Behind the Scenes of eLearning Troubleshooting
It’s a pain when something breaks right when you need it. If you’re lucky, whatever it is will start working again when you try to show the problem to someone else. (You know, just so [...]
Know-it-Alls Need to Empty Their Cups
Trying to have a conversation with someone who “already knows everything” is like talking to a wall. Nothing you have to say matters because they’ll automatically tune you out. To them, the “conversation” is either [...]
The Learning Development Feedback Funnel
Disclaimer: This post is not about the “feedback funnel” that’s used in sales or customer relationship management. If you’re looking for that I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong place. But you’re welcome to stay [...]
Disaster Preparation and Training Have Something in Common
Disaster preparation and training often suffer from the same unfortunate flaw. You’re supposed to have them in place and ready to go for when they’re needed. That means they should be planned for in advance, [...]
Custom Content vs Off the Shelf
In a prior post, we asked, “what comes first, the LMS or the content? Today we ask, “which is better, off the shelf vs custom content?” Determining the best option for your organization is not [...]
Always Be Consistent Most of the Time
Would you notice if the sun didn’t come up tomorrow? Of course you would, because the sun comes up every day. You’re used to it. If it didn’t come up that would be breaking the [...]
Should Marketing Review eLearning Courses?
Recently, an instructional designer friend of mine asked me, “Should Marketing review eLearning courses and approve them before they are released?” I responded with a, “Yes, but…” There are legitimate reasons Marketing needs to see [...]
Learning Objectives Are Spoilers
Let’s run a quick experiment. Think of the beginning of a book, show, movie, or video game. How did you feel after getting through that opening for the first time? Who or what did you [...]
Learners Aren’t Robots: Put Emotion Back into Training
You must turn off your emotions for the next hour. This training is a feeling-free zone. You do not have a report due at the end of the day. You do not have to get [...]
Do Your Learners Speak Your Language?
“Now that you’re in the beginning phase, you need to untap.” When was the last time you tried explaining something you were familiar with to someone who was new to it? Maybe you were orienting [...]