In 2013, SunTrust Bank began a multi-year journey to consolidate its key mortgage underwriting business applications that would enable strategic growth and improved customer service. This new way of doing business required a pioneering approach to capability building and systems training for end-user adoption of their business application.

If you’re in the world of eLearning, it goes without saying that you’ve probably heard the term gamification thrown around quite a bit. But what does it mean for your eLearning projects? Is it as simple as leaderboards and badges? Fundamentally, gamification is about applying game elements and gaming techniques to otherwise static content, with the intention of making that content a little more fun, engaging, and impactful. These days, designing game elements and applying gaming techniques to eLearning content doesn’t have to require a lengthy design and development timeline, nor the use of complex programming tools.

It’s critical that learners come away with new knowledge and information from eLearning lessons, but frequently they don’t. Learners sometimes find the material or presentation so foreign that even high-quality information just doesn’t stay with them. Integrating mutually shared pop culture and historical experiences into eLearning is one approach to making lessons both entertaining and lasting while creating engaging eLearning courses.

There’s been a large amount of research in recent years exploring the value music has on the brain and learning. We’ve all experienced it in some way in our lives, be it from listening to music while learning or studying, learning something from a catchy song, or by learning to play an instrument.

Chances are you didn’t dream of becoming of an eLearning designer when you grew up, did you? Most of the instructional designers in the eLearning business arrived here by accident. So now that you’re here and doing this work, how can you become a more intentional practitioner?

Three significant challenges L&D practitioners experience are in the ability to add context to their mobile learning and performance support, time and resources to experience the possibilities of new technologies, and having the ability to see real-world applications. 

We all know we may have some bad habits: biting nails, tapping our feet, regularly eating junk food. But did you know you can also work to create productive habits—habits that can improve your performance and build your knowledge? Those who have built diverse social networks are not only building more powerful relationships, they’re opening doors to new opportunities and staying ahead of the curve in their practice, and they seem to do it almost unconsciously … like a habit.

Most eLearning projects get off the ground with great intentions. Somewhere along the development path deadlines may be missed, SME demands increase, and the resulting project gets rushed and lacks consistent design. Having a style guide to refer to not only aids in the development cycle, but also assists in ensuring nothing is forgotten or missed. While documenting all of details of a project may seem tedious and nonsensical, having the ability to revisit a project months later and know everything is documented is priceless.

Rapid development tools, readily available templates, mobile delivery, social media. These advancements have opened up the eLearning industry to more than just learning professionals with deep skills in both instructional design and programming. An instructor with PowerPoint skills can now quickly and cheaply develop eLearning. Although technology has improved, has instructional design followed suit, or has it been undermined by conformity and complacency?

Learning and development professionals are under pressure to produce real results. Many times the traditional methods of instructional design and content development are not getting the job done. We have to think differently on how to design, develop, and leverage technology to create learning experiences that actually impact performance and get the results that matter.

Games are a hot topic in the learning industry right now. At the same time, few people truly understand the differences between games and gamification or their applications to learning. Learning professionals interested in gaming need to understand how games work and how technology can be used to bring games to life.

Micro-learning has gotten huge over the last several years. Micro-learning, particularly video, offers huge benefits, including that it fits into available time slots in busy schedules and that it’s inherently mobile. From the organizational perspective, it can also be much faster to market, more focused, easier to maintain, and more scalable than its macro counterparts. The challenge, however, is for organizations to take advantage of this format. How can it be produced quickly and affordably, and how can it scale to engage the whole organization?

Micro-learning video is the creation of video-based content under one minute in length that is primarily consumed on mobile devices. The rise of user-generated micro-content has required the use of rapid storyboarding and predefined video content structures. As the length of the video decreases so does the optimal format of the video.

Why is it so hard to engage participants in your virtual sessions? Are you not sure of the best tools or techniques to use? Engagement isn’t easy, as delivering in a virtual environment is different than in a live classroom setting. It takes practice and know-how. So what is the key to stop learners from multitasking and really get involved in the session? If you can’t answer this question, there’s a chance you aren’t effectively engaging your learners.

Building a native HTML5 mobile game could take very complex code to build, especially if you want to add elements like flex and responsive layouts, natural motion that interacts with user actions and the device’s accelerometer, accept user input, and more.

Developing an online course can be an overwhelming process. Oftentimes it can be difficult to know where to start and what resources are available. In addition to timelines, tools, and scope, you need to be able to manage the flow of information and the critical relationships with other designers, developers, and subject matter experts (SMEs).

The world of digital online credentials is changing, and IBM is a leading voice in the IT industry. In this session, using real program data and results and the IBM Open Badge Program as a case study, you will learn how to design a nano-credential program that quickly generates significant results. See how IBM merges credentials and recognition with social media, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. The session explores Mozilla Open Badges, which are quickly emerging as an industry standard to recognize achievements and nurture and progress talent.