Feedback is definitely one of the most neglected areas in trainer/online instructor development. While live feedback environments are easier to control, online environments are relatively challenging for providing feedback, which is important for scaffolding and developing a learner from novice to master. In this article, we will share with you some eLearning feedback tips to create a positive and achievement-oriented online training environment. When we assess learners in an online environment, we provide feedback in many ways. Scoring, for instance, is an incomplete type of eLearning feedback. It rarely provides corrective measures for improvement. Learners often complain of lower scores, if individual feedback is missing along with scores. On the other hand, many online instructors do not have the time to provide individual feedback; they complain of the tedious, time-consuming nature of the task. By focusing on the required feedback strategies, online instructors can be motivated to provide quality, effective feedback for an enhanced eLearning experience. As for learners, they tend to remember instructors by the feedback they provided throughout the course. So, go ahead and use these tips to improve your eLearning feedback and student registrations in your future courses. Research on online collaboration strategies reveals three primary attitudes in an online instructor for writing feedback: Personal: As the eLearning course progresses, the online instructor can maintain a "personality database" of the registered learners for the course. Instructors can also add some specific and distinguishing character traits (try to be positive!) about each learner during their online encounters with them. These encounters can be assignments, emails or discussion board messages. One tip is to use adjectives like "hard working", "needs help", "tries to perform well, but needs guidance", "over-achiever", "helps everyone in need" and something similar to remind you of the learner. When providing feedback, refer to the personality database. Personalize the message by referring to any positive or helpful act demonstrated by the learner in the past. In that vein, encourage them to continue doing better. Also refer to the assessment criteria or rubric that corresponds closely to the current learner performance. Then highlight a step higher, indicating your expectation from the learner in the next assignment. After all, setting up higher expectations has historically paid off in the form of improved achievement and participation. Also, remember that positive comments or positive reinforcement are more powerful that coercive comments or negative reinforcement. Specific: Feedback must also be targeted. Always tie your feedback to the task at hand and the trend you see in the mistakes. Talk about the level and degree of learner effort and the desired direction. Also make sure to comment on whether they are on the right track or need to catch up. Then suggest strategies to catch up, if needed. And always try to tie performance in an assignment to real-world context. Timely: Feedback needs to be consistent, immediate, ongoing, incremental, and formative. Learners have more faith in instructors who provide feedback within 24 hours or within the promised time-frame. Also, timely feedback leads to timely corrections - leading to improvement in the upcoming assessments/assignments. Suggested formats for creating an effective eLearning feedback: Always begin positively: Praise the learner for submitting their work. Include a comment on their learning style that leads to a positive learning environment for them and others. A positive start in your feedback message grabs the learner’s attention and enables them to act upon the upcoming suggestions for improvement. Moreover, learners feel a sense of belonging to the eLearning program. They are motivated to contribute further. Learning with you becomes personal. You can now prepare them to tackle the next challenge. Connect the content assessment with real life: Have students maintain a "private journal" on a weekly basis in which they share how they applied their learning in their personal or professional lives. This activity is actually supported by many learning management systems: simply have the learners share their journals with only one viewer: the instructor. By reading about their course to life connections, you can build more connections within the feedback. Learning with you becomes meaningful. Learners feel connected to the instructor. Rubrics, rubrics, rubrics! Have the learners create a general performance rubric. Use their suggestions to create your own rubric. The more detail you have in your rubric, the higher quality, efficient feedback they will receive on their grading. Rubrics offer quicker solutions than feedback. Simply add personal messages after referring to the learner status in the rubric. Multimedia-based eLearning feedback: Did you know that a study revealed that a hefty 70% of online students preferred audio messages as eLearning feedback! And they are easier to create than text-based feedback! Think about it: you don’t need to emulate expression and emotion through font sizes and italics or even emoticons. Simple use your natural conversation style to record your feedback. Instructor voice messages sound like personal conversations that aid in fostering a stronger learning community. Text-based feedback with images and badges also offers great feedback options. Images that include a funny message but a hidden suggestion to work harder or read more or even talk more are great ways to guide a learner without patronizing them. Feedback is the soul of an eLearning environment. They add a personal layer of warmth to the seemingly "cold content"! Feedback is the soul of an eLearning environment.Click To Tweet   Strive to produce personalized feedback that is specific as well as timely. Remember, your aim is to convince the learner to act upon your words. So, start positively and end with well-meant advice. And don’t forget to share with us your feedback and experiences from the online environment. References Collier, Katherine & Yoder Brown, Maureen. Successful Online Discussion and Collaboration. Retrieved from: http://www-tc.pbs.org/teacherline/courses/tech525/docs/successfulonlinediscussion.pdf The post The eLearning Feedback Power: Personal, Specific, and Timely appeared first on TalentLMS Blog.

PulseLearning was delighted to attend a number of events in Australia to celebrate St Patrick’s Day last month. In Melbourne’s Eureka Tower, our team along with some Clients attended a business luncheon hosted by H.E. Mr. Noel White, Ambassador of Ireland to Australia and Enterprise Ireland on 16 March. The venue was spectacular. Eureka Tower […] The post St Patrick’s Day Events - Australia 2016 appeared first on PulseLearning.

March was another amazing month of connecting with educators around the globe! We hosted 45 events in six countries, including our 4th Annual Summits in Hawaii and Georgia, Certification Bootcamps around the U.S., and in-district customized professional development such as these GAFE workshops in Saudi Arabia and Australia as well as a student event in Forest Hills, OH. We reported a combined 494 hours of professional development on behalf of 71 different Google Certified Trainers.We are honored to work with so many fabulous trainers and organizations. Thank you for allowing us to share our knowledge and expertise with so many educators and students. Look what's in store for April and as always, feel free to contact us about coming to you! 

