five moments learning is most needed.
In this 'flowing' conversation Conrad and I discuss
00:00 › Start
6:09 › Modern Learning—How Conrad defines workflow learning, and how to identify moments where staff are learning in the flow of work
17:31 › Performing—Conrad provides recommendations about first steps to shift training towards actual performance improvements and behavior change
22:20 › Virtual Mentorship Delivery—Conrad gives his insights about both virtual reality for simulations and mentorship as a methodology to deliver information
32:38 › Z Learning—Conrad discusses whether or not he sees workforce changing at all, especially around expectations by Gen Z
38:24 › Get '5tarted'—We end with Conrad’s advice about how to get started with workflow learning immediately.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Jared Stein. In the first half of his career, Jared led the development of new, fully online programs at colleges and universities and helped faculty adopt new ways of teaching with technology to increase student access and success.
After more than a decade of heading up product strategy and research at Instructure (makers of Canvas), Jared started Rarebird, an EdTech consultancy that helps startups and institutions maximize their impact.
Jared is also the author of “Essentials for Blended Learning: A Standards-Based Guide.”
In this ‘start-up’ conversation Jared and I discuss
00:00 › Start
3:08 › Stop Ignoring The Problem—Jared kicks us off by diving right into discussing when you should stop ignoring edtech startups and why this is a problem - from both corporate and traditional education experiences
8:35 › Starting Up Processes—Jared discusses processes he uses at Rarebird to advise startups for bringing their tech into the larger ecosystem, and how different personalities within Edtech startups create different outcomes
16:50 › Aid And Counsel—Jared offers his counsel for mitigating and managing risk as an EdTech startup and any organization willing to work with with (admittedly) sometimes not-fully-baked services
26:00 › The Graceful Stop—Jared talks about how to gracefully stop or walk away from an experiment with a start up when it doesn't work out
33:17 › Startup Boon—Finally, Jared discusses, where institutions might look for promising, legitimate and trustworthy startups solutions, especially in the generative AI space.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Crystal Kadakia. Crystal is the co-creator of the Learning Cluster Design model. She also leads her own independent organizational development consulting practice at Kadakia Consulting.
Crystal is also the author of The Millennial Myth: Transforming Misunderstanding into Workplace Breakthroughs, and the co-author of Your Career: How to Make It Happen with Lisa Owens.
In this ‘strategic’ conversation Crystal and I discuss
00:00 › Start
7:38 › Roadblocks—Crystal explains what roadblocks exist for a learning and development department or an individual that is practicing in this space that prevent the narrative within an organization that L&D is really a strategic investment
13:46 › Frameworks—Crystal then offers specific ideas and frameworks that she gives to her clients that help to change the mindsets of leadership
21:11 › Discomfort—Crystal then discusses why it is important for everyone to become uncomfortable to get confident and truly become a strategic player
34:17 › AI-proof L&D—Crystal talks about the things that are “AI-proof” in talent development in the L&D space.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Greg Rider. Greg is the Director of Corporate Compliance for the EmblemHealth family of companies. He has more than 20 years experience in employee training and development, with much of that time spent in healthcare-related organizations. In his role at EmblemHealth, Greg directs compliance communication, training, and other compliance governance functions.
In this ‘meditative’ conversation Greg and I discuss
00:00 › Start
4:52 › Breathe In—How Greg found himself in a space where he can discuss and advocate for Dharma and “embracing the now” in a professional setting, and what these mean, specifically for him
12:09 › Hold—Greg discusses why it has been hugely important for him to be able to “show up” completely at work, and how he supports others in doing that
17:19 › Release—Greg talks about how he handles situations where, perhaps, it might not be the best idea to put all of oneself on the table… and why it's sometimes a good idea just to remain silent (but not withholding)
20:20 › Reassess—Greg provides his insights into overcoming the fear of being “canceled” by colleagues, friends and family, and how being authentic has had an overarching impact across Greg’s business and network
29:15 › Embrace—Greg talks about the challenges of embracing the now on a daily basis and the need to go easy on yourself.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Alexandra Suchman. Alex is the cofounder and CEO of Barometer, a company that drives real behavior and culture change through games and play.
After a decade of experience working in operations and organizational development, Alex realized that building stronger emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills are key to organizational success. She noticed a gap in the industry for solutions that bridge the knowledge-to-action gap, and discovered game-based experiential learning for teams as an effective tool.
In this ‘game of a conversation’ Alex and I discuss
00:00 › Start
02:01 › Game On—How Alex stumbled into the world of games as a means for personal and professional development, why this is VERY different from gamification, and how she (and her teammates) get CEOs, CLOs and Directors to stop and listen to them
8:31 › Avatars—What the process looks like for bringing games into professional development, from the first icebreakers or proof-of-concept to massive complexity that really focus on achieving business or behavior change objectives
16:08 › Serious Fun—Alex describes how we can dispel the idea of games as just “silly fun,” to understand how there are opportunities everywhere for genuine reflection and learning, and how we play games differently, with different people
22:31 › Playtime—Alex tells us how she and her team help people to move past the potential cringe moments when playing games at work so that they really become something useful and powerful, and how this leads to tangible breakthroughs
28:13 › Game Over, Restart—Alex walks us through what it's like when a game doesn’t work as planned and you have to adapt on the fly; and why that’s often a magical moment
33:11 › Select, Start—Alex provides her advice on getting started with games for development in your organization or school.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Bobbi Macdonald. Bobbi is an education innovator and pioneer. Her work focuses on catalyzing transformation and building capacity. She co-creates with high performing communities dedicated to equity, liberation, and love.
In this ‘community-focused’ conversation, Bobbi and I discuss
00:00 › Start
4:50 › What Exactly Is A Global Perspective—and what does that look like right now, in terms of different cultures and countries Bobbi has been working and collaborating with?
6:22 › Bobbi Provides Her Vision for what an equitable community-based, learner-centered ecosystem makes available for childrens, families and communities; and some of the constraints for parents or teachers that struggle with letting go with the traditional structures we have in place
16:00 › Bobbi Talks The Tension between the need of resources, abundance and stability, and the need for adaptability, iteration and personalization, specifically in the context of her research
26:13 › We Discuss The Challenges other than financial resources that are typical, and barriers to getting community based learning going; and how rare it is for a community to take the time to reflect and share together
42:05 › Bobbi Discusses The Help she provides to communities to find shared value systems within larger contexts.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Cammy Bean. Cammy started as a Junior Instructional Designer in 1996 and has since collaborated with hundreds of organizations to design and deliver training. In 2009, she helped start up US operations for Kineo, a global provider of learning solutions. She currently leads the North American sales team, supports clients through the initial discovery process and manages a portfolio of custom client accounts to help organizations meet their strategic business objectives through better learning solutions. She’s also the author of The Accidental Instructional Designer: Learning Design for the Digital Age, now in its second edition.
In this ‘accidental’ conversation, Cammy and I discuss
00:00 › Start
6:46 › Coming Of Age—Cammy describes how the role of the instructional designer has come of age, especially post pandemic; and why, after many years, she is still passionate about the profession
11:52 › Counseling Book—Cammy talks about how her book counsels people to follow their passion and start a career that honors those passions. We also discuss the pros and cons of specializing vs remaining a generalist
20:20 › Working Challenges—We discuss how Cammy works through challenges with projects and clients
28:29 › Early Starters—Cammy provides her perspective and advice for early career professionals and what she sees happening in the near future for the instructional design profession.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guests for this episode are Andy Morgan and Steve Van Der Westhuizen. Andy is EVP, Head of edX Enterprise and Corporate Development with an expertise in corporate finance and strategic business development, with a particular focus on EdTech and Media. Steve is Senior Vice President, Strategy & Product Marketing for Enterprise at 2U.
In this ‘enterprise-level’ conversation, Andy, Steve and I discuss
00:00 › Start
5:13 › What Exactly Is edX Enterprise and its history and why is it important for executive education?
10:58 › What edX Has Learned about the different needs of different learners and how they are able to scale a bespoke solution like this
18:02 › Challenge and Pushback—Andy and Steve talk about the challenges and pushback they’ve received from the market, around things like privacy issues; and the conversations they’ve had with business leaders about building out these enterprise-level learning programs
31:00 › Money Minds—Steve and Andy revisit the fact that 60% of existing edX learners & leaders use their own money to buy these same types of courses, which allows them to understand how to tailor programs to what each set of learners need
36:32 › Growth—We end our conversation looking forward to what Andy & Steve are most excited about.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Ginger Dewey. Ginger taught for 38 years in K-12 and Higher Ed, with most of her experience in the latter. When she retired, she started working for ReadSpeaker doing what she loves: faculty training.
In this ‘leave-no-one-out’ conversation, Ginger and I discuss
00:00 › Start
3:51 › The Real Problem—What the real problem was that Ginger identified during her career and why modifying your teaching to reach all students is so important?
14:07 › Tactics—Ginger discusses whether or not she recommends using the same tactics for adult learners in a college classroom or a corporate setting as she would for younger learners?
21:30 › Scalable, Individualized Attention—Ginger describes how her process for giving each individual attention is scalable. And, how much extra administration does this process present for someone who is designing, learning, and then delivering learning?
33:15 › Ginger’s Challenge Lasagna—We end with Ginger laying out her top three challenges for reaching every learner and immediate next steps for that instructors and designers.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Clark Quinn. Clark is the Executive Director of Quinnovation, an independent learning experience design strategy consultancy that assists organizations to “work smarter” by aligning how we think, work, and learn. He’s also the Chief Learning Strategist for Upside Learning Solutions. But for anyone who has been in the learning space for any amount of time, you’ll also know Clark is a celebrated expert that has been applying evidence-based practices from the cognitive and learning sciences about how people think, work, and learn for organizational performance improvement since the 80s.
In this ‘quinnovative’ conversation, Clark and I discuss
00:00 › Start
9:40 › Clark's Gaps—What are the gaps that Clark sees, time and again, that individuals, schools and companies are not putting into their learning design?
13:51 › Quantified Heart-To-Heart—Why the most important thing, in Clark’s opinion, to improve learning is to start measuring in meaningful ways and why cognitive science and learning science are critical foundation knowledge for all instructional designers
21:45 › Dos And Don'ts—Clark discusses that we shouldn’t be designing a course - or any learning - unless we know what outcome it will be used to achieve in the business or organization… and why ROI should be treated carefully
27:35 › Effectivizing Tools—We end our conversation around a discussion of what tools and processes Clark recommends for designing learning… and how we can make learning most effective in any organization.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Diane Elkins. Diane has been in the training and development field for 20 years as a trainer, instructional designer, and eLearning project manager. As Co-Owner of Artisan E-Learning, she helps companies get up and running with eLearning initiatives, and specializes in the use of rapid development tools.
She has gained national recognition as a trainer and eLearning expert, serving as a judge for the Brandon Hall awards. She’s received awards from the eLearning Guild and Articulate. She is the co-author of the popular E-Learning Uncovered book series and is a regular contributor to the ATD Learning Technologies Blog.
In this ‘accessible’ conversation, Diane and I discuss
00:00 › Start
4:40 › All Access—Why accessibility is a particularly important and special topic for Diane. If your learning isn’t accessible… is it really complete?
11:30 › Key To The Door—How to position the conversation to develop accessible courses in your company so that you’ll always get a “yes”
14:50 › Design The Gates—Diane then walks us through a series of things that any designer can do today to make their courses more accessible. I don’t want to spoil any of the fun we have in the conversation… about menus, buttons, assessments, and so much more
42:34 › Socially Accessible—Along the way we touch on all kinds of other topics such as the technologies Diane recommends, the process controls that can help… and even how to make sure you get accessibility learning into your social media feed!
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Lisa Avery. Lisa is the President of Linn-Benton Community College in Western Oregon.
In this ‘mechatronic’ conversation, Lisa and I talk about
00:00 › Start
4:29 › Welcome to Linn-Benton—Lisa introduces us to Linn–Benton Community College, what it means to be a community college today, and what a typical student is like and is looking for
8:00 › Community College Matters—We talk about the reality of community college today, what important roles they play, their differences with 4-year colleges and why learners choose them
18:20 › On The Rebound—Lisa discusses how the Pandemic affected community colleges, how they’re rebounding and ways they are using this moment to reflect and adapt
22:21 › Industry Partnerships—We discuss how learners navigate what community colleges have to offer, how partnerships work with industry and how this is all leveraged into higher wages and other educational opportunities
33:42 › Hugging AI… Not—Lisa talks about how AI products are being embraced (or not) by the community college system and its partners
39:05 › Social Mobility—We end our conversation around the topic of social mobility and why community colleges offer unique opportunities for learners to move up.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Andrew Pass, Founder and chief “Visionary” of A Pass Education. Andy has led the company since its founding in 2009 and was named a top EdTech influencer in 2023.
In this ‘futuristic’ talk, Andy and I talk about
- What might a personalized AI device look like for a learner? (PS. It's not a tablet or phone)
- What would an AI device know about a learner?
- How would the material and instructions from such a device be verified and certified? And how would such a device be trained to be a truly "great" teacher or mentor?
- We continue down this rabbit hole to discuss how such a device might have very different instructions and outcomes depending upon where the learner lives, local politics and community desires
- We end our conversation with Andy's views on how this device might actually come into being.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is learning designer and journey mapper Sam DeGeus. She has developed a learning design methodology that is adaptable, scalable, and gets everyone engaged in the design process. Her strong facilitation skills and ability to wrangle and synthesize large amounts of information are critical components to delivering effective journey mapping and alignment workshops for clients around the world.
In this ‘conversational journey’, Sam and I talk about
00:00 › Start
4:00 › Going on a Journey—What exactly is journey mapping and what is its purpose… and how might it speed up the process of getting to important conversations about learning?
6:32 › First Step—Why isn’t everyone using Journey Maps for every learning opportunity and does it work as well in the K-12 space or HigherEd as it does in the corporate space?
18:36 › Discovery—How might journey mapping uncover non-training needs, what those look like… and how you can make sure this process doesn’t go off the rails with complexity
27:37 › Muddle—Sam explains how to overcome common objections to journey mapping and how to create parameters for success, and she provides examples of “ah ha” moments and success in her past work
37:56 › Bookend—What happens after a map is created, or the process reaches a stopping point, and actions need to be taken.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Pablo Ferreiro, who joins me in his role as Head of B2B Sales for the Americas for the company ELSA.
Pablo is also a co-founder of Coderhouse, which is backed by Y Combinator, and the Founder & CEO of Nord Learn. Oh, and in his spare time he has also run across the Andes Mountains.
In this ‘cagematch’, Pablo and I talk about
00:00 › Start
3:00 › ELSA’s First Words—Pablo discusses the surprisingly lengthy history of Elsa Speaks and what their focus is today
5:16 › DelegAIt—Pablo talks about how AI is changing the space of education and learning and offers his opinion about which tasks AI can handle better than humans
13:58 › Machine Vs Machine—Pablo discusses the potential issues of “AI talking to AI” with the advent of publicly available Generative AI products
21:14 › All About Ethics—We move into the topic of ethics and Pablo’s views on the importance of this with more than 53,000,000 users a day
27:31 › Enterprise AI Selling Challenges—Pablo offers the challenges he receives in an enterprise sales process about using AI in recruiting and upskilling
31:45 › Where’s L&D Heading—Where does Pablo see things going over the next few years on that interface between the L&D department and the HR department using a tool like Elsa, and how much is the line blurring between working with humans and working with AI?
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Matt Donovan, a self-described “slayer” of shiny objects, recovering instructional designer, advocate for the learner, warrior for ruthless relevance… and as his day job, Matt is Chief Learning and Innovation Officer for GP Strategies.
**In this future looking conversation, Matt and I talk about
00:00 › Start**
6:24 › Strategic—What strategies, processes and tech are really popping in the corporate L&D space recently, and how has GP Strategies responded?
18:00 › Innovative—When innovating, at what point do you put an “alpha” out there to start testing, and at what stage do you move to something that is production-ready?
24:49 › Transformative—How are L&D and education changing in terms of the infrastructure around learning and learner access? And, how is the infrastructure around us going to change to support more personalized immediate learning opportunities?
36:35 › Visionary—What is Matt’s vision about Web 3.0 and Artificial Intelligence, and how will they impact what we normally think of the arc of adult continuous learning?
44:37 › Transcendent—Matt’s opinion about the near future of learning and what we all should be doing to prepare and remain relevant?
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Gavin Henrick, CEO and Co-Founder at Brickfield Education Labs.
Gavin is a deeply experienced education technology executive who leverages his broad product and market knowledge to tackle learning and development challenges. He co-founded Brickfield in 2019 to focus on improving accessibility, quality of content and assessments in Learning Management Systems like Moodle and Open LMS.
In this very ‘accessible’ conversation, Gavin and I talk about
00:00 › Start
8:05 › What Is Accessibility in Learning Design—especially when talking about learning challenges not related to a permanent disability.
11:18 › How Gavin Works with clients to assuage fears around creating accessibility as part of an inclusive culture in an organization and what are the top challenges these clients identify?
24:52 › VIP SOPs—Gavin discusses his process for helping teams form the habit of creating things that are accessible like manuals, SOPs and checklists.
28:02 › Established Accessibility Goal Structures—Whether they exist, and how they might vary across organizations by size or focus
38:18 › AI Efficiencies—Gavin discusses how AI plays into creating efficiencies around accessibility and how Brickfiled Labs is incorporating this into their toolset
Listen to AI experts cut through the noise in our upcoming Elearning Success Series: AI in Learning Summit.
20+ hours of content, all free: eLearnMagazine.com/ai-in-learning-summit
Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Andrea Laus who is the CEO of SkillGym, an AI powered, digital roleplay platform for soft skills training.
In this ‘energetic’ conversation Andrea and I talk about
00:00 › Start
3:00 › Reskilling vs Upskilling vs New Skilling—how does SkillGym define these, specifically?
6:13 › The Soft Skill Mentality—and what Andrea thinks are the most challenging soft skills for people to continually improve
8:30 › How SkillGym’s AI Been Working for 10 years now
18:37 › Implementing SkillGym—What it looks and feels like in practice; and how does this implementation vary across different clients and industries?
21:13 › How Andrea Gets People To Come Back Consistently to the (mental) gym, and the most important challenges his company is tackling right now
34:07 › Andrea’s Vision—for the future of both his company and AI in the learning process
Listen to AI experts cut through the noise in our upcoming Elearning Success Series: AI in Learning Summit.
20+ hours of content, all free: eLearnMagazine.com/ai-in-learning-summit
Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Brian Walter. He is the Co-Founder and operator of two businesses, Extreme Meetings and Extreme Trainings. He does it all: from being an internal communications consultant, speaker, and trainer, to video script writer and producer. Oh, and he is absolutely hilarious!
In this ‘extreme’ conversation Brian and I talk about
00:00 › Start
3:05 › What Sticky Training Is Exactly—how you can recognize it and why still, in 2023, it is so hard to build effective “training” (except for maybe sales people)
9:45 › How To Build Training That Sticks—first by asking “what is that you want, that you don’t already have,” to then determine what is actually “trainable,” and finally create a truly memorable experience
17:48 › Brian’s GFSA Framework to understand what he means by “getable,” “feelable,” “sayable” and “actionable” training
26:07 › Unintended Outcomes—Brian and I then walk through a few stories around “unintended outcomes” from his training model that have happened in the past
30:05 › GFSA Challenges—Brian then talks through what makes building something with the GFSA model a challenge
36:00 › Adapting GFSA—Brian discusses whether or not (and how) GFSA works in a typical, asynchronous online learning experience; and how to progressively buy attention to captivate the audience
Listen to AI experts cut through the noise in our upcoming Elearning Success Series: AI in Learning Summit.
20+ hours of content, all free: eLearnMagazine.com/ai-in-learning-summit
Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Thjis De Vries, CEO and Co-Founder of Warp VR, a company that provides learning via combining, gaming and Virtual Reality.
In this ‘immersive’ conversation Thjis and I talk about
00:00 › Start
9:00 › What Exactly is Immersive Learning?—and how immersive experiences affect knowledge retention and achieve better learning outcomes
15:00 › The Warp VR Process—How they develop immersive experiences and why investing in the time and effort makes a difference
21:36 › ‘Twitching’ the Script—Why the script for an immersive experience is critical and other challenges common to building VR
34:29 › What Thijs Envisions for the future of cohort based learning within VR and other new trends playing out in the immersive learning space
Listen to AI experts cut through the noise in our upcoming Elearning Success Series: AI in Learning Summit.
20+ hours of content, all free: eLearnMagazine.com/ai-in-learning-summit
Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Jason Thai-Kennedy, a learning strategist who works with leaders in today’s age of continuous change. He is currently a Senior Learning and Communications Manager at Electronic Arts.
In this 'continously-changing' conversation Jason and I talk about
00:00 › Start
5:27 › The Rapid Pace of Change, the feeling of overwhelm around that and then the complexity that is then layered on top of the rapid change. We also discuss whether complexity is increasing in the eLearning space and EdTech?
12:15 › Jason’s Design Approach to change that is non hierarchical, and the complexities involved with working with and through communities
23:37 › The Key Data Jason Collects to track their work and how that is used to develop your learning strategies that are aligned with EA’s business goals (and when things haven’t worked out)
36:25 › How Jason Communicates A Vision to reduce overwhelm around change complexity, and how he leverages company structure to ensure alignment across leaders and managers
44:50 › How Jason Sets Himself Apart as a learning professional within an organization in order to be most effective and assuage the complexities and the fear around change
Listen to AI experts cut through the noise in our upcoming Elearning Success Series: AI in Learning Summit.
20+ hours of content, all free: eLearnMagazine.com/ai-in-learning-summit
Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Omer Glass, the CEO and Co-Founder of GrowthSpace, the world’s first outcome-focused talent development platform.
In this ‘outcome oriented’ conversation Omer and I talk about
00:00 › Start
06:06 › The Top Three Issues in adult lifelong learning and upskilling that GrowthSpace addresses
10:47 › The Challenges Omer & the GrowthSpace team grapple with and their approach to scalability with such a user-focused platform
16:52 › The Power Users Have in GrowthSpace to make it truly “their own” pathway, especially when they’re paired with experts they don’t like!
20:22 › AI: The Big Elephant in the Room for everyone these days is how AI is going to be impacting everything. Omer and I discuss how GrowthSpace is including AI going forward, and what type of feedback they’ve received from their clients and users
27:35 › What is GrowthSpace excited about for the near future?
