A Quick High-level Comparison of Unity and Storyline As a learning technology consultant, I’m often asked to compare the features of various authoring tools to help an organization standardize what it uses. Most often, these requests are for tools such as Storyline, Rise, Captivate, and iSpring. Although capabilities vary quite a bit, Storyline and Unity […]
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Encouraging Learners to Try Something Different A good friend of mine owns a successful company here in southeast Michigan, and he told me he plans to spend part of his summer learning how to use a CNC milling machine. Why? Each year he picks something new to learn — something challenging and different from what […]
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Best Practices for Doing Compliance Training Right I know what you’re thinking, “Not another blog about compliance. What more is there to say? Compliance training must be done, so just do it!” But pause a minute… this idea of “just do it” is why compliance training often ends up being so unpalatable. Because it typically […]
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Seek Many Voices When Designing Solutions Imagine you’re an instructional designer (ID) charged with creating e-learning to teach a work process. Which one of the following is the best way to determine the course content? Obtain relevant information from the subject matter expert (SME) Imagine what you would want to know yourself Observe an exemplary […]
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Feedback: An Essential Element for Performance Improvement Feedback: Love it or leave it? Do you like receiving it, do you like giving it, or are you okay without it? Do you know which types of feedback improve performance? I think we can agree that feedback is critical in attempts to improve employee job performance. Whether you […]
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Using Sound Effects to Wow Your Learners Steve Austin, astronaut: a man barely alive. Gentlemen we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world’s first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before…Better, Stronger, Faster. Opening narration from The Six Million Dollar Man, […]
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Not Quite E-Learning But More Than a Job Aid One of my first learning industry projects was in the late ‘90s, when printed PowerPoint facilitator guides and corresponding participant guides were all the rage. Within 10 years, e-learning had replaced many instructor-led training (ILT) sessions, which makes sense when you think about it, and why […]
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Applying Meaning to Design Our brains seek to understand the big picture. We look for pattern relationships and meaning, and we can use this knowledge to help design better training. Understanding and applying Gestalt principles can help the learner absorb and enjoy the material. Gestalt means ‘the whole’ or ‘form’ and provides a theory on […]
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Increase Engagement in Learning Solutions by Respecting Learner Characteristics Maybe you’ve seen the Salesforce commercial: Matthew McConaughey, dressed as an astronaut but piloting a hot air balloon, tells us “It’s not time to escape, it’s time to engage!” A very thinly veiled poke at certain billionaire tech giants, it asserts that we don’t need to […]
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Addressing the Leader Mindset Does your leadership development program move the needle on the leader behaviors that make a difference? With organizations increasing their leadership training spend between 25-30 percent, it makes sense to focus keenly on what kinds of leaders we want in our organization. There’s a lot to being a great leader, and […]
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