The Training Design Podcast

Trainers and Training Designers can be forgiven for the temptation to use tried-and-trusted activities and types of activity. But if the aim is to maximise engagement and learning, and meet the learning objectives, having a variety of activities and keeping them fresh and original is vital. In this episode, we have a host of practical tips for you on how to mix up your palette of activities, and get inspiration for new ones.

This episode was recorded before the pandemic, so some of the references (e.g. snowboarding trips!) may sound strange now, but we're confident all of the insights are still relevant to the world training designers find themselves in today.

00:21  In this episode

00:47  The importance of a variety of activities

03:02  Case study: an Innovation and Creativity session

06:07  Getting inspiration from The Crystal Maze

07:01  Learning Styles: useful or not?

09:07  Activities as a way for learners to spend more time with a topic

09:40  Bloom's Taxonomy as a source of inspiration

11:58  The Five Types of Activity

13:50  Examples of the 'Structure' category of activity

15:01  Using technology to support different activities

16:20  More 'Structure' examples

16:42  An unusual activity: 'Break the Model'

18:08  Combining basic activities to create something deeper

18:59  The 'Solve' category of activities

20:51  the power of combos

21:44  Case study: The Origami Factory

23.21  Storytelling case study: Customer Service and Mental Health

24:40  Creating activities using core 'kernels'

30:26  Terry's 'Transform' card deck for inspiring activity design

33:03  Sheridan's mini-topic: The importance of practice (especially for snowboarding!)

41:46  Summary

Resource Links

Bloom's Taxonomy: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom's_taxonomy

Terry's Innovation and Creativity workshop: 360learningdesign.com/store/products/360-cips

Contact the Hosts

Our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/TrainingDesignPodcast

Terry Pearce LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/terrypaulpearce

Sheridan Webb LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/trainingdesigner

The Training Designers’ Club: www.trainingdesignersclub.co.uk

Untold Play: www.untoldplay.com - For game-based learning and gamified learning consultancy and design

360 Learning Design: 360learningdesign.com - For bespoke, creative and personalised learning design

Keystone Development: www.keystonedevelopment.co.uk - For bespoke learning and development programme design

Power Hour: www.power-hour.co.uk - For ready written bite-size training materials

After our season-opening double-header on Virtual Training, we wanted to take a look at another hot topic: Online, non-live training. With less face-to-face learning, both are receiving a boost. But how do we need to design differently for recorded online training, as opposed to either virtual or face-to-face live training. As ever, we have plenty of practical tips to help you work it out.

00:22  Our Special Guest: Ginette Tessier

03:00  The difference between virtual live and online training (and e-learning)

07:39  Bad experiences of online training

08:23  The mistakes people make

09:53  The two cardinal sins: cramming too much in, and not breaking it down

12:32  The benefits of more, shorter videos

13:39  What learners can do between short videos

14:04  Making filming easier

15:57  Structure to keep learners motivated

18:01  Gamifying online programmes

19:24  The drip-feed technique

20:51  A rhythm of learning

22:59  The importance of signposting how they should approach the course

25:35  Giving them a reason to carry on

26:05  Blended learning

27:59  Case Study: The Easy Online Course Builder

30:07  Your starting point = Their pain point

32:17  Leave them wanting more

35:33  The technical skills and equipment you'll need

37:23  Comparing  software platforms

40:58  The best mic and camera

42:58  Summary

46:02  The mini-topic: Good learning forums

Resource Links

Trainer Talk: trainer-talk.co.uk

Thinkific: www.thinkific.com

Teachable: teachable.com

Podia: www.podia.com

Blue Yeti Microphone: Techradar review

C920 Webcam: www.logitech.com/en-gb/product/hd-pro-webcam-c920

Discourse (forum software): www.discourse.org

Contact the Hosts

Our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/TrainingDesignPodcast

Get That Course Online: getthatcourseonline.com

Ginette Tessier LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ginettetessier1

Terry Pearce LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/terrypaulpearce

Sheridan Webb LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/trainingdesigner

The Training Designers’ Club: www.trainingdesignersclub.co.uk

Untold Play: www.untoldplay.com - For game-based learning and gamified learning consultancy and design

360 Learning Design: 360learningdesign.com - For bespoke, creative and personalised learning design

Keystone Development: www.keystonedevelopment.co.uk - For bespoke learning and development programme design

Power Hour: www.power-hour.co.uk - For ready written bite-size training materials

Actors can produce powerful learning experiences, live and virtually, and offer something very different to other training methods. But how do we design sessions that make the best possible use of actors and drama? As always, we focus on the practical questions as we have our first ever guest on the show, actor and trainer Clare Samuels of 'No I In Clare'.