Listen to AI experts cut through the noise in our upcoming Elearning Success Series: AI in Learning Summit.
20+ hours of content, all free: eLearnMagazine.com/ai-in-learning-summit
Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Bianca Raby a passionate Learning Designer, serial entrepreneur, and digital education strategist. As the CEO of Oppida, a global digital education agency, she works to raise the bar of online learning daily and believes this in-demand, emerging profession will help solve the educational challenges of today and the future. Bianca also debuted as a writer in 2021 with her book Online learning: So you want to be a learning designer? which she wrote to inspire educators to become expert Learning Designers.
In this ‘high design’ conversation Bianca and I talk about
00:00 › Start
4:17 › CL&DO—How she stumbled into learning design and how it transformed how she views learning. We also wondered: why we still divide adult learning into the two major houses of Higher Ed and corporate L&D?
12:39 › You Got Resources—If you are in a traditional education space and feel like you don't currently have adequate time or resources to truly consider Learning Design, Bianca breaks down why this skill is absolute must for all educators today
16:35 › Storytime—Bianca provides us with useful stories about successes (and challenges) using AI to create efficiencies in Learning Design
25:33 › AI telling it?—We then go further to discuss how Artificial Intelligence is poised to save educators time, and what opportunities exist to use this reclaimed space
37:27 › Forward—Bianca provides her views about how AI can help with assessing progress, growth & competency
41:28 › AI Playlist—How will AI change things in the short-long term and what tools Bianca recommends for educators to obtain major results today
Listen to AI experts cut through the noise in our upcoming Elearning Success Series: AI in Learning Summit.
20+ hours of content, all free: eLearnMagazine.com/ai-in-learning-summit
Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guests for this episode are Ross Garner and Ross Dickie, of Mind Tools for Business and internationally recognized Learning Experience Designers. In 2019, Ross Garner won the Gold award for Learning Designer of the Year at the Learning Technologies Awards, and in 2022 Ross Dickie took Bronze in the same category. Together, they focus on developing performance focused eLearning, animations, infographics and video content for a diverse portfolio of clients.
In this ‘no-failure’ conversation Ross G., Ross D. and I talk about
00:00 › Start
5:45 › Where Do We Start Designing Learning Experiences that Work by asking what is the learning outcome the client wants to achieve?
10:40 › The Mind Tools Duo Reflects on how often clients aren’t clear about the learning outcomes they want to achieve
14:40 › When In Future Rome—Thinking about the rapid pace of change, Ross D and Ross G discuss how often there is a shift in something, say a new technology or process they need to keep up with
17:11 › Success In Feedback—Ross D and Ross G then talk about their process for receiving feedback and continuing the iterative process of developing learning, including how Mind Tools evaluates learning outcomes, the effectiveness of what they’ve produced and client satisfaction
22:34 › An Example Of going through this design process, looking at evaluation, looking at outcomes, looking at how we are going to measure
25:37 › Market Fit Learning—We then discuss the need to “market” learning products to the intended audience and Ross D and Ross G talk about how they’ve helped clients to do this effectively.
40:00 › Missed AI? Finally, we end our discussion around the AI revolution and how this disruption will find its way into MindTools
Listen to AI experts cut through the noise in our upcoming Elearning Success Series: AI in Learning Summit.
20+ hours of content, all free: eLearnMagazine.com/ai-in-learning-summit
Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is David T. Livingston, who is the Executive Director of Health Plan Workforce Development at Kaiser Permanente.
In this very ‘automated’ conversation David and I talk about
00:00 › Start
5:54 › Why are Chatbots a Good Tool for workforce development, especially when it comes to reinforcing learning?
10:44 › The Five Ways David was seeking to improve sales performance through the use of chatbots
13:15 › Why did Kaiser Went Chatbot—How challenging was the implementation, and why human intervention is still super important?
18:26 › What was David’s Strategy to create success with the chatbot program and what challenges did they face?
29:07 › Text Addiction—How does David ensure that his entire day doesn't just become texting with others?
30:32 › Expansion—How will the chatbot program expand (or not) at Kaiser in the future?
Listen to AI experts cut through the noise in our upcoming Elearning Success Series: AI in Learning Summit.
20+ hours of content, all free: eLearnMagazine.com/ai-in-learning-summit
Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Michael Vaughn, an Adoption and Education Specialist at Open LMS. With over 15 years of experience in the field, Michael helps LMS administrators and instructional designers effectively leverage learning tools and platforms.
In this very ‘accessible’ conversation Michael and I talk about
00:00 › Start
8:38 › Why Accessibility—Why does it matter across all learners and educational experiences?
17:26 › 99% Invisible—How can improving accessibility help address needs that a majority of learners don’t even know they have? (Including YOU)
27:02 › ∆I—How can Artificial Intelligence be a game changer in improving accessibility in learning?
32:41 › Tools of Today—What services or apps exist today to create efficiencies for people or organizations that create learning?
36:39 › Remaining Tasks—What are those challenges and gaps and considerations around AI that we need to address around data privacy, ethics and other current topics?
Listen to AI experts cut through the noise in our upcoming Elearning Success Series: AI in Learning Summit.
20+ hours of content, all free: eLearnMagazine.com/ai-in-learning-summit
Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Melissa Hortman. She is Senior Education Industry Executive, and Account Technology Strategist for Research at Microsoft, who’s spent over 12 years as a Higher Ed leader and innovator, leading digital transformation and accelerating academic research in the U.S.
In this ‘forward-thinking’ conversation Melissa and I talk about
00:00 › Start
8:08 › What exactly is Education 4.0 and how is this changing the Higher Education landscape?
11:00 › What is the best way to implement Education 4.0 or, what needs to be evolved at an institution to make this a reality?
17:00 › What are the biggest challenges for implementation of Education 4.0?
31:10 › What does Melissa view as the most important challenges for empowering faculty to innovate and engender student resiliency to make higher education more effective now and in the future?
Listen to AI experts cut through the noise in our upcoming Elearning Success Series: AI in Learning Summit.
20+ hours of content, all free: eLearnMagazine.com/ai-in-learning-summit
Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Kate Giovacchini, who is the Co-Executive Director of Engineering and Managing Director of the Trusted Learner Network at Arizona State University.
In this very ‘connected’ conversation Kate and I talk about
00:00 › Start
6:28 › The Trusted Learner Network—What it is, how it’s connected to ASU, and… what are Kate’s thoughts about the landscape for digital credentials right now?
10:25 › Networking—How can individuals and institutions join and benefit from the Trusted Learner Network?
19:34 › Hall Cred—Taking into account the Trusted Learner Network’s case as a bridge that connects people and institutions, how do you build trust and credibility?
31:01 › Future Meeting—What is Kate's opinion on future interactions with other non-education organizations and platforms?
Listen to AI experts cut through the noise in our upcoming Elearning Success Series: AI in Learning Summit.
20+ hours of content, all free: eLearnMagazine.com/ai-in-learning-summit
Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for this episode is Sarah Mercier. She is the CEO at Learning Ninjas, where she specializes in innovative learning technology and strategic implementation of learning solutions.
In this ‘analytic’ conversation Sarah and I talk about
00:00 › Start
02:00 › What xAPI is, exactly—and what are all the moving parts involved to make it work
07:25 › What are the biggest barriers when implementing xAPI?
11:50 › How xAPI Helps Create a Data Strategy—and what specific process does Sarah and her team follow?
21:19 › Sarah’s recommendations for how to implement xAPI so that you can see tangible results that everyone can use effectively
34:11 › Sarah's vision for the short-term future of xAPI and its continued proliferation in learning analytics?
Listen to AI experts cut through the noise in our upcoming Elearning Success Series: AI in Learning Summit.
20+ hours of content, all free: eLearnMagazine.com/ai-in-learning-summit
In this special CONNECTED episode we spoke with Andrea Martinez, Product Director at SUMADI.
- SUMADI is a sponsor of Connected 2022
Listen to AI experts cut through the noise in our upcoming Elearning Success Series: AI in Learning Summit.
20+ hours of content, all free: eLearnMagazine.com/ai-in-learning-summit
Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Alex Ryan, CEO and Solution Strategist at Evolve Solutions Group. For 20 years now, she’s been defining and developing processes, culture, technology, change, and training development and management programs for Fortune 100 organizations.
**In this ‘delicious’ conversation Alex and I talk about
00:00 ›** Start
05:15 › How Alex views Microlearning and Gamification
08:25 › Gamification, Explained—and how Alex applies it to the learning process with different industries and different challenges
10:10 › VR Integrated—Alex discusses options for integrating VR with a learning management solution
12:30 › Don't Forget To Stretch—Alex explains the importance of organizational flexibility when it comes to implementing learning, so that change and adaptation can happen more rapidly
30:33 › Guest Everywhere: ChatGPT—Alex's opinion about the future of gamification and the adoption of tools like ChatGPT in learning design
Listen to AI experts cut through the noise in our upcoming Elearning Success Series: AI in Learning Summit.
20+ hours of content, all free: eLearnMagazine.com/ai-in-learning-summit
Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Pascal Rosenberger, Co-Founder and CEO of Eggheads.ai, a microlearning service that helps learners soak up new business knowledge through interactive, chat-based learning nuggets.
In this ‘not-so-micro’ conversation Pascal and I talk about
00:00 › Start
4:36 › What is Conversational Microlearning—and how this technique makes it easy and engaging for learners to soak up new business knowledge with interactive and chat-based learning nuggets
5:20 › How Eggheads.AI Works with the help of Artificial Intelligence and ChatGPT?
9:59 › Most Interesting Feedback—What is the most interesting feedback that Pascal received in the process of developing Eggheads and how he manages incorporating new ideas into the tech
18:48 › Chatting In—Pascal dives deeper into how Eggheads is another tool learning professionals can use as a part of their technology suite
27:51 › How the Internet is going to impact the microlearning space and Pascal's vision for the future
Listen to AI experts cut through the noise in our upcoming Elearning Success Series: AI in Learning Summit.
20+ hours of content, all free: eLearnMagazine.com/ai-in-learning-summit
Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Vince Han. Vince is the founder and CEO of Mobile Coach and is an industry thought leader in the learning technology space, with an emphasis on artificial intelligence and chatbot technology.
In this very ‘human’ conversation Vince and I talk about
00:00 › Start
08:00 › What It Means to Be a “Chatbot and Mobile Coach”—and the biggest challenges facing chatbots today
10:40 › Better Learning thru Chatbots—How might we use chatbots as an effective learning tool and apply them to learning strategies in universities and companies?
16:55 › Best Practices to implement Chatbots to avoid rejection from users and create authentic engagement?
23:00 › Infuse Chatbots with Emotional Intelligence—If that’s even possible?
25:50 › Vince On Chatbot Value—His opinions and recommendations about the best chatbot for a company to obtain major value and be successful
34:11 › Vince On the Future of Chatbots
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Markus Bernhardt. He is the Chief Evangelist at OBRIZUM, and is pioneering deeptech AI digital learning solutions for all aspects of organizational and people development. Previously the CEO of two education institutions and with years of experience in executive and non-executive board roles in the education sector, Markus uniquely combines a strong background in learning and cognitive science with a deep understanding of technology and AI.
In this ‘future-driven’ conversation Markus and I talk about
00:00 › Start
05:00 › Deeptech—What exactly is it, and what is the difference between machine learning & AI?
10:22 › How Markus believes AI will Impact and Change Learning and cognitive science, and whether or not we need to consider ethics in Artificial Intelligence applications
21:00 › ChatGPT? Present! What are some ways we might integrate tools like ChatGPT with a Learning Management System
32:43 › Adaptation To Unstructured—Because adaptation is the secret to success in learning experiences, how does Markus approach an unstructured learning environment?
38:27 › Prompt Tutoring Engineering—What are the skills or capabilities that a tutor needs for a personalization journey experience?
48:26 › How is AI going to impact Learning in the corporate space, and what are Markus' opinions for the near future of the technology?
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Hadiya Nuriddin. Hadiya is the founder and owner of Duets Learning. She has over 20 years' experience in learning and development. She specializes in instructional design and development for both corporate and academic environments. Hadiya is the author of the book StoryTraining: Selecting and Shaping Stories That Connect.
In this ‘storytime’ conversation Hadiya and I talk about
00:00 › Start
6:00 › StoryTraining—Highlights and expectations for readers of Hadiya's newest book, StoryTraining, which focuses on personal storytelling.
8:14 › Using Your Personal Story To Facilitate Learning—Just how personal do you have to be and why it is so important to practice your story for success
19:24 › StoryPower—Hadiya discusses why the power that you have as a storyteller comes from your intent and how to connect with others through vulnerability, including a specific example of a powerful “reveal”
28:20 › Is AI Telling Stories? Hadiya’s take on whether or not AI is telling stories and what the future holds for the humans who make the stories
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Kristin Torrence. She is the Head of Learning Engineering at Talespin, where she focuses on applying learning sciences, instructional design, and data science practices to design, instrument, and validate VR and XR learning solutions.
In this ‘very real’ conversation Kristin and I talk about
00:00 › Start
03:33 › Learning Engineering 101—What is it, and how one can study or get a degree in this exciting topic
05:40 › The VR-ecipe—Kristin explains the specific processes used in learning engineering and how to apply them to the development of Virtual Reality (VR) requirements
09:17 › Kristin’s Tech Stack—We then dive deeper to discuss specific technologies she uses for creating VR learning and her process of trial and error, working with learners for feedback and the need for constantly improving your design
18:35 › Is there a “Formula for Success” in the development of VR, apart from making it more user-friendly by using learner personas or characters? Kristin shares the most interesting feedback she’s received thus far
28:00 › Kristin's Views About the Future—development in learning engineering for VR
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Kirsten Rourke. She has been an eLearning and development speaker, technical trainer and consultant since 2000. She owns and operates Rourke Training, which provides speaking and training services. When not playing video games obsessively or singing show tunes mostly on-key, she works as a consultant and speaker helping others develop presenting and training skills using her Prep, Practice, and Pivot model. She can be found presenting at industry events, such as DevLearn or at rourketraining.com.
In this ‘stage-present’ conversation Kirsten and I talk about
00:00 › Start
01:55 › Kirsten’s Path—for the past 20 years working with people to help them adapt to the moment by presenting training situations and working on online spaces to create engagement with audiences
04:22 › Kirsten’s Tricks—Examples of how to communicate effectively in hybrid work situations, a critical skill for anyone asked to adapt to this new way of working without receiving any support
09:10 › Kirsten’s Adaptable Tips—Based on Kirsten's experience, what is her recommendation about how to adapt faster or acquire needed skills for remote workers?
14:26 › Watch Her Do It—How does Kirsten navigate adaptability in eLearning projects? Does she focus on budget, team dynamics or something else? And, in the age of ChatGPT and Google, how do these tools allow instructors or teachers to adapt faster in L&D?
21:25 › The New Role—How can instructors or librarians get ready to create the muscle of adaptability in the learning space?
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guests for today are Brooke Barrett and Makeala Kingsley. Brooke is the founder of Bench K12, a start-up looking to solve the problem of teacher shortages across the US. Makeala is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Dream.org who is here to tell her story about trying to become a substitute teacher during the pandemic.
In this ‘logjam breaking’ conversation Brook, Makaela and I talk about
00:00 › Start
03:40 › Teacher Shortages, An American Silent Crisis—How Brooke and Makaela became aware of the depth of this crisis first hand during the pandemic and how the situation could be solved by simply creating better systems.
09:50 › How BenchK12 Can Help—By allowing educators get the credentials faster and why opening this critical bottleneck will change so much for so many
12:17 › The logistics and nuances behind all of the different school systems across the US, and how Brooke and her team are able to present a solution that is compatible with them all.
17:00 › Makaela's experience trying to be helpful by becoming a substitute teacher for her kids’ school during the pandemic
20:26 › The challenges BenchK12 › currently faces as a start up and the immediate next steps in its future (including a call to action for everyone to help)
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Shawn Rosler, who is a Senior Instructional Designer with Office Practicum and, more importantly for this conversation, the Host & Creator of The Coarse Grind Podcast.
In this ‘hilarious’ conversation Shawn and I talk about
00:00 › Start
02:40 › Not Just Stories—The fact that podcasts are not just for creative storytelling; and the potentially missed opportunity by schools and businesses around the world to use podcasts as an effective way to deliver learning and skill building
06:00 › The Checklist—What resources does a person, team or company need to create an effective podcast? And, perhaps more importantly, what can you do to “humanize” the material in a podcast so that your listeners care?
8:30 › Shawn & the World of Podcasting—Hint: It wasn’t for the fame and glamour; and Shawn’s take on the fact we’ve now evolved to a video AND audio format
13:33 › Stats for Newbies—What you need to consider before jumping into creating a podcast for the first time; and the difference between a professional podcast with a purpose, and a show that develops organically
18:00 › The (Lack Of) Elephants In The Room—In the age of followers, do we need to care about how many people are in the room; and is this something you talk about with your company or school?
22:00 › Mistakes and Failures Check-In—What Shawn has learned from his journey on Coarse Grind, and his recommendations about how to avoid them. (Probably a good thing if you have experienced some of these yourself)
28:46 › Shawn’s first Podcast, his retelling of the experience and his predictions for the future of podcasting.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Chad Udell, the Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder of Float and SparkLearn. Chad is also a well documented forward thinker in learning with books like “Learning Everywhere: How Mobile Content Strategies Are Transforming Training,” and his newest book, “Shock of the New,” which he co-authored with Gary Woodil.
In this ‘strategic’ conversation Chad and I talk about
00:00 › Start
02:38 › The Why behind Learning Ecosystems—Understanding how to create a plan by re-thinking your organization's overall rationale around what you want to accomplish with learning
06:43 › What is the best place for learning? Is it the company or school LMS? In-house or ad hoc toolsets? Something entirely different? And how your can orgnization best support learners in finding information
8:30 › How much time do Learners need? Especially when thinking of learning as a journey in today’s remote and hybrid reality. We also dive into the importance of leadership, management and values around learning to create a culture where learning is celebrated
17:21 › What predictions have come true in Chad’s book “Learning everywhere: how mobile content strategies are transforming training” and what consequences he believes this reality continues to have for today’s workplace
19:09 › Sparklearn—Chad’s new interactive platform where content can be created and organized easily as an answer to the question: why do most mobile learning apps fail? (hint: it’s the failure of search)
36:22 › What are the main issues and concerns Chad sees with his clients around the safety of data and information.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guests for today are Deanna Flanagan, a Partner Learning Manager and Senior Instructional Designer; and Mike Belknap, the Training Operations Manager for Trintech, a provider of financial software.
They’ve created massive amounts of high quality, consistent learning content for Trintech and I wanted to find out how they scaled their operation.
In this 'disciplined' conversation Deanna, Mike and I talk about
- 00:00 › Start
- 3:20 › How Diana and Mike Create Consistency in their education products by using templates. We also discuss what resources are needed to ensure high quality when you’re creating huge volumes of learning
- 10:47 › Learning and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)—What it is and why access to a standards body like this can be an advantage when creating learning material. This also leads to a discussion about the differences between template and master slides and why these are important
- 20:00 › Intern-Based Teaching? The advantages and challenges of hiring interns and teachers to build learning rapidly and at scale. And, we discuss the skills you should be looking for in candidates to replicate their process
- 31:14 › Building for Upskilling or Reskilling. Focusing on what learners actually need to learn is the right choice. And how to make sure you’re placing your learners at the center of what you’re creating.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Ruston Miles, who is the Founder of Bluefin, the CEO of Payfactory and has been working and thinking about online security… well, forever.
In this 'heads up' conversation Ruston and I talk about
00:00 › Start
05:00 › Bluefin and Ruston’s path to creating an advanced cybersecurity company
07:00 › Why Cybersecurity is so important today in Higher Ed—Bottom line: These institutions make for extremely juicy targets because their systems are typically less advanced, but they hold a ton of personal data. And the entry points are everywhere because universities are typically a “whole city” in themselves and have things like restaurants, gyms, theaters, donations, ticketing, and sports events.
10:38 › What can we be doing? Universities and Higher Ed should get serious about encrypting and tokenizing data to protect their systems. Students and faculty should be trained about the risks related to their data. Because, at the end of the day, if one student leaves a door open, that means everyone is vulnerable
12:00 › Practical Tools and Systems We Should All Be Using—Things like authentication of users with a zero trust model; or a multi-factor or 2 step authentication. These systems add layers that really make a difference
14:20 › Options to Consider when Transitioning to Cloud-Based Systems—Sometimes these are safer than software maintained by a university because of standards, access controls and more
18:26 › Dark Web Primer—What it is and why you need to be aware of it
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Nolvia Delgado, who is the Executive Director of the Kaplan Foundation.
In this inspirational conversation Nolvia and I talk about
0:00 › Start
4:10 › Life of a First-generation College Graduate—and the support the Foundation provides to underrepresented learners like her (It’s not just financial!)
7:32 › Kaplan Foundation’s Application Process—How the process works for applying, acceptance and moving through the program. How the Foundation finds (and helps) candidates apply and the partners they work with
11:38 › On Community-Based Organizations—What they are, how they help the Foundation, and how it has been able to expand the reach of its programs because of these groups (and COVID’s gentle nudge)
15:15 › Challenges, Myths and Concerns of Underserved Learners applying for programs like the Kaplan foundation and how Nolvia’s team is working to address them
18:17 › Anatomy of the Underserved—What does a typical applicant look like for the Foundation, what factors contribute to a successful application, and their onward journey to achieve their “big dream”
22:25 › The Top Three Focus Areas— The Foundation’s priorities for current applicants, to give them the greatest chance of success possible, and specific examples about how this worked out for Nolvia and others in their journey
31:20 › How Nolvia plans to evolve and grow the reach of the foundation to better serve their target learners
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is John Hackmeyer, who has been in the eLearning space for more than 20 years. He’s worn many hats as an engineer, an instructional designer & content creator, a sales enabler and as the founder of Cyber Crocodile, from which he advises companies large and small around the world.