Classroom training and studies are often the easy part of finding and obtaining a job in your chosen profession today.  To stand out in the job market, a comprehensive education, coupled with hands-on experience and training can play an essential role in getting the ideal job upon completion of your program. The opportunity to take formal training and put it to practice in an internship, externship, apprenticeship, or even through volunteering can have a huge impact on career and employment opportunities. Internships and externships are both types of work experience that offer participants the opportunity to learn and gain experience in a chosen field. The differences between the two types of hands-on training are subtle; the main differences are often the duration of the training and payment for the positions. Internships are designed to offer hands-on experience, typically near or at the end of your formal training or education.  A good internship can assist with finding permanent employment in a given field. Internships are often part-time opportunities, the duration ranging from few weeks to a few years. These positions are sometimes paid, but can also be unpaid or for-school credit, depending on the program. Internships are beneficial to both the student and employers; they are a great way for students to gain hands-on training and experience while allowing employers to observe and train potential employees inexpensively. Externships are similar in nature to an internship, but are usually shorter in duration and are often more of an opportunity to observe the job duties and skills rather than training and actively doing the job. Externships are typically offered earlier in training programs, which allows you to get a feel for the occupation before fully committing to the career path. Most externships are unpaid positions, and do not include credit toward studies. An apprenticeship is a paid job that offers someone who is new to a profession the opportunity to learn from an individual who is considered an expert in his or her field. Apprenticeships are both a job and an education and typically last over a period of years. Apprenticeships are offered for virtually any job you can imagine and allow an apprentice to become highly skilled in all areas of a profession until they are able to successfully do the job independently. Volunteer opportunities are another important way for students to get hands-on experience in a chosen career field. Volunteers do not get paid, but do learn new skills that can be valuable to a new career or job path. In addition to the hands-on experience to compliment classroom learning; internships, externships, apprenticeships, and volunteer work will allow you to enhance your resume and make valuable connections with others in your chosen industry. These experiences allow you to establish contacts for networking, receive letters of recommendation from professionals in the field, and make a substantial contribution to overall job potential. Not all programs offer internships or hands-on experience with the training, so sometimes you just have to create the opportunity or find one on your own. The internet is always a great place to start. Search for local postings in your field and contact agencies or businesses. Often times, telling them about your training and goals to work within the industry to gain some experience can lead to internship opportunities and/or volunteer work. Charities and community service programs can also be a great resource to make connections locally and they may be willing to assist you in finding opportunities that are not openly advertised. Many employers give preference in hiring individuals who have previous internship experiences in their respective fields. Showing potential employers you stand out in your field can be directly related to any internships, externships, apprenticeships, and volunteer work you have completed in your field of study. The key is to highlight the knowledge, skills and experience you gained from your training and hands-on experiences. Below are some resources you may find useful in your search for an internship: How to Get an Awesome Internship http://www.forbes.com/sites/francesbridges/2012/05/31/how-to-get-an-awesome-internship/ Defining the Six Most Common Internship Types https://www.wetfeet.com/articles/defining-the-six-most-common-internship-types 5 Most Common Internship Interview Questions and How to Answer Them http://www.vault.com/blog/interviewing/5-most-common-internship-interview-questions-and-how-to-answer-them/ 8 Questions to Ask in an Interview for an Internship http://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/8-questions-ask-internship-interview The 6 Most Important Internship Tips & Takeaways http://www.rasmussen.edu/student-life/blogs/main/6-most-important-internship-tips/   References How to Find Community Volunteer Opportunities http://www.ehow.com/how_2131153_community-volunteer-opportunities.html What is an Internship? http://www.internships.com/student/resources/basics/what-is-an-internship What is the Difference Between an Internship and an Externship? http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-an-internship-and-an-externship.ht   SSee more at: https://ed4online.com/blog/hands-experience-value-internships-krista-maxwell-guest-blogger#sthash.PA4w4aze.dpuf        

  We understand what cloud-based software companies need from a learning management system - because we are a cloud-based software company! From the beginning, our relationship with a similar company, KeyedIn Solutions, was built on what we share - similar products, values, and a trajectory that has brought us both rapid international growth. As two young companies, we’ve quickly established reputations by developing software that helps customers to achieve their goals. Because KeyedIn are experts in cloud-based software, they set the bar for a learning management system very high. The team sat through more than 30 demos in their search for a training platform that was as sophisticated yet simple as their own solutions. That search for a flexible, scalable and affordable LMS brought them to LearnUpon, where they’ve since learned to love our customer support. Here’s what every great software company should demand from a learning management system.   The KeyedIn story KeyedIn was founded in 2011 by George and Lauri Klaus, business leaders who achieved enormous success with the sale of their previous venture, Epicor. KeyedIn was inspired by a belief in the power of cloud technology to help clients achieve unprecedented results. A leadership team with decades of experience in building and delivering value through enterprise solutions was appointed. The solutions they began to create were developed in the cloud and delivered through a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model. The company’s rapid growth has since been built on the recognition that businesses need solutions that are affordable, easy to implement, and quickly deliver a return on investment. That’s also what KeyedIn needed from a learning management system that was flexible enough to manage internal training and offer clients eLearning tools that added real value.   1. Choose an LMS vendor that makes the process easy From the beginning, KeyedIn knew they wouldn’t settle for just any option. As B2B software experts, they were as rigorous in their search for a learning management system as their clients needed them to be. That search was exhaustive, taking in 30 product demos of varying quality. The demo itself became a useful tool for the selection team, delivering insights about LearnUpon’s LMS and culture that helped them to reach their decision. The demo also proved to be the start of the relationship they value today. Shelly from KeyedIn says: After such an exhaustive search, we were somewhat weary. But our experience with LearnUpon was different from the beginning. Our Account Manager was so pleasant and accommodating. And we loved what the demo revealed about the LMS. The interface looked like it would be really easy-to-use for our audience. And the great value price plan confirmed our decision.   Let LearnUpon help with your selection process. Schedule a demo now.   2. Choose an LMS that grows with you Flexibility and scalability were essential criteria for KeyedIn. The learning management system they chose had to multitask: training staff and partners on core products - Projects, Signs, Manufacturing, and Konfigure - and providing eCommerce functionality. The LMS needed to work for them but also to represent them, adding value to partnerships by delivering tools their clients needed to be successful. Given KeyedIn’s culture of growth, it was essential that the LMS would make partners aware of other products that might interest them. Like all ambitious software companies, they needed an LMS that not only fit them today but would adapt to the business they were becoming. Shelly says: We needed an LMS that could grow with us. We were already growing quickly and the learning management system needed to support that growth. There were specific features the LMS had to offer: multiple child portals, and a platform that was easy to brand, customize and white label. The platform also had to have an intuitive interface that was simple to use. From the start, cost was a real challenge. It was our first time in the market for an LMS so it had to deliver everything at a really reasonable price point. And that’s what we got! LearnUpon has also helped us to make big savings by reducing travel and labor expenses. The LMS has allowed us to deliver a much better customer experience. Our clients can now communicate with us about their training 365 days a year. We also know the financial value of excellent support. It’s saved us labor and resources that would otherwise impact the profitability of our programs.   3. Choose a company you like working with While KeyedIn knew the LMS had to fit their specific requirements, they also wanted to choose a company that suited them in less obvious ways. LearnUpon easily won out in both from the demo onwards. Shelly says: Our experience with the LearnUpon team has been so positive; it’s been a joy. Our Customer Success Manager Carrie has been a treat since day one! She’s understanding and demonstrates amazing customer service. Lisa in Customer Support gets right to the point and understands us so well. Just in case it’s not obvious, LearnUpon’s customer service is impeccable! Because they’re so great to work with, I look forward to chatting with them. Oh, and the LMS is pretty amazing too.   We love a good success story! We’re sure we’ll be hearing a lot more from KeyedIn very soon.   Try LearnUpon free for 30 days .learnupon.com Agree to Terms of Service Start my free trial The post What every software company needs in a learning management system appeared first on LearnUpon.