00:33  Our special guest

01:27  Acting and the emotional connection

01:59  Case study: moving to a coaching culture using actors

02:49  The power of seeing your own bad behaviours in others

03:29  Bringing in the fun

04:24  Roleplay versus Real Play versus Skills Practice

07:48  Designing a structure for actors

12:21  Clear areas of freedom and responsibility

14:29  Acting is a story in 3-D

15:06  Horror story: no debrief

16:52  Success story: drama by stealth

19:22  Starting with an experience and making it memorable

21:14  Blurring the lines between drama and reality, sessions and pre/post session

22:51  Acting in a virtual environment

27:49  Briefing an actor to play a real person

31:28  Taking inspiration from murder mysteries

32:37  What designers need to give actors

35:04  Selling the value of actors to clients

38:43  Trust between the designer, facilitator and actor

40:49  Learning through the medium of making a cup of tea

45:23  Summary

49:41  The mini-topic: Asynchronous learning and motivation

Contact the Hosts (& Guest!)

Our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/TrainingDesignPodcast

Clare Samuels LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/claresamuels 

Terry Pearce LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/terrypaulpearce

Sheridan Webb LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/trainingdesigner

No 'I' In Clare: www.noiinclare.co.uk

The Training Designers’ Club: www.trainingdesignersclub.co.uk

Untold Play: www.untoldplay.com - For game-based learning and gamified learning consultancy and design

360 Learning Design: 360learningdesign.com - For bespoke, creative and personalised learning design

Keystone Development: www.keystonedevelopment.co.uk - For bespoke learning and development programme design

Power Hour: www.power-hour.co.uk - For ready written bite-size training materials

With worldwide events since March 2020 causing major changes in the world of L&D, virtual training is receiving a massive boost in usage. Previously face-to-face workshops and topics are being run over Zoom, Microsoft Teams and a host of other platforms. But how do we make sure the learning experiences we design are right for virtual? In part two of our first-ever two-part episode, we have plenty of practical tips for you on taking virtual training to the next level.

02:48  Using other platforms before, after and alongside a Zoom-based or similar session

04:50  Take advantage of the desk-based nature of homeworking

06:52  Conditional joining instructions

07:45  Everything in the same place equals happy learners (GiraffePad is one way)

09:49  Getting creative with pre and post course work

11:24  Gamify the end-to-end experience

13:15  Using apps alongside a virtual session

14:17  Choosing the right apps: minimise the learning curve

15:55  Use the tech they know already

18:32  Different categories of platforms

21:45  Get creative with your existing platform

25:40  Keep talking and nobody explodes!

27:25  Escape rooms

28:47  Taking inspiration from games

33:43  Be brave: step away from the slide deck

35:58  Summary

 40:12  The mini-topic: Community-based learning

Resource Links

GiraffePad: www.giraffepad.com 

Slack: slack.com

Monday: www.monday.com 

Klaxoon: www.klaxoon.com

Mural: www.mural.co

Mentimeter: www.mentimeter.com

Jamboard: jamboard.google.com

Spiral: spiral.ac

Note.ly: note.ly

Miro: www.miro.com

Tabletop Simulator: www.tabletopsimulator.com

Evolution: www.northstargames.com/products/evolution

Evivve: evivve.com

And...

Sheridan's online course covering the 4 Pillars: ⁠https://training-designers-club.newzenler.com/courses/design-training-6-simple-steps⁠

Sheridan's course about the MASTER structure: ⁠https://training-designers-club.newzenler.com/courses/master-training-design⁠

12 Ways to bring virtual training to life: ⁠https://training-designers-club.newzenler.com/courses/12-ways-bring-virtual-training-to-life⁠

10 practical tips for designing virtual training: ⁠https://training-designers-club.newzenler.com/courses/10-practical-tips-designing-virtual-training ⁠

Overcome the challenge of Virtual training: ⁠https://training-designers-club.newzenler.com/courses/overcome-challenges-virtual-training-design

Contact the Hosts

Our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/TrainingDesignPodcast

Terry Pearce LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/terrypaulpearce