In this 'take-my-advice' conversation John and I talk about
0:00 › Start
2:53 › A SALES ENABLEMENT PRIMER—how to use the techniques John espouses to effectively create revenue for your company or institution
6:25 › AN LMS PROVIDER OR A PARTNER? — When considering purchasing an LMS, the difference between choosing a provider and a partner, what are the business needs (immediately, mid term and long term), and what integration possibilities exist. And, ultimately, asking yourself (as an institution), where do you want to spend your time (in terms of LMS administration)
12:30 › DEALING WITH BUYER’S REMORSE—What are the criteria you can set out to ensure you "get what you need" from an LMS? We also cover some of the most common "must haves" from any conversation with an LMS provider that are red flags if not available. Ask for a trial, start using support before becoming a client, asking how technical help is provided, etc
20:00 › THE HUMANITY OF IT ALL—The critical nature of "being able to reach a human" with any LMS provider when you have a problem, whether or not you should expect it to be "special" and receive red carpet treatment from your provider, and how to ask for references
29:00 › SECURITY! SECURITY!! —What to look for and ask about when it comes to security around an LMS provider (and, hold on, because John gets very technical in this topic) and how certification separates "good" from "great". John also takes on this topic from both sides of the table - and how providers can put their best foot forward around security.
38:20 › FORGIVING SEASON—How forgiving should you be when your provider does have a security breach, and what should you expect as a response from a provider?
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Dean Saunders, the Vice President for Product Development here at Open LMS.
In this 'costly-but-worth-it' conversation Dean and I talk about
0:00 › Start
01:01 › Does Dean see a disservice in corporate education, in the way we make up a division between traditional training and workforce development?
07:30 › Breaking News 🇺🇦 Smart Osvita & Open LMS partnering to help displaced students continue their education online for free
13:20 › Total Cost of Ownership of a Learning Management System—and what you need to consider in both the education and corporate sectors when selecting a system and provider: Things like workforce planning, content development strategy, and more
17:00 › Diving deep into ROI—How a school or company can go practically about measuring return for both their learning platform and their strategy
22:00 › Regulatory thrills—What’s happening in the corporate sector that’s exciting for the near term, regulatory and technology-innovation wise. We even talk about how NFTs can be leveraged in education
27:00 › Surprising Post-COVID gaps that have come to light in learning from the corporate sector. How the focus on personal life long learning, growth and development is completely changing what a “career” means
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My guest for today is Dr. Monique Vanni, Senior Engagement Manager for the Strive Community—a project supported by the MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth, and the Director of Research for Caribou Digital, which implements the Strive Community.
In this 'credible' conversation Monique and I talk about:
0:00 Start — The relationship between Caribu, Strive and MasterCard and the goals of this global program
03:30 The success and challenges of managing the Strive community remotely, including “archetypes” for people who thrive in virtual communities, and the challenges of training junior staff
05:20 How Strive supports its community of small and medium-sized enterprises —not all of which are necessarily digitally savvy— through a network of partners; and the challenges of engaging new organizations digitally
11:30 Monique’s best and worst—examples of implementation in remote training provided to partners
16:55 How Strive is enabling “leapfrog” moments for their partners so that they can skip multiple steps in their evolution to delivering digitally
20:00 Agility to innovate and grow, when funding sources and partners are more institutional and “rigid,” and why there might be a real generational issue that needs to be addressed
27:25 To LMS or not to LMS—We end our talk with the age old conversation about the many flavors and varieties of delivering learning virtually
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Matt Hunckler who is the founder of PowderKeg - the place to plug into tech, outside of Silicon Valley.
In this community conversation Matt and I talk about
00:00 Start
05:00 The origins of PowderKeg through Matt’s own struggles of looking for opportunities in the tech startup space outside of Silicon Valley
07:50 How Matt chose a different path, took a pay cut and jumped on the opportunity to become a part of what is now the PowderKeg network. PS: When is the last time you took a chance to really stretch yourself and grow?
13:00 Leading back to Community, in work and Matt’s life—and how this continues to serve and fuel his vision for supporting others by sharing knowledge that can be applied immediately
24:30 How the first iteration of a community evolved into PowderKeg to provide that critical “density” of resources (i.e. talent, capital, partnerships) every company or organization needs
30:00 The importance of finding our “niche” tribes, where we can truly geek out on our passion, but also making sure we consciously seek out other experiences so that we’re consistently expanding, growing and finding our blind spots
35:00 How PowderKeg is helping to bridge the gap between HigherEd and the “jobs” world, especially in the tech space.
49:00 The maturing of the digital and tech space, and how this is affecting people’s choices for where, how and whom they want to work with
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Andrew Barry, founder of Curious Lion Learning.
In this very cultural conversation Andrew and I talk about:
3:00 What a learning culture advisory group like Curious Lion does, and the origin, twists and turns Andrew has experienced over the past 5 years as the company has evolved from what he “thought” it would be to its current focus on providing Cohort Based Courses (CBC).
14:00 How a company can go from lip service to championing investing in their people by cultivating a learning culture - and the key factors that make or break success.
21:30 How recognizing and capturing shared stories are critical for creating shared purpose and building culture in an organization
24:00 Bottom up vs. Top down learning - and the pros and cons of each… and how you can leverage having a “point of view” about learning
32:00 How do you scale the CBC model in large organizations or institutions, and what are the factors for success (and typical fails)
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is David James, the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning.
In this very analytical conversation David and I talk about:
01:10 How David started as a trainer around finance and banking, but then evolved into running learning, talent and development for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Disney; and how, along the way, he tracked changes happening in training delivery around data and technology that led him to his current role
06:00 How organizational learning culture is linked—and the tragedy behind the spending on “education” that typically happens at a company and isn’t relevant or just misses the mark entirely. And why “bribes” like gamification often fail
10:00 Why today is the greatest opportunity in history for delivering the right learning to the right person at the right time. Hint: it’s not about your platform, but your ability to uncover what your learners actually need
11:30 What data and evidence-based practices look like when they are used effectively, and why using analytics from learning platforms is basically a “post mortem” and why “learning needs analysis” is defunct in today’s world
14:30 How to move past the typical training request of executives and managers, to be able to identify what isn’t working, what’s the cost of not solving the problem and building training around it
18:00 Why Training-as-a-Bandaid is doomed, what to do about people —yes, CFOs included— who just want a feel good benefit, and how continuing to deliver this is corrosive to your company; and why building a “meaning” muscle dramatically grows the value of the L&D role
19:30 What collaborative learning makes possible—a process that allows L&D professionals to facilitate learning about anything in any company in any context
25:00 Why training is so often synonymous with waste the way it is delivered today; and how to get some of that time, money and effort back
28:30 Why “Analysis” is one of the hardest things to sell in training, especially to executive leadership; and why you might consider selling other things around training and simply include it in the process
33:32 How to get everyone comfortable working with numbers, and the analysis required to understand the problems that need to be solved
39:30 How to deal with pushback around change and the inevitable question from managers and staff of, “what do I do with the things I’m currently doing now?” in order to shift to data driven learning
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My guest for today is Erick Prospero, the founder and chief Ninja at Ninja Tropic, which is NOT a self defense agency specializing in hot weather combat—but rather an eLearning animation company born out of passion and practicality.
In this very practical conversation Erick and I talk about:
📣 What is Ninja Tropic? The genesis of Ninja Tropic because of a need to create microlearning at scale (or high volume) for the nonprofit universe… and how Eric and his now-team got it done
📽 Why there are different kinds of video, and why you’ll use video for everything, from a 30second topic intro, to long-form video for deeper explanations… and why finding the format that your audience responds best to is critical
🤔 The need for immediacy vs quality storytelling. And why you might consider keeping your boring content for video, and your exciting, juicy content for text or other formats
🌦 Corporate learners vs academic settings. Eric explains how it’s so often not about what the learners want, but what the institution is set up to be able to produce and the cultural inertia behind it. (Hint: academia generally ain’t interested in competing.) And examples of HigherEd that are solving for this and doing cool stuff
🇬🇧 The process for creating great microlearning. Eric walks us through the process Ninja Tropic uses to work with a diversity of clients to produce effective content. And why the best content is motivational (not necessarily instructional). PS. Eric gives a huge shout out to flautas! 🌮
👨👩👧👧 How to produce content that can be consumed anytime. Eric’s experience shows that people are looking for both timed and structured courses, as well as “consume at your own pace” content; and why what we really need to be focused on is how to remove friction from accessing content
🛎 How much of learning data is actually used, and how much is this just lip service. Eric explains how he helps his clients use lead and lag metrics
🕹 When to use animation vs live video. Eric explains why he’d always choose live video, but that this isn’t practice and why animation is better suited to certain types of content
📴 When VR will take off for the masses, and why this won’t become mainstream until it's completely frictionless and immediately accessible to everyone
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My name is Ladek and I’m your Host from Open LMS and this is episode number 102 with Dr. Pooja Agarwal.
Dr. Agarwal is an assistant professor at the Berklee College of Music, an expert in cognitive science and author of the book “Powerful Teaching” and the website retrievalpractice.org.
In this very practical conversation Dr. Agarwal and I talk about:
🎓 How she has created a foundation for how to think about education as a process of getting learning “out”rather than “in” - the heads of learners.
🔧 The four “Power Tools” for learning she details in her book, which include, retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving, and feedback driven metacognition.
💬 Why easy learning is also “easy forgetting.” In other words why cramming never (really) works and why retrieval is absolutely critical for long term learning, and how to ensure that retrieval practice also results in synthesis.
🙏 Why you should always ask learners what they remember, rather than reminding them what you’ve already covered in a class.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ladek and my guest for today is Michael Phillips, Associate Professor of Digital Transformations at Monash University.
In this humanitarian conversation Mike and I talk about
🎓 Monash University, part of the group of 8 research intensive universities in Australia, with the largest and most comprehensive faculty of education in Australia (and #12 in the world)
🎒 What digital transformation means for Michael, his career personally, and the future of education writ large
🏫 The origins, evolution and current status of an initiative that Monash is spearheading to deliver education virtually to students displaced by the war in Ukraine—and how this initiative leverages technology, student teachers and a ton of goodwill to literally change the lives of 1,000s of people
👨🏫 Michael’s perspectives on why the programs developed by Monash result in students AND teachers that rave about learning online (Hint: you have to completely rethink how you’re delivering as a teacher)
📺 How the program at Monash is funded so that it can operate from scale, who is supporting it (a shout out to David Falcon and Smart Osvita) in other ways, and how you could participate as well
📺 What future additions and evolutions look like for the Monash program with things like psychosocial support, credentialing and more
ℹ The reason why providing a space where structured education happens is so incredibly different than just having access to information… and why it's more critical than ever in today’s world
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Hello everyone! I’m Ladek and my guest for today is LaTarshia Wooten, a learning experience designer, a 2021 30 under 30 award recipient, and someone you want to listen to about building a career in eLearning.
In this ‘well designed’ conversation we talk about:
🎓 How LaTarshia discovered the path to becoming a learning experience designer after beginning as a marketer, and —hint— it wasn’t through the typical university experience
⬆ Her experience working for a small accounting firm, and how this “many hats”, super niche experience prepared her to continue to evolve professionally
📈 Why and how feedback is so important to growth, in every way: professionally, personally and for your business or organization
🔮 Her transition to a much larger, Fortune 200 company, (happily) jumping into the deep end of the pool and the differences between serving external vs internal clients
🏗 The challenges she has experienced working for a large company. Things like: not knowing what she doesn’t know, being asked to stretch by creating content, simply finding her way to the right people… and more
🎨 The fact that learning and instructional design is one of the hottest careers in education, and why it doesn’t matter how you get in but what you do once you’ve arrived
💼 Advice on breaking into the design space, especially if you’re trying to transition from another career path
🥈 What the 30 under 30 experience was like, from application, to award to today and what LaTarshia has learned from it.
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My guests for today are Amy Price & Becky Keith of Intelliboard. Amy is a big data nerd who moved from a compliance role, to teaching, to her current role as a client services manager. Becky is a big instructional technology nerd, with a background in the classroom who is also the Vice President of Platforms.
In this 'analytical' conversation Amy, Becky and I talk about:
⏭ Intelliboard Next, and why everyone should be excited about this next generation analytics platform that evolves its delivery from easily displaying data to one that combines LMS data with other sources and seeks to help improve outcomes
🌛 What common barriers exist to first collecting data, but then actually creating tangible action from analytics to help all types of learners
🆕 Why it might be a good idea to start your data analytics implementation by focusing on high flyers (in both learners and implementers) rather than difficult or challenging cases, to ensure you gain momentum and buy in
🏗 How working to be proactive, as a teacher, learner, parent, manager, puts us in front of the learning game and allows us to help learners in need, identify high performers and take action early
⚒ The reality that institutions, schools and companies often create accidental silos around important learner data that, when shared and combined, make understanding learner performance easier and richer
🔓 What the common barriers and failures are for implementing learning analytics and how to ensure data privacy is upheld.
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My guest for today is German Rojas, Director of Global Consulting Services at Open LMS.
In this insightful conversation German and I talk about:
😅 What exactly Open LMS professional services are about, and how our clients and other actors leverage them in the open source space. We also discuss when a common request becomes a “feature,” and when his team has says “no” to a request
🎓 The future of education, now that we’re fully in the new hybrid reality, especially focusing on lifelong learning and professional development; and the trends the pandemic accelerated
💽 What we can do as eLearning professionals to assuage the overwhelm of constant, rapid change, technology anxiety in particular
📖 How your ability to learn, and your openness to learning in general is a critical job skill for the future, and how this evolves (or not) the roles of HR professionals in corporations and HigherEd
💖 We end up talking about what German is excited about for the near future
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My guest for today is Debshila Basu Mallick, Director of Research for OpenStax. Debshila has a background in experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience, with a PhD from Rice. She’s been with OpenStax since 2015. Fun fact: She started in OpenStax as an intern.
In this ‘analytical’ conversation, Debshila and I discuss:
ℹ Her research background and how that work has helped develop her current practice at OpenStax, the largest provider of open source textbooks in the world
⁉ We ponder the question, “why wouldn’t someone use an open source textbook?” in opposition to one they have to pay for, and how much of this decision is just simple culture change
3️⃣ Why is research important to OpenStax, and how they focus on the three questions: Who is the learner? What are they learning? How are they learning?
📄 Debshila walks us through one current piece of research around highlighting and learning. Yes, literally highlighting text on a page! And how a learner uses it, and how it varies across subject matter
🌚 The challenges that she faces as the Director of Research for a grant-funded organization; and how their new initiative, called Kinetic, is a powerful new tool for her and her team to improve learning outcomes
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media
https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
My guest for today is Naomi Pusch, a highly experienced Senior Instructional Designer in the public sector L&D space.
I invited Naomi on the show today after learning more about the types of organizations she delivers for which, unfortunately, shall remain unnamed. Suffice it to say, we’d all usually consider these organizations highly structured, traditional and anything but agile.
In this forward thinking conversation, Naomi and I discuss:
⚔ When she crossed over from a trainer to a designer and the progression that helped her make this transition
🎓 The distinction between developing learning and designing learning—and why simple is almost always better (PS. Big shout out to Michelle Moore!)
♿ How one of the biggest challenges as an instructional designer is not having access to the actual learners, because there is often a client layer in between; and why testing for usability is absolutely critical in this scenario
🖱 The wide types and varieties of learning materials a designer might be asked to create. It is not just about creating the click-by-click lesson, but in parallel, the fact that turnaround time for learning materials is a current limp for L&D professionals, and what can be done about it
👨💻 Why one of the most important questions you can ask about any learning you're developing is "what's the value add of live interaction?" and how to maximize the right types of human connections in eLearning
⌨ How L&D departments can benefit from outside perspectives to find new ways to deliver, new technology and truly innovate
⏩ Why an agile mindset and process will continue to improve the learning materials we develop in essentially every way
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Mediahttps://linktr.ee/lmspulse
Amy Tessitore, Open LMS
My guest for today is Amy Tessitore, Senior Manager of Education and Engagement Services at Open LMS.
Amy’s work centers around the Open LMS Academy, which is focused on helping clients and the public at large learn about how to teach online and create killer learning outcomes.
In this supportive conversation, Amy and I discuss:
🏞 What typical or common things that can go “wrong” on the day of a high stakes assessment in an online learning environment are
⚠️ The most important things to have ready before the assessment begins, so that you are prepared in case anything does go wrong
🔞 How the most common mistake made in online assessment is incorrect restriction settings
⛔ Why staggering entry into an assessment —especially one that is large-scale— is always a great option to ensure everyone can take the exam and limit troubleshooting needs
🏬 Amy’s recommendations for building an assessment to make it as accessible and ready-for-success as possible
🏢 We get a little more philosophical about what assessment types work best when, for what types of students and why
💭 If access across different devices like mobile vs laptop makes a difference when thinking about assessment design
🥤 What type of problems happen in the Bring your own device (or BOYD) universe that more and more of us are living in now
🔚 We end with Amy’s advice on the importance of understanding the settings within your LMS, and why!
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media
https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
Fred Dixon, Blindside Networks
My guest for today is Fred Dixon, CEO of BlindSide Networks and the Product Manager of the ultra famous Moodle™ plugin BigBlueButton:
In this connected conversation, Fred and I discuss:
👨💻 How BigBlueButton grew exponentially during the pandemic and the fact that it’s baked into the Moodle™ core software in version 4.0
💍 What it means to focus on a single market (online learning) and the core offerings of integration, engagement and analytics for improving learning
🚚 What Fred sees as the critical challenges we’re working on today in online learning delivery, especially in terms of synchronous learning, and how this is being addressed
📡 Why Fred thinks being “back in class” physically is important, but that virtual learning is not only here to stay, but a critical component for the future
📱 What it means for technology to be “open source,” and why this is important as a movement and a way to develop great tech that is powerful and secure
👨💼 We end our conversation talking about the business acumen needed around open source in order to make it viable
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Mediahttps://linktr.ee/lmspulse
Dr. John Medina, University of Washington School of Medicine
My guest for today is Dr. John Medina, Affiliate Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and the author of Brain Rules, a best-selling book spawning a franchise covering Work, Babies, Aging and more.
In this massively stimulating conversation, John and I discuss:
🛠 How the brain is actually focused solely on surviving, and learns only as long as it sustains its prime goal; and why the learning environments we create are actually the opposite of what the brain is expecting
📄 How the Zoom fatigue we’ve all experienced in online classes is related to the “big head problem,” eye contact timing, missing body columns, nonverbal information… even minor variations in air pressure (you’ll have to listen to understand that little nugget)
🔃 What the BRAC, or basic rest-activity cycle is, and why you need to incorporate it into your teaching and learning ASAP (PS. BRAC gets even better if you just go outside for a few minutes)
🖌 “Flow,” the two types of creativity and cognitive disinhibition, and how they all play together to help us solve problems
🌝 Why we absolutely need to sleep to learn and why it's actually just as important when we sleep as how much we sleep
🎓 How grief affects our ability to learn, and how critical it is that we all take this into account in a world recovering from a pandemic and other global afflictions
🕛 Finally, we talk about what a “perfect” schedule would look like for anyone learning or working from home
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media
https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
Julie Dirksen, Usable Learning
Julie Dirksen is an instructional designer who has been an expert in the field for many years. She's probably best known for her groundbreaking 2011 book titled, "Design for How People Learn," which still holds up as one of those first books you should read if you're getting started in instructional design. The second edition was published in 2015. She is also the founder and curator of UsableLearning.com.
In this super practical and sometimes complex conversation, Julie and I talk about:
🎨 The distinction between Instructional Design and other forms of design, and why it is important to know the differences, especially when connecting desired learning outcomes to learning strategies
👨👩👧👧 How to decide what to train on, or said another way: What are people going to do with the information you're about to give them? We also discuss how this differs in different contexts and with different skill levels among individuals
🔂 Why feedback is crucial to learning, and yet is one of the things we often neglect to give to learners; and why feedback is also one of the most challenging things to scale
🎨 How one of the big blind spots in instructional design is how do you design good practice for learners, and how practice is neglected in so many areas of professional growth
⚠ What we need to do when we've found all of the treasures in the game of adult learning —hat tip to a common problem with gamers— and the difference between getting bored, topping out and plateauing.
✔ When and why you should use the Cynefin Framework to think through complex organizational problems, and the role it plays in picking the sex of baby chickens (you'll have to listen to figure this one out!)
🔋 We end our conversation discussing why it’s worth it for everyone to lean into their superpowers, and make sure that you're always doing things that give you energy.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Mediahttps://linktr.ee/lmspulse
Laura Warnier, GoStudent
My guest for today is Laura Warnier, the Chief Growth Officer for the online tutoring platform GoStudent, which is (as of this recording) the only EdTech unicorn in Europe. She oversees partnerships, marketing, international expansion and breaking down silos while boosting collaboration for the company.
In this fast-paced conversation, Laura and I discuss:
👨👩👧 How, just over 3 years ago, she became the second fulltime employee of a company that is currently valued at more than 3 Billion (with a B) Euros; and the surprising truth about parents’ willingness to use online tutoring leading up to a pandemic.
🎓 The challenges of growing and operating in the fast paced, creatively destructive and high-growth startup universe as a part of the usually slow, methodical and very traditional education space.
💹 How Laura and her team have approached solving the growth problem faced by every startup that needs to penetrate and earn market share—and how they have helped create legitimacy and professional consistency in a service that is traditionally served by a “shadow” market.
⚖ How GoStudent found the right balance between price, quality and availability and has successfully overcome the argument that “if it isn’t expensive, it can’t be high quality”, We also touch on how this works in terms of paying and rewarding tutors.
🛎 The decentralized nature and structure of the company and how this allows them to be extremely local in terms of service, sales pitch and pricing, in more than 25 countries.
📶 How the online tutoring company has positioned their service to eliminate any connection with stigma or shame, and actually reposition tutoring as something for solving problems, achieving more and becoming a regular part of education.
🕑 The importance of partnerships with schools, governments and businesses and how GoStudent is currently approaching this, with the acknowledgement that things are still very early days.
📈 Examples of where GoStudent has faced challenges and completely failed, but have used these as opportunities for continued growth and success.
👨💼 What hypergrowth actually is, and how Laura defines it and, ultimately manages and finds flow within it.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media
https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
Rick Lozano, ricklozano.com
My guest for today is Rick Lozano, a leadership consultant, keynote speaker and author of the book, “Acoustic Leadership: Develop A Leadership Culture That Resonates.” Rick uses music as his primary mode of communicating and helping others to grow.
In this musical conversation, Rick and I discuss:
👑 Why leadership in the L&D space matters. Whether you have “leader” in your title or not, your learners will still see you in a leadership role.
👔 Why leadership doesn’t have to be a big, formal, “scary” thing… And how we can shift from “fixing” others to helping them “focus” and be more effective.