Instructional Design relies heavily on educational psychology. That’s why it’s essential for eLearning professionals to have a good grasp of the basics of psychology and understand how the human mind thinks and learns. In this article, Christopher Pappas from eLearning Industry highlights 10 educational psychology terms that every Instructional Designer should know.   Whether you are working with an eLearning team or meeting a potential client, it’s always wise to have a few key psychology principles and terms locked away in your long-term memory banks. After all, educational psychology can help you to better understand learning behaviors and cognitive processes. It will also help you to design more powerful and practical eLearning courses for online learners. Here are 10 psychology terms you may want to add to your eLearning professional glossary, as well as 3 tips that can help you take full advantage of educational psychology in your next eLearning course design. Pedagogy: A discipline that centers on the theory and practice of educational pursuits, both online and in face-to-face learning environments. Pedagogy in eLearning involves studying the best methods to convey information to learners, as well as how online facilitators can teach their audiences. It covers a wide range of concepts, from more comprehensive educational endeavors, such as developing a curriculum, to projects with a smaller scope, like developing an effective scenario-based online training. Assimilation: Incorporating new ideas, concepts, or experiences into the existing mental schema. This may also involve tying new information to preexisting knowledge. There are a variety of factors that can influence the rate of assimilation, such as distractions, emotional states, an online learner’s characteristics, and learning motivation. For example, an online learner with a short attention span may not assimilate information as rapidly or effectively as an online learner who is completely focused. Constructivism: A cognitive development approach that relies on the active participation of the learner. In essence, learners are encouraged to construct their own understanding and perception of reality by drawing upon their personal experiences and belief systems. Intentionality: Refers to the act of doing something with dedication and purpose. For example, an employee may intentionally complete an online scenario because they know it will improve their work performance. Or an Instructional Designer might include interactive simulations in an eLearning course design in order to engage the audience. Every action and choice is geared towards achieving a specific outcome. Self-regulation: This is one of the primary components of self-guided eLearning courses. Self-regulation involves thinking and acting without relying on the thoughts or opinions of others. It typically requires a great deal of determination, mental focus and self-control, as the online learner must be able to overcome challenges and apply the knowledge they have learned in order to achieve their objectives. Theories of development: A term that encompasses two sub-categories which take two opposing viewpoints on human development: Continuous: suggests that humans develop gradually as they age. This is a slow process that does not have any distinct stages. Discontinuous: human development takes place over time as a sequence of events or stages. These stages are dictated by a variety of traits and other factors that are present at birth. Self-concept: An individual’s perception of their own talents, skills, and abilities. This also relates to values, belief systems, and strengths or weaknesses. Self-concept can be used in eLearning experiences to inspire online learners and drive them to succeed. For example, if a learner believes that they are good at mathematics, they will go above and beyond to improve upon their weaknesses so that they live up to their perception. Knowledge construction: Making online learners aware of how their knowledge absorption is influenced by their belief system, personal values, experience, and background. In essence, online learners can only truly benefit from the experience if they are able to apply their preexisting knowledge. Scaffolding: Support resources that are given to an online learner in order to help them achieve their goals. This might involve praise, dividing a task into more manageable steps, or offering tips that can help them overcome an obstacle. As the online learner progresses, resources are slowly removed. The primary goal is to give the online learner the guidance they need to eventually become self-confident and empowered. The result is that they will be able to participate in self-guided learning activities without any assistance. Multiple intelligences: A theory first introduced by Dr. Howard Gardner, which stipulates that there are eight distinct types of intelligence, including: logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily/kinesthetic, linguistic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist intelligences. Instead of viewing intelligence as an all-encompassing ability, the theory of Multiple Intelligences suggests that different learners can excel in different modalities. 3 educational psychology tips for every Instructional Designer Allow learners to go at their own pace. As an Instructional Designer, you need to remember that all online learners absorb and assimilate information at different rates, and in different ways. This is why it’s often beneficial to create self-guided activities that allow them to go at their own pace. Use positive reinforcement to boost motivation. Positive reinforcement is one of the most effective ways to boost learner motivation. Offer learners personalized praise when they perform well, as well as constructive criticism for those who might be struggling. Immediate feedback is always best. Offer variety of eLearning activities. There are number of different learning methods an Instructional Designer needs to consider. While one online learner might be more visual, another may absorb information more rapidly when it is in written form. Incorporate a wide range of learning activities to accommodate every member of your audience. You can determine their preferred learning need through surveys, eLearning assessments, and interviews.   Keep in mind that these psychology terms are just a small snippet from the educational psychology dictionary. So, why not take a few minutes every week to commit a few more to memory and research the ones that pique your curiosity. You might be surprised by what a difference a word makes, especially if you discover a new Ιnstructional Design theory or idea that you can integrate into your eLearning course design.   Now that you’ve added 10 new psychology terms to your ID vocabulary, consider reading some psychology books that every eLearning professional should have on their shelves. Read the article Top 10 Psychology Books That eLearning Professional Should Read to learn more about how the brain works and why learners absorb certain pieces of information more rapidly than others. The post 10 psychology terms every Instructional Designer should know appeared first on LearnUpon.

Moodle logo by Oliver TackeMoodleMoot is the annual conference for users of Moodle and the 22nd-24th March saw the UK event take place in Dublin. Falmouth’s Learning Space, like the majority of VLEs in the UK is built upon Moodle, so it is an excellent opportunity to find out more about upcoming features and how other HEIs are using the platform.The first day usually takes the form of a HackFest, where participants explore and develop with Moodle functionality. Key themes for this year were Learning Analytics, Assessment and MOOC Design.The main conference begins on day two with themes including Adoption where Middlesex University talked about inclusive learning, academic and professional service partnerships and analytics tools like Tableau to monitor and drive engagement. Within the Develop strand, the Open University presented on their new theme and also developing a tool to deliver VLE material in multiple formats which provides better accessibility for students. Check out the OU #Mootie16 write up for more. The importance of User Experience (UX) design and usability testing was also raised. Administration covered Southampton Solent’s approach to rollover and why they don’t undertake it (each module having a start and end date, students and staff can then access old modules up to 3 years).Other interesting presentations came from Dublin City University on their measures of Blended Learning in moodle which include; content transfer, assessment, interaction and collaboration. UCL have been trialling ‘My Feedback’ to present students with one source of feedback across assessed activities. Cranfield University are using Open Badges to improve TurnItIn Inductions and Portsmouth are looking at ways to manage large file submissions for creative subject areas. Portsmouth’s current approach is to use Google Classroom in conjunction with moodle, something we had also demonstrated for Falmouth last year.The Moodle website documents some of the major features of the platform. Contact the team if you are interested to use these within your course. In addition, twice a year the community runs a the Learn Moodle MOOC that helps educators create courses and learning activities and peer review the work of colleagues across the globe.

