About Guild Articles
Find practical, solution-oriented information—on design, development, management, technology, and executive matters—that you can use to make well-informed business decisions to ensure your organization’s success with learning.
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Meet 10 Rising Stars Shaping the Future of L&D
The Learning Leadership Conference has selected the 30 up-and-coming learning leaders that will participate in this year’s Thirty Under 30 program! If you missed the first reveal, see the article here. The second group of 10 Thirty Under 30 honorees features everything from professionals who’ve been interested in L&D since undergrad to those who jumped into the role with no prior experience: Lexi Danos, Sr. Manager Content Design, 7 Brew Drive Thru Coffee Lexi has maintained a high-impact onboarding program with a 95% success rate, delivering both live and virtual sessions. She also created a development program for recent college…
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Making Security Training Less Painful & More Human
On May 3, 2019, I received a letter offering me my first cybersecurity position. I was ecstatic. After 16 years in Human Resources with the federal government, I had decided to make a complete career change. There was one condition I had to meet: I had to obtain my Security+ certification within two weeks of accepting the position. The endless loop of training I signed the offer letter, then I was off to the races. I had to learn massive amounts of content and pass an exam in just 14 days. Looking at how other cybersecurity professionals succeeded, I began…
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AI Impact Zones for L&D
By Megan Torrance and Lauren Milstid We’re well past the moment of wondering if AI will affect learning and development (L&D). It’s already here—showing up in tools, workflows, learner experiences, and even the work itself. But when everything’s shifting all at once, it’s hard to know where to start. We’ve found that it helps to explore AI in L&D through three distinct but overlapping zones of impact. These AI Impact Zones give us a way to name what’s happening, plan where we’re going, and take more strategic steps forward. Each zone reflects a different way AI is changing how we…
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Flipping the Classroom: A Case Study
By Dawn Peterson and Emily Tubman Introduction The Clinical Education team at Boston Scientific recently leveraged adult learning principles and a data-driven approach to redesign a Peer-to-Peer Mastery course. The following case study explores how flipping the classroom improved learner satisfaction, reduced costs, and more effectively aligned the course with how adults learn best. The challenge In a Peer-to-Peer Mastery course, expert physician faculty educate and train physician learners on the safe and effective use of medical devices for kidney stone and prostate procedures. The course was originally 1.5 days, and the format was 51% didactic lectures and 49% hands-on…
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The Alignment Advantage: How Learning Teams Can Drive Strategic Value
By Alaina Szlachta “Stakeholders don’t know whether HR and L&D are worth investing in.” This candid statement from a good friend, and fellow learning enthusiast, captures a central challenge L&D professionals have faced for decades. Many organizational leaders struggle to see the direct connection between learning initiatives and business outcomes. When budgets tighten, HR and L&D departments are often first on the chopping block—precisely because this connection remains unclear. In my research and work as an internal learning leader and consultant, I’ve consistently found that alignment is the single factor that differentiates high-performing, mature learning departments from everyone else. As…
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Three Technologies that are Reshaping the L&D Landscape
Technology is transforming nearly every learning and development function, from content creation to coaching to upskilling. Dani Johnson’s keynote, “Navigating the Future: Harnessing Learning Technologies in the 2024 Workplace,” at DevLearn 2024, revealed more details on some of the tech that is changing learning and performance management as we know it. New advances in measuring & verifying skillsAI has helped make significant strides in skills assessment. Here are three ways that L&D is very close to being able to quantify at scale people’s abilities: The rise of “relationship tech”Did you know learning technology can help build or enhance relationships between…
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Unlock Learning Innovation Through Agile Experimentation
In 2022, several global companies invested heavily in metaverse-based learning programs. Months later, priorities shifted as generative AI entered the scene, reshaping digital learning priorities overnight, and many of those metaverse initiatives were shelved. The cost? Millions of dollars and countless hours. These kinds of missteps aren’t just about budget; they erode trust and slow progress—and they happen more often than we admit. No one could have predicted exactly how quickly AI would reshape the learning landscape, but the situation raised a familiar challenge: How do we make smart decisions in a world where priorities shift fast? That’s where agile…
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Data Literacy: One Question at a Time
For many of us, when the term “data” enters the conversation, it creates distance. We either find ourselves requesting it from others or consuming it passively when it arrives. That mindset—”I request” or “I consume”—can make us feel like bystanders. But here’s the truth: You’re already more than that. You’re a partner in your data. And becoming a true partner doesn’t require a new title or a technical background; it just requires a mind shift. Data literacy isn’t about becoming fluent in formulas or dashboards. It’s about recognizing that you belong in the conversation. That your questions, your insights, and…
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Meet 10 of the Most Promising L&D Professionals Under 30
Each year, the Learning Leadership Conference selects 30 up-and-coming learning leaders to participate in the Thirty Under 30 program. Even in their short career, these young professionals have started making waves. Take a look at the achievements of the first 10 of our Thirty Under 30 honorees: Maggie Bodner, Learning & Development Manager, BrandsMart USA Maggie developed her organization’s first-ever new hire program, despite the company being around for nearly 40 years. This initiative provided a structured onboarding experience, ensuring new team members felt supported and prepared from day one. As the only L&D team member at BrandsMart, this was…
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The Impact of Learner Data on Adaptive AI-Driven Learning Systems
Adaptive AI-driven learning systems are transforming higher education by offering personalized learning experiences. Central to their effectiveness is the integration and analysis of learner data. This article examines how various types of learner data contribute to the performance and efficacy of adaptive learning systems. We explore data sources, methodologies for data analysis, implications for instructional design, and ethical considerations, offering a comprehensive view of how data-driven AI enhances learning outcomes. Further, we analyze the current landscape, implementation case studies, and future prospects for data-enhanced adaptive learning in academic institutions. Introduction The evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has led to the…