❌ How Rick proposes we all “rewrite the rituals” in our institutions and our lives to remove the “muck” (or dinosaurs) and respond to the actual challenges of today.
🕡 The illusion of time scarcity and how we play into this every day by catering to distractions and misaligned expectations.
🎓 The reality of “how we learn” today and how this translates into learner expectations in school and work.
💗 The growing problem of false competency and the gap between concept vs. application as well as missing feedback loops.
⏳ How we can “RIFF”: Rewrite, Integrate, Focus and Flow our way to better learning, and why we should all rethink performance reviews!
🐇 We round out our conversation by discussing how you can discover your PFM (or Pure Fricken’ Magic)… And stay tuned for a live performance. That’s right!
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media
https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
David Kelly, The Learning Guild
My guest for today is David Kelly, the CEO of The Learning Guild, one of the largest communities of professionals who support the design, development, strategy, and management of organizational learning. They publish numerous titles you’re probably already aware of and they are also the conveners of DevLearn, one of the most popular learning conferences out there.
In this forward looking conversation, David and I discuss:
🗂 What it’s like to organize and guide a membership organization with more than 68,000 members and how this necessarily requires a lot of self-organization.
🏋 How David found his way into training and then eventually becoming a leader in the learning space, from his origins as a banker.
💹 What is the #1 trend everyone is following in 2022. (Hint: it's not a learning trend, but a workplace trend.) And what David has seen in terms of adaptation and innovation around this trend.
👭 What “hybrid” means, how organizations and their people are evolving to accommodate this reality, and how the jury is still out about what “hybrid” will actually look like —and, indeed, the organizations themselves— when the dust finally settles.
⏩ What is, and will continue to be, creating the most impact among the learning development professional community, in both the near and long-term; and how we’re graded on our performance in the moment, rather than how we got here.
💻 What excites David, both in terms of his personal passions, and what he thinks will make waves across the learning industry for the future. Hold onto your seat for a discussion around AI, VR and much more.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media
https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
Valarie Oleinik, ValaryWithAWhy.com
My guest for today is Valary Oleinik, who can be found at ValaryWithaWhy.com
She self describes herself as the “Chief Disruptor” wherever she goes to work on gamification, creative problem solving and helping people re-think their learning design challenges.
In this snappy conversation, Valary and I discuss:
- When gamification became a “thing” for her in days past when she was working in corporate learning, and when she proposed a research project about gamification and was told “there isn’t enough out there” to do it
- The key reasons why gamification works: like the ongoing challenge, the ability to fail and try again; and why you should consider playing games as a way to build this muscle in your design
- How you can move beyond designing things “so that they aren’t unbearable,” to something learners care about and have meaning
- Valary shares some key tips for gamification design success like: Make sure progress is visible in some way, break things into small achievable steps, randomizing questions, resources and rewards, giving choice, and reminding learners where they’ve been (as well as where they are going)
- Why rewards aren’t all bad (or all good) and how designing for your specific situation or audience (think relevance) makes all the difference in reward effectiveness and how the hallmark of a good scenario is whether or not you want to play more than once
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Mediahttps://linktr.ee/lmspulse
Elizabeth Dalton, IntelliBoard
My guest for today is Elizabeth Dalton, Learning & Development Analyst at Intelliboard. She’s kind of a legend in the eLearning universe around data and analytics, formerly working on predictive analytics with Moodle™. Before that she worked as an Instructional Designer at Granite State College in New Hampshire, Sun Microsystems and, let’s just say, she’s definitely someone you want to be listening to.
In this detailed conversation, Elizabeth and I discuss:
- How data is one of the tools we have to improve the quality of education, and how it helps honor the agreements between teachers & learners and institutional outcomes.
- How her role has changed (or not) when she transitioned from working at Moodle™ to IntelliBoard, and how she’s remained “data first” in what she does.
- What is “analytics” exactly (as opposed to education statistics, for example) and how does it inform the learning experience… before it’s too late for the learner?
- How data can help instructors who only grew up with the in-person experience and are now forced to operate online with things like whether or not learner cameras need to be on all the time.
- What it means to use data to help at-risk students, and what exactly “at-risk” might mean in the various education models we work within different institutions.
- Digital open badges and how these could significantly support many of the things that we all agree on, in general, like common learning goals in a liberal arts education.
- How and why we should never assume that the data systems that we have are smarter than the humans they are involved with, and why this is incredibly important for using predictive analytics.
- We end our conversation with how Elizabeth has some of the most fun looking at the wide variety of experiments happening with data and how we can make solid tools that everyone can use effectively to help learners.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Mediahttps://linktr.ee/lmspulse
Connie Malamed, theelearningcoach.com
My guest for today is Connie Malamed, curator of theelearningcoach.com, which she founded way back in 2009. She has been in the visual, instructional and learning design field for more than 20 years and has, literally, seen it all.
In this insightful conversation, Connie and I discuss:
Why visual design is so important in learning today, given the fact that so much data is transmitted visually in online learning
Why the two most important things to consider as a visual designer are your audience (as in who are they, really) and context (as in where are they, what are they learning, etc.)
Why it is important to consider how humans cognitively process graphics and visual parts of learning. Your eyes are always moving, so we need to think about how to build a visual hierarchy that accounts for perception, processing and remembering.
When and how we give something “meaning.” - is it working memory, long term memory, and how we don’t really know how this works exactly.
Why learning designers are not the same as graphic designers and how to avoid the biggest mistakes of design: clutter, forgetting visual hierarchy, and simply having “too much” (fonts, colors, etc.)... And… the reason why you should never use a white background for a presentation in a large room.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Mediahttps://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 86 Kenneth Chapman, D2L
My guest for today is Kenneth Chapman, who runs the customer advisory program for D2L. As he likes to put it, he was "raised by wolves" in the EdTech business - having done it all over the past 20 year. Today, his work focuses on listening to clients, partners and competitors and reflecting what he learns back to D2L to improve their products.
In this insightful conversation, Ken and I discuss:
How the pandemic has given D2L confidence and hope for the future as everyone in every part of the education sector has dramatically increased their level of sophistication about things like user centered design, accessibility and data science.
The importance of: Going forward, designing accessibility into content, tools and tech; and how D2L is building that into their core products to help clients and learners... especially as this relates to how we think about and interact with video
How video has become "the standard" for online learning, but that the expectations around production value and general comfortability have evolved dramatically, in favor of thinking about cognitive load
Kenneth's thoughts on customization and complexity in learning management systems and how he views this as an opportunity to look at learning design from a project management perspective. Hint: the LMS isn't just seen as a delivery platform for content anymore.
Why D2L Wave was created and how this connects the skills a company needs to satisfy in their workforce with providers of the necessary educational content.
Kenneth’s excitement around the “Done For You” services and opportunities in the eLearning space, whether that is actually rolling up sleeves and building things, or just contributing by consulting around the art of the possible.
We end with a talk around data, analytics and how AI is making its way into learning and EdTech, and how Kenneth really wants to see AI and machine learning progress into areas around context, but also why humans are still super important and more relevant than ever.
And… just a note about the format of this episode. I’ve started to move all interviews to a live format so that we can interact with you - our listeners! In this episode you’ll hear Kenneth and I answer questions as they come in via chat messages. I invite you to join us every Thursday on LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube!
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Mediahttps://linktr.ee/lmspulse
Soccer moms most welcome!
Download "Amy's Instructional Design Tips" PDF
https://bit.ly/AmysIDTips
Recap on every episode so far
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIhH5JAWr8SQwKTKQMdAOUIvCluqMVnl0
Also on the eLearn Podcast: https://theelearningpodcast.buzzsprout.com/
LMSPulse Media
https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
SEASON 2 PREMIERE
№ 1 Al Kingsley, NetSupport
My guest for today is Al Kingsley who is an EdTech thought leader and disruptor, author, and CEO of the company NetSupport, which has been providing technology solutions for education for more than 30 years.
In this wide ranging conversation Al and I discuss:
What priorities schools should continue to look at as we come out of the pandemic and enter a new normal, including social and mental health issues, implementing what we know works in EdTech, and understanding knowledge vs skills in what we’re delivering for learners.
Why priorities and challenges change not only globally, but also from city to city and neighborhood to neighborhood - and why tech is (almost) never the answer and not the main actor on the stage in learning.
The ephemeral nature of content, software and hardware and how Al recommends you create a strategy around this to turn a potential negative into a positive.
How technology has not only allow us to reach audiences that were usually not involved in the education process (like unengaged parents) but also presents the challenge of ensuring we keep learners safe.
Why you should always push for innovation, but only when you have validation and buy-in for the solution you’re going to implement. And why signposting experts is a great strategy for adoption and success.
We end our conversation talking about how the success and failure of teaching, when all is said and done, is still massively dependent upon the relationship between the learners and the teacher… and why we need to focus now more than ever on supporting them.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Mediahttps://linktr.ee/lmspulse
How do you spice up your courses? Please help!
RECAP THE FULL SERIES ON YOUTUBE
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIhH5JAWr8SQwKTKQMdAOUIvCluqMVnl0
LMS Pulse Media
https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
SEASON 2
№ 2 Jess Corinne, Learnfully
My guest for today is Jess Corrine who is Head of Educational Services at Learnfully. Her passion is making sure that instructors have the tools they need to effectively serve learners with special needs.
In this wide ranging conversation Jess and I discuss:
What it means to be Head of educational services for Learnfully and how her work impacts and oversees all of the organization’s delivery for families and learners.
What exactly executive functioning is and how it is the gateway for basically everything that happens in your brain and the three “buckets” these functions fall into.
We also have a very detailed conversation - with clear examples - of the 8 component subskills underneath those three major buckets, and why all of us (yes, even if you think you’re entirely “normal”) deal with issues related to executive functioning in one way or another.
Why neuroplasticity is “alive and well” and is so important and how our brains shift, mold and strengthen synaptic connections so we can continue to adapt to the world. (And how you can consciously re-train yourself and your brain for new situations).
Why we really need to accept that “the goalposts are always changing” in life and learning to enjoy the journey through adapting results in the most fulfillment and satisfaction.
We end with Jess’s recommendation for using sensory language with the instructions for your learners and how it can help them to understand how they learn.
And… just a note about the format of this episode. I’ve started to move all interviews to a live format so that we can interact with you - our listeners! In this episode you’ll hear Jess and I answer questions as they come in via chat messages. I invite you to join us every Thursday on LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube!
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Mediahttps://linktr.ee/lmspulse
eLearn Success Series: TECHNOLOGISTS SESSION coming up on July
https://www.elearnsuccessseries.com/
RECAP THE FULL SERIES on YouTube, Facebook, Ladek on LinkedIn, or browse through past episodes of the podcast.
LMS Pulse Media
https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 83 Ben Lowell, Class
My guest for today is Ben Lowell who works on Strategy for Class - a new learning management system or platform from the founder of Blackboard that works on top of Zoom and is built using the Zoom SDK (software development kit).
In this energizing conversation Ben and I talk about:
The virtues, benefits and pitfalls of both online learning and in person learning, and when it is a good idea to use them (or not) - hint: there is no one right answer and Ben walks us through an example of success from the Utah Jazz.
Why in person delivery is important for socialization and the fact that adults are actually more difficult to train (as opposed to kids) because they have experience and perspectives they bring to the table.
The importance of learning constructs and pacing, how we are more likely to have “a ha” moments in groups, and why hands-on experience is critical whether your fixing cars or leading teams.
Why online learning often gets a bad rap because of poor design by humans. It is rarely the tech: rather its almost always the strategy and the solutions that were designed by people.
Why you should never ask the question whether virtual or in-person delivery is better: because the better question is “what’s the best strategy for delivering this content?”
Why you should still have in person events - but you need to use them for all the reasons other than training. And, why training, just like eating, is all about a balanced diet.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Mediahttps://linktr.ee/lmspulse
Get ready for ESS! Here's all you need to know to make the most of the 3 Blocks starting tomorrow (or in a few hours), get to know us and chime in along with the audience!
https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 82 Josh Cavalier, American Tire Distributors
My guest for today is Josh Cavalier, a super experienced Learning Architect whose work has spanned almost 30 years and includes an incredible amount of accolades.
Josh has always been at the forefront of educational video and his current mission is to “to teach everyone the secrets of creating enduring instructional videos.”
In this very exciting conversation we talk about:
📼 Why video may not be here to stay, at least in the sense we have of it today. Josh contends that the future of video demands we think about how we communicate with our learners differently.
📹 Josh and I then break down some of the myths of video making around things like production value and length. 🗯 Next we focus our conversation around video formats, and why it’s worth thinking about the “touch points” your content has with your students. Are they enough and are they the right ones?
📽 And finally, Josh and I dive deeper to discuss how touch points are laid out across a video to answer key questions. Josh explains that, if you’re making bulleted points in a more or less linear fashion, choose a short, crisp format; but if you really want to paint a complete picture, think of your video as a film in which the subject you’re teaching plays a starring role.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media
https://linktr.ee/lmspuls
Watch us fail live, tag along!
Help us pick the topic of the course! Share your suggestions at the eLearn Community!
https://community.openlms.net/
The eLearn Success Series — Sign up to pick up a copy of the Instructional Design Canvas!
https://www.elearnsuccessseries.com/
LMSPulse Media: https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 81 Mike Taylor
My guest for today is Mike Taylor, a learning consultant “on a mission to rid the world of ineffectual training.” Over the decades, Mike has had basically every possible job there is in Learning & Development and he regularly shares his expertise with a very large online following.
In this episode, Mike and I discuss a particular passion of his: The “No-Code” movement. A way for everyone, including non-tech-savvy educators, to leverage the power of modern technologies to increase productivity, save valuable time and enhance the learning experience
In this very enthusiastic conversation we talk about:
👨💻 What “No Code” tools are, how to make the most of software without the need of (any) programming skills, and why Mike loves Zapier so much (PS. This is not a paid endorsement)
⚒ We also discuss a couple of examples of automated tools you setup once, then forget about; and the virtues of adopting an “automation mindset” with eLearning tools and apps
👫 Of course, we also touch on some important disclaimers, such as small but notable startup investments, like the time it takes to initially set up tools; and the importance of spending a couple minutes here and there testing and iterating.
⚒ But finally and overall, why Mike is certain “No Code” tools are here to stay, even in the most conservative corners of academia; why you should join your nearest “100 days of no code” bootcamp, and why it pays to befriend the IT person at your workplace
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Mediahttps://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 80 Mark Lassoff, Framework Tech Media
My guest for today is Mark Lassoff, founder of Framework Tech Media. After achieving tremendous success on platforms like Udemy with his quality video content, Mark shares with us his wisdom and expertise on his “video experience” learning platform, as well as in communities and the world’s most popular EdTech conferences.
In this visually focused conversation we talk about:
📷 Mark’s experiences with creating compelling video. Newsflash: It’s not about equipment — it's all about telling an engaging story.
🏥 “Mastering video,” which rather than knowing about lighting or sound (which do matter) has to do more with things like storytelling, character building and making sure you’re connecting with your audience
🙋 Raising your online teaching bar by raising your video game, by doing things like checking new trends and tools, playing around and experimenting, and maybe considering lowering your PowerPoint dependence.
💡 Why, ultimately, to achieve a satisfying experience it’s best not to compare your work with other educational content, but to your learners’ idea of compelling and entertaining media.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Mediahttps://linktr.ee/lmspulse
Get your free ticket to eLearn Success Series: THE INSTRUCTORS SESSION
https://www.elearnsuccessseries.com/
№ 079 Estefania Fernandez, e-bloom
My guest for today is Estefania Fernandez, a serial educational entrepreneur, youth leader and polyglot originally from Spain.
After relocating to Berlin, Estefania created her “Business Model Republic” Meetup group to connect with others. This group exploded to more than 6 thousand members, and became an obvious launching point for her latest venture: e-bloom.
E-bloom is an international community where young business graduates gain skills by participating in social innovation projects.
I’m sure you’re be energized listening to this very lively conversation, where Estefania and I talk about:
👦 The origin of a simple, yet powerful idea: Match young graduates looking for experience, with NGOs needing help with innovative solutions to social problems- finding the value in both agile methodologies, and empathy along the way
💯 Why social innovation is the perfect playground for professionals to put years of project management and innovation theory to the test. You should definitely stay tuned for some of Estefania’s favorite campaigns!
👩💼 We also talk about making value consistent with both business and social innovation, and the value of the community to ensure sustainable outcomes
📞 Why Estefania believes in “learning by helping,” and the many lessons she’s drawn from the intense startup communities across Europe
🎓 Finally, Estefania explains how you can join as a graduate, a volunteer, NGO looking for support, a facilitator or even a school or university interested in adding a practical and empathetic element to their learning plans
As a final note, for longtime listeners and newbies alike, you’ll notice that we’re trying out a new format - where we record these conversations LIVE. So, you may hear me ask for your interaction. Even though this is a recording, you can still participate! Just head over to LinkedIn, Facebook or Youtube and place your question in the comments or chat!
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media
https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 78 Ray Blakney, Live Lingua
My guest for today is Ray Blakney, an edu-preneur and founder of Live Lingua, a one-on-one online language learning service. In 2015, Live Lingua was named among the Best 360 Entrepreneurial Companies in America by Entrepreneur Magazine.
In this very robust conversation Ray and I talk about:
☎ Languages! Why they’re so important for all kinds of reasons including economic, cognitive and cultural; why they’re so hard to learn, but also the many ways technology has changed the language learning game — and will continue to do so.
🏙 Why passion continues to be a key predictor of teaching quality; and why ventures like Ray’s, stemming out of a soul searching life decision, could be increasingly common among teachers today
🏫 We also talk about the Great Resignation in education, which, paired up with online learning, could mean a lot more “EdTechpreneurs” in some parts of the world, and a lot more overseas teaching and tutors playing an increasingly larger role in the education of others
🇳🇿 Finally, Ray talks about what he believes are the reasons why “Higher Ed sucks,” and consequently why radical new forms of teaching are showing up with significantly better measurable outcomes
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Mediahttps://linktr.ee/lmspulse
Join our INSTRUCTOR SESSION on Wednesday, May 4, 2022
https://www.elearnsuccessseries.com/
№ 77 Jodi McPherson & Leah Jewell, UPSKLS
My guests for today are Leah Jewell and Jodi McPherson, the duo behind upskls.com —that’s U-P-S-K-L-S dot com —, a service slash consultancy slash coaching service that aims to fill a very clear gap in the intersection between young students needing experience to join the job market, and employers articulating the skills they actually need, by connecting one another through projects.
In this very “upscale” conversation we talk about:
🤔 Needs assessment in the educational system; or why it seems easy to find problems, but it’s a real challenge to turn that problem into evidence of a market opportunity investors consider a worthwhile venture .
🚼 The changing landscape of the core skills sets of young people: why maybe it’s not changing fast enough, but why discussions on digital badges and “microcredentials” are only expected to accelerate in the coming years.
1️⃣ Why a personalized, oneon-one approach to understanding a young professional’s expectations can be a powerful way to unlock their potential—and an amazing source of truth for employers.
🎒 Why Jodi and Leah believe there is a place for more “agents” in the educational value chain, to tackle all kinds of critical issues including apprenticeships, career management, mindset and mental health… and even school debt!
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Mediahttps://linktr.ee/lmspulse
Love thy structure 🌹
Get hyped with us before tomorrow's grand event starting at Noon!
And if you haven't already: Get your free ticket now!
https://www.elearnsuccessseries.com/
№ 76 Courtney Staff, Author, The Online Teaching Handbook
My guest for today is Courtney Ostaff, a bona fide “classical” teacher who realized that, after seeing so many of her colleagues struggling with teaching online, she had to help bring some clear signals into the noise.
The result is her book titled “The Online Teaching Handbook,” a refreshing, no-nonsense guide written by a proven and experienced educator.
If you’ve never quite gotten comfortable with the new normal, Courtney has your back. If you are one of the countless teachers who think to themselves before every online session, “I did not sign up for this,” Courtney will be the first one to agree with you.
In this “soul-alleviating” conversation we talk about:
↩ Why Courtney believes teachers should “take back” their classrooms, by playing to your strengths, even if that means putting live online sessions on the back burner.
🗣 We talk about why replicating the faceto-face experience online can be quite frankly impossible; and why it’s worth remembering that live video tech is, well, experimental, relative to established educational practice.
💬 We talk about the importance of “boring” for learning outcomes: Clear lists of tasks, Systematic examination and a consistent routine is going to do wonders for your students academically and emotionally. And probably for you as well
📩 Courtney shares some tips on keeping track of outcomes and participation, turning parental supervision into family engagement; and ultimately, why great teaching is indifferent to medium, but rich in backand-forth communication and human-focused.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Mediahttps://linktr.ee/lmspulse
Mind your afterthoughts 🍨
Join our eLearn Hotseat with Dr. Liz Dalton! Live on the Community
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(TOMORROW)
TWO WEDNESDAYS AWAY: THE DESIGN SESSION 🎨✨
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eLearn Success Series — Get your free ticket
Mentioned in the episode
🏛 Black History Month: Health & Wellness
http://ht.ly/3KWh30sabRA
📻 Marianna Goral talks Exploratory Practice, Action Research (Podcast episode)
http://ht.ly/7psN30sabSC
㊙ Teachers and Privacy
http://ht.ly/o7nh30sabSH
📈 Join the eLearn Success Series Affiliate program — Refer a colleague for a VIP Pass!
https://www.elearnsuccessseries.com/affiliate/
📭 Suggest a new feature for Open LMS
https://community.openlms.net/topic/feedback-suggestions
№ 75 Marianna Goral, Educational Consultant
My guest for today is Marianna Goral, digital learning specialist and consultant recognized for the development of a variety of eLearning products. In 2016 Marianna was awarded best British educational research and scholarly work in education by the British Educational Research Association Committee.
In this interview, Marianna shared with me her deep and broad experience throughout the lifecycle of eLearning, under the lens of “Exploratory Practice,” an educational movement from the 90s which, for her, it’s more relevant than ever today.