In this series of articles, the Educational Technology team will be providing an insight into existing practice using technology for learning and teaching at Falmouth University and various projects being undertaken within the sector.This week is World Autism Awareness Week and in deference our lens shifts to Inclusivity and Inclusive Educational Practice. The effects of recent cuts to funding for Disabled Students (DSA) mean that institutions must re-appraise the ‘reasonable adjustments’ that the Equality Act (2010) requires to be be in place.Inclusivity, by definition, means that everyone regardless of origin, background or ability is included in whatever activity it is that is being delivered. So, inclusive practice is about making sure that technology is used to create activities and materials that everyone can access and make use of. But it is also about using pedagogical techniques that ensure everyone can get involved and their contributions are valued equally, whilst making the most of individual strengths for the benefit of the whole group.Inclusive practice within teaching may include providing online course content in a variety of formats and making this accessible on a variety of devices. The Open University have recently implemented a system to present VLE content in accessible formats and tools such as Gitbook facilitate publishing material in web, pdf and ebook formats. You might also find our post on re-designing learning content for online delivery useful in this regard.Where large amounts of text are used, Educators might consider a screen capture using Snagit or an audio recording with Vocaroo. A transcript should also be provided and for video, services like Youtube and Vimeo provide automated closed captioning. For presentations, recording a Movenote to accompany the powerpoint will enable students to refer back to the lecture material and you might encourage your students to make use of tools like Cogi to record their own notes.The JISC/NUS Digital Experience Benchmarking Tool provides examples of institutional inclusive practice that ranges from ‘developing to ‘outstanding’.Key to an ‘outstanding’ institutional approach is to involve students with a diverse set of needs in developing the digital environment and that all technological investments consider the impact on access, inclusion and equality.JISC have also published some helpful guides on getting started with accessibility and providing an inclusive HE experience. The inclusive HE would; ensure that lecture/seminar materials are available online prior to the lecture, provide an institutional means of lecture capture, support students in note taking and in their own lecture capture and provide policy on the creation of learning materials and accessibility standards.Many universities have already made progress in promoting inclusion, Oxford Brooks, Plymouth University and the University of Sheffield are just some of the institutions who have provided guidance for staff to help develop better academic practice in this area. At Falmouth, the team are working with our BA (Hons) Business Entrepreneurship staff and students to reimagine large text resources, traditionally given as core reading. Learners are co-creating video, audio and interactive images formats that make the learning more accessible and facilitate development of new skills in media production.Accessibility is also a core consideration for Moodle, the software behind Falmouth’s Learning Space and the Moodle community publish information on how the platform meets particular global standards for access and inclusion. Birmingham City University have also added some guidelines for accessible Moodle courses.If you are interested in developing your inclusive digital practice, please check out our good practice principles from this IDPD post and contact the team. Further ReadingWhat equality law means for you as an education provider - further and higher education (2010) Equality and Human Rights CommissionBhagat, D & O’Neill, P (2011) Inclusive Practices, Inclusive Pedagogies: Learning from Widening Participation Research in Art & Design Higher Education CHEAD/ Ukadia CroydonInclusive curriculum design in higher education (2011) - Higher Education AcademyExemplars of inclusive digital practice from the JISC Digital Student Project (2015)

Standardized work continues to be automated, by software and machines.  The re-wiring of work is essential for every part of our economy. The challenge is to identify what work can be automated and focus people on being more creative, both in dealing with complex problems and in identifying new opportunities. Human creativity is a limitless... Read more »

Thank you to the members of Up 2 Us for the feedback on this post.---------------- A few of us had a really nice, lengthy theoretical conversation during our annual retreat.  We wanted to continue that conversation afterwards.  We also wanted to invite others in the community to join us.Another professional community I am involved with is thrashing with the issue of how to involve the greater community if they can’t be at the event itself.  I think we might have hit on something - so I wanted to share how we involved the members of the community who weren’t in the conversation.------------------------The setup….We set up a Google Hangouts event and invited the members of the community through email and through our Slack channel.Thankfully, during the conversation - one of the people had the foresight to take pictures of the drawing that developed and create a quick video explaining that drawing.  We used that as preliminary material.I served as moderator / facilitator.  My role was to do the setup, send out the invite, field questions, and make sure everyone had a voice and keep the conversation moving.-----------------------During the session…..The original lead and one of the other folks who was in the original conversation provided a quick overview at the beginning.A few of the users could not speak - mostly because of location (eg. they were in cubicles at work). As a result, I tried to make it a point to keep an eye on the chat log and incorporate those comments as best as possible.Someone else took over the note taking - which should have been assigned ahead of time since the chat moderator can’t do the note taking (oops). Thankfully, people stepped up (thanks Marty and Adam).We did notes through Google Drawing.  It is OK - but not the greatest tool for collaborative drawing and note taking (since much of the topic was very graphical).  If we do this again, we’ll investigate other collaborative drawing tools.At times, the meeting management was a bit chaotic - trying to involve the chat only and the quieter members.  I’ll admit that I saw some areas I wanted to improve there.Going in with no set objective was a bit disconcerting for those of us who lean towards the practical.There was also another side that was a bit bothered that many of us were being SO practical and looking to USE what we were talking about.  The topic was very theoretical and philosophical.I was impressed by the number of people who came who were part of the community and who didn’t make the event this year.  The feedback I’ve received so far from those community members who participated has been positive.-------------------------The second conversationThe group decided that we wanted to continue the conversation - so we scheduled a second session 2 weeks out.As expected, the participation wasn’t nearly as high on that one.A few reasons why that might have been (though I invite the members of the community to chime in):Time.  By that point it had been a month since the event.  One month where we all have been working in our own little field of weeds.  And if we have to prioritize our time - our immediate field of weeds tend to get priority.The nature of the topic / lack of "objective".  By itself, I don’t see it as a bad thing - but this particular community tends to lean towards the pragmatic.  Other communities may get longer traction with philosophical discussions.The moderator / organizer being focused on other things in the interim between the sessions (ie - I was focused on getting my PMP).  I didn’t do the reminders the way I normally would for an event like this.  My bad.The second conversation did result in some potentially actionable items (which the practical among us are pretty excited about).    The follow up for both of these sessions will be sent to the greater community for comments and recommendations.  Different format (likely Google Docs to start) - but another way for the community to engage with each other. --------------Overall - I think we’re on to something.And as these types of professional communities grow - community engagement outside of the event becomes a very interesting design issue. How do you stay inclusive if not everyone can attend (either by choice or by design due to constraints)?Next time, we will work to design something WITHIN the event to allow for greater community engagement at least after the event - if not during.  Will keep you posted as to what we try next.