Sheridan Webb LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/trainingdesigner

The Training Designers’ Club: www.trainingdesignersclub.co.uk

Untold Play: www.untoldplay.com - For game-based learning and gamified learning consultancy and design

360 Learning Design: 360learningdesign.com - For bespoke, creative and personalised learning design

Keystone Development: www.keystonedevelopment.co.uk - For bespoke learning and development programme design

Power Hour: www.power-hour.co.uk - For ready written bite-size training materials

With worldwide events since March 2020 causing major changes in the world of L&D, virtual training is receiving a massive boost in usage. Previously face-to-face workshops and topics are being run over Zoom, Microsoft Teams and a host of other platforms. But how do we make sure the learning experiences we design are right for virtual? In part one of our first-ever two-part episode, we have plenty of practical tips for you on creating excellent virtual training.

03:46  What do we mean by virtual training?

05:38  The challenge for virtual facilitators

06:35  Design in detail for virtual

08:03  The two biggest mistakes in virtual design

10:17  Getting the timings right

12:28  The tech challenge

16:23  Best practice: no shortcuts

17:30  The four pillars of good design

18:42  The 'why' of virtual design: what's the transformation?

20:19  The 'who' of virtual design: the target audience and their tech

23:09  The 'what' of virtual design: objectives, coverage and content

25:41  The 'how' of virtual design: structure and methods

26:18  Twelve ways to bring virtual to life

28:58  Top tips for virtual design

31:38  Learning new tools with non-important content

33:02  More instructions for facilitators

34:22  Summary

38:45  The mini-topic: writing for learning

Resource Links

Sheridan's online course covering the 4 Pillars: https://training-designers-club.newzenler.com/courses/design-training-6-simple-steps

Sheridan's course about the MASTER structure: https://training-designers-club.newzenler.com/courses/master-training-design

12 Ways to bring virtual training to life: https://training-designers-club.newzenler.com/courses/12-ways-bring-virtual-training-to-life

10 practical tips for designing virtual training: https://training-designers-club.newzenler.com/courses/10-practical-tips-designing-virtual-training

Overcome the challenge of Virtual training: https://training-designers-club.newzenler.com/courses/overcome-challenges-virtual-training-design

Sheridan's TrainingZone article (on social learning): ⁠https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/lead/culture/why-social-learning-will-be-even-more-vital-in-the-future-of-work⁠

Terry's TrainingZone article (on gamification, obviously): ⁠https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/deliver/training/gamification-beyond-the-buzzword-why-its-not-what-you-think

Contact the Hosts

Our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/TrainingDesignPodcast

Terry Pearce LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/terrypaulpearce

Sheridan Webb LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/trainingdesigner 

The Training Designers’ Club: www.trainingdesignersclub.co.uk

Untold Play: www.untoldplay.com - For game-based learning and gamified learning consultancy and design

360 Learning Design: 360learningdesign.com - For bespoke, creative and personalised learning design

Keystone Development: www.keystonedevelopment.co.uk - For bespoke learning and development programme design

Power Hour: www.power-hour.co.uk - For ready written bite-size training materials

Humans are storytelling animals, and most learners respond better to stories than to theoretical material without a story. But how do we incorporate story in learning design, especially given how personal stories can be? In this episode we have practical tips for you on this and all things story in learning design.

01:18 Storytelling in the learning context

02:14 Spontaneous versus planned stories

04:38 The power of story for learning

06:14 How stories engage emotions

06:44 Your learners will make stories up anyway

08:39 Stories can be better than data

09:56 What’s the difference between stories and anecdotes?

11:04 Case studies as a learning bridge

11:54 Should we always only use our own stories?

14:16 Stories can be true without having happened

17:27 Creating great case studies

18:54 Using storytelling consciously in learning design

22:12 Designing stories into materials for others to deliver

24:53 The magpie approach to gathering stories

26:09 Using stories in specific activities

28:20 Getting learners to bring their stories into play

30:57 Lead with the story

32:07 Learning about story structure

38:51 Storytelling as part of your topic

40:19 Stories and evaluation

41:10 Sheridan’s takeaways from Storytelling

44:58 What is Training Design anyway?