In this very encompassing conversation we talk about:
🇺🇸 What “Exploratory Practice” is, where it belongs in the broader “Action Research” framework, and why it can be so useful for the way we deliver and plan our learning today
👨💼 We also talk about the role of the “Educational Manager” and the art of blending organizational prerogatives with sound pedagogy and high quality lessons for learners
🏥 We also touch on issues of mental health and burnout among educators, with Marianna’s own story and the importance of persevering through your journey of self discovery
📔 Finally, we discuss how you can help your learners while creating reliable evidence and how Marianna makes “Quality of Life” a priority for everyone in the classroom
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Mediahttps://linktr.ee/lmspulse
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📻 Ronda Beaman on the eLearn Podcast (Our previous episode)
Hithakshi Kotyan (Design Session speaker)
Natalie Miller (Design Session speaker)
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⚒ "Build A Better Course" course on Open LMS Academy
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MS Teams integration in Moodle™. Open LMS
Open LMS EDU Roadmap for 2022
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LinkedIn’s Top 50 in eLearning
Design Matters: 4 Must-Read Books For eLearning Professionals In 2022
Obligatory XKCD (927)
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№ 74 Ronda Beaman, PEAK Learning, DreamMakers SLO
It’s a real treat for me to have Ronda Beaman on the show today. Among many other things, she is the first recipient of the National Education Associations “Art of Teaching” Award.
A “teacher’s teacher,” Ronda is a best-selling author (several times over), renowned university professor, serial educational entrepreneur, coach, fitness trainer, and a 2020 Stanford Distinguished Career Fellow.
I’m sure you’re going to enjoy this conversation as much as I did, where Rhonda and I talk about:
🆘 Why you don’t have to be a coach, let alone a fitness trainer, to engage your learners during a session… But it would probably help you, the way it helped Ronda!
💍 Why physical activity, games and even music are resources you should seriously consider applying in your lessons; and why learner engagement could be matter of subverting expectations
💭 The challenges of teaching people at different ages, especially those that are considerably over and under yours; and Ronda’s thoughts on how to “reach the jaded,” be it teenagers or middle management folk nearing their retirement
🏫 Ultimately, we talk about the power of humanity in education, regardless of modality, age, topic or personality; and why being open on your end can encourage empathy and kindness on theirs.
~💗💍~
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eLearn Success Series: THE DESIGN SESSION is less than a month away!
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№ 73 Ramanan Ramadoss, Tutoreels
My guest for today is Ramanan Ramadoss, a serial EdTech entrepreneur based out of Singapore. In this episode, Ram and I talk about Tutoreels, his latest venture in what we maybe should start calling the “TutorTech” subspace.
In this very instructive conversation we talk about:
🖥 What it takes for an eLearning technology to support the tutoring experience effectively; and the growing number of interesting use cases beyond your typical student-tutor relationship. We’re talking K-12, universities, corporate learning and all kinds of specialized schools.
🗣 We also talk about why for Ram we’re living in the future of video based learning, with access to features and experience most of us hadn’t thought of just a couple years ago; but why we should still be careful when expecting live video to replicate the face-to-face classroom.
📹 We also ponder a fair question: Why should we consider another video platform, if there’s YouTube already? In short, Ram believes there’s a great opportunity in leveraring YouTube with a customfit video solution into the mix.
👤 Ram also tell us about his experience in Singapore, and why among the schools in this futuristic city, human connections remain a priority above any cutting-edge technological alternatives.
~💗💍~
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eLearn Success Summit: The Design Session is just a month away
Free ticket >>> eLearnSuccessSeries.com
Mentioned in the episode:
- 🎨 The eLearn Success Series: The Design Session
eLearnSuccessSeries.com - 🎙 Thomas Korner & Mike Churchward, Moodle™ Users Association (MUA) on the eLearning Podcast (ep. № 72)
https://www.lmspulse.com/2022/elp-72-thomas-korner-mike-churchward-moodle-users-association-mua/ - 🔥🪑 Germán Rojas, Open LMS Consulting Services on the eLearn Community Hotseat
https://community.openlms.net/post/join-us-and-german-rojas-open-lms-director-of-professional-services-in-just--61e8281dc259084557c9f537 - 🔮 An unpredictable future by Germán Rojas
https://community.openlms.net/post/an-unpredictable-future-6182b00ebf9ed7ec2e3d3786 - Greg Bird's Image Embedded and Attribution Maker
https://community.openlms.net/post/image-embedder-and-attribution-maker-unsplash-pexels-wikimedia-commons-pixa--61e7617a2a645fc46af8e5c9
Join the eLearning Community:
https://www.elearnsuccessseries.com/connect
№ 72 Thomas Korner and Mike Churchward, Moodle™ Users Association (MUA)
As many of you know, Moodle™ is the most popular Learning Management System in the world. But despite being free and open source, meaning anybody can contribute, it’s not always easy if you’re not a developer, or if you don’t know what other people want to get out of the LMS.
That’s where the Moodle™ Users Association comes in. My guests for today, Chairman Thomas Korner and Vice Chairman Mike Churchward, discuss what MUA and Moodle™ means today, and what we should expect from the future of open source learning technology.
In this very engaging conversation we talk about:
📈 How Moodle™ gets made and the role of users and MUA in the shape of Moodle™ and its growth.
📪 How to strike a model of community based collaboration that feels intimate and attentive to every voice, while continuing to grow massively.
➕ Why for its leaders, the MUA means Governance, and how they plan to increase the long term influence of user-based initiatives into Moodle™ and the eLearning space as a whole.
🏣 The perils and challenges of open source; and why community building is key for the sustainability of the project, as well as for individuals’ reason to volunteer.
📡 Finally, we talk about the future of Moodle™ and open source communities… as well as whether or not survival, as Thomas believes, is a matter of fostering a decentralized online learning ecology?
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Mediahttps://linktr.ee/lmspulse
Mentioned in the episode:
- Katherine Fleitcher, OpenStax podcast episode
- Hithakshi Kotyan, Senior Learning & Development Specialist for Priceline podcast episode
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media: https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 71 Katherine Fletcher, OpenStax
You may think it hyperbole if I told you that the “F.A.T.E.” of Open Educational Resources lies on the shoulders of today's guest. But it's kinda true. Katherine Fletcher is the Director of Fairness, Accountability, Transparency and Ethics —that is, “F.A.T.E.”— at OpenStax.
She’s our second guest for one of the most important organizations for the advocacy of Open Educational Resources, or OER. And this time around, we dig deeper into the relationship between free quality educational content for everyone and the importance of things like ethics and transparency in our industry
In this very fateful conversation we talk about:
⚖ Why the events sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis led to a series of conversations on justice and inclusiveness that cascaded into OpenStax and ultimately sparked a new leadership role for the OER powerhouse
💽 We also talk about the importance of having clear equity and diversity goals in your elearning products and technology, because you you might end up unintentionally sending the wrong messages without them
🤝 Katherine also walk us through OpenStax own processes for “power and accountability,” and why small actions like taking an “equity pause” in the middle of a product meeting can make a huge amount of difference.
🎒 Finally, why, especially in education and humanitarian subjects, it’s more important than ever to “measure what matters;” and why organizations should be brave enough to introduce OKRs that have emotions at their core.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media
https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 70 Chris Eigeland, Go1
After another successful round of funding last Summer, Go1 became Australia’s latest EdTech Unicorn, cementing its vision as the “Spotify for professional learning.” I spoke with Chris Eigeland, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Go1.
In this sky-rocketing conversation we talk about:
🌐 The entrepreneurial journey of Go1 and its founding team, who came from diverse backgrounds that included web design, economics and international development; and how they discovered a way to deliver incredible value for their customer base.
📈 We also talk about the “Last Mile” of corporate learning, which is usually the responsibility of trainers and designers; and why success as an EdTech company seems to be all about “knowing your place.”
📕 We also talk about what it takes to build a “Spotify”esqe library of high quality content that is relevant for wildly diverse learner needs and stays current. In one word: The joys of partnerships.
🚼 Chris and I also discuss stresses and pain points in Corporate Learning, many of which are created because of rapidly changing priorities and challenges around demonstrating value. Chris underscores why “learning” your place in this value chain is a key ingredient for doubledigit growth year after year.
🏞 We also touch on issues including: Virtual Reality, humanitarian development, credentialing, national and organizational culture, the power of introverts, and why theme parks like Disneyland are incredible illustrations of immersive learning design.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media
https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 069 Diego Lainez, Dare To Learn
For our final episode of 2021, my guest is Diego Lainez, the founder of Dare To Learn in Monterey, Mexico.
Diego’s answer to one simple question may be the perfect lever you need to kick start your eLearning right 2022.
The question is: What learning do you want to achieve?
Diego, believes the best way to tackle this potentially overwhelming question is through cohorts. Diego helps organizations and teams develop powerful teamwork capabilities, where competencies become the compass that will help you navigate upskilling journeys without losing your north.
In this competitive conversation we talk about:
🎓 Competencies, of course, with a bit of a crash course on what they are and how they should influence your learning, teamwork and strategy.
🏗 “Natural working teams” and why competencies can be a common language for all the people you’ll be working with. And yes, that may include customers and students.
🙈 How it’s perfectly possible to align teams and learning goals or even apply personalized approaches simultaneously to not only protect collaboration, but also bolster it.
🎗 Why roles like instructional design and L&D officer have shifted to focus on team goals, and why are called to continue changing towards agility, cognitive awareness, and impact.
👩👩👦👦 Why, ultimately, the real focus on learning is the people, not the tech or the learning plan. So when it comes to competency based experiences, flexibility is your best friend.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media: https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 068 Diana Suárez, GLOT
Welcome to the eLearning Podcast. My name is Ladek and I’m your Host from LMSPulse.com.
My guest for today is Diana Suárez, a true lover of languages, and founder of GLOT.org in Medellín, Colombia, GLOT is an initiative that uses evidence-based impact methodologies and volunteer based tutoring for language learning and to advance literacy.
The ability to speak another language, or languages (if you want to earn “polyglot” status) is undoubtedly still one of the most valuable professional skills you can have, even in our modern world with instantaneous translation.
As such, the focus of today’s conversation comes from Diana’s original concept for forming GLOT: What if we made language learning possible for everyone, particularly low-income learners?
In this educational conversation Diana and I talk about:
😋 The joys of language learning, and its struggles, when you realize your target audience is below par when it comes to literacy un their mother tongue
🧪 Why Diana is a believer in evidence based interventions, and why she decided to base her work on the approach called “Teaching at the Right Level”
🤔 We take a deep dive on GLOT’s programs for Literacy, Online Learning, Interpretation and more; and why foreigners should consider volunteering as a language tutor in Medellín for their next holiday
📶 How Diana leveraged open source technologies to deliver online learning to communities without internet access
💽 Finally we talk about Diana’s vision for a self sustaining, universally accessible and data-driven learning language approach, and her current plans to accomplish it
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Mediahttps://linktr.ee/lmspulse
Let's wrap up the year with Jess! She answered your questions on
🎒 Providing quality educational services that work for every student
🧠 Empowering individuals in their neurodiversity
🦸♀️ Where do you want to take your learners 2022?
Stay tuned for more over at our eLearn Community:
https://community.openlms.net/
№ 67 Hithakshi Kotyan, Priceline Global Initiatives
Welcome to the eLearning Podcast. My name is Ladek and I’m your Host from LMSPulse.com.
My guest today is Hithakshi Kotyan, Senior Learning & Development Specialist for Priceline.
If you were or are a part of the travel industry —one of the hardest hit sectors during the global lockdowns— you faced some very serious issues over the past 24 months.
Priceline is a very well known brand in the travel sector. It’s one of the companies under Booking Holdings, who also own brands like Booking.com, Kayak and Agoda.
One thing you’d assume a company like Priceline would reduce (or likely eliminate) in the COVID meltdown would be learning. And yet, as you’ll hear from Hithakshi, it was easy to see how a huge player like this looked for the opportunity in the chaos.
In this “paradise destination” of a conversation Hithakshi and I talk about:
⏭ Reactive change, or how exceptional times have the benefit of making something important, truly urgent. In this context, that meant focusing on nextgen learning experiences.
🚮 Why, in the middle of the “Great Resignation,” Priceline decided to expand its workforce as well as its Learning & Development initiatives
🖌 The not really surprising links between creativity, learning and leisure with on the-job training and satisfaction
➖ Why at Priceline, eLearning in 2022 means more networking and microlearning, and less zoom meetings
💬 We also talk about empowerment and diversity, aligning eLearning with core strategy, communities of practice at Priceline and… would you enroll your employees at an online course run by MENSA?
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media: https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 66 Ryan Rasar, STEM Qwest
My guest for today is Ryan Rasar, an architect turned teacher and educational entrepreneur based out of Las Vegas. Passionate about technology and science, Ryan founded Stem Qwest —that’s ‘Q W EST’— to deliver high quality courses on topics about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
In this very entrepreneurial conversation Ryan and I talk about:
📦 The process of moving away from architecture and into teaching, then into educational IT, then jumping deep into eLearning entrepreneurship with STEM Qwest
📺 The ‘wins” and ‘woes’ of technology in the classroom, and the surprising ways in which young learners are totally tech savvy at one turn and luddites at the other… and how Ryan deals with it
⚠ Related to this, we also talk about how teachers approach entrepreneurship differently. Spoiler alert: It’s all about finding the joy of learning, and making it contagious
💽 We also talk about Ryan’s experience with virtual charter schools, and how their use of technology allowed him to reach several times more students than he’d expect, and in a matter of days.
🔖 Finally, we cover Ryan’s favorite tools, including Canvas and whether or not Outschool will become the Amazon of eLearning.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media: https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 65 Dr. Rachael Jefferson-Buchanan, Charles Strut University
Let me ask you something: Do you sometimes feel like we’ve all been sitting in front of our computers for almost two years now?
Well, now imagine what dancing, gymnastics or performing arts teachers are going through. While there must be a great deal of frustration, there’s also interesting questions and ideas about our physical bodies in the digital classroom.
How do we keep ourselves active?
How do we approach things like dance and theatre?
And does eLearning open new possibilities for physical outcomes?
For my guest today, the answer is a resounding yes. Dr. Rachael Jefferson-Buchanan is a Lecturer in Human Movement Studies and Creative Arts at Charles Sturt University, in Australia.
In our discussion, she tells us what “human movement studies” is all about and how it’s transformed for her over the past 2 years.
We also talk about:
🖍 How digital learning can actually open new spaces for physical education, with possibilities for more creativity and intimacy.
🕺 Why the rise of TikTok, with the emphasis on video and dancing, teaches us some valuable lessons in the way we approach topics involving our bodies and movement.
🎒 And finally, while online education obviously has its struggles and challenges. We talk about ways to promote physical self care and well-being despite the disruptions of delayed or asynchronous interactions.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media: https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ Ben Jones, Allambi Care
My guest for today is Ben Jones, the Learning and Development Manager for Allambi Care, an institution based in New South Wales, Australia that provides care for some of the world’s most vulnerable children.
In this supportive conversation we talk about:
🚸 The history, journey and focus of the work of Allambi Care, and how they support vulnerable children with services like foster care, learning support and much more.
🎗 How the institution has created and sustained the very successful “Learning Without Walls” program that includes so much more than just academic support.
🏋 How Allambi Care pivoted in the pandemic to make sure they were still able to provide necessary training and support to their staffeven with the double trouble of newly instated “minimum requirements” for many positions.
📶 How Allambi Care has used a monthly virtual lounge to create a team feeling and connection and validate critical training points with more experienced staff, especially with new employees in a very high turnover sector.
⛰ How they have overcome necessary in person training outcomes around things like active listening in their virtual environment… and how “informal” virtual meetings have become a habit to continue to forge those collegial bonds we used to do naturally.
🚼 How “going virtual” is fundamentally changing they way Allambi Care structures and delivers induction training with serious cost savings.
👀 The “Aha” breakthroughs that Ben has experienced over the pandemic that has moved him from “you can’t do this virtually” to “wow, look at what is possible!”
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media: https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
My guest for today is Anna Sabramowicz, an instructional designer who specializes in designing interactive stories. In this narrative conversation we talk about:
- How Anna stumbled upon the art of storytelling after many years as a more "traditional" instructional design career, because of a contest that took her outside her comfort zone.
- How storytelling connects to other critical parts of instructional design, such as assessment and scaffolding, and why storytelling "sells" learners on completing a lesson or course.
- What options instructors have for telling stories at different levels - from K-12 to adult learners. Or, how to build characters that learners can relate to, so they can make decisions for this flawed individual
- Why storytelling works everywhere, for any subject at any time against a backdrop of cave paintings, documentaries and Game of Thrones.
- How to get started with storytelling as a part of your practice as an instructor (at any level) or as a designer. And why being perfect is never really the objective and the biggest mistake that most people make in storytelling.
- If you're not an instructional designer who specializes in narratives, what other options are available to you for creating killer courses and classes?
- Why choosing the "wrong" answer while learning through stories is actually a great thing and wonderful opportunity for the learner. Especially when you are challenging them on something the learner already believes to be true, or "correct"
- How storytelling works within the ephemeral nature of today's rapidly changing world, and why different mediums are critical to different people and different points in time.
№ 62 John Failla, Pearl
My guest for today is John Fallia, Founder and CEO of Pearl, a full service platform for tutoring companies and institutions.
In this very instructional conversation we talk about:
📞 The evolution from John’s first tutoring venture, called Trilogy Mentors, to the full service platform of Pearl and how this pivot was driven by the need to simplify all of the different technology pieces used in a typical tutoring experience.
🏤 The realization of just how fragmented the tutoring sector is through the experience of building the Pearl platform for themselves (and then having others ask to licence it!)
📠 John’s vision for Pearl to become more than a tutoring technology platform, and how there is incredible opportunity to aggregate resources and create trusted standards.
2️⃣ Two challenges faced by tutoring companies today which include differentiation and accessing the vast amount of funds available from governments and other outlets.
🏛 Why “culturally relevant” instruction is important for making a deeper impact with students, and the pros and cons between local vs global tutoring companies.
🚦 Pricing variability in tutoring and all of the factors that drive these variations.
🙉 The parenting approach to tutoring and whether or not we’re asking too much or too little of our kids.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media: https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
Join the INNOVATION 2021 Summit session! In this episode you'll know what to expect from Open LMS first virtual event ✨
Asia Pacific
https://hopin.com/events/innovation-summit-2021-apac-english-stream
North America, Europe, Africa & the Middle East
https://app.hopin.com/events/innovation-summit-2021-nam-emea-english-stream/
Latin America (In Spanish)
https://app.hopin.com/events/innovation-summit-2021-lac-spanish-stream
№ 61 Daniel Martin, Brightsity
My guest today is Daniel Martin. Daniel is a social psychologist, organizational psychologist and business professor. He’s also the founder of Brightsity, a platform that helps individuals and organizations create measurable transformative change.
In this compassionate conversation we talk about:
🇬🇧 The origins of Brightsity, which was born out of Daniel’s work on hierarchy maintenance in society, specifically around racism and sexism; and the recognized need that a great majority of us have for bi-directional, compassionate mentoring relationships.
🏫 What exactly compassion for yourself and others not only means (in three parts), but how this ultimately offers serious benefit and return for traditional business and education roles like leadership, finance and talent management.
🔋 The power of nonhierarchical conversations, those that are stripped of all pre-conceptions. Kinda like those amazing, yet ephemeral, conversations we have with complete strangers on trains, planes and shared rides.
💽 The implications that the confluence of compassion and massive data has for Millennials who are today’s largest portion of the workforce.
🙏 Why we should be more compassionate with ourselves in today’s society driven by daily marginal gains.
⏬ Finally, we discuss how all change is built from the bottom up and how taking the time to practice forgiveness can be a total game changer.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media: https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
On the Elearning Hotseat, our LinkedIn Live audience gets to ask our guests almost anything!
https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 60 Jeff Fissel, InstillEd (An LTG Company)
My guest for today is Jeff Fissel. Jeff has been an innovator in the video-for-learning space for decades and was one of the original co-founders of the award winning instilled LXP.
Today, Jeff helps with product strategy at several places within the Learning Technologies Group of companies, including Gomo Learning and People Fluent.
In this eye-opening conversation we talk about:
🔋 Why Jeff is so passionate about video and the energy that surrounds the creative process.
📼 And why he thinks video is a particularly effective medium. Other formats can be powerful and compelling, but video offers clear and practical advantages.
🎭 The importance of metricsespecially “social metrics” - when judging the performance of a video, and why your videos might be performing better than you think.
🗣 We also talk about the relationship between video, corporate culture, and a company’s ability to encourage creators and leverage usergenerated content to bolster their own values.
☝ Finally, why Jeff believes eLearning must evolve beyond platforms to meet learners at the point of need. And, whether or not this means the end of the LMS as we know it.
- LMSPulse is part of Learning Technologies Group, plc
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media: https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ Suchi Deshpande, Learnfully
My guest for today is Suchi Deshpande, who is the Co-Founder of Learnfully, a personalized learning platform with neurodivergence as its main focus.
Suchi discovered the idea for her platform after realizing how difficult it was for her kids to find an educational experience suitable for their needs. The idea truly came to life, when she also realized how difficult it was to socialize the simple idea that different children need different ways of learning.
In this enlightening conversation we talk about:
🥊 Why “neurodivergent learning” approaches are gaining traction, especially because of the COVID crises. It’s not just for accessibility: It’s a fight against classroom anxiety.
🎒 We take a deep dive into “executive functioning” skills and the way they evolve as children develop… and are you sure your kids’ education is meeting them at where they truly excel?
🚧 The origin of Learnfully, where Suchi’s tech background allows for a personalized learning experience that lets parents keep close track of their kids’ progress through a finetuned analytics platform.
🏫 Finally, we talk about the global appeal of neurodivergent elearning; and why personalized platforms like Suchi’s might become part of your children education sooner than you think.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media: https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 58 Rachel Fisher, Hello PLATO
My guest for today is Rachel Fisher, co-founder of the AI learning app, Hello PLATO. If you have an LMS or eLearning platform, and have always wondered how to integrate it to your students favorite messaging app in a way that makes sense, this is the conversation for you. After all, wouldn’t you rather meet your students right where they love to hang out the most?
In this exciting conversation we talk about:
✅ Hello PLATO, and why the best answer Rachel and her team found to simplify the content creation process was by leveraging text messaging interfaces.
💍 Why text-based learning can be a powerful learning medium, capable of creating high levels of engagement and data, often better than popular authoring tools
⌨ We discuss the affordability angle of text-based learning, or why for many students around the world text-based learning is not just the best eLearning platform, but the only one available
3️⃣ Why Hello PLATO seeks to integrate rather than substitute the LMS, and why learners favor decentralized learning ecosystems in growing numbers
👩👩👧👦 We also touch on issues of entrepreneurship in eLearning, bridging digital gaps and tech divides, and what it is like to be a woman founder in the super hot universe of EdTech.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media: https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 57 Luke Hohmann, FirstRoot.co
For many, the term “Participatory Budgeting” likely conveys boring or dreary images of town halls, committee meetings and bureaucracy.