Visme is a web-based application that can be used to quickly and easily design presentations and infographics. After testing is out, it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite design tools because of its simplicity and its great collection of templates and graphics.  Plus, the app offers a free plan where you can get started and check it out.  Find out more on our Reviews Page.

Simply telling a child ‘not to lie’ does not work the same as telling them the story of George Washington and the cherry tree. Children can relate to George and his mistake, and see firsthand from the story the reward of telling the truth. When faced with a similar situation in their own life, the scenario guides children to tell the truth and not to lie. Learning from real life examples maximizes learner engagement and knowledge retention. Children learn better through a story or a scenario that they can relate to, than from lectures and speeches, and us adults are no different. We learn from stories; they inspire us, motivate us, and we try to emulate them. Scenario or story-based learning places learners in realistic situations and urges them to use skills and information that they then can recall for future use. When designing an e-learning course, it is essential to understand and analyze the needs and expectations of the target audience, the outcome of that learning, and then zero-in on the right instructional strategy. For teaching different types of soft skills (such as communication, team building, decision-making, problem solving, and others) learners need hands on practice. In addition, for crisis training, like ‘Dealing with an Irate Customer’ or ‘Preparation for an Emergency Situation’, learners need to learn, practice, and perfect skills ahead of time so they are prepared. Scenario-Based Learning is the best instructional strategy to achieve these outcomes. But how do you write concrete scenarios that are both believable and effective? Here are seven tips: 1. Understand the Learners: To write concrete and effective scenarios you must understand your learners and know their needs and expectations. Understand the skills that they already possess, the extent of challenge that can be given to them, and the outcome that they want to attain to determine how the scenario should be framed and presented. Not understanding the learner might result in a scenario too boring or too complex to achieve the desired results. 2. Create Real Life and Relevant Situations: Make your scenarios as real as possible. A scenario is essentially a story with characters and situations, usually accompanied by questions that challenge the learner to respond. Unless the learner finds these situations believable and relevant, they will not relate to them. Only a realistic situation can engage the learner and help them retain useful information, so make your fictional scenarios as real and relevant as possible. 3. Motivate the Learner: A well-written scenario should motivate the learner to action. As previously mentioned, a scenario usually poses problem situations for learners to respond to and they are expected to do so by recalling their previous knowledge. Thus, an effective scenario motivates the learners to believe that they have the necessary skills to overcome any problem situation they encounter. 4. Challenge the Learners: A scenario will only work and help learners retain information when it challenges them. Consider a course on ‘Communication Skills’ as an example. The course introduces two employees discussing their work profiles in the organization. In conclusion, the narrator states that the two workers have exemplified good communication skills. This scenario may be well-written using immaculate language and great style, but with nothing to challenge the learner, it is not going to be effective. The learner, in all probability, will read and forget the scenario. Only when the learner faces some sort of challenging situation and has to think of a solution will the scenario be effective. The best way to write concrete scenarios is to present a problem situation, provide some clues for the learners to identify, and then provide the answer. However, keep in mind the challenge should not overwhelm the learners to the extent that they abstain from putting any effort to find the solution. 5. Use Informal and Conversational Language: It is generally a good idea to use conversational and informal language while writing scenarios. Learners can easily relate to the conversational style and find it easier to engage with the content. It also makes the scenario interesting and informal, so learning happens in a comfortable way. While in some cases, the overview of the scenario presents in a narrative manner even then the tone and style should remaining formal. 6. Use Interesting Interactivities: Another useful tip to make the scenarios interesting and effective is to use as many interactivities as possible. The most common form of interactivity in this case will be questions and answers. However, other interactivities, if relevant to the content, can be used to increase the overall engagement of the learners. 7. Use Visual Graphics: Finally, a scenario becomes much more effective when it is presented with visuals. Scenarios are after all stories and stories are best presented throu¬gh visual images. Characters, backgrounds, callouts, labels, and other graphics make it engaging and interesting for the learners. They can also retain information if they have visual memory of the content The fable of George Washington and the cherry tree may never have happened, but the scenario presented is a realistic situation that children can relate to. The language of the story is interactive and visual, engaging the senses. George’s tough decision challenges us to think, ‘What would I have done?’ Finally, George’s integrity and reward from his father motivates the listener to stand by moral convictions, no matter the situation. That is why ‘George and the Cherry tree’ has been used for over a hundred years to extol the virtue of telling the truth. Use these tips to write your own legendary scenario-based training, but remember, be careful with your hatchet and do not lie. About the author: Sudarshana Ghosh is a Learning and Development Professional with over 7 years of experience in the Instructional Design and eLearning domain. An adaptable individual, she hashands on experience in handling and coordinating varied types of projects for a wide range of domestic and international clientele. With a Masters Degree in Political Science and a B.Ed degree, she started her career as an educationist and taught in various reputed schools all over the country. Currently, she is working as an Instructional Designer in InfoPro Learning. The post 7 Tips for Writing Effective Scenario-Based Learning appeared first on .

