Powered by Learning

Creating accessible learning can seem daunting. It doesn’t have to be according to learning architect Shawn Wunder. It’s as easy as taking five steps to make your websites and eLearning accessible for all. 

Show Notes:

Accessibility expert Shawn Wunder discussed the importance of accessibility and shared advice on how to make your online learning content more accessible today.

•  The time to think about accessibility is before you start your project.
• If you can’t take every accessibility step, make the effort to take as many as you can.
• Creating accessible learning is not a project - it is a process. If you build a framework for how you approach accessibility once, it gets easier with future applications.

Related Article:
Accessibility: Making It a Priority, Not an Afterthought
by d'Vinci Lead eLearning Specialist Jenica Jones

Color Tools for Accessbility:

Web Aim
https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/

Adobe Color
https://color.adobe.com/create/color-contrast-analyzer

Accessibility Tools:

Wave
https://wave.webaim.org/

Automated Accessibility Testing Tool (PayPal)
https://github.com/paypal/AATT 

SortSite
https://www.powermapper.com/products/sortsite/

Powered by Learning earned an Award of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio category from The Communicator Awards and a Silver Davey Award for Educational Podcast. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide.

Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide.

Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com.
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Keeping its student-centered mission top of mind helps focus the importance of training at Milton Hershey School, a  private residential school for Pre-K through 12th grade children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Craig Wrights,  director of training & organizational development at Milton Hershey School shares how they create meaningful and impactful adult learning for the benefit of the kids they serve.

Show Notes: 

• Milton Hershey School focuses time on onboarding and reboarding team members to ensure everyone is aligned with the mission and vision of the school. 
• The school's central training function provides the core and mandatory training for all the employees, and it also supports a wide variety of other training functions to support their adult learners. 
• Milton Hershey School's approach to leadership training includes a cohort model program that lasts eight months and ends with  a "Shark Tank"- style idea pitch.

Learn more about Milton Hershey School
 
Discover more about Catherine Hershey School

Powered by Learning earned an Award of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio category from The Communicator Awards and a Silver Davey Award for Educational Podcast. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide.

Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide.

Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com.
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To make microlearning successful in your organization you must first understand what it can and can’t do. Learning Strategist, Consultant and Author Dr. Robyn DeFelice explains how to think about microlearning as part of your overall training goals and not just a way to deliver training.  

Show notes:
In this interview, Robyn DeFelice stresses how and when to successfully use microlearning and makes these key points.

• Microlearning is much more than creating short-form training. If the only thinking behind the learning is to make it short, the training may miss the mark.
• As a method for training, microlearning can help you achieve performance goals, but it is not a replacement for all other learning formats and approaches. It often works best as a complement to a larger training program.  
• To determine when and how to use microlearning, start with the purpose and potential of the training.  Are you seeking to change behavior? Ask yourself why you want to use microlearning and what you hope to get out of it.

Read more about microlearning in these resources from our guest, Dr. Robyn DeFelice.

Behind The Scenes: The Making of Microlearning Campaigns

Advocating for Microlearning: Lead with Purpose and Potential

Is Microlearning a Concept, Method, or Product? It’s all 3! 

Turn L&D Teams into Performance-Driven Microlearning Masters

The Push-Pull of Leading Motivation Using Microlearning
 
Register for the Learning Guild Microlearning Conference to Watch Robyn's Presentation - Make Performance-Driven Microlearning Work for Your Organization on February 6 and 7

Connect with Robyn on LinkedIn

Powered by Learning earned an Award of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio category from The Communicator Awards and a Silver Davey Award for Educational Podcast. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide.

Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide.

Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com.
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While you may think of improv as entertainment, you may not know how it can be used in training teams to adapt to change. In this episode, Fairplay Communications' Andy Eninger and Scott Zoll explain how improv can create a safe space for growth and dialogue in your organization.