53:44  The end of the season

54:19 Who we are and getting in touch

Resource Links

Dave Lieber TED Talk: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bo3dpVb5jw

Ursula Leguin on truth in fiction: tinyurl.com/yx7bjkh3

The Science of Storytelling, Will Storr: www.amazon.co.uk/Science-Storytelling-Will-Storr/dp/0008276943

Joseph Campbell: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hero_with_a_Thousand_Faces

Fabula Storytelling Cards: fabuladeck.com

Pixar Storytelling Course: www.khanacademy.org/humanities/hass-storytelling/storytelling-pixar-in-a-box

Contact the Hosts

Our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TrainingDesignPodcast

Terry Pearce LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/terrypaulpearce

Sheridan Webb LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/trainingdesigner

The Training Designers’ Club: www.facebook.com/groups/2226817990681543 - A community for Learning Designers

360 Learning Design: 360learningdesign.com - For bespoke, creative and personalised learning design

Keystone Development: www.keystonedevelopment.co.uk - For bespoke learning and development programme design

Power Hour: www.power-hour.co.uk - For ready written bite-size training materials

Designing for remote and mobile workers presents a whole new set of challenges to learning designers. In this episode we take on those challenges and come up with some practical ways to optimise learning design for them, and some questions too, for you as the audience.

01:16 Remote working on the rise

03:06 It’s not just about online learning

05:51 Designing solely for remote workers

07:17 The challenges for the whole business

08:06 Formal learning is tougher for remote workers

09:28 Different kinds of remote workers need different answers

11:09 Inclusivity and different needs

12:04 Learning journeys

12:51 Remote workers as our default learners

14:11 Blank slates beat inertia in learning design

15:09 Dial-in delegates in face to face workshops

17:47 Super-size classrooms

18:53 As many different ways as we can

19:15 Structure and support: Sheridan’s retail case study

23:23 Social engagement is part of the puzzle

24:25 What activities are best?

26:46 Putting things in place between face to face sessions

28:13 Keeping people on track with their objectives

29:28 Gamification for remote workers

29:50 Using technology with remote workers

30:49 It’s okay to not have all the answers

32:38 Remote workers shouldn’t feel like second-class citizens

33:33 Curation and remote workers

34:39 Sheridan’s summary of the key concerns

36:55 A topic that makes us think

38:08 Designing for introverts

44:37 Do you have the answers?

45:10 Who we are and getting in touch

Resource Links

GiraffePad: www.giraffepad.com

Susan Cain, Quiet: www.quietrev.com/quiet-the-book

Susan Cain TED Talk: www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts

Contact the Hosts

Our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TrainingDesignPodcast

Terry Pearce LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/terrypaulpearce

Sheridan Webb LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/trainingdesigner

The Training Designers’ Club: www.facebook.com/groups/2226817990681543 - A community for Learning Designers

360 Learning Design: 360learningdesign.com - For bespoke, creative and personalised learning design

Keystone Development: www.keystonedevelopment.co.uk - For bespoke learning and development programme design

Power Hour: www.power-hour.co.uk - For ready written bite-size training materials

Gamification is not about turning everything into a points contest, and it's not just for e-learning. So what is it for? We take a close look at some practical ways learning designers can use the principles of gamification to level up their learning design.

01:07  Exploding misconceptions about gamification

02:17 Gamification: not just for e-learning

02:45 It’s about learning from how games motivate people

04:09  Games and learning

04:44 What exactly is gamification, then?

05:34 Game elements and a game design approach

07:32  Games versus gamification

08:11 How Duolingo uses gamification to aid learning

10:32 Gamification case study: ‘Speed Influencing’

13:06 Gamification case study: ‘Creating leadership models’

17:12 Looking around for inspiration from games

18:21 Sheridan’s missed opportunities

19:33 Games made of different tasks to suit different strengths

20:39 Elements that come up again and again

21:22 How can we embrace gamification?

22:28 Game design approach: balance

24:18  Game design approach: the players’ experience

25:26 A question about teams

27:15 Game design approach: playtesting and iterations

29:15 Different types of player or learner

30:47 Matching player types to game elements

32:53 Variety!

33:25 Using gamification outside the classroom

36:17 Gamifying certification

38:21 Sheridan’s takeaways from Gamification

40:28 What about people who don’t like games?

