801 User Stories, Learner Journeys & Other Epic Tales: Decoding Agile & UX Techniques for LX design

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Thursday, September 29

Using story in learning extends beyond a narrative storytelling instructional approach. It’s also a way to ensure that the learning resources you create will fit into the personal and professional stories of end users.

In this session, we will explore the use of story as an instructional design technique by applying the concept of a story to define needs, describe a solution, and create a master plan for your L&D team’s work over time.

First we’ll explore “user stories,” a technique that software development teams use to identify and define areas of scope for their work. We’ll create user stories following both the classical approach and the “Jobs to be Done” approach and look at how (or if) these approaches translate to our work in learning experience design.

Next we’ll look at the concept of a “learner journey,” a way of mapping out the entire experience a learner will take from awareness of a need to registration, participation, and the post-learning experience. This technique helps designers consider the holistic experience of the learner; it also aids in communicating with stakeholders about what to expect along the way.

 Finally, we’ll look at “epics”—comprehensive training projects that span months or years and include long-range strategic planning. Creating learning at this scale requires that learning leaders coordinate with business leaders to align initiatives and define an orderly progression of work.

Megan Torrance

CEO

TorranceLearning

Megan Torrance is CEO and founder of TorranceLearning, which helps organizations connect learning strategy to design, development, data, and ultimately performance. She has more than 25 years of experience in learning design, deployment, and consulting . Megan and the TorranceLearning team are passionate about sharing what works in learning, so they devote considerable time to teaching and sharing about Agile project management for learning experience design and the xAPI. She is the author of Agile for Instructional Designers, The Quick Guide to LLAMA, and Making Sense of xAPI. Megan is also an eCornell Facilitator in the Women's Executive Leadership curriculum.

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