Ed Tech specialist, Matt Campbell, explains how to start a career in Educational Technology, the varied roles, and the most important skills.

Can an AI tool generate accurate and interesting podcasts for learning? Listen, react, and leave a comment.

David Kelly explains why developing leadership skills in L&D is important for people at every level of an organization and in any role.

Hadiya Nuriddin explains how to start or improve a quality management program in your organization.

If you're feeling lost regarding what you need to learn about AI, this AI literacy framework maps out the areas of knowledge and skills.

If you don't have the right strategy or tool to solve a problem, consider looking at ways to affect behavior change. In this episode, Julie Dirksen explains how to apply a behavior change model to instructional design.

Do you hear a lot about learning data and analytics, but aren’t sure how to gather data, interpret it, and use it? I think this conversation with Megan Torrance will clarify things for you. In this episode, I give Megan a scenario and she walks through possible ways to collect data and use it to understand the impact of learning on an organization. Megan will show you how to make data come alive!

Megan is the author of important books in our field, including Data and Analytics for Instructional Designers and Agile for Instructional Designers. She is the Chief Energy Officer and founder of Torrance Learning, which helps organizations connect learning strategy to design, development, data, and ultimately performance.

WE DISCUSS:

* How to define data and analytics

* Why instructional designers need to know about data and analytics

* Why departments may withhold data from learning design teams

* Interesting examples of how learning data is being used

* A scenario where Megan explains how to think about and frame a performance problem using a data measurement mindset

* Types of dirty data

* Finding the best timeline for measuring data

* Pros and cons of self-reporting data

* Collecting data on marketing campaigns for learning

* Benefits of building and collaborating with your operational network

* How to  build skills in learning data and analytics

TIME: 33 minutes

TRANSCRIPT: [Download not found]

RESOURCES:

* Data and Analytics for Instructional Designers by Megan Torrance.

* Torrance Learning

* xAPI Cohort

* Measurement Demystified by David Vance and Peggy Parskey

* How to Get Started with Data-Driven Learning Design: Podcast with Lori Niles-Hofmann

 

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What do instructional designers need to know and understand right now. How have things improved and changed or stayed the same? This episode with Cammy Bean answers many of these questions. Cammy updated one of the most well-known books in our field and there is now a second edition, The Accidental Instructional Designer, Second Edition.

She provides a big picture view of where and how learning and development fits into an organization. We discuss industry changes over the past decade and what never seems to change.

Cammy is a senior solutions consultant at Kineo, leading sales and account management for Kineo's US portfolio of custom learning clients. She’s been in the industry for more than 25 years. If you're new to instructional design or if you have skill gaps you'd like to close, check out Mastering Instructional Design, with courses, speakers and community.

WE DISCUSS:

* The need for a new edition of The Accidental Instructional Designer

* What is an "accidental instructional designer?"

* The big picture business perspective instructional designers may not see

* Whether L&D has become more important to organizations

* Changes in the industry in the past decade

* What instructional designers need to understand about analytics

* What hangs people up about xAPI

* What has NOT changed in the past decade

* Client sophistication and a learning maturity model

* Everything you always wanted to know about clicky clicky bling bling (but were afraid to ask)

TIME: 33 Minutes

TRANSCRIPT: [Download not found]

RESOURCES MENTIONED

* The Accidental Instructional Designer 2nd Edition by Cammy Bean

* Podcast: Learning is the New Business Strategy, conversation with Brandon Carson, author of the L&D Playbook

* Microlearning Short and Sweet by Karl Kapp and Robyn Defelice

* Podcast: How to Plan and Design Microlearning, conversation with Karl Kapp and Robyn Defelice

* Podcast: How to Get Started with Data-Driven Learning Design, conversation with Laura Niles Hofmann

* Data and Analytics for Instructional Designers by Megan Torrance

* Measurement Demystified by David Vance and Peggy Parskey

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This is the second part of a conversation with researchers Andrea Gregg, Ph.D and Ronda Reid, PMP from Penn State.  You can find the first part in Episode 77. We discuss how they used the think-aloud method to watch and understand how users perceived and interacted with a new learning management system. Their study validates the benefits of using the think-aloud method in learning  experience design. It also demonstrates the notion that designers are not the same as the users. In this episode, I speak with them both about the value of usability testing in general and the think-aloud method specifically, to improve learning design.

Andrea Gregg, PhD, is the Director of Online Pedagogy and an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering at Penn State University. Ronda Reid is an IT project manager with Penn State IT's Project Management Office (PMO).

WE DISCUSS:

* Low budget think-aloud testing

* Analyzing the data from think-aloud research

* In-person testing versus remote

* Tips for doing an effective think-aloud usability test

* User experience design in the context of learning experience design

* Tasks to test when checking the usability of typical eLearning courses

TIME: 23 minutes

TRANSCRIPT: Download the [Download not found]

RESOURCES:

* Think-Aloud Observations to Improve Online Course Design: A Case Example and “How-to” Guide (Research discussed in this podcast)

* Don’t Make Me Think Revisited by Steve Krug

* Rocket Surgery Made Easy by Steve Krug

* Learner and User Experience Research by Dr. Matthew Schmidt, Dr. Andrew Tawfik, Dr. Yvonne Earnshaw and Dr. Isa Jahnke

* Using the Think-Aloud Method to Test Usability of Learning Designs

Get the latest articles, resources and freebies once a month plus my free eBook, Writing for Instructional Design. SEND EBOOK NOW

Andrea Gregg, Ph.D., and Ronda Reid, PMP., examined the usability of a new learning management system at Penn State. They used the think-aloud method to watch and understand how users perceived and interacted with the system. Their study validates the benefits of using the think-aloud method in learning  experience design. It also demonstrates the notion that designers are not the same as the users. In this episode, I speak with them both about the value of usability testing in general and the think-aloud method specifically, to improve learning design.

Andrea Gregg, PhD, is the Director of Online Pedagogy and an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering at Penn State University. Ronda Reid is an IT project manager with Penn State IT's Project Management Office (PMO).

WE DISCUSS:

*  Defining usability

* Usability issues in learning products

* Why there is more emphasis on usability for website design than learning design

* How a poor user experience affects learning

* How the think-aloud method works

* Benefits of using think-aloud to watch learners use the products you design

* Downside of the think-aloud method

* Guidance and guidelines for conducting think-aloud tests

TIME: 27 minutes

TRANSCRIPT: [Download not found]

RESOURCES:

* Think-Aloud Observations to Improve Online Course Design: A Case Example and “How-to” Guide (Research discussed in this podcast)

* Don't Make Me Think Revisited by Steve Krug

* Rocket Surgery Made Easy by Steve Krug

* Learner and User Experience Research by Dr. Matthew Schmidt, Dr. Andrew Tawfik, Dr. Yvonne Earnshaw and Dr. Isa Jahnke

* Using the Think-Aloud Method to Test Usability of Learning Designs

Get the latest articles, resources and freebies once a month plus my free eBook, Writing for Instructional Design.

SEND EBOOK NOW