41:48 A list of game elements

46:48 Bite-size design

55:17  Who we are and getting in touch

Resource Links

Duolingo: www.duolingo.com

Coursera Gamification Course: www.coursera.org/learn/gamification/home/welcome

Karl Kapp blog and books: karlkapp.com/

Andrzej Marczewski’s Gamification Cards: www.gamified.uk/gamification-inspiration-cards

Andrzej Marczewski Gamified UK website: www.gamified.uk

Open Badges: openbadges.org

MyOpenBadge: myopenbadge.com/en/my-open-badge-en

Contact the Hosts

Our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TrainingDesignPodcast

Terry Pearce LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/terrypaulpearce

Sheridan Webb LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/trainingdesigner

The Training Designers’ Club: www.facebook.com/groups/2226817990681543 - A community for Learning Designers

360 Learning Design: 360learningdesign.com - For bespoke, creative and personalised learning design

Keystone Development: www.keystonedevelopment.co.uk - For bespoke learning and development programme design

Power Hour: www.power-hour.co.uk - For ready written bite-size training materials

You can make your training session as all-singing, all dancing as you like: if it doesn't result in any change back at work or in life, it's a failure. In this episode we discuss how to maximise transfer of learning as a training or learning designer, with lots of practical tips.

1:22 Why is it important?

3:56 What influence do we have as designers?

5:58 What leads to transfer of learning?

7:00 Twelve Levers of Transfer Effectiveness

8:20 The three categories that aid transfer

9:45 What individuals can do to aid learning transfer?

11:17 What can organisations do to aid learning transfer?

18:05 What can training designers do to aid learning transfer?

19:06 Designing for clear learning expectations

21:19 Designing for a sense of content relevance

22:56 Designing active practice into training and learning

25:20 Designing transfer planning into learning and training

26:36 Case study: Management Academy

33:31 Terry’s takeaways on Transfer of Learning

34:52 Holding people accountable

36:10 Acronyms for learning: when should we use them?

41:29 Who we are and getting in touch

Resource Links

Heidel’s Twelve Levers: www.transfereffectiveness.com

Contact the Hosts

Our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TrainingDesignPodcast

Terry Pearce LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/terrypaulpearce

Sheridan Webb LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/trainingdesigner

The Training Designers’ Club: www.facebook.com/groups/2226817990681543 - A community for Learning Designers

360 Learning Design: 360learningdesign.com - For bespoke, creative and personalised learning design

Keystone Development: www.keystonedevelopment.co.uk - For bespoke learning and development programme design

Power Hour: www.power-hour.co.uk - For ready written bite-size training materials

PowerPoint. It gets a lot of hate; it gets a lot of use. In this episode, we discuss when we should stop using it or use it less, and what to replace it with, and how to get the best out of it when we do use it. As always, it's packed with practical suggestions for your training design practice.

01:58 Where are we going wrong?

03:09 Presentations and subject matter experts

03:50 How can we avoid ‘Death by PowerPoint’?

05:04 Start with the session plan

06:14 A document for people who commission training

06:44 Terry’s zero-PowerPoint programme

09:44 Is PowerPoint lazy?

10:49 Lessons from a zero-PowerPoint programme

12:50 How do delegates respond to zero PowerPoint?

13:41 Using the physical space of the room

16:24 How do we make sure the delegates take the right info away?

19:39 Making the learning personal

21:55 When might you need to use slides?

22:50 What to stop doing if you do use PowerPoint

23:57 Too many slides is better than too much on each slide

25:07  What we should be doing more of if using PowerPoint

26:37 J P Phillips Ted Talk

27:01 Don’t just put black bullets on white

28:27 To build or not to build?

29:59 Slides without PowerPoint

34:56 Sheridan’s takeaways from PowerPoint

38:03 Sheridan’s mini-topic -- simplifying learning

45:10 Who we are and getting in touch

SmartArt: preview.tinyurl.com/uxemdvx

Haiku Deck: www.haikudeck.com

Beautiful AI: www.beautiful.ai

Prezi: prezi.com

Sway: sway.office.com

Our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TrainingDesignPodcast

Terry Pearce LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/terrypaulpearce

Sheridan Webb LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/trainingdesigner

The Training Designers’ Club: www.facebook.com/groups/2226817990681543 - A community for Learning Designers

360 Learning Design: 360learningdesign.com - For bespoke, creative and personalised learning design

Keystone Development: www.keystonedevelopment.co.uk - For bespoke learning and development programme design

Power Hour: www.power-hour.co.uk - For ready written bite-size training materials