Show Notes:
Fairplay Communications offers suggestions that organizations can implement to facilitate better communications, learning, and growth. Their key points include the following:

• The tenets of improv help learning leaders address business challenges. Using improv increases flexibility, creativity, and the ability to look beyond barriers to find opportunity and possibility in the moment. 
• When improvising, there is a need to focus on others and to be in support of others. In the business world, the same applies as to how we show up and how we create the space for others to show up.
• Skills learned from practicing improvisation help corporate leaders better engage with team members in person and in a hybrid work environment, improving talent retention. 

Learn more about Fairplay Communications on their website.

Powered by Learning earned an Award of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio category from The Communicator Awards and a Silver Davey Award for Educational Podcast. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide.

Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide.

Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com.
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Learner leaders are tackling challenges head on including how best to train a hybrid workforce, how to use microlearning, and how to put the learner first. We spoke to several thought leaders at the ATD Central PA 75th Anniversary event to see how they are taking new approaches to learning.

Show Notes:
The guests on this episode shared many helpful approaches to improving learning, including these key points.

• There are cases where in-person learning is more effective and situations where virtual learning works best. Examine your training programs to decide which environment is most conducive to learning.
• Rethink long-form in-person training to see what could possibly be done in a more efficient and engaging way.
• Short-form microlearning will help engage your learners but consider it as part of your overall training program - not a new way to educate on every topic.
• One guest reminds listeners to focus on the learner and be quick, be agile, and be flexible.

Powered by Learning earned an Award of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio category from The Communicator Awards and a Silver Davey Award for Educational Podcast. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide.

Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com.

Special thanks to the guests on this episode:

• Adam White, Penn State Health
• Phyliss Vasbinder, PSECU
• Deb Ellenberg, Sandler Training
• Alixandra Moyer, Phoenix Contact
• Rob Hoitt, West Virginia ATD
• Chelsea Leffler, Talent Metrics
• Sy Islam, Talent Metrics
• Jesmin Mejia, L'Oréal
• Scott Bostjancic, Mid Penn Bank

Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide.

Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com.
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The Boys & Girls Clubs of America trains staff and volunteers at 4,300 local clubs reaching more than four million young people.  Director of Learning Design Yvette Francis explains how learning advances the organization's mission and impacts lives.

Show Notes:  
Whether you influence learning at a non-profit or for-profit organization, these takeaways from Yvette Francis will help.

• All decisions made about learning topics, content, and learning formats are guided by the organization's mission. 
• Organizations that invest in learning can have greater success in positively impacting their constituents.
• Microlearning is even more important when you're trying to train staff and volunteers with non-traditional schedules.

Powered by Learning earned an Award of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio category from The Communicator Awards and a Silver Davey Award for Educational Podcast. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide.

Learn more about how you can get involved with The Boys & Girls Clubs of America. 

Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide.

Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com.
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No matter how good your training is, the learning won’t stick without support from leadership.  Jennifer Recla, Director of Organizational Learning and Development at the healthcare company Colorado Access, shares how her organization supports employees throughout their learning journeys to make training more impactful and the business outcomes better.

SHOW NOTES:

Jennifer Recla offers best practices that L&D professionals can implement to leverage leadership to support learning. Her key takeaways include:

•  Find strategies and creative ways to influence people. Look for champions across the organization to help influence attention to training in the workforce.
•  Learn why people are not engaging with training to find ways to improve the next learning experience for employees. 
•  Reward growth and development that comes from training and not just for getting training done.
•  Stay flexible and patient as you change your learning culture. Change doesn’t happen overnight but celebrate the small wins along the way.

Powered by Learning earned an Award of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio category from The Communicator Awards and a Silver Davey Award for Educational Podcast. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide. 

Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide.

Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com.
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Podcasts continue to grow in popularity with more than two million currently available. But can podcasts also work as a training tool? In this episode, PGT Innovations Digital Learning Administrator Sherri Connor shares how this leading window and door manufacturer’s podcast has become an important part of their learning and development program. 

Show Notes:

PGT’s Sherri Connor shares how her company’s podcast trains employees, builds brand awareness, and even reaches customers. Here are some of her key points on starting a learning podcast. 

