Last month I was at DevLearn in Las Vegas. As usual for a really good conference, I left with a stretched mind and new perspectives (and, as is regrettably common in a conference, there was little about documentation, or templates, or any of the other themes that I’ve recently been discussing). One thing that caught my eye was what seemed to be a recurring theme of technological determinism. That is,[…]
READ MORE about Technology Drivers & Elearning|Takeaways from DevLearn 2019General
Effective Elearning and the Template Dilemma
Do you use templates when building elearning? I’m a big fan of templates (as I am of other methods of standardization). I love the idea of having a set of optimized formats for content. Plug and play, everything works with a minimum of fuss and bother. But templates can be problematic. Designers and developers want to develop new and more interesting ways to present information. They want to explore better[…]
READ MORE about Effective Elearning and the Template DilemmaShould My Training Team Use a Style Guide?
Yes. Until next time, Kevin Okay, perhaps a bit more explanation. A style guide is just one form of documentation that I talked about last month. And I’ve mentioned style guides here and there in the past. I’m a big believer in style guides. This admiration isn’t universal. Several people I’ve met think they’re too restrictive. Shouldn’t the designer have the ability to use whichever font, whichever color, whichever layout,[…]
READ MORE about Should My Training Team Use a Style Guide?This Month in Learning – Summer Edition
Every month, Microassist’s Learning Dispatch newsletter features commentary by our own Senior Learning Architect Kevin Gumienny. Each edition also features learning and development articles and blogs curated across the web. We have gathered his This Month in Learning (TMIL) June, July and August articles to add to your “must read” list. TMIL August Is it finally the time when augmented reality will enter the world of training? According to the[…]
READ MORE about This Month in Learning – Summer EditionThe Case for Documentation
Do you hate documentation? You have to create it, keep it up-to-date, use it, make sure that other people use it. And there’s always the risk that you spend more time maintaining it than you spend working on the actual project. And yet… I adore and (attempt to) follow the Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition—we’re a bit behind the times). I know it’s 1026 pages on topics like when[…]
READ MORE about The Case for DocumentationBe Alert for Unexpected Risk Points on the Training Development Journey
What are the unexpected points of risk in the training development process? When you’re managing a training team, it seems that any point in a process can present a risk. But the risks involved in these three areas are often under-appreciated. Transition Points Our instructional designers work with subject matter experts to develop storyboards; those storyboards are then handed off to course developers, who program the courses. We find that[…]
READ MORE about Be Alert for Unexpected Risk Points on the Training Development JourneyThe 5 W’s of Training Rollouts
Launch a Series of Trainings to Better Equip Your Team. Here’s How to Get Started. Organizing a training rollout is a complex task, but a valuable one. A training rollout is a series of trainings offered to a targeted group with the expectation of changing behavior. The topics, audience, and delivery will vary, but the intention is to provide information that will alter a person’s actions. There are several items[…]
READ MORE about The 5 W’s of Training Rollouts2018: This Year in Learning– 109 Curated L&D Articles from 2018
Every month, Microassist’s Senior Learning Architect Kevin Gumienny curates 5-10 articles from various disciplines related to learning and discipline. This year’s roundup includes articles on accessible elearning, instructional, program and learning design, If 2018 flew by quickly for you and you missed some of Kevin’s articles, here’s your chance to catch up on some reading. Did you have a favorite L&D post from 2018 that you’d like to add? […]
READ MORE about 2018: This Year in Learning– 109 Curated L&D Articles from 2018Accessible Elearning Insights Gleaned from Dutch Municipality Website Audits
What can training program managers learn from a study of Dutch government websites? Their website audits reveal five insights (at least) to consider when building accessible elearning. Accessible Elearning Insights Gleaned from Dutch Municipality Website Audits I just finished Eric Velleman’s 2018 dissertation, The Implementation of Web Accessibility Standards by Dutch Municipalities (discovered through Laura Carlson’s excellent weekly newsletter, Web Design Update). How does this relate to elearning, you might[…]
READ MORE about Accessible Elearning Insights Gleaned from Dutch Municipality Website AuditsThe Training Manager’s Introduction to Accessible Elearning [Infographic]
This “Training Manager’s Introduction to Accessible Elearning” infographic explains why accessible elearning—online training that provides a welcoming (rather than frustrating) experience for all—is an important piece of raising training quality, availability, and effectiveness for learners, and for the moving your organization forward. [Skip to infographic transcript] The Training Manager’s Introduction to Accessible Elearning [Transcript] Elearning Generally, elearning is any form of training delivered electronically. Elearning can include PDF files, web pages,[…]
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