Formal online learning doesn’t work like it used to. Attention spans are decreasing, and mobile access is more critical than ever. So how do you create mobile learning without hiring experts or spending a fortune? And how do you get part-time employees to care about making shakes and smoothies?

In a world of short attention spans and the need to “break through the clutter,” how can you ensure your learning videos leave your audience remembering your message? Maybe it’s time to look outside L&D for inspiration and toward a field that already does this well: advertising. If advertisements can influence people to purchase items they don’t need, are there ways to use this field’s secrets to influence learners (and do this without their feeling manipulated)?

In just a short span of time, a succession of technological advances have impacted L&D, from VHS tapes through to eLearning and mobile—and they’ve landed with mixed success. All have had an impact; none have been transformative. But that’s about to change as distributed technology and AI start to intersect with learning. The success of these technologies, though, depends on industry professionals. Are you ready?

Are you meeting all Five Moments of Learning Need? You already teach the moments of “new” and “more.” But what are you doing to support the moment of “apply,” when your learners become performers and have to use the knowledge you taught them? What about the moment of “solve,” when things are broken and need to be fixed? Or the moment of “change,” when they have to unlearn old habits?

When a new specification such as the xAPI comes out, it is important to understand the basics. And one of the most critical basics of the xAPI is the concept of statements: the way most xAPI data is communicated. Before getting started with an xAPI implementation, you’ll want to have a strong understanding of what statements are and how you can form them yourself.

Big data and learning analytics are top of mind for many organizations throughout the training industry. However, while there is a lot of of information about what you can do with data, there is much less about what you should do. Since data can include deeply personal or sensitive information, training organizations cannot consider using this information without first thinking about the ethics of what they are intending to do with that data and the privacy of individual learners.

A large amount of research in recent years has explored the value that music has for the brain and learning. Everyone has experienced it in some way, be it from listening to music while studying, learning something from a catchy song, or learning to play an instrument.

Online videos are extremely popular these days, particularly for quickly learning new skills and just-in-time content. While short videos can be an effective way to learn soft skills and system processes, many instructional designers and developers believe they have neither the tools nor the skills to create these training videos themselves. But they’re wrong, because most people have a surprisingly useful animation tool already: PowerPoint.

It’s harder and harder to catch the attention of learners, especially field sales representatives. It is also difficult to encourage them to practice important skills like sales techniques and how to speak with customers in different situations. While they need to practice these critical skills to succeed in their roles, they don’t always take the time to do so. What could engage this audience?

“Blended learning” was one of the hottest buzzwords back in the day. In its infancy it was, at best, a design construct that focused on combining the best elements of face-to-face with eLearning. At worst, though, it merely gave the learner the choice of attending class in person or online. This was a cutting-edge approach at one time, but the tools and media for learning have expanded far beyond this. To get the most out of blended learning, you need to shift your thinking and look at how you can use all of today’s tools in the blend.

As websites and apps get increasingly more sophisticated and personalized, people are coming to expect a similar experience from learning as well. Adaptive learning is one such technology that promises this experience, but many of the platforms that exist are expensive and currently geared primarily toward K-12 and higher education. How can L&D professionals in the corporate space find ways to provide their audience with this more tailored learning experience?

Design starts on paper—or at least it used to. Early apps were clunky, and those that had great promise fell short because of a stylus that did not feel the same as a pencil. With the advances in touch-sensitive screens and stylus technology, designing or sketching on an app is like having a library of sketchbooks. The current problem is no longer technology, but rather choosing the right app. When choosing which app to use, it takes time and practice to become proficient enough to determine whether it is the right app for your application and workflow.

Are you designing training for people who need to experience situations firsthand, but struggle with how to do that effectively and efficiently? Is your workforce widely distributed, so in-person training is just too expensive? What if you could bring a situation to your audience anywhere and any time you needed to with a solution that was both immersive and cost-effective? While this sounds like a training option from the future, it’s actually something you can launch right now using Google Cardboard and 360 degrees of virtual reality.

Intellectual property law affects every stage of the development and delivery process. Unfortunately, it’s daunting—and, even worse, often deadly boring. As a result, your decision making about what media resources you can actually use might be rooted in ignorance, fear, or frustration, none of which contributes to your project goals. As a result, it’s not uncommon to struggle with how to use free media to enhance your projects while also avoiding accidentally infringing on someone else’s work or exposing yourself to unpleasant legal action.