So would you believe me if I told you my guest for today uses Participatory Budgeting to actually increase engagement with students on issues of financial literacy and civic engagement around the world?
Silicon Valley insider Luke Hohmann is the founder of FirstRoot, which is an exciting approach to involve students in the improvement of their schools, while increasing financial literacy skills.
In this very accountable conversation we talk about:👨👩👧👧 Why participatory budgeting is not just a great way to teach financial skills, but why it’s such a valuable tool for empowerment, accountability and improvement of schools, institutions or even family projects at home!
🏦 Luke’s background in Silicon Valley working on enterprise IT, and why his lessthan-positive experience with educational software led to the development of FirstRoot
🤹 How to ensure that a participatory budgeting process involving students succeeds, both in terms of skill acquisition but also in helping them see how the process leads to visible results
⛔ We also touch on technical issues around process, security and privacy considerations, and we discuss the question: How much money is it okay to put in students’ hands? (spoiler: The number might be higher than you think)
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media: https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 56 Kate Udalova, 7taps
My guest this week is Kate Udalova, who is the founder, creator and driving force behind 7taps, which seeks to bring everyone into microlearning easily.
Within their first year, 7taps has amassed over 3,000 clients across a variety of use cases who love the beautiful interface and straightforward approach.
In this no-nonsense conversation we talk about:
🔨 Kate’s leap into creating 7taps and why she (and her partner) are “all in” on the microlearning platform
7️⃣ Why 7taps embraces the social media format, specifically the “instagram stories” looks to deliver effective learning in, well, seven taps more or less
♿ The value of accessibility and why microlearning is such a great way to approach conversations about accessibility
💽 We also touch on the more technical benefits of microlearning: Easier to update, manage and gather more data points
📔 Finally, why this microlearning “point solution” is gaining traction beyond the standard classroom, but why that also means you should not expect 7taps to become a fully fledged LMS anytime soon.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media: https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 55 Kevin Marshall, Owwlish
Welcome to the eLearning Podcast. My name is Ladek and I’m your Host from LMSPulse.com
My guest for today is Kevin Marshall. A few years ago, Kevin stumbled into an online learning opportunity in a VERY niche market. After trialing a few courses that performed well, he and his partner decided to go all in.
As Kevin worked to prepare a suite of courses, he found that popular publishing platforms didn’t offer the simplicity or level of ownership he desired.
Fast forward a few years and the result of Kevin’s frustration is Owwlish (with two “w”s). Owwlish is a WordPress plugin slash platform that aims to give you complete control of your courses and a worry-free experience with the technology.
In this strategic conversation we talk about:
🎗 The ingredients to persist as an elearning entrepreneur, including a support system and the right mix of pragmatism and hopeful patience.
🔋 The challenge of delivering simplicity through Owwlish, within the powerful but fairly complex system of WordPress.
🤔 Why Owwlish is not for everyone, but why Kevin believes course creators should consider things like ownership and control, flexibility and the real financials of delivering and promoting an online course on an established marketplace.
🏣 We also talk about the importance of community building as a cornerstone of online learning delivery today, and why sometimes Facebook algorithms get in the way
⛱ Finally, along the way, Kevin and I touch on DIY, teaching dentistry online, the weather in Phoenix, Arizona and, whether or not the 4Hour Workweek still relevant? (hint: maybe more than ever before)
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media: https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 54 Anthony Palmiotto, OpenStax
Today’s episode is part one of a three part series on Open Educational Resources, or OER, created in collaboration with OpenStax and Rice University, in Houston.
Anthony Palmiotto is the Editorial Director of OpenStax, one of the most influential supporters of the OER movement. OpenStax gives you a comprehensive and top-notch library of peer-reviewed textbooks and other curricular resources, all completely free for teachers and students.
With initiatives like OpenStax, OER has saved students millions of dollars by offering quality content that’s continuously updated and improved.
In this open and educational conversation we talk about:
🎓 What is OpenStax, it’s origins at Rice University, and what it’s like to be at the forefront of the OER revolution.
🚨 Why, regardless of licensing issues, the goals of OpenStax and OER revolve around creating the best publishing platform out there, for learners, teachers and creators.
🎒 Why OER is such an important ingredient in discussions about equity in education. Not only does OER eliminate the barrier of cost for underserved groups, but how an institution like OpenStax can also promote diversity by actively working to fix biases and onesided or Euro-centric perspectives in the resources they provide.
🗣 Finally, we talk about the challenges OER currently faces to gain wider appeal, and what Anthony and OpenStax are doing to help teachers bring OER into their lessons.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media: https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 53 Harsh Jain, Escafate
My guest for today is Harsh Jain, a young Bachelor in Commerce from Delhi University who in 2019 decided with his brother to launch Escafate. With this education startup, Harsh seeks to increase opportunities both in academic and training achievement; as well as job finding and career development.
If these goals weren’t ambitious enough already, Escafate’s mission is to offer these opportunities to people with disabilities, focusing on the visually impaired.
In this “escalating” conversation we talk about:
🏫 The massive upskilling and economic opportunity for people with different ability conditions in India and the role of Education Technology in providing these opportunities
📖 Why Harsh believes that entrepreneurship is “in the bloodstream” of every Indian and the benefits of an entrepreneurial mindset for Indian learners, as they have to be sure they’re learning how to solve real problems
🔨 And why an entrepreneurial mindset is essential for Harsh to make sure he’s focusing on the real problems, and creating valuable connections.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media: https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 53 Mike Todd, Near-Life
My guest for today is Mike Todd. Mike is the CEO of Near-Life, a company that develops Virtual Reality and interactive video solutions and tools. With clients including USAID and the World Health Organization, Mike and his clients are convinced of the power of immersive content for high-stakes training.
In this exciting conversation we talk about:🌌 How Mike shifted his career from the International Development space to the education space (without really leaving); and why Near-Life solutions have resonated in humanitarian, health, safety and other critical contexts.
🚚 Why the time of “VR for everyone” is closer than we think, thanks to authoring and delivery tools that greatly speed up the content creation process.
➗ Of course, creating immersive media is still more expensive than standard content. So we talk about not only how the ROI on VR has improved, but the ways in which it’s easier to make that calculation
💬 Finally, we talk about the most important element of creating truly immersive, effective and sustainable learning experiences: A good team.
~💗💍~
LMSPulse Media: https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
On the Elearning Hotseat, our LinkedIn Live audience gets to ask our guests almost anything!
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№ 51 Peter Horwing, CHART Learning Solutions
My guest for today is Peter Horwing, founder of CHART Adaptive Learning. With a model that puts technology at the service of the individual, CHART offers a mix of interactive content and one-on-one coaching on soft skills that ensures no one is left behind.
In this flexible, yet meticulous conversation we talk about:
💹 Why Peter & Co. decided Soft Skills was the most important challenge CHART had to face, and why adaptive learning specifically is, in Peter’s opinion, the best way to influence behavior both effectively and measurably.
😵 We talk about the difference between conscious and “unconscious incompetence,” or why we so often don’t realize how much we don’t know about the skill we think we know.
1️⃣ We also talk about the key importance of one.-on-one accountability to fill in all these gaps; and why mentoring is often the fastest way to ensure learning.
📈 Finally, we dive deep into CHART’s coaching model, how technology enhances the reach and quality of the relationship, and some of Peter’s most memorable success cases; or why in the middle of the worst wave in the Pandemic, a South African hospital realized their best decision was to invest in customer training for healthcare personnel.
~💗💍~
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On the Elearning Hotseat, our LinkedIn Live audience gets to ask our guests almost anything!
https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 50 Joe Dunlap, Toppers Pizza
To celebrate our 50th episode, how about a pizza party!
My guest for today is Joe Dunlap, Director of Learning & Development at Toppers Pizza, a Wisconsin based chain of restaurants with owned and franchised locations across the US.
With an incredible background, including a 4-year run consulting about learning at none other than NASA, Joe has a critical mission, as Toppers Pizza bounces back from the blow of COVID-19 and reinvents itself, its technology and the way it engages partners and franchisees.
In this “delicious” conversation we talk about:
🍕 What is it like to work and learn at NASA, and why even rocket engineering teams are fond of design thinking and agile project management approaches.
🍕 Why it makes a lot of sense that a former NASA consultant is now leading learning operations at a pizza place that’s figuring out a few groundbreaking launches.
🍕 Of course, there are clear cultural differences between these and other organizations Joe’s been with, so we talk about the challenge of “translating” learning experiences to increase their effectiveness.
🍕 Finally, we talk about the “TikTok” generation, which makes up the bulk of learners under his wing; and how he uses technology to deliver an interactive, timely and amenable learning that fosters creativity and problem solving.
~💗💍~ LMSPulse Media https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 49 Natalie Miller, XR Global
I have a question for you: When will Virtual Reality and “XR” in general become mainstream in education?
After listening to my guest for today —Natalie Miller the founder of XR Global— I want you to ask yourself that question again and let me know if our conversation has changed your mind.
Natalie moved to South Africa in 2006 for an opportunity in the international development space with Operation Smile. After countless Founding and leadership positions, she saw an opportunity to use mobile learning and Mixed Reality in emerging markets, leading to the creation of XR Global in 2020.
In this hyper-realistic conversation we talk about:
💿 Natalie’s amazing journey, including an Oxford MBA, a Skoll Fellowship, stints in Business Development, Fintech, Consulting, Health care and ultimately XR Global, her next step in her quest for social innovation and technology.
📘 The outstanding results XR Global has made possible, not just with double digit growth in knowledge retention using VR experiences, but also with making XR affordable and scalable in the emerging world.
⛑ Why according to Natalie, Mixed Reality should be on the radar of elearning professionals regardless of where they are in the world. One hint: You can’t check your phone while taking a lesson with a VR headset on.
➰ The importance and value of high level partnerships, as long as they are based on innovations that actually get results and shape the conversation.
~💗💍~
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Phill Miller, Managing Director at Open LMS joins Ladek to share why this union does make perfect sense, why we value views and conversations happening anywhere and everywhere, and why things will not change dramatically over the coming days. (Oh, but we're just getting started.)
LMSPulse Media
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~💗💍~
№48 Lauren Waldman, Learning Pirate
My guest for today is Neuroscientist Lauren Waldman, aka the “Learning Pirate.” Lauren is a consultant and Lead Scientific Learning Designer on a mission to educate elearning professionals on the brain, in order to fix long-standing practices that really just get in the way of effective and “psychologically safe” experiences.
In this deeply thoughtful conversation we talk about:🎓 What is it like to be a “learning science designer,” or someone who works on closing the gap between practice and research in education.
🚚 Why, according to the science of “cognitive overload,” you might tweak your delivery to ensure you're working in favor of your learners’ memory.
🍧 Why is it so valuable to consider the brain’s “desirable difficulties,” or that sweet spot of familiarity and challenge that makes for a sound learning path.
🛌 The often overlooked issue of sleep and the critical role it plays in encoding and the consolidation of skills.
🏞 Finally, we discuss what it would take to invest in “safe” learning environments in the digital world, and experiences that promote real upskilling, confidence and selfawareness in people’s minds.
~💗💍~
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№47 Yuliya Shtaltovna, DYS Communications; English Language Teachers' Association Berlin-Brandenburg (ELTABB)
To begin today, let me throw you a little curve ball: is it possible that during all the design and planning and chaos of creating a virtual learning experience, you have forgotten about “soft skills?” I’m talking about fundamental things like communication and listening. My guest for today, Yuliya Shtaltovna thought so.
As a Business Communication Professional and Lecturer, Yuliya believes that soft skills are more essential than ever. After all, if we’re looking to engage learners across new platforms and unforeseen circumstances, we might do well making sure our “soft-digital” skills are as sharp as they can be.
In this deep and nuanced conversation we talk about:
🦋 What soft skills mean in hybrid learning and working, and why they are more valuable today than ever before, in pretty much every context.
🤹 Why developing your own "digitally ready" soft skills goes hand in hand with a growing sense of professional awareness. There’s no mystery why they are associated with better jobs and pay.
🎤 We also talk about digital competencies, and why given the sound framework on digital competencies for educators by the European Union, there really is no excuse not to have a digital skills game plan.
🌌 How Yuliya understood that her work and online teaching needed to reflect these new lessons learned, and how she moved away from “lecturing as much as possible” to find ways to transmit her passion and continuous interest about her subjects, as a way to reveal new horizons for her learners.
And check out her LinkedIn post with resources supporting her talk, “Challenge your Business English curricula to teach soft skills.”
~💗💍~
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№ 46 Lisa Caprelli, Author
My guest for today is Lisa Caprelli, who is an author and speaker, with 16 books published under her belt and in several languages.
With her series “Unicorn Jazz” and “Skip a Step,” Lisa manages to transform a past life as a marketing and branding consultant into a journey about the value of being true to yourself and finding your true purpose. Lessons that are as valuable for children as they are for the hundred-plus CEOs she’s worked with.
If you’re one of many “experts” in the audience, I suspect Lisa’s story will resonate with you. Especially for those of you who have pivoted over the last 18 months from delivering your special sauce in person to virtually.
In this friendly and magical conversation we talk about:
- What it takes to “break through” the confines of a traditional corporate setting to embody and realize your passion. Pro tip: Discover and then hone your passions while at your corporate life.
- Why Lisa finds it so valuable to stay close to children’s minds, as sources of perspective, inspiration and motivation.
- The value of keeping your team engaged and constantly rewarded. Remember: There’s no such thing as a “One Person Show.”
~💗💍~
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Recorded previouslyOn the Elearning Hotseat, our LinkedIn Live audience gets to ask our guests almost anything!
https://linktr.ee/lmspulse
№ 45 John Ainsworth, Data Driven Marketing
My guest for today is John Ainsworth, Founder and CEO of Data Driven Marketing. In this conversation, John is going to convince you that, as a course creator, you are most likely underselling yourself.
Tell me if your story goes more or less like this: You take the time to make the most amazing, high-quality course you’re capable of. You release it into the wild, and then you get a handful of purchases. You’re probably fine with the outcome, but of course you would like to see some more sales.
In this conversation, John provides a super compelling case for how a little bit of structure and effort in your marketing funnel can make your elearning courses really take off. And, if you’re willing to put in the work, how the payoff can be tangibly life changing
In this mindset-tweaking interview we talk about:
👨🚀 Why John is such a believer in the elearning space: Because of its current market potential and the common qualities of the people in this field, always thrilled by seeing someone being capable of accomplishing new things.
📑 The “hurdles of the middle,” or why course creators often miss the mark when it comes to marketing their own amazing products.
💸 The psychology of online sales, and overcoming your fears of being too “salesy.” More often than not, a good offer is just very helpful. (Just call it the “Happy Meal” principle.)
📢 Why improving your marketing actions, from increasing value per sale, conversion rates, or subscription volumes, will always benefit by tackling them from an educational POV.
🙈 Ultimately, why your marketing should be at least as helpful to your clients as the courses you are selling, if not more.
~💗💍~
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№44 John Strohmeyer, Five Star Counsel and Strohmeyer Law
My guest for today is John Strohmeyer. John is the founder of Strohmeyer law - which is a tax, estate planning and probate service provider. But John is also the founder Five Star Counsel, a podcast and blog about customer care with a special focus on delivering professional services.
You might be asking: Why is there a lawyer on the Elearning Podcast? Well, John is convinced that, given the shifts happening in the legal profession, he needs to evolve in the way he serves people. As he tackles the development of valuable and helpful elearning experiences in a way that reflect his professional experience, John joins the show to talk about the “service factor” when developing and selling an online course.
In this super legit conversation we talk about:
🌓 His formative time as a night shift manager at the Four Seasons and how it influenced his approach to service in the legal profession.
🛎 Why John thinks jumping into online course creation as a professional attorney makes perfect sense given the shifts taking place in the profession, and the need for a place for lawyers to learn and discuss topics related to service.
🍹 How the limits of investing in service can vary wildly among professions, or: Would you pick a lawyer or accountant because of their high end courtesy drinks?
🏢 General details on John’s process, platform selection, pricing and promotion, and lessons learned thus far. Spoiler alert: It’s work, work, work!
~💗💍~
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№43 Jennifer Brown, Jennifer Brown Consulting
After a series of “fundamental shifts” in her personal and professional life, including a thwarted promising career as an opera singer, my guest for today Jennifer Brown had no choice but to reinvent herself. In the process, she noticed how other parts of our world are ripe for transformation, including corporate learning and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion or DEI Space.
Jennifer is the Founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, and the Author of the books "Inclusion" (2016) and "How To Be An Inclusive Leader" (2019). She is a super dynamic speaker and her depth of passion and knowledge around DEI is unparalleled.
As a vocal member and advocate of the LGBTQ+ community, Jennifer envisions a radically transformed organization in the way it embraces people’s voices, feelings and passions. And in our new normal of digital connections amid our collective sense of uncertainty and threats to our well-being, she could not be more thrilled about the prospects for more attentive, inclusive and just human leadership styles.
In this intimate conversation we talk about:
😨 Why Jennifer is adamant about “bringing your full self” into your organization or team, as opposed to being fearful of showing who you are in the workplace.
🔋 The things that get in the way of organizational culture, and how DEI can often be a powerful way to address these things
📡 Why even “privileged” leaders can benefit from more open ways to communicate and collaborate, that among other things lets everyone know that it’s okay to share and feel vulnerable
🤺 How you can reinvent as a person, a professional or an educator, without losing your identity, but actually evolving it; and why crises are often fantastic catalyzers for personal growth.
🦋 The value of “being comfortable being uncomfortable,” which for Jennifer is an ideal state for a learner and an educator, when it comes to topics of diversity and privilege as well as pretty much any other subject.
~💗💍~
Visit LMSPulse.com and subscribe to get our newsletter and let you know when next episodes come out.
Join our eLearning Success Summit & Community https://www.elearningsuccesssummit.com/
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TOMORROW (Wednesday, June 23, 2021)
New Trends & Technologies in Virtual Classes in 2021
A Limited Workshop Presented by KLOUD
https://www.elearningsuccesssummit.com/offer-kloud/
~💗💍~
My guest for today is Dr. Tieren Zhou, Tieren is the CEO and Chief Architect of Kloud, an interactive meeting and collaboration platform. Since 2010, Tieren has been developing Kloud’s patented LiveDoc technology that allows meetings to be conducted in unlimited resolution and high fidelity sound, without data streaming. Kloud is a plug-in solution that can be easily integrated with any business software or platform.
Tieren has been a leader in the DevOp's solutions industry for more than 25 years. Kloud is his latest market solution for enhanced online learning and remote work & team management.
In this multi-dimensional conversation we talk about:
💿 Tieren’s journey in building the technology and the Kloud company, including what ultimately inspired him to put the years of time and effort into the project.
🎒 How he thinks the pandemic has shaped the future of education and remote work
🌗 Tieren’s thoughts on the biggest trends in the edtech space in 2021 and his predictions for what will happen in this space over the next few years
📠 A live demonstration of how Kloud’s LiveDoc technology works across devices.
~💗💍~ Visit LMSPulse.com and subscribe to get our newsletter and let you know when next episodes come out. Join our eLearning Success Summit & Community
https://www.elearningsuccesssummit.com/
LMSPulse Media
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№ 41 Robert Paddock, Valenture Institute
My guest for today is Robert Paddock, a EdTech and eLearning entrepreneur from South Africa. While many people are familiar with his first venture - called GetSmarter, which was acquired by 2U in 2017, his latest venture is the Valenture Institute.
Valenture is a vanguard effort in the South African secondary education space that seeks to redefine what an all-online education can be.
In this fast-paced conversation we talk about:🌍 What it’s like to design an curriculum that focuses on SDGs and complies with international educational requirements… And is still engaging!
📖 The importance of diversity and its key role on effective and inclusive learning experiences…
👧 …and the importance of considering the whole teenager when it comes to understanding their behavior and academic performance. I mean that down to the neurochemical level
🎓 Why Robert is bullish on Learning Analytics and Big Data for Education, to do away with the “black box” classroom paradigm we can’t seem to break away from
💔 And why educational technologies are essential to break this paradigm for the benefit of all learners, particularly on low-income or disadvantaged groups
~💗💍~
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№ 40 Jan Zucker, Digital Content Creators
Do you ever feel like an “Indie” author or creator?
If you do, I’m sure my guest for today will make a lot of sense.
Jan Zucker is the Co-founder and CEO of Digital Content Creators, a company that’s part agency, part publisher and part coaching service. For ten years now, Digital Content Creators has helped launched countless successful courses, always staying ahead of the trends and technologies.
In this enlightening conversation we talk about:📖 The origins of Digital CC, both in is history and the “seed” within a creator that makes a course, just like a good book, a compelling read
⏩ The general process of turning knowledge, experience and content into an immersive digital learning experiences, and how this process has evolved and speeded up over the years
🙉 Why Jan thinks your biggest problem is not about content, but about your sense of experience or narrative structure; and some tips to overcome your “mental scattering”
📱 Why Jan is bullish in mobile learning, XR and AI; and why he thinks that as a course creator, you should too.
~💗💍~
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№39 Ian Dolphin & Anne-Marie Scott, Apereo
Today I am glad to introduce to you what is perhaps the largest open source elearning organization you’ve never heard about. I’m talking about Apereo, a global network of open source advocacy in education. Unlike other approaches to open source, Apereo is here not just to share their open source tools, but to help in your open source development and sustainability journey.
From networking and incubation, to the consolidation of teams and communities which give projects sustenance for the long haul, Apereo’s Executive Director Ian Dolphin and Board Chair Anne-Marie Scott might just be the key allies you need in your open elearning transformation journey.
In this exciting and open-ended conversation we talk about:
🛫 What is Apereo, and how their community-based approach can be a radical departure from your conventional thinking about open source software.
🌂 The “Apereo umbrella,” which houses dozens of different open edtech projects ready for you to use; and how you could get your open source project in.
👥 We also discuss how, slowly but steadily, users find in open source an asset for institutional capacity and innovation, increasingly adopted by larger organizations and entire governments.
👀 What the next generation of opensource enabled organizations and societies might look like.
😺 Finally, why open source can help foster a culture of, well, open source values that seep into the learning process. Could open source students be more self-reliant and collaborative?
