Impacting individual learners' personal learning paths is one of our most important goals as instructional designers.
We are tasked with using a multi-layered approach to create effective, engaging training programs. This process involves asking a variety of important questions, including:
- How do we ensure our training has an impact during both formal and informal moments of learning need?
- What is an instructional strategy?
- How are our designs influenced by EdTech?
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Topics:
Podcasts and Videos,
Modern Learning,
Instructional Design,
Professional Development
March 20, 2018
Instructor: Jennifer Hofmann

Today’s business environment requires learning content to be accessed globally and on demand. Learners are often virtual and on the go. And, they expect immediate answers and opportunities in every moment of learning need.
Unfortunately, many organizations are holding on to an outdated learning culture that values traditional training methods over modern instructional strategies and techniques.
Modern learning professionals need to lead the transformation, not only in instructional design and technologies, but in learning culture.
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Topics:
Virtually There,
Modern Learning,
Recordings,
Modern Learning Culture
February 20, 2018
Instructor: Treion Muller

Have you ever wondered why the L&D industry in general still treats our technologically savvy learners, who are also active modern consumers of information, like they lived twenty years ago?
If we search for answers to our questions immediately in our personal lives, why are we forced to seek for professional work answers by signing up for a two-day training a month from now? If we have a work-related problem we need to solve now, why do we have to sit through an hour-long webinar or self-paced course to try find something that will address our unique issue?
In this session, we’ll discuss these questions and more, including what we can do differently to provide learning experiences that our learners want and that actually change behavior.
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Topics:
Virtually There,
Modern Learning,
Recordings,
Learning and Development
Taking into account our intended audience—the solution or skill set they are seeking, their real work environment, their learning opportunities — what will they consume?
Not what do we think they should consume, but what will they in actuality do?
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Topics:
Modern Learning,
Infographics and Tools
Instructional design for modern blended learning must be rigorously applied to anticipate the correct moments of learning need and embed content into the flow of work.
This infographic will help you select the appropriate design strategy, implement that strategy, and deploy that technique with the best fit instructional technology.
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Topics:
Modern Learning,
Infographics and Tools,
Blended Learning Instructional Design
February 6, 2018
Instructor: Christine Miles

Are you leveraging your current customer’s success to gain future business?
How do you overcome objections, and gain business insight so your customers can see how you can change their business with your products or services? The latest research on how people buy and make decisions (Behavioral Economics), combined with our communication framework, is a game changing approach. Understanding customer’s biases and how to tell a customer hero story with real business results will help fast-track your customers to believing and buying. We will help you use your current customer’s stories to paint a picture for your potential customers/prospects. Let the story sell for you.
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Topics:
Virtually There,
Modern Learning,
Recordings
The Five Moments of Need model by Bob Mosher and Conrad Gotffredson identifies 5 key moments a learner will need additional information after the "official" training is over.
Training designed to incorporate this model will open the door to results you can measure.
But what actionable steps can you take as an instructional designer to make sure that you incorporate all five moments into every blended training program?
First, you have to understand what the moments are and what they mean.
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Topics:
Modern Learning,
Infographics and Tools
May 23, 2017
Instructor: Dr. Stephen Slota
This workshop will provide hands-on experience with gamification, the application of game mechanics and design processes in traditionally non-game contexts. Skillfully done, this can foster more engaging, informative, and/or cooperative educational, recreational, political, and business environments.
We will focus on design elements that are broadly useful across content areas and contexts with emphasis on the following:
- How and why people play games.
- Differences between games and simulations as well as fun and engagement.
- The function of rulesets and how they bound play-game-designer interaction.
- Models for design and development.
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Topics:
InSync BYTE Recording,
Modern Learning,
Gamification & Game-Based Learning,
Recordings
How do you capture your audience’s attention when so many factors provide distractions?
Recently, guest BYTE speaker Mark Harter answered this question and provided pro-tips accumulated from years of practical experience.
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Topics:
Modern Learning,
Learner Engagement
April 25, 2017
Instructor: Mark Harter
Traditional communication and training methods for engaging and motivating employees are no longer working. Without initial attention, nothing we do really matters. This session will share simple and creative ideas that will grab learner attention and make it more fun. Techniques include both low and high tech examples, focusing on visual design and video. It will also touch on innovation, strategy, and positioning in your line of business. Examples will be shared during the session.
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Topics:
InSync BYTE Recording,
Modern Learning,
Recordings,
Learner Engagement