This episode is a brief conversation with Kristen Hayden Safdie, Learning Technology Specialist at Motivf. We discuss her upcoming DevLearn Session "What's Your Problem? Using Design Thinking to Frame Performance Issues".

If you're interested in using design thinking to solve some of your instructional design challenges, this is a great interactive session to attend next week in Las Vegas.

This special "DevLearn Brief" episode features Cara North discussing her upcoming session at DevLearn in Las Vegas. The session takes place on Thursday, October 24th at 1:15pm. It's called "L&D Mystery Series: The Case of the Disengaged Learner".

If you're going to be in Las Vegas next week and are looking for a session to help you with learner engagement, make sure you get Cara's session on your agenda. Cara combines her experience as an instructional designer AND a PhD student to get you engaged with learner engagement.

What is xAPI? How do you send data? What data do you send? And where do you send it? How do you keep it all organized?

As we move further toward a "data-centric" world, collecting, analyzing, and managing data has become a top priority among successful organizations. And in L&D, xAPI has risen to forefront of the tools for processing data.

Megan Torrance is one of Learning & Development's premier experts on xAPI. And in this Data, Measurement, and Analytics Playlist episode, she offers an informative overview of what xAPI is, how you use it, why it's important, and guidance on how to get started.

You can learn more about the Data, Measurement, and Analytics Playlist here: https://tldc.us/dma-playlist/.

Data, Measurement, and Analytics aren’t new, but they are gaining a lot more importance in our learning industry these days. There’s a reason for that, and you don’t have to be a “numbers person” to get in on this opportunity. Come up to speed fast with Sam Rogers as he describes some common methodologies for getting at the things that count, how to count them, and how to help others up the management chain know that they can count on you.

Ever wonder what everybody else's workday what might be like? As corporate trainers and educators, we're all responsible for similar objectives and goals, but our experiences can be radically different from one another. Take a listen to this Community Discussion where we talk a bit about our professional iives; you'll see how very different it can all be!

Here's an excellent case study that features a simulation Designing Digitally created for Susan Manos and Procter & Gamble (P&G). P&G conduct self-assessments of the Quality Programs at all of their production, research, distribution, and warehousing facilities to ensure all are meeting the organization's performance standards. These assessments are called QPHA's and they provide a framework for evaluation and understanding of the quality level output by the teams that participate. There is a related elearning module that is shared to employees, but Susan Manos and P&G decided to add a life-like assessment to accelerate the transfer and adoption of this program.

Designing Digitally worked with SMEs from P&D to write a fictional story about a plant that is releasing a new product. DDINC then worked with SMEs to create a 3D model of the plant for the learners to explore as if they were conducting an assessment at the site. Learners visit different sections of the plant, such as the research labs, production lines, and loading docks, to discover how the site is handling the new product release.

Andrew and Susan have an excellent discussion about the process from beginning to end, and you can clearly see why the results were so positive. The project wasn't without its challenges, but the overall success was worth the hurdles they overcame.

Sponsored by Designing Digitally

Is a formal L&D degree worth it? Is it a requirement if you want to have a career as an instructional designer or a corporate trainer?

There are so many factors that go into answering questions like these and this episode answers quite a few of them. Join Cara North, Chackras Smith, and Richard Harrell for a busy discussion on whether or not having a formal degree in L&D is a requirement in today's job market for instructional designers. This panel also discusses the types of degrees that are available out there, as well as why having a degree might be necessary for you to be successful.

You'll also hear about recommended programs and universities, as well as realistic expectations of the journey to an M.A. or Ph.D.

It’s a Labor Day weekend Friday, so why not start the three-day weekend with some timesavers, shortcuts, and productivity tips? Host Luis Malbas talked with Jonathan Rock, Quetzalcoatl Cortes, and Alan Natachu about some of their favorite ways to be more productive L&D professionals.

The discussion covered:

• Procrastination

Here are a few links of useful tools from the chat:

Quick Text Paste: https://download.cnet.com/QuickTextPaste/3000-2384_4-75704941.html

Link to blog post: https://tldc.us/2019/09/01/community-discussion-share-your-timesavers-shortcuts-and-productivity-tips/

There are currently 249 people living in Vaughnsville, Ohio. Today on TLDCast, we had two former residents of that small town, both of them now Learning and Development Professionals. Andrew Hughes and Craig Sybert grew up with completely separate lives (although Craig’s father did date Andrew’s Aunt for a few months) and they discovered their common connection at an ATD conference, and have since managed to stay in touch here in The Training, Learning, and Development Community.

Take a listen to their interesting stories, and hear about their childhood, how their roots affected their career choice, and how they evolved with technology as youngsters in Vaughnsville, OH, including what L&D was like then and now.

*Lots of screen-sharing on this one, so make sure to check out the recording here to get the full discussion: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/082819

Karl Richter is a Chef. But instead of menu prep and food mastery as his medium for cooking up delicious offerings, he concocts “eLearning Blends” — a mixture of design, facilitation, consultation, and coaching — to delight learning appetites.

In this TLDCast, we learn more about Karl’s journey as a trainer – going from college, to teaching abroad in Taiwan and Korea, then his time teaching in the Educational Technology Department at San Diego State University, and eventually landing where he is now: Louisville, KY (the best state in the country, according to Kentucky native, Cara North).

Most of the TLDCast is accompanied by slides, so to get the most out of the discussion, make sure you check out the video recording here: https://tldc.us/2019/08/25/delighting-learning-appetites-with-karl-richter-and-host-cara-north/