• A training podcast can play an important part of a training program and it can complement other training modalities.
• Keep your learner in mind when creating podcast topics and keep the content short and easily consumable.
• Consider adding some learning podcasts to your LMS to better track listening and help shape future training opportunities.
• Every podcast producer has his or her own process, but Sherri prefers to record podcasts in bulk and then focus on editing to keep on a regular schedule of posting. 

Read "PGTI University releases 50th podcast episode to support dealers and businesses"

Listen to PGT Innovations Clear Impact Podcast

About PGT Innovations:

Founded in 1980, PGT® Innovations is the nation’s leading manufacturer and supplier of residential impact-resistant windows and doors. After the devastation of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the company partnered with building officials in Miami-Dade and helped develop construction code requirements which are still among the most stringent in the nation.

PGT® Innovations employs nearly 2,500 team members at its manufacturing, glass plant, and delivery fleet facilities in Venice and Ft. Myers, Florida, and sells through a network of independent distributors. The company’s total line of custom windows and doors are now sold throughout the eastern U.S. and a growing international market, including the Caribbean, South America, and Australia.

 Powered by Learning earned an Award of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio category from The Communicator Awards and a Silver Davey Award for Educational Podcast. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide. 

Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide.

Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com.
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You may think of accounting and tax firms as working “by the books,” but when it comes to training, global accounting firm KPMG is leveraging innovative technology to engage and educate their global workforce. Vaughan O’Leary, Interactive Learning Apps Program Manager at KPMG, shares how his company’s Globerunner Cup is training team members and connecting associates around the world through gamification.  

Shownotes: KPMG’s Globerunner Cup is an example of how a company can use gamification to inspire employees to invest time in training. In this podcast, Vaughan O’Leary and Jenny Kerwin offer these best practices to consider before using gamification:

• Make sure gamification is right for all your learners. Consider alternative approaches for learners who don’t want to participate in the game elements.
• Set training and business goals so you can measure the effectiveness of the gamified learning experience.
• Evaluate if your gamified learning will live within eLearning modules or be a part of your organization’s LMS to increase use of your training offerings.
• Listen to learner feedback to evolve and improve how your organization uses gamification to make the experience even more relevant and impactful.

Powered by Learning earned an Award of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio category from The Communicator Awards and a Silver Davey Award for Educational Podcast. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide. 

Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide.

Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com.
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The pandemic has forced training leaders to pivot and re-examine how best to educate their organizations. While there are challenges to training in a hybrid work environment, it also presents some real opportunities. We interviewed L&D leaders at the Training Industry Conference & Expo to learn how they are navigating training in today’s work environment.

Show Notes:

The learning leaders interviewed in our podcast shared the challenges and successes of training in a hybrid world. Some of the key points include the following:

• Engage your learners online by keeping content fresh with polls, videos, and games.
• Overcome “Zoom” fatigue by varying the modes and format of online training and online meetings. Breakout rooms can add variety to a large group dynamic. 
• Use bite-size pieces of learning online to keep learners engaged and look for opportunities to maximize learning of different types when groups are together in person.

Special thanks to the following guests for sharing their thoughts in our podcast.

Karissa Williams, Senior Sales Trainer, Direct Auto 

Kathryn Kelly, Director of Engagement, SCORE 

Matthew Mortensen, Instructional Designer, First Energy, First Energy

Michelle Thill, Manager of Training and Development, DaVita Kidney Care

Aaron Roseum, Learning Architect, Cleveland-Cliffs

Jennifer Recla, Director of Organizational Learning and Development, Colorado Access

Davida O’Brien, Tourism Standards and Training Manager, Bermuda Tourism Authority

Related podcasts:  L&D Trends from TICE and L&D Leaders Share Views on Today's Training Industry

Powered by Learning earned an Award of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio category from The Communicator Awards and a Silver Davey Award for Educational Podcast. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide. 

Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide.

Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com.
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