Recently, InfoPro Learning acquired another learning company with a substantial amount of content for leadership and organizational development. Little did I know at the time that that content would involve me and ultimately change the way I look at my job. It started with a simple conversation… "How about transforming this new content into a blended learning program?" my P&L head asked me. "Do you want to do this project?" he inquired. "Of course!" I immediately respond. Very briefly we discussed the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of my new project and at the end of our brief conversation I was left with a new term; "learning experience". For a moment I shrugged off the phrase assuming that perhaps this was just another piece of terminology coined by some intellectual and enshrined as a buzzword on Google. But then, the bell of "learning experience" kept ringing. The burning question was what is "learning experience"? After some hasty research, I found a source which talked about changing the name of ‘instructional designers’ to ‘learning experience designers’. Learning experience design simply means creating experiences rather than just curriculum. Fairly easy to understand! But what does that really mean? What do I have to do to become a learning experience designer? How do I create "learning experiences"? What I have found is not a complex theory, but a simple guideline. Move away from converting information to instruction. Think differently, and focus on how the learner will perceive the design. It is extremely important to focus on the learner’s question of "What’s In It For Me?" (WIFM). But when you do so, do it differently. Here are some tips. Connect with Learners on an Emotional Level Learning objectives and snapshot animations are an acceptable strategy for building context and propagating WIFM, but that’s what every learning designer is doing. Stretch your limits by focusing on the most perceived problem that you intend to solve through the learning intervention. We are in age of millennials and Gen Z is right around the corner. These cohorts are very clear on what they want. Therefore, the "how" has to be very intelligently planned. The bottom line is hit the core issue in all modes of your expression and messaging throughout the learning material. By doing so, you will connect with learners on an emotional level. Look at the way advertisement and marketing campaigns are run and messages are delivered today. They are powerfully designed around the problem they are solving and compel the target audience to make a decision. This is a most pressing issue but as an instructional designer I tended to ignore it. We must acknowledge that we have lot to learn from related disciplines like marketing, advertisement, and communication. Don’t Lose Connection During the Training It is extremely important that the emotional connection that you establish through solving a problem is sustained throughout the course of training. This is what makes and unmakes training. This what makes and unmakes a trainer. More often than not, we hear that our training was not engaging. There were no real interactivities. Often, I used to create a standard exercise with a different look and feel. Is this the only solution? Additionally, as instructional designers we blame poor engagement on the content. It is too technical! It is a boring compliance and legal subject. Point taken. But how about going a step farther and planning for meaningful engagement? One of the simplest ways to sustain an emotional connect is to use stories. Not stories based on guesswork or assumptions, but stories that build upon the content with the same messaging that first connected with the learners. If your stories are different than the initial message, you will lose the connection and hence the learning experience. Let’s look at an example. Compliance training in most organizations is just seen as a tool to comply with the regulations necessary to operate in a particular industry or social environment. The general approach is develop a course, run it, check some tick boxes, and be done. The net result is incidences causing financial loss and the loss of lives. What could we do instead? We could create a learning experience that compels learners to go through the training and really learn something. The bottom line is No matter how boring the content or the subject area looks, it doesn’t mean we can’t tell a story in an interesting way. Pad the Stories with Media and Interactivities When I was in school I remember reading about cave paintings. These paintings are found on cave walls and ceilings, and most of them are from pre-historic ages. These paintings have been discovered in Asia, Europe, and Africa and historians believe that in the absence of the any formal language, the cave paintings were a strong mode of communication. The beauty of these paintings is that you see them and you can write a story. Interpretation may differ depending on how you see it, but the fact is that they are expressive enough to trigger a wave of meaningful thoughts. This leads me to the conclusion that sometimes visual expressions are more important than the story telling. It is commonly accepted truth that it is easier to recall eidetic memory than any other form of memory. Conclusion: The more I probe, the more I see myself shifting from an instructional designer to a learning experience designer. It is time for change, and I have a valid reason to. I have seen rotary phones become museum pieces and typewriters become a relegated past. Customer service is rechristened as customer experience and user experience is drawing people to seminar and symposiums. We have to change the way we look at instructional design and we have to do it fast. Millennials are much more informed, and Gen Z is round the corner. Traditional instructional design will soon be a reference case study. This is the right time to move from "In this Topic, you will learn about…" to something which generates emotional resonance with the learning modality. Waiting is not an option when it comes to experience design. About the author: Anurag Dayal has more than 13 yrs. of experience in Learning and Development (L&D) with over 7 years in leadership roles. He has extensive hands on experience in creating organization development plans, business critical learning solutions, learning/training need analysis, training evaluations, training consulting, and e-learning and content development. With a sound knowledge of learning tools and technologies Anurag enjoys creating learning roadmaps for large business organizations in line with the organization’s development plan. The post My Journey from Instructional Design to Learning Experience Design appeared first on .

I was previously a speaker at the San Antonio Learning and Performance Summit (LEAPS). I’ve heard it said that every product you work on is a prototype for the next product, and I’m assuming this applies to presentations, too. Following the summit, I immediately started considering improvements. The following are free resources that I plan to use when preparing for my next presentation. Kahoot! Kahoot! is a free game-based platform and can be used to incorporate fun, build camaraderie, and increase participant engagement. Kahoot! works with any device that has an internet connection. Best of all, it’s free to create and play, and the Kahoot! team promises this is how it will always be. Canva Canva is a tool that can be used to design for web or print. The user interface is intuitive, and the template layouts are attractive. Designing presentation handouts is much easier using Canva. Downloading your final project is free if you include the Canva watermark. Piktochart Piktochart makes creating beautiful infographics easier. If you’re new to Piktochart, there’s an abundance of free templates. One of the templates is a presentation infographic composed of a series of blocks that fit the aspect ratio of typical presentations. For those who want to create a completely custom infographic, there are 100+ themes to choose from and 4,000+ icons. You can try out Piktochart for free by using their basic themes and including the Piktochart watermark on your infographic. Explory Telling a story is a great memory technique, and Explory makes it easy to tell rich, compelling stories. First, post your pictures and videos. Then, add text, narration, and background music if desired. You will then have a URL that you can link to from your presentation. Explory is from the team that created Flash. The app is free to download, and you get 50MB of stories. For $1.99, you can get 1GB for the month. Additional space is available based on the purchase of a subscription. The post Ignite Interest in Your Next Presentation appeared first on Enspire.

  The post Infographic Resource: How to Be a Jerk in a Meeting appeared first on Ariel Group.        Related StoriesHow to be Awesome in Meetings4 Presence Skills Salespeople NeedUse Presence to Stand out in Sales 