And if you want to learn more from Anne-Marie, Ian and dozens of top global figures taking part in Apereo’s projects, you should not miss Open Apereo 21, the annual virtual event taking place this June 7-11. Visit apereo.org for more.
~💗💍~
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№38 Esther Jacobs, The "No Excuses" Lady
My very special guest this week is a celebrity on her own right. Esther Jacobs started as a journalist, and in her storied career has raised millions for charity, appeared in European Survivor, traveled to more than 100 countries and been Knighted by the Queen of the Netherlands.
In her current chapter, Esther has self-appointed herself as the “No Excuses” lady to focus about a cause most of us would likely get behind: Write a book.
In this "page-turning" conversation we talk about:
👨👦 The many faces of Esther, the causes she has rallied around and why helping people write their books its a way to synthesize all of her adventures
⚒ The importance of self expression and developing your own voice, as you tell your story and create educational content
📔 The variety of approaches available for book writing as an educator, including the many different types of books you can write. By the way, have you considered letting your classroom write the book for you?
🖋 The techniques that make Esther worth her “No Excuses Lady” tagline, which she can use to help you, starting with pointing out a mistake you are likely making right now: Not writing.
Get your "No Excuses" Checklist at https://estherjacobs.info/
~💗💍~
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№37 Aldo de Pape, Teach Pitch
My guest today is Aldo De Pape, creator of Teach Pitch, a portal that seeks to address the problem of information overabundance.
How does he solve it? Well, Aldo found in a mixture of crowd-sourced curation and AI the key for a community-driven, feedback intensive platform that helps teachers find great content, and gives creators a source for validation.
In this stimulating, conversation Aldo and I talk about:
- The “weird” problem of having too much information, which at the same time is a sign of our modern times; and the tools, some of them human, we all can use to “curate” information
- We also talk about how it’s wrong to think of technology as something foreign to us, when in reality it’s been with us since the dawn of civilization. This includes using, but also teaching, training and finding new relationships with technology
- The advantages of community approaches to determine quality content, and how Aldo was able to build a “global educational content research network”
- And why community research approaches can be the key to modern issues like disinformation and fake news. (We talk a bit about vaccines too.)
- How companies can take advantage of Teach Pitch and similar ideas to validate elearning products, on its quality as well as its “authentic feel”
~💗💍~
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I’m excited to have Dr. Paige Chen on the show with me again today. Paige is the CEO of Remote Learner, which is now a Learning Pool company, who’s foundation in persuasive design has help clients create engaging experiences around the globe.
In this dynamic conversation we talk about:
- The Learning Pool approach to design and the learner experience.
- Specific examples of how different needs play out into different solutions through case studies in the Cruise industry, the talent management industry and more.
- What the merger between Remote Learner and Learning Pool means, how their respective offerings have been combined and what that means for clients.
- And why, in Paige’s words, “you want to design sexy roller coasters, but need to remember that people buy season tickets to the whole amusement park”
And, a reminder that the eLearning Success Summit is starting in just a few day. Paige will be on the main stage with me - along with 50 other speakers - talking about how we improve learner engagement. Go get a free ticket at elearningSuccessSummit.com
~💗💍~
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Today we are switching gears, with an amazing elearning entrepreneurial story for you. Within 5 years, Hello Music Theory went from Dan Farrant’s hobby of gathering cool free resources for musical education, into a top-ranked choice for educators and aspiring musicians.
In this lyrical conversation we talk about:
🍊 What it’s like to find yourself seeing the fruits of your small project, and taking the plunge into making nontraditional elearning your full time occupation
🗓 The importance of having a simple, but clear and flexible plan, in fact many of them, and again, learning how to focus, taking stock and letting go
🎢 Why Dan planned “for fun.” From content creation to video production, to charting a plan for growth, Dan only moved forward when he found a fun way to make it happen
🎼 How to know when content can be king in your elearning project. As much as Dan would love to make videos with music lessons all day, there’s operations, marketing and tons of other things that need attention
And if you want to know how to make some music, be sure to check out HelloMusicTheory.com
~💗💍~
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№34 Juraj Gabrhel, Elena Urbanova, Matus Kothaj, e-learnmedia.sk
Today we good a handful, in the best sense of the word. My three guests, Juraj Gabrhel, Elena Urbanova and Matus Kothaj are with e-learnmedia, an elearning company based in Slovakia and Serbia, catering to the Eastern European world.
Compared to the wealth of choices we have in places like the US, e-learnmedia occupies a space with somewhat less competition, and the focus on promoting the values and benefits of digital technologies in the service of education in their part of the world.
In this exciting conversation we talk about:
👔 The many ways in which running an elearning business is so similar regardless of where you are in the world; and the one or two subtle differences that can make or break your business in Slovakia
🎒 Education, particularly the pending assignment of educating on where the value of elearning is, and where it isn’t
🌍 Why it pays to pay attention to what the rest of the world is doing in elearning, and the limits in knowledge transfer
🔎 The special priorities you can find in corporate learning, where many services we think of as mainstream are just taking off, and collaboration
🇸🇰 The eclectic mixture of modernity, tradition and cultures that makes Slovak elearning so unique, and the lessons it has to the world.
~💗💍~
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№33 Michael Greenburg, Call for Content
My guest today is on a mission: To change the way you create elearning content into an “audio-first” e learning strategy. Michael Greenburg believes that if you “get” audio, in terms of the quality of the recording and the content, every other part of your course will have a solid footing. Not only that: By being the one effective method that does not need your eyes, audio increases your learning opportunities.
In this “ear-opening” conversation we talk about:
- Why audio is such an important piece of the learning experience, and why paradoxically is one of the least taken care of.
- Michael’s three key steps to get started with a quality, audio-first elearning experience.
- The many ways you can turn audio content into a variety of formats and experiences, or in Michael’s case, a promising business model.
- The benefits of stepping up your audio game, for anything from your confidence as a public speaker, to the way you make content intrinsically compelling.
- And of course, the limitations of audio-only learning; which is to say that in many cases audio can play a fortifying role when used along with other media.
№32 Kristin Barrett, Collective Academy
My guest for today is Kristin Barret. Born and raised in Chicago, Kristin and her family transitioned to Mexico to oversee the operations of an MBA and leadership school. Before her key role at Collective Academy, Kristin built a tenured career in the meeting point of innovation and education. Now, she co-heads an ambitious plan to forge Mexico’s next generation of leaders by providing critical needs and helping accelerate their success.
In this surprisingly relevant conversation we talk about:
🗽 Why the pandemic and all the struggles it brought for teachers, it was a real boon for a lot of urban Latin American students, many of which experienced online learning for the first time.
🎓 Lifelong learning, but from a perspective of inclusion, and why Kristin decided to expand from an MBA into Compass, a pre-university program that starts nurturing business and leadership skills.
📲 Why teenagers, regardless of their eventual calling, can benefit from leadership, resilience, organizational and even IT and more technical skills
🌱 The interesting new ways in which Collective Academy is giving talented young people access experts and industry leaders; and how connecting with young thinkers can be a powerful tool to address uncertainty and change in creative ways
🎒 Why the pandemic bolstered a revolution in leadership education across the continent, but why we need to continue to explore ways to clear the gaps and promote the creation of valuable business models to anybody who wants it.
Visit https://collectiveacademy.com/
~💗💍~
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№31 Julian Davis, Digital Learning Solutions
Tell me if this is familiar to you: Your organization adopts a piece of tech, usually a learning app, with excitement and optimisms. Then they realize it might need more attention than anybody at your team has, and it slowly fades out of everyone’s priorities. As a result, the elearning becomes orphaned.
My guest today is Julian Davis. He describes himself as a Learning Solutions Architect, although in the story he’s about to tell you, you might want to think of people like him as “EdTech Foster Parent.” This time we have for you a case study, that’s actually the basis for an article Julian wrote called “Soufflé out of mud.” In the article, and this conversation, he sets the scene and walk us through the ways we turned a discouraging technology setup into a “wowing” solution for his client.
In this exciting conversation we talk about:
👩👧👦 Mudpies! Children love making them, but being given one and expecting to create an amazing learning experience, may not be as fun.
👥 And why a mud pie is almost never just a mudpie. There’s mudpie user, mudpie deliverables, mudpie backwards compatibility and of course, mudpie stakeholders.
💡 Why it’s much better to innovate by trying out, or better, allowing yourself to try new things on your regular work, than waiting for a director with a dozen priorities to give the go ahead to a groundbreaking idea.
🔵 But why it’s also important to find the “big button” and make any new development as relevant as possible for the organization and their leaders. Once they’ll get it, they’ll want more.
💭 Julian’s thought on various elearning technologies: xAPI of course, Articulate, Learning Locker, CMI5; and is “SCORM” finally becoming a bad word?
And don’t miss Julian’s article, “Soufflé out of mud - an xAPI challenge” over at his website
https://digitallearningsolutions.com.au/souffle-out-of-mud-an-xapi-challenge/
~💗💍~
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№30 Eva Lantsoght, PhD Talk; Universidad San Francisco de Quito
My guest today is Dr. Eva Lantsoght, a civil engineer from Belgium, currently a tenured research professor at USFQ in Ecuador, and Duolingo success story. But if you are in the process of either starting or completing your doctoral studies, chances are that you are more familiar with her work at PhD Talk, a blog and podcast she created. PhD Talk is an amazing resource covering everything there is to know about the doctoral student life. From figuring out your dissertation topic and research planning, to networking, time management and getting better sleep; to of course, the many ways online learning has transformed postgraduate education. Which in Dr. Eva’s opinion, are ultimately beneficial for students and the global research communities.
In this exciting conversation we talk about:
👩🔬 What it’s like to be Eva! Her engineering background, how she ended up in South America, her writing and the origins of the PhD Talk blog and podcast.
🎒 Why she’s optimistic about the mix of postgraduate education and online learning, especially when it comes to building community and fostering partnerships; and of course, the many educational hurdles that still remain, and the ways technology can help, if not totally replace field studies and research labs.
💭 What has made PhD Talk such an important reference and support tool. Not just for PhD students, but also Master’s graduates thinking about their next chapter; and even more than a few tenured professors interested in learning how to do a better job online.
👥 The importance of support systems and organizations that help teachers to work on their digital competencies; and the fascinating case of SHIFT whose help allowed Dr. Eva’s students avoid long hours at the Zoom, in exchange for more engaging and personal exchanges.}
🗺 Dr. Eva’s advice for doctoral students in a mostly online learning world: Stay flexible, and get comfortable with networking with the whole world.
Connect with Dr. Eva over at https://www.evalantsoght.com
~💗💍~
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№29 Chip Reaves, Bigger Brains
My guest for today’s episode is Chip Reaves, IT veteran and President for almost 10 years of Bigger Brains. Bigger Brains’ vast library of high-quality video-based courses on a variety of corporate training issues has received awards every year since at least 2015. And with Brain Bot, a chatbot that periodically quizzes you about past courses taken, it adds spaced repetition into the mix to multiply the value of the content.
In my conversation with such a fountain of wisdom we talk about:
- The highlights and perils of producing corporate training contend during a pandemic, and whether or not you’ve been committing “eLearning malpractice”?
- What it takes to adapt: From classroom to online, from recorded to live, from Microsoft to Google, from lectures to microlearning, and much more..
- The challenge of adapting to young mindsets, and the enormous rewards that await you. Or as a millennial learning with Chip says: “Old people want to be paid with money, young people want to be paid with time.”
- Chips’s adventures in microlearning, and how, despite the seemingly small number of variables at play, there is still a lot of room for creativity and rigorous experimentation
~💗💍~
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№28 Andreana Castellanos, Afinidata
It’s a joy to introduce you to my guest for this week: Andreana Castellanos, Process Engineer, Founder and CEO of Afinidata, and fellow Colorado State graduate—go Rams!
Afinidata is a Guatemalan-American social entrepreneurship born out of Andreana’s volunteering experiences. It sends users personalized early childhood development activities through Facebook. It’s as simple and brilliant as it sounds. In 4 years, Afindata has sent parents across Latin America over 50 thousand activities, and is a member of the UNICEF Innovation Fund.
In this lovely and eye-opening conversation we talk about:
- The social and neuroscience of early childhood development and how incredibly important the first 5 years of a person’s life are with regard to brain development
- Why Andreana believes in the power of “Navigational startups,” dedicated to make cutting-edge evidence useful to those who need it most, which in her case, is low-income parents
- Why she believes chatbots offer a unique opportunity to engage with teachers and parents in critical moments
- We touch on the fact that for many countries, governments are the main suppliers of elearning solutions to children and households, and how data-driven innovation could play a role in policymaking
- How adapting to working from home is shaping the way we view and celebrate our success; which should give you some hints about how we need to reframe success and achievement with our children
~💗💍~
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№27 Kasper Spiro, Easygenerator
My guest for today is Kasper Spiro, Dutch tech entrepreneur, and CEO of EasyGenerator.com
With a tenured background in enterprise software, Kasper realized there were glaring gaps in the way corporate training tech addresses customer issues. Long story short, he decided to join EasyGenerator out of frustration with the general state of support and needless complexity plaguing the industry.
In this illuminating conversation we talk about:
- The story of Easygenerator, an easy to use and maintain cloud-based platform for content creators and collaborators.
- How your frustration can be a powerful motivator and an innovation driver, as long as you learn to take a step back and find out who shares this frustration with you.
- Why Kasper thinks the distance between the content creator and the employee who consumes it is a problem people don’t talk about enough, and all its unintended consequences
- How thanks to the pandemic more people saw how detrimental it was for creators and learners to be separate, the update cycles so long; and how tools like Easygenerator help in keeping things fresh
~💗💍~
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№26 Mike Weiss, Client Engagement Academy
Have you ever wondered if the way you reward your students works? Do they actually display these rewards in public? Does it actually show evidence for their skills? And is the idea of earning a reward be a strong enough motivator for your student?
If you’ve ever wondered how to use badges and make the most of them in your elearning, you’re in the right place. My guest today is Mike Weiss, Founder and Director of the Client Engagement Academy. His approach, involving social media, is sure to spark some ideas for your next badge-worthy classroom activity.
In this very rewarding conversation we talk about:
- What is the Client Engagement Academy, their ambitious proposition, and some of the ingredients in their secret recipe to success for coaching business built by instructors
- Why Mike is bullish on LinkedIn, and some of the specific strategies suited for the professional network. Hint: Open source is key here
- Why badges work, why they have worked since prehistoric times, and why they remain a core element of some of our society’s longest standing institutions.
- The ingredients of the perfect badge. In short: Evidence, Motivation and ‘Shareability’
- Why Mike thinks badges will be critical in the future of microlearning, among other things because they will extend the results of your initial investment down the line.
~💗💍~
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№25 Julie MacGregor and Gina Mallon, Pennsylvania Virtual Charter Schools
I hope you find my two very special guest for today as lovely as I have all my life. Julie MacGregor and Gina Mallon have been teachers at different schools in the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School system for more than 10 years each.
Full disclosure: they also both happen to be my aunts.
I thought to invite them over for the podcast, not only because of their life stories and wisdom, but because of their tenured experience in 2 very critical issues in education today. One, naturally, is their transition from old fashion, Catholic schools into fully virtual experiences. We take a fast paced tour of all the issues involved in transitioning to online learning, including the fascinating approach they’ve taken to offer differentiated teaching for a broad variety of students: Special Ed, gifted children, low-income, adult learners… Sometimes all in the same classroom!
The other issue is a bit more complicated. What could be more complicated than COVID-19? Try charter schools. But since this is a family conversation, I’ll just let you know that touch on issues of diversity, access and the importance of school choice for teachers who’ve been at it for most of their lives.
In this “family affair” conversation we talk about:
💍 What it’s like to be in online and distance learning… for over a decade! From their decision to become online teachers, to getting comfortable and finding support, to the answers for the perennial question of student engagement.
👩🏫 What it’s like to be a Special Ed online teacher, where the same questions on engagement and effectiveness apply, but on a broader scale. Hint: it involves the students’ families.
🏩 Why, despite their experience and skillset, the pandemic also affected virtual education teachers in particular ways, like socialization. But how COVID has also validated many of their lessons and has turned them into informal advisers and counselors among their peers.
🌌 Finally, the interesting ways in which cyber or virtual charter schools address issues like equity and diversity when, by law, “you simply have to take everyone in”; and the many benefits that school choice has given students and families as seen from the vantage point of teachers, over the years.
~💗💍~
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№24 Chris Badgett, LifterLMS
My guest for today’s episode is Chris Badgett, founder of LifterLMS. As many of you know, we love open source technology. And when it comes to elearning, we think of Moodle, the most widely used learning system on the planet. But believe it or not, there is another, more omnipresent system on the internet with the potential of transforming the education of millions. I’m talking about WordPress.
After over a decade as a WordPress developer, Chris realized the potential of adding LMS superpowers to his clients’ websites. LifterLMS provides WordPress sites a ton of goodies to create, manage and promote courses to those who don’t want to get into specialized software.
In this exciting conversation we talk about:
- The fantabulous world of the Educational Entrepreneur, perhaps not as big as others in the technology space, but one you should not dismiss quickly as innovator or even investor
- Chris’s lessons in market validation and scalability, without necessarily leaving your niche. (Spoiler alert: Can you guess how much money did the most successful online balloon animal teacher make last year?)
- Why it made sense for Chris to talk about a “Wordpress LMS” and its possibilities as a ubiquitous platform that’s easy to use and scale
- How the benefits of open source in education can compound, as long as we understand that making it “talk” in the language of any user is a necessary piece of the puzzle
- And finally, why for many entrepreneurs in the education space, interoperability and a collective vision for an interconnected ecosystem is a legitimate path for growth. Customers want more openness, not less.}
~💗💍~
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№23 Philip von Heydebreck & Achim Rothe Trickle, Beautiful Company
If you are a regular LMSPulse reader, you know of the countless and ever growing number of platforms out there to launch a course.
But they all operate under one assumption: That you have already done the job of building a quality course with state of the art tools and following the latest research and insight.
My guests for today's episode, Philip von Heydebreck and Achim Rothe, asked themselves: What if there was a way to help people one step earlier in the process?
With the goal of helping lifelong learners optimize the process of research, they recently launched Trickle, an app that not only helps you curate and consume the great stuff that's available online, but one that connects you with other learners.
Trickle is designed to help you share the content that interests you, get feedback on your creations, and even connect you with like-minded learners and creators, making the process of high-quality course creation all that much smoother.
In this promising conversation we talk about:
👾 Microlearning, which in 2021, should pretty much be synonymous with “spaced repetition,” but also with early and instant feedback for both learner and teacher.
🔱 Why Phil and Achim believe that, while there are countless apps that would satisfy the needs of “Lifelong Learners,” it’s worth building new tools and experience that put a Lifelong Learning practice at the center of the table.
💭 Our thoughts on why, despite the growing opportunity on education and learning startups, there is little sense of community among founders.
🌌 The challenges for educational content creators in today’s state of information saturation, and the ways in which Phil and Achim’s app aims to speed up the information vetting process
👥 The challenges of usergenerated content in education, and how a paradigm of “community-generated content” may be able to help the creation of great elearning content, but maybe also even tackle the spread of fake news on social networks.
Check out https://trickle.app/
~💗💍~
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№22 Rob Kelley, American University
My guest for today’s episode is Rob Kelley, Assistant Professor at the American University School of International Service, a thoughtful educator, technologist and humanitarian; and a longtime friend.
As a university professor, Rob has had a unique early experience with virtual education paradigms. Much like the beginning of the Internet, Rob witnessed and lived through the early boom and almost utopian promise of a virtually free knowledge superhighway, and how reality slowly tempered our expectations. Nevertheless, Rob continues to remain optimistic about the future of tech-enabled learning.
In this “reporting-from-the-trenches” conversation we talk about:
- Why Rob has always believed there is an inherent link between education and uncertainty about the future that we should never set aside; and how 2020 proved him right!
- Why flexibility is a desirable skill among educators, not necessarily because of the technology, but because of the students and our growing appreciation for their diversity
- The value around the personalization of Learning Management Systems, not just for school branding, but also as a reflection of an organization’s own learning process
- Why some of the things people dislike about virtual learning are not technology glitches but actually positive features that are evolving our understanding on education; and why “fixes” might end up becoming setbacks
- Why there are elements of the university, as a place and experience, that online learning will never replace; which should make us question why we insist in comparing real apples to virtual oranges.
~💗💍~
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№21 Kim Salinas, Elearning Experts
For the veterans of the Moodle Learning Management System, my guest today may need no introduction. Kim Salinas, a Solutions Architect at Elearning Experts, is perhaps the most recognizable Moodle teacher out there. First with the Moodle Course Creators Certificate and now with the more comprehensive MEC, for years, Kim has been at the forefront of the efforts to make Moodle both more understandable and instrumental to learner success.
In this conversation we talk about:
- The Moodle Educator Certificate or MEC, which contrary to what the name may imply, does not teach you how to use Moodle, but how to take your digital education to the next level—through the use of Moodle.
- Digital Education Competencies, and why teachers everywhere should consider them essentials in our New Normal of learning
- How the MEC is a milestone in the way Moodle and its Partners approach education, and the ways the MEC itself is in continuous evolution
- Why the MEC is not for everyone, but how partners like Kim and Elearning Experts are excellent guides into the marvelous world of Moodle
And if you want to understand how the MEC fits into the larger Moodle ecosystem, check out the talk by Moodle Founder and CEO Martin Dougiamas at the First eLearning Success Summit.
~💗💍~
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№20 Svein-Torre Griff With, Joubel & H5P
My guest for today’s episode is Svein-Tore Griff With, the mastermind behind H5P, the popular, free and open source tool to create interactive content.
In a very short time, H5P has become the darling of open source elearning technologies, and it’s easy to see why. Svein-Tore and his team at Joubel built a powerful solution that is incredibly easy to use.
With special attention to its integration with the most popular LMS and CMS out there, and strong accessibility compliance, the work that Svein-Tore has led with H5P is one of the most exciting contributions to the global open edtech movement in years.
In this conversation, Svein-Tore and I talk about:
- H5P and it’s ambitious goals of providing a powerful, simple and free tool for anyone around the world to create amazing interactive elearning experiences
- The interesting angle of an Open Source standard as the basis of a sustainable business, and the slowly but steadily evolving change of heart of mainstream users
- The challenges EdTech entrepreneurs face in the corporate segment, and the trade-off they face between innovation and compliance to old specs
- The H5P OER Hub, which aims to connect users from all platforms and LMS around free and open content collaboration
~💗💍~
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№19 Jane Sagalovich, Scaled Genius
If you’ve ever considered “taking the plunge” and launching your own online course, this is the conversation you’ve been waiting for.
