Did you ever end up on a project that required video and somehow you became the default expert? That's what happened to me early in my career. At first, it was a bit unnerving. But like any hard-core … [Read more...]
How to Unstock Stock Photos for eLearning and Slides
Most people know that stock photos for eLearning and slides are often substandard. When you need photos of people performing various jobs, stock photo collections seem flooded with images of people … [Read more...]
Long-Term Memory: A User’s Guide
When you're designing learning experiences, long-term memory is the ultimate destination. It's the promised land—where you want newly learned skills and content to integrate with a person's network of … [Read more...]
ELC 066: Best Of | How to Write Compelling Stories
A Conversation with Lisa Cron
Lisa Cron, author of Wired For Story, is passionate about the power and value of stories for learning. In this conversation (recorded in 2013), Lisa will convince you that it is through stories that … [Read more...]
Alternatives to Correct and Incorrect
Eight approaches to providing learning feedback
Imagine a trainer at the front of the room responding to a participant's comment by saying nothing more than "You're right!" or "Incorrect." Imagine this happening over and over again. So, why is … [Read more...]
Learning Science Books to Inspire You This Year
As learning experience designers and educators, we are the beneficiaries of cognitive science research that focuses on memory and learning. We now have a solid collection of books that explain the … [Read more...]
Finding Your Place In an Instructional Design Career
If you aren't happy with your career in instructional design or want to start a career in this industry, there's no reason to be a square peg in a round hole. There are numerous paths you can follow … [Read more...]
ELC 065: Pro Tips For Working With Subject Matter Experts
Strategies and techniques from Dawn Mahoney and Diane Elkins
Subject matter experts or SMEs are usually an indispensable part of a learning development team. Even though they are on the same team, however, the SME and the learning professional may be living in … [Read more...]
Ten Working Smarter Hacks You Can Use Right Now
Productivity Boosts for Remote and On-Site Work
In these particularly stressful times, when many people are stretched between virtual work and monitoring virtual schooling, it's a good time to be as efficient with work as possible. These working … [Read more...]
The Visual Design of Checklists
In a previous article, I wrote about the benefits of using checklists for performance support. But how might you design a checklist that fits your needs? Consider that the visual design of a cognitive … [Read more...]
The World Needs More Checklists
Using Checklists for Performance Support
One of the most brilliant cognitive aids devised by some very smart humans is the checklist. Hidden in this deceptively simple format is a type of performance support that has saved lives in the air … [Read more...]
ELC 064: How to Create Meaning From A Torrent of Information
A Conversation with Karl Fast
Every day, we engage in sense-making from a torrent of information. And we attempt to help others construct meaning in the learning experiences we design and provide. But what if we had a … [Read more...]