Instructional Design
Applying learning theory and design strategies to meet specific performance goals through the creation of instructional materials and formal learning experiences.
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Boost Workflow Learning with In-Product Tours
Have you ever invested months building comprehensive training content, only to discover that almost nobody was using it? At Pigment, a business planning platform, we faced this exact challenge. Despite our robust Pigment Academy featuring video tutorials, eLearning courses, and practice activities, the majority of our users—particularly the business users representing most of our user base—simply weren’t engaging with the training. The problem wasn’t with the quality of our content. It was that users weren’t going to the Academy in the first place. This realization prompted us to fundamentally reimagine our approach to training—shifting from traditional, segregated courses to in-product…
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Microlearning Secrets from Marketers: How to Make Learning Stick
The attention economy has changed everything. People are bombarded with content, distractions are endless, and companies are fighting harder than ever to keep audiences engaged. Marketers have mastered the art of grabbing attention and making messages memorable—something many Learning & Development (L&D) teams struggle with. One solution? Apply marketing principles to microlearning. Marketers know how to craft concise, compelling messages that resonate with audiences in seconds. When learning professionals adopt these same tactics, they can create short, high-impact learning experiences that stick. The most effective marketing campaigns follow clear, proven strategies—something I’ve observed firsthand in senior marketing roles at companies…
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From AI to Accessibility: Interview with Guild Master Diane Elkins
DevLearn 2024 celebrated Diane Elkins as Guild Master for her L&D impact. From resume writing to co-founding Artisan Learning, she finds purpose in helping people work better. Elkins has mixed feelings on AI’s role, excited by accessibility potential but cautious about writing quality. She sees a future prioritizing accessibility in L&D.
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Drive Compliance Training Completion with Scalable Microlearning
Compliance training is a critical component of corporate governance, ensuring that employees adhere to legal, regulatory, and organizational policies. However, traditional compliance training methods—often long, monotonous, and detached from daily workflows—suffer from poor engagement and low completion rates. According to a 2022 study by Brandon Hall Group, organizations report completion rates as low as 40% for mandatory compliance training, leading to gaps in regulatory adherence. As a technical architect, my role is to design scalable, efficient, and engaging learning solutions that align with business objectives while ensuring regulatory compliance. This article explores how microlearning, an approach that delivers content in…
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The Human Skills Challenge: Using XR to Boost Soft Skills
Imagine a new manager preparing for a tough conversation with a team member. Instead of preparing using a one-off role-play in a classroom, she slips on a VR headset and encounters a lifelike virtual colleague. An AI-driven coach offers real-time feedback on empathy and clarity. Across the hall, a trainee uses an AR app to practice customer interactions in a simulated version of his actual store. These scenarios are already unfolding in forward-thinking organizations. AI, AR, and VR are reshaping how enterprises develop human, or “soft,” skills such as communication, leadership, and teamwork. These immersive methods promise faster learning, lower…
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Design for Change: Because You Know It’s Coming
By Megan Torrance and Lauren Milstid You’ve been there before. You mapped out the perfect route. The plan was solid, every step carefully laid out. The team was prepared, and the destination was clear. Then, the landscape shifted. A key stakeholder left, priorities changed, a new SME joined the team, or new requirements emerged. Suddenly, your well-planned path no longer works, and you’re forced to reroute. Your project has been waylaid by an onslaught of change. What if, instead of resisting change, you designed for it from the start? That begins with anticipating the shifts ahead—before they disrupt your project.…
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GenAI Powered Storytelling – A Gamification Case Study & Demo
In this session we will show you how we blended human-produced and AI-generated content to create a gamification project that uses episodic story reveals and accompanying points to reward progress. Join us for an inside look at this innovative, story-driven design approach to discover how you can leverage generative AI to create your own epic training odyssey!
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Cracking the Learning Code: How Personas Transform Training from Good to Great
Imagine Ruth, a seasoned and dedicated instructional designer working at a leading online learning platform organization for business professionals. She loves her job and is proud of her work. As she reviews feedback from the latest courses, she smiles at all the positive feedback; until she encounters a series of frustrated messages from busy learners: The content is good, but the format doesn’t work for my schedule. I can’t balance this course with my full-time job. These comments hit hard because Ruth prides herself on creating engaging learning experiences, but, it seemed, she’d fallen into a common trap: designing for…
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Making Virtual Learning a True Multiplayer Learning Experience
Virtual learning often falls into the “Netflix learning” trap, relying on passive lectures and minimal interaction tools like chat and polls. This approach leads to disengaged participants, instructor fatigue, and low retention of key information. To combat this, it’s time to level up virtual learning by embracing active, collaborative strategies that leverage AI-powered tools and creative design techniques.
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You Can Lead a Horse to Water: Make Learning Stick with Soft Skills
We’ve all heard the saying, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” This adage is particularly relevant in the world of learning and development. As educators, trainers, or mentors, we can provide learners with all the resources and opportunities they need, but how do we ensure that the learning behavior sticks? This is a question my coworker recently posed, and it got me thinking about the role of soft skills in fostering lasting behavior change. The challenge of behavior change Behavior change is a complex and multifaceted process that extends far beyond the simple…