If I were to ask you "What is the most important thing for you, as an employee, to do in a meeting?" you’d probably respond with: "Don’t say anything stupid." Sure. That’s obvious. But what many people don’t count as equally important is how you show up to said meeting. How does leadership see you? How do you come off to your coworkers? What do people say about you when they take group trips to the bathroom? You need to be seen. If you want to soak up that delicious spotlight, follow these steps and in no time you’ll be the Khaleesi of the Conference Room. Be your authentic self: If you’re annoyed or frustrated with what the other person is saying, don’t be afraid to show it. It’s really important to me that if I think someone’s idea is wrong, I don’t just sit there and pretend like what they’re saying isn’t ridiculous. Why keep it to yourself when you can just show them what you’re thinking? Does someone deserve an eye roll? Let ‘em fly. Feel the need to let out an "oh jeez!"? Go for it! And if you’re really trying to stretch your expressiveness, feel free to just place your face in your hands and let out a very loud audible sigh. It really releases all of that tension that builds up listening to that stupid idea. Stay present: Get your energy up by eating in meetings I know that if I go into a meeting and I’m starving I just won’t be present. I always bring my lunch to a meeting. You should know I’m quite the master of balancing a Starbucks cup and a plastic container of salad on my laptop. Come to think of it, no one’s praised me yet for that skill, I should probably bring that up to my manager. The best food to bring to a meeting? Yogurt. It’s typically low in fat and full of protein. Key nutrients to help you remain ready for the rest of the day! But make sure you eat all of it!  Take big licks of the spoon backward and forwards to get all those vitamins into your system. You’ll need the energy to be able to stomach the rest of the meeting. It’s also a lot more delicate to talk with your mouth full of yogurt than with a sandwich. I mean chatting with your mouth full of Boar’s Head? That’s just rude. Arrive Prepared: Bring every gadget you can Do you want to prove that you’re a hot commodity? Have your laptop open, while using your phone, while checking your smartwatch, and you’ll come off as super important. The more you do it, the better. And if you find yourself drifting off during a presentation, you can use the time to check email, read the Huffington Post, or click the "Backspace" button as hard as you can 15 times in a row. I always try to snag a selfie during a meeting for one of my meetup/dating/networking profiles. My profile states I’m a "workaholic" and a "diva in the boardroom" so I wanted to make sure I got a selfie in my cute thick rimmed Warby Parkers with the whiteboard in the background. Speak Up…Even if it has nothing to do with you. If you feel like you haven’t had your voice heard, make sure to speak up. It will prove you’re involved. Use interesting intro’s like "to piggy-back on that" or "to echo what Julie is saying" and then just start talking. Generally, when I open my mouth I never have any idea what I’m going to say, but every time I open it something ends up coming out! And of course, speak up if you disagree…even if you’re not totally sure what you disagree with. Leadership appreciates it when you question the status quo. It will prove that you’re passionate! I recommend using keywords like "best practice", "ROI" and/or "Profitability." For example: "I actually disagree with that. I don’t think a best practice should be focusing on ROI for profitability." This demonstrates that not only are you tenacious, but you’re also in tune with the company vernacular! At the end of the day, you want to stand out. Remember: if you don’t get yourself noticed, you’re just going to fade into the fluorescent ceiling light. Don’t worry about anything else. Seriously. Forget everything else and just focus on this. For more ways on how to win at meetings, see our infographic here. Editor’s note: These suggestions are horrible. Don’t do any of these things - on April Fool’s Day or any other time!  The post How to be Awesome in Meetings appeared first on Ariel Group.        Related StoriesWhy Biases Ruin the WorkplaceWant To Keep Your Ship Afloat? Make Sure The Crew Is Engaged.Virtual Conflict: Your Focus Determines Your Outcome 

Every so often, there’s a bright idea, new gadget, or flavor of the year - it seemingly comes out of nowhere and suddenly, everyone is on board. The excitement to market it is great, and just as suddenly, there’s no shortage of entrepreneurs willing to sell this shiny new idea to the uninitiated public. …and that’s where things get interesting. Let me tell you a story. Right now, solar energy for households is a popular offering in Australia. Besides the obvious environmental positives, this is due to government rebates (that tend to be revised down each year) and the high cost of electricity. From any angle, it would seem that this "Solar Solution" would be an Earth-friendly way to save homeowners money. I like saving money. I also love reducing my impact on the environment. So, I decided to explore solar energy for my home. I had a lovely young man come to my house to quote on such a solution. He was pleasant enough and respectful of my time, but I got very taken aback by his approach. Why? He jumped to the business/transactional end so quickly, that it turned me off instantly. Without chatting for too long, he pulled out his writing pad and told me that I have two options for my new solar solution: pay the total amount or pay in installments. He then asked which one I would prefer. Just like that. I said that I did not even know how much this is going to cost in total and if I could afford it in the first place, so I could not answer his question. He neglected to tell any information that would help me make a decision. I didn’t know much about this solution, its offerings and yet here we were traveling down the equipment and specification route. At that moment, it hit me - just how powerful it would have been for him to tell me a story about how he has helped someone like me, and what it did for the customer. Maybe share a story about why this company chose to be in this business or why he is doing this job. Unfortunately for this salesman, the magic of the moment had passed, and I lost interest in talking to him. I politely showed him the exit and said I would consider his quote and let him know later. This man lost a sale - not because of the deficiency of his product, not because it wouldn’t save me money on my energy bills or help the environment - but because his approach rubbed me the wrong way. And he didn’t even seem to realize it. The power of storytelling -especially as it relates to sales and marketing - is enormous. Here are 3 things storytelling unlocks for salespeople: Stories get prospective customers to get engaged emotionally. Stories build a closer relationship between the buyer and the seller. Stories demonstrate credibility when you share how the product has helped past buyers. In sales, the story is a critical part of the first impression. People buy from people they like and you only have a short time to create that feeling or lose the sale. And if that salesman had tried to engage me instead of taking an order, he would have had a happier ending. People like stories. What is your story? Can you tell it? Download our free guide on storytelling here.  To contact our Australian office, go here.  The post Don’t Offer a Pitch. Tell a Story. appeared first on Ariel Group.        Related StoriesPlanning for Success: The Impact of Sales Planning4 Presence Skills Salespeople NeedWhat a Furniture Shopping Trip Taught Me About Authentic Connections 

Yesterday was Easter in the United States, and often the day includes Easter egg hunts. Kids, young and old, search high and low to collect as many eggs as possible. It’s an exhilarating experience when it is happening, and when it is over, an egg count determines the winner.There are so many analogies to this egg hunt in corporate life. We run after the most leads, the most deals, the most talent, and then we find ourselves continually measuring where we stand to others. Did we beat so and so? Did we hit our target?The actual chase and constant "measuring up" isn’t even the biggest issue - it is the lack of appreciation for what we have. It often makes me think about a story from Aesop’s sixth century B.C. fables. You may have heard this:ONE day a countryman going to the nest of his Goose found there an egg all yellow and glittering. When he took it up it was as heavy as lead and he was going to throw it away, because he thought a trick had been played upon him. But he took it home on second thoughts, and soon found to his delight that it was an egg of pure gold. Every morning the same thing occurred, and he soon became rich by selling his eggs. As he grew rich he grew greedy; and thinking to get at once all the gold the Goose could give, he killed it and opened it only to find,—nothing.I’ve seen this situation happen time and time again. A leader relies on a star performer to continue to build the best product, or sell the most high margin deals, or create the best go-to-market plan. At first the star is flattered and wants to continue to produce. But when the pressure continues to get greater and greater, and the leader expects more and more, POOF - the star performer leaves the building. She goes off to another company, where she feels appreciated…and the leader is left with nothing.To avoid an unneeded loss, this week’s tip is to appreciate a golden egg situation in your life. Maybe it is the employee at your company who continually goes above and beyond. Perhaps your partner who is always willing to do one more thing for you after a long day. Or maybe a barista in your life who always gives you that smile to brighten your day.While we do live in a constant egg hunt at times, it is important for us to realize what we have. And there is no better time than now.The post Fierce Tip of the Week: Appreciate a Golden Egg appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