My guest for today’s episode is Jane Sagalovich. After a decade in corporate finance, business development and strategy, Jane herself decided to launch Scale Your Genius, a Denver-based startup that helps experts in the launch of “impactful and profitable online programs.”
No matter your field or background, if you have something to teach to the world you might want to call Jane, or at least check out Scale Your Genius on social media.
In this thought-provoking conversation, Jane and I talk about:
- Scale Your Genius, Jane’s virtual consultancy with a mission of “rid the world of crappy online courses.”
- Why long before the pandemic Jane had found key educational reasons why online meetings were superior to face-to-face interaction. In one word: Evidence.
- The eLearning opportunity for experts, that is professionals with track record, knowledge and wisdom; thanks to the explosion of technologies and support services.
- Jane’s process of collaboration with experts to create online courses, which includes a reality check on what people want, what content they respond better to, and of course, how much they are willing to pay. Spoiler alert: You might be undercutting yourself.
~💗💍~
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№18 John Mitchelll, Arlo
My guest for today’s episode is John Mitchell, CEO and Founder of Arlo. Lifelong technologist and serial entrepreneur, John is a veteran in New Zealand’s elearning space, helping schools and training teams get into the latest ICT innovations. John is now on a mission to bring Arlo’s unique Training Management System and Event Software to people and teams around the world.
In this exciting conversation we talk about:
- What is it like to deliver elearning solutions to a world afflicted by a pandemic from New Zealand - one of the bright spots in COVID-19 management and prevention
- The power of integration in Learning and Training Management Systems, which allows Arlo’s systems to give you the best features the global industry has to offer
- How to walk the fine line between creating quality educational experiences online, and helping educators create enticing marketing propositions
- John’s thoughts on the future of Training Management Systems, and why empowering learners is still a fool-proof strategy for retention and sustainability in the business.
~💗💍~
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№17 Phill Miller, Open LMS
My guest for today’s episode is Phill Miller, Managing Director at OpenLMS, one of the world’s largest providers of open source learning technologies.
With its genesis in the fusion of several LMS providers, the evolution of OpenLMS continued earlier this year when it was acquired by Learning Technologies Group in the UK.
Now, with this year’s acquisition of eCreators in Australia, OpenLMS has consolidated a major role in the open source elearning industry, boasting the largest “SaaS” or cloud-based Moodle operation in the world.
Throughout this rapid growth, OpenLMS has managed to place their customers front and center and helped advance the global conversation on open source technologies in education. And having gracefully surfed wave after wave of mergers, team alignments and workplace culture shake-ups, Phill is a tenured thought leader to keep tabs on, if you’re wondering where LMS and the eLearning industry are heading.
In this lemonade on the porch type chat, Phill and I talk about:
- What’s in store for school administrators, teachers, parents and students in the craziest back to school experiment ever
- The importance and value of using educational principles to ease customers’ minds amid constant change
- How generosity and anticipation can be a fool-proof way to ensure business continuity at scale, and possibly stave off some of the consequences from the increasing tech gap
- The importance of stories in education, customer care and particularly to consolidate a culture of learning and reflection in unprecedented times.
~💗💍~
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№16 Aaron Hurst, Imperative, The Purpose Economy
My guest for today’s episode is Aaron Hurst. A veteran in the social entrepreneurship space, Aaron is an author and researcher in what he calls the “science of purpose and fulfillment at work.” Aaron is widely known as the Founder and CEO of the Taproot Foundation and the author of the book The Purpose Economy. Today, Aaron has taken the learning from Taproot and The Purpose Economy and folded it into Imperative, a social learning platform focused on peer coaching
In this very purposeful conversation, Aaron and I talk about:
- Aaron’s journey, kicked off by a series of personal reflections about meaning and purpose after 9/11
- The origin of Taproot Foundation, and why some of the things the world most urgently needs is talent, and relationships based on knowledge and skill acquisition
- Why technology has made it no longer a privilege to search for your life purpose and create a meaningful career out of it, even if most people find it hard to believe
- The conflict we face as professionals between advancing our careers for better financial rewards; and the impact of our work in our communities and the world
- Why virtually every organizational leader can advance conversations about purpose and social value generation, regardless of industry or sector.
~💗💍~
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№15 Lianne Keiller, Stellenbosch University
My guest for today’s episode is Lianne Keiller, a Physiotherapist-turned-technologist who is now the IT Manager for Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, the oldest and one of the largest Higher Ed institutions in South Africa.
In this fantastic conversation, we talk about almost everything under the sun related to the delivery of a successful elearning experience for a very diverse community of over 25,000 students.
From the LMS choice, to the “lobbying” that allowed them to provide laptops and “zero-rated” access to the Moodle LMS; to the “unprecedented” levels of student stress and anxiety that led to the improvement of digital services support and the Mobile learning experience; you will definitely find Lianne’s stories fascinating, and maybe even relatable.
In this exciting conversation we talk about:
- What is it like to work at Stellenbosch University, a public research institution, the oldest in South Africa; and what it means to be a “previously privileged” university
- How the pandemic did not disrupt the school year for South African students, but it turned out to be “trial by fire” for IT administrators
- The community engagement-based strategies that allowed the team led by Lianne to provide comprehensive technological solutions to a vast community, even at times of record stress and anxiety levels among students
- The “organic” upbringing of Lianne surrounded by tech, including an early cellphone adopter parent, a lifelong familiarity with all kinds of tech, and her final transition from the medical field into a full-time tech manager
- Lianne’s thoughts on budget-proof tech and a curriculum that is able to adapt to what students have access to and with which they are comfortable.
~💗💍~
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№14 Ted Curran, Autodesk
My guest for today’s episode is Ted Curran. Ted is a Learning Experience Designer for Autodesk. Ted also blogs at TedCurran.net, where he has been writing about educational technology, free online learning apps, and effective pedagogy since 2008.
Ted is a pragmatic man. He understands the importance of creativity and inspiration, and he doesn’t shy away from recommending a free app or two that will help you try new things in your teaching.
In that vein, let me invite you to sign up for FREE to our Elearning Success Summit and check out his talk, “Need A Back Channel? Use A Slack Channel: How Chat Platforms Like Slack Increase Learner Engagement and Success During Content Delivery,” so you can see what I mean.
In this riveting and very insightful conversation, Ted and I talk about:
- How Autodesk was "lucky" to host the last face-to-face elearning conference, and the challenges that came in converting a year's worth of instructional design content into a fully online setting.
- Ted's ideas and successes on fixing the "online learning backlash" that many students, teachers and parents faced as they met a rushed and subpar elearning experience.
- Why, as education technologists, it can sometimes be unfair to blame teachers for an unengaging virtual experience, and why the UX of the teacher is at least as important as that of the student.
- The value of structure, collaboration and "narrow roles" in online education teams, to prevent the all too common teacher burnout that comes from having too many hats.
- The need to re-think teaching in online media, and the four new roles Ted believes online teachers are meant to take on.
~💗💍~
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№13 Assina Kahamba, Lycée Liziba
I have a very special treat for you today. My guest for this episode is Assina Kahamba. She’s a civil engineer with a computer science background, who decided to take care of the digital technology operations at the school where she works, Lycée Liziba. I’ll leave the introduction like that to avoid any spoilers.
Assina represents a very large part of the world’s schools that, honestly, we don’t take into account as often as we should. Schools such as Lycee Liziba represent some of the biggest opportunities for elearning organizations, NGOs, and governments to create truly sustainable elearning ecosystems of the future.
I promise this is a fantastic and thought-provoking conversation where Assina and I talk about:
- The importance of addressing the digital needs of learners early on, as they improve the odds of elearning success later in life
- The particular struggles low-income schools face around the world because of the global pandemic, as well as the resourceful solutions they’ve come up with. For example, would you be able to make WhatsApp the backbone of your school’s distance learning?
- A glimpse at some of the custom ideas happening in hard to reach parts of the world, and the tech and startups gaining traction by understanding the realities in the field
- Ideas about sustainable “paths forward” for schools and teachers facing limited access towards fully fledged elearning solutions; and the role of evidence to convince students, families and communities that these are worthwhile investments.
~💗💍~
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№12, Kenneth Chapman, D2L
Editor's Erratum: D2L's former name is Desire 2 Learn, not Design 2 Learn. We apologize for this error.
My guest for today’s episode is Kenneth Chapman from D2L, formerly “Desire 2 Learn.” D2L is the Canadian elearning company behind Brightspace, one of the top players in what we call the “LMS Space Race.”
We became very interested in D2L, which is one of the longest running elearning journeys out there, when we learned about their approach to customer care and equity, community building, and their conscious efforts in accessibility.
I strongly recommend you check out Kenneth’s very relevant talk on “Preparing For The Post-COVID New Normal,” at the Elearning Success Summit.
I’m sure you’ll enjoy listening to this enlightening conversation, where Kenneth and I talk about:
- How D2L approaches the “future of work,” from a company that aims to be a part of a person’s lifetime of learning
- The challenges of “scaling up” a cloud operation, not just technically, but to make sure more people benefit, especially disadvantaged groups
- The Brightspace Community, a place open to everyone regardless of LMS, to find answer, share experiences and exchange knowledge and resources
- Why it’s important for elearning companies to “meet people where they are.” Drawing lessons from their customer base but also knowing how to apply them case by case
- Finally, why underestimating the “last mile” of the learning experience could be fatal. Students can “sniff” a poor online experience from miles away.
~💗💍~
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№11 Mohit Mukhergee, University for Peace Centre for Executive Education
“If you don’t figure out how to do your programs online, you are out of business.”
These are words from my guest for episode 11 of the Elearning Podcast. Mohit Mukhergee is an expert in organizational development, positive psychology, social entrepreneurialism, and the Founding Director of the Centre for Executive Education at the University for Peace, a United Nations established institution.
Mohit has been a pioneer in both the social entrepreneurship space, and virtual education. He’s been particularly focused on graduate and continuing education programs, which in the case of the UN, have faced the challenges of creating courses where people from all over the world have a chance to participate.
I’m sure you will enjoy this conversation as much as we did, where we talk about:
- The idea of “online virtuosity” — Where we realize that success in online learning is not a matter of technology or a checklist, but your ability to “play the music” for the specific group of human beings that are participating in your course.
- What “learning centered design” really means, and why it has stayed relevant in 2020.
- The importance of “virtual leadership,” or being able to figure out future needs, assess risks and take action to guarantee success in online learning.
- Mohit’s thoughts on the new normal, and where a pioneer’s mind is now that everyone is already where used to be.
~💗💍~
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№10 Cindy Pascale, Vado.com
My guest for today’s episode is Cindy Pascale. She’s the CEO and Co-Founder of Vado, a content provider focused on video streaming for HR and Talent Management departments.
Cindy has seen it all in L&D departments over the last 20 years and she’s helped translate that experience into the content Vado provides to its customer base via interactive video.
Now, with the COVID crisis changing how we work, she’s offering clear advice about how to prepare and pivot in the corporate space.
I know all eLearning professionals will find this conversation fascinating as we talk about:
- The state of HR training and how topics like leadership development, sexual harassment and compliance are taught online today
- A recent paper written by Cindy, titled, "L&D’s New Normal, Prepare Now!" with Cindy’s thoughts on what today’s HR calling is, and an outlook for the future
- Why it’s important to learn a little bit of history about eLearning in the workplace, to understand old assumptions that deserve critical examination
- And finally, Vado’s evidence — with hard numbers — on the benefits of online learning in areas like engagement and retention
~💗💍~
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№9 Page Chen, Remote Learner
My guest for today’s episode is Dr. Page Chen, President and Chief Innovation Officer of Remote Learner.
Based in Denver, CO, Remote Learner continues to innovate in technology as well as the learning process itself.
The services and solutions that Remote Learner delivers for their clients are built on a foundation of something Page calls Persuasive Design Strategies.
Persuasive Design was the focus of Page’s doctoral research and, as you’ll hear in a few minutes, provide some very compelling strategies for achieving successful outcomes for learners and staff.
You can find the full article Page and I discuss in the podcast below.
I think you will find this conversation very persuasive, as Page and I talk about:
- Friction! And what can we do to radically simplify and remove as many steps as possible between a student and their learning outcomes.
- We also walk through the 7 elements of Persuasive Design that you can use today to start improving your course outcomes.
- The simple power of continuous reinforcement, and how Page’s favorite plugin makes it dead easy and super engaging.
This is the article Page and I discuss: Designing to Persuade a Learning State of Mind
~💗💍~
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№8 Seb Francis, Titus
My guest for today’s episode is Seb Francis. Seb is the Co-Founder and CEO of Titus, A Certified Premium Partner of Moodle in the UK, Hong Kong and UAE. In these countries, Titus helps organizations of all stripes to get started, scale and make the most of Moodle, and more recently Moodle Workplace.
For the company’s efforts on “championing” and capitalizing on high-profile initiatives, including the largest installation of Moodle Workplace in the world to date, last year Moodle HQ recognized Titus with the Moodle Appreciation Partner of the Year Award, the first time ever given.
You can get a glimpse of Titus and Seb’s philosophy in his talk on our Elearning Success Summit, titled “Zero Stress LMS Implementation.”
In this exciting conversation Seb and I talk about:
- Why, despite Moodle’s track record in innovation and new features, Seb believes Workplace has the potential to take the Open Source LMS into a completely new chapter.
- Why the value of Open Source systems like Moodle does not lie on them having all the best features, but on achieving a level of interoperability that allows you to connect the best integrations without hassle.
- How remote working and learning arrangements are opening people’s minds about increasing team productivity and reaching many times more students in more engaging ways.
- The importance of understanding the diverse landscape of students’ own learning environment and homes. (And why Netflix is your ally when working on issues of race and social justice in your classroom.)
~💗💍~
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№7 Monica Burns, ClassTechTips.com
My guest for today’s episode is Monica Burns. She’s the creator of ClassTechTips.com and, frankly, she absolutely crushes it in terms of explaining how K-12 teachers can effectively use tech in the classroom.
Since the beginning of lockdowns, Monica’s website, has seen tremendous growth. It makes complete sense. Teachers and parents are looking everywhere for help in their online learning, and Monica is one of the most knowledgeable and approachable experts you're going to find.
If you want more from Monica, make sure you don’t miss her talk on our Elearning Success Summit about sparking creativity in the classroom, which includes a list of her favorite free tools.
I think you’re going to love this conversation where Monica and I talk about:
- The benefits of “open-ended” tools, and letting your students choose their own adventures in digital learning. (You might learn a lot from them!)
- Monica’s updated list of tools to create amazing interactive content even for the little ones—no email necessary
- The importance of keeping parents in the loop about the technology that is being used and its purpose; and inviting them into the creation process
- Why schools and districts no longer have an excuse not to support teachers in their use of technology, and how leaders should embrace not just EdTech, but the feedback and data it offers to improve learning
~💗💍~
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№6 Eric Gibbs, Ouriginal
My guest for our 6th episode is Eric Gibbs, who is the President for North America of the company Ouriginal.
When we recorded this interview in early September 2020, Ouriginal (with an “O-U”) is only a few hours old. Ouriginal is the result of a merger of two text-matching and plagiarism prevention companies: Urkund, from Sweden, and PlagScan, from Germany.
In the universe of eLearning technologies, the tools that companies like Ouriginal offer, commonly called “plagiarism detection,” get a bad rap. But in this conversation, Eric breaks down the complexities around detecting plagiarism and, more importantly, verifying authenticity. In short, the true value of originality management technologies lie in understanding how they fit in the relationship between the instructor and their students, as those students learn to use evidence to build strong arguments of their own.
I think you’re going to love this conversation where Eric and I talk about:
- Why plagiarism detection does not really exist, and why the actual goal of these technologies is to encourage conversations about originality. The most challenging aspect about using these technologies is interpreting the results.
- The problems that come with not having enough discussions about intellectual property in the classroom, or focusing on the “stick” part of it (penalties and consequences) rather than the “carrot” or original thinking.
- The complexities of processing millions of student texts, matching them against gigantic databases made of public and private sources, both decades old and constantly updated, and generating a precise assessment that’s useful for teacher and student, all in a matter of seconds and protecting the privacy of all those involved.
- And finally, why the problem of plagiarism is not binary, and a presumption of guilt can be so detrimental for the student experience. Eric gives advice on the right kind of conversations to have with students and children about the importance of finding their own voice and doing proper research.
~💗💍~
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№5 Brittany Smith, WanderingBritt.com
My guest for the fifth episode of the eLearning Podcast is Brittany Smith. Brittany is a Preschool teacher in Atlantic City, New Jersey, who blogs at WanderingBritt.com.
Last June, Brittany's Twitter thread about children's books that discuss race and racism went viral - being shared on the social network over 200,000 times. Since then she has been invited to speak on countless outlets including TIME, NPR, Good Morning America, Buzzfeed and the Kelly Clarkson Show.
Her thread did not come out of nowhere. Digitally savvy and child focused, Brittany is fully aware of the power of technologies to spark conversations and generate a sense of closeness and community.
In this episode, Brittany and I talk about
- Why children should not be underestimated when it comes to using digital technologies to learn, engage and feel connected…
- …nor when it comes to sensing the seriousness of current events. In fact, research shows "shielding" them at a young age can exacerbate prejudice for the rest of their lives.
- The power of technologies like social media to spark fruitful conversation, even among the young, about difficult topics
- What it's like to teach in a truly diverse preschool. (We're talking kids from Haiti, Mexico, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Albania)
- What tech and media companies —elearning included— can learn about tackling issues of racism and social justice and meaningfully contributing to the conversation.
~💗💍~
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№4 Dean Saunders of eCreators.com
My guest for our 4th episode is Dean Saunders. Dean is an Australian EdTech pioneer with global exposure across some of the worlds largest organisations. Dean leads the team at eCreators to create bespoke learning environments and content truly tailored towards organisational success. eCreators are the minds behind the Learnbook LMS, and the newly created Learnbook LXP which is charged with transforming the way people learn at work.
You can learn more about Dean and eCreators at eCreators.com
In today’s episode, Dean and I talk about:
- What’s changed in Australia related to COVID (what he calls the great disruptor) to get business started again
- We talked about the different roles people have taken in response to the crisis and whether organizations were truly “caught off guard” or just “unprepared” in terms of using online systems for education and training
- Why the LMS has become a “Mission Critical” system for organizations
- What innovations are happening because of the global shake up
- The opportunity around addressing what Dean calls, “The Loneliness Epidemic” and how eCreators is both creating tech to address this, but also dealing with it internally
- Why its critical to wrap education in a social environment
- How to “unlock” the information already in your organization and use that to your advantage
- Finally Dean makes the case for strengthening the connection between education and work
~💗💍~
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№3 Michelle Moore, MyLearningConsultants
My guest for our 3rd episode is Michelle Moore. Michelle is an online learning consultant and she is the co-founder of My Learning Consultants.
She has helped hundreds of educators and trainers design exceptional online and blended learning experiences. She was also one of our top speakers at the eLearning Success Summit.
You can find out more about Michelle at MyLearningConsultants.com.
In today’s episode, Michelle and I talk about:
- How MyLearningConsultants are helping their clients respond to the remote work & learning needs presented by COVID-19
- Why instructors shouldn’t expect to “have all of the answers” when building online learning for their students
- If it is worth it to always be “creative” with eLearning… even with standard, tickbox compliance exercises
- Very specific examples of creative solutions for getting learners to engage in content (think AMAs, Leaderboards, etc.)
- The invisible line that separates “putting your learning materials online,” and creating something that drives culture, builds excitement and creates a real differentiator
- How company size does (or does not) affect the way you present material and engagement levels
- How to best support eLearning champions, early adopters and gurus in an organization
- What must you implement to achieve universal design principles?
~💗💍~
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№2 Brian Carlson of eThink Education
My guest for our 2nd episode is Brian Carlson, who is the CEO of eThink Education. Brian co-founded eThink more than twelve years ago and today oversees the entire operation. Brian’s been in edtech for decades and is an active advisor on eLearning initiatives through roles such as his seat on the Baltimore Workforce Investment Board.
In today’s episode, Brian and I talk about:
- How eThink have helped their clients support instructors and learners during the COVID-19 pandemic
- What an LMS is, what it does and why it is critical in today’s new normal
- How eThink helps clients think though their learning ecosystem
- The typical hurdles schools and companies face to truly realize all of the efficiencies that come from using an LMS… and how they can be overcome
- Why choosing an open source solution offers the best financial return over time (and the evidence from analytics to prove it)
- How schools and companies have adapted to best serve remote teams & classrooms quickly
- What the future holds, in terms of disruption, for higher education and learner expectations and finally,
- What innovations are on the horizon for learning – in tech and leadership – and how organizations can be adaptive and agile.
~💗💍~
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№1 Dr. Britt Andreatta, 7th Mind; Wired to Learn and Wired to Grow (books)
Britt is is the CEO of 7th Mind and an internationally recognized thought leader who creates brain science–based solutions for today’s challenges by drawing on her unique background in leadership, neuroscience, psychology, and learning. Britt has published several books on the brain science of success including her most recent which is called, Wired to Grow: Harness the Power of Brain Science to Learn and Master Any Skill. Britt is someone you want to listen to: she has more than 25 years of experience, she’s the former Chief Learning Officer for Lynda.com (now LinkedIn Learning) and she has over 10 million views worldwide of her courses. You can learn more at her at BrittAndreatta.com.
I’m also super pleased to have Britt on the show because she was one of our top speakers at the eLearning Success Summit. If you’d like to hear her presentation, you can get your free ticket at elearningsuccesssummit.com.
I’m excited to share this episode with you because we talk about a bunch of great stuff, including:
- What learning “should be” in the future – the balance between online, blended and in person and how not everything can be learned online
- The amazing amount of non-verbal communication that happens between humans and how that is lost in online learning
- How online learning has had an uptick in acceptance because of circumstance & available time BUT why online learning MUST be designed different than in person learning, and tips on how to up your game
- Why in person learning is important for both culturalization and also “signaling” that something or some knowledge is especially important
- The reasons why you can’t multitask and learn effectively
- HUGE ONE: How we can return to in person learning safely and effectively
- And finally, why learning and development professionals should use this moment to be clear about what should be online, in person or a blend.
More information, transcripts and other episodes can be found at LMS Pulse.
~💗💍~
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