With caucuses and primaries in full-swing in the United States, there is a lot of talk about political leadership in our country. At Fierce, we are very interested to explore the traits and characteristics for ideal leaders, in both business and politics.There is so much commentary for what makes great leaders like this and this and this. And the question is: What do you think? AND Does your view on leadership change depending on the position - for the boardroom and Capitol Hill?Please take our brief survey today, by clicking here. The post New Survey: Business & Political Leaders - What Do You Expect? appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published by Forbes and discusses different tactics with regards to retaining top talent in a competitive marketplace.Old-school retention tactics such as competitive salary, stock options, and cash bonuses are not necessarily key motivators for keeping top performers at your firm from moving on. Companies need to start looking ahead instead of behind, and to do so, it is important to understand the changing demographics of your firm’s staff. Employees nowadays seek recognition and collaboration just as much as a competitive salary with stock options.  An employee’s progression towards an annual bonus should be publicized and encouraged, not measured in a board room behind closed doors.So what will you do to retain your best performers?"There are ways to motivate other than creating a dog-eat-dog macho workplace environment. Collaboration rather than competition; praise rather than punishment."Read the article.The post Fierce Resource: Retaining Talent In A Competitive Economy appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

I’m constantly intrigued by what makes leaders the most effective. We talk with leaders constantly. A couple weeks ago, a Harvard Business Review article came out about the most important leadership competencies according to leaders around the world. When 195 global leaders were asked to rate 74 qualities, the number one was strong ethics and safety, meaning a leader has high ethical and moral standards. 67% said this was the most important quality to great leadership. To put it simply: Walk your talk. Don’t do something that you don’t believe in.To quote the piece, "This competency is all about behaving in a way that is consistent with your values. If you find yourself making decisions that feel at odds with your principles or justifying actions in spite of a nagging sense of discomfort, you probably need to reconnect with your core values." I think about one of my first managers who would always ask me: What decision most aligns with you? I remember thinking - What the heck? What do you mean aligns with me? I wanted to make the best decision. Just tell me what IT IS. Stop putting me through this (ha).I had no idea how lucky I was to be asked those questions early in my career. Some of us work our whole lives and are never asked. It is a tough question, because a lot of times with decision-making, you want to take into account others. Take into account how others perceive you. Take into account what’s at stake when you say "this" or "that".Now is the time to take a stand for your beliefs and make decisions accordingly. This week’s tip is to do what you say you will do. Don’t look outside of yourself in the days ahead. Yes, you really do know… now just walk your talk.The post Fierce Tip of the Week: Walk Your Talk…Now appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

April is Stress Awareness Month. When reflecting on your life, how would you rank your stress level from 1-10? Under wraps? Off the charts? What causes it?Among U.S. adults, work is the second most common source of stress, just behind money, according to the 2014 Stress in America survey from the American Psychological Association. And yes, those go hand in hand, so it is a double punch.With all of the obligations and demands of leaders today, it is more critical than ever for you to make some time for yourself and your goals.Leaders, to bust your stress, find your magic hour each work day. Find an hour that you can focus on specific deliverables of your own. Block this time on your calendar and keep it precious. It is quiet time. Time where there aren’t meetings, one-on-ones, and all of your team’s demands. Do not allow the distractions to creep in  . Yes, most things can wait.For me, 7-8 AM is my magic hour when I focus on completing a bigger project or reaching out to someone on my list. Starting my day off like this is rejuvenating, because I feel I have already accomplished something to kick off the day. For non-early birds, any hour can really be this time. Perhaps for you it is before you leave the office. Or before you go to bed.Whichever hour you choose, here are a few tips:Experiment with different hours. You may want to be an early bird, but if that time doesn’t work best for you, let it go. Maybe afternoon or evening will work better.Physically block it on your calendar. You don’t have to call it your "magic hour" (people may wonder what you are up to). Call it whatever you want, and physically reserve the time for yourself.Have an accountability partner. Ask someone close to you to keep an eye on your schedule and check-in with you for the first month of your new schedule. Ask this person to not allow any excuses from your side. Answer the questions: How is this hour helping me? What gets in my way if I don’t have it?While stress can be all consuming at times, find your space. Find your time. And protect it. Will you choose a magic hour? Or do you have another tip to bust your stress?The post Leaders, Curb Your Stress - Find Your Magic Hour appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

Creating a learning-centered work culture isn’t that important unless you want to attract top talent, give your workers the tools they need to be successful and grow your business. Oh, but you do want those things? Well, in that case, providing the right kind of training to your employees is pretty crucial and, unfortunately, many companies are dropping the ball big time.  Recent studies show that the vast majority of workers want career growth and to feel as if their current work is preparing them for their next position but because of poor or nonexistent training only 13% of all employees were considered "highly engaged" and twice that number were completely disengaged[1]. Companies just aren’t putting enough resources into expanding or improving the way things are taught in the workplace or in developing talent to promote to higher positions. Most, around 70%, of learning and development is still done through a traditional instructor. These days, this is not a very effective way to get workers or learners to retain and indeed engage with information[2].  This article explores the components of what a company learning culture must be in order to break out from this tired style and become and stay true contenders in even the most competitive industries. The company in the spotlight? Google, of course. Here are four actions your company can take to build a strong learning culture like Google's -- without spending millions: 

Infusionsoft is a pretty powerful marketing automation tool for advanced marketers. By connecting your online school and courses to Infusionsoft, you can pass student data back and forth to trigger targeted emails based on the actions a student took on your site or course. InfusionSoft is an amazingly powerful tool for marketing and sales for online businesses, in particular for small businesses looking to automate their marketing and sales processes. It’s a great way to take leads and turn them into revenue or turn them into customers. And I see a lot of people now with Infusionsoft creating their own online courses and looking for online course solutions. Thinkific is now directly integrated with Infusionsoft! You can tie your Infusionsoft account right into your Thinkific account, passing information back and forth when people sign up for your courses in Thinkific. Their information is automatically sent over to Infusionsoft, where you can tag your contacts, launch campaigns and marketing automation funnels, and create custom email sequences for your students. So if you are using Infusionsoft or you’re using Thinkific, check out the other, tie them together and start building that amazing marketing funnel around your online courses. The post Teach Online TV #21: Connecting Infusionsoft To Your Online School appeared first on Thinkific.