eLearning designers are often faced with complex training topics that are difficult to deliver concisely. The results are lengthy courses that are counter to the needs of today’s learners, who need to be extremely efficient with their time. To deliver learning to this audience means being very concise in both content and course design, while still having impact and not sacrificing instructional integrity.

In this session you will learn a practical strategy for keeping learning concise while remaining impactful, engaging and retaining its intent. You will engage realistic examples of how measures have been effectively implemented during four stages of the instructional design process: 1. Identify appropriate learning objectives and exclude the extraneous objectives. 2. Manage stakeholder, subject matter expert (SME), and design team expectations. 3. Prioritize content into levels of must know, good to know, and nice to know. 4. Streamline the content, language, and course interface.

In this session, you will learn:

• A design process that ensures concise but effective eLearning
• How to get SMEs and your team on board with creating concise courses
• How to efficiently prioritize and manage learning content
• How to streamline the content, language, and course interface
• How to use learning assets to succinctly deliver content (e.g., interactions, games, visuals, analogies, infographics, etc.)

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers, developers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
N/A

One of the major challenges facing organizations is getting the balance between formal and informal right. Capitalizing on the benefits of social learning requires the right environment to facilitate it. The most successful communities have clarity of purpose, support from wider stakeholders, an engaged hub of participants, and a skilled facilitator to nurture it. For anyone interested in creating a sustainable and effective social learning strategy for their organization, understanding the benefits of a community approach and the right balance between structure and exploration is key.

In this session you will learn what makes a successful community and how to design, plan, and nurture communities. You’ll see real case studies on how a combined approach of formal and informal learning has been used to great effect in a range of organizations. You will analyze a case study from IPG Mediabrands on how to successfully blend communities and formal learning programs. You’ll take part in the first stages of a community planning workshop and you will leave the session with supporting materials to assist you in the first steps of community creation.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to design and nurture effective communities
• How to improve the effectiveness of formal learning through communities
• How leading organizations have used communities as part of the learning ecosystem
• Why communities have truly come of age and why today’s learning ecosystem makes communities more relevant than ever
• How to curate from communities to enhance formal learning programs

Audience:
Intermediate and advanced designers and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
SharePoint, Yammer, Salesforce Chatter, Ning, Pathway LMS, and Learning Portals.

As learning practitioners, we strive to understand the real life environment of experts as much as possible. But getting access to really see how they do their jobs when they are in a more technical or hands-on role (i.e., construction, refinery, factory) is difficult. Many times we can’t get access to use video or real-life images because of safety or clearance constraints. This poses a challenge as we try to create impactful learning materials.

In this session you will see how we can now equip subject matter experts with a GoPro camera that they can wear on their chests or hard hats and control it from our phones or tablets. You will see what it looks like within their environment and capture it in the form of a video to put into a course or as easy-access performance support. This session will show you how to quickly set up and use the device. You will learn how to help leadership understand the viability of this technology and set a strategy for success.

In this session, you will learn:

• How a GoPro can become another tool in your development toolbox
• How to discuss this as a viable option with a client (or a manager) and set a strategy for success
• How easy it is to set-up and learn how to use it
• Tips and best practices for success

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
GoPro, iPad, and iPhone.

Questions about mobile and social learning can often take the conversation in the wrong direction, ones about issues of screen real estate, for example, rather than the more important questions about learner experience or if mobile is even the appropriate approach. Mobile, coupled with social media, provides a rich resource for informal learning outside of the classroom, as well as supplemental learning within the classroom. 

In this session, you will see how to better ensure learning occurs during your events and continues afterward. You will gain a better understanding of how to incorporate social media tools and networks into a virtual learning experience to accomplish formal and informal learning. And finally, you will be able to identify why, when, and how participants will be using the mobile virtual classroom. 

In this session, you will learn:

• To identify why, when, and how participants will be utilizing the mobile virtual classroom
• How to apply design strategies that maximize the live, mobile environment
• How to incorporate social media tools and networks into a virtual learning experience to accomplish formal and informal learning
• How to integrate social media into virtual classroom design during live sessions and in between live sessions 

Audience:
Intermediate and advanced designers, developers, project managers, and managers, ideally with two or more years of experience designing, delivering, and promoting virtual training within their organizations. 

Technology discussed in this session:
Virtual Classroom.

You’re all excited about the promise of an Experience API-enabled world, but you’ve still got a learning management system (LMS) and a whole host of SCORM-based courses. Now what? In most cases, you’ll need to manage the transition—read: republish your library for the Experience API (xAPI)—over the months and years to come. But what if you could get the most out of both an LMS and a learning record store (LRS) at the same time as you move to your next-generation learning-and-performance infrastructure?

In this session, you will learn what to do with xAPI statements. You’ll discover how an LRS is different from—and similar to—the LMS you already have. You’ll review your options when it comes to LRSs and how LRSs can work (and can’t work) with your LMS. You’ll also learn the considerations to keep in mind when looking for an LRS, get a list of key questions to ask when selecting an LRS for your environment, and gain insights into both the learning and infrastructure aspects of xAPI from early adopters.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to identify the benefits of an LRS, both in contrast to and in combination with your LMS
• How to choose from among three types of LRS options
• About potential options for your next-generation learning-and-performance infrastructure
• What key questions to ask potential LRS vendors to narrow your search

Audience:
Intermediate and advanced managers, directors, and VPs with a basic knowledge of xAPI and LMS capabilities.

Technology discussed in this session:
xAPI, LMS, LRS

If you work in L&D, chances are you use design assets (like photos, drawings, icons, and fonts) all the time. And if you don’t have a graphic design background, chances are you’re paying someone else to make these design assets for you. Professional designers and stock photos are fantastic resources, and ones I’d never want to get rid of, but sometimes what you need is a DIY solution that’s fast, free, or even better: both.

In this session you’ll learn about some amazing tools that will give a design boost to the skills of even the least experienced designer. Want to know what amazing drawing tool you already have on your computer? What app can magically correct your messy and scribbly drawing lines? Always wondered how some people can take amazing photos on their smart phones, but yours always look a little off? Ever wanted to create your own font in just a few minutes? This session will help you learn more about the assets you can actually create yourself, something many non-designers assume they just don’t have the ability to do.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to create your own basic drawings and icons
• How to use a few simple tips for improving the quality of your photographs
• How to leverage easy apps and software to create quick graphics
• How to create your own font

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers and developers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Paper by FiftyThree, Camera+, iFontMaker, and Microsoft PowerPoint.

Although the world of web design has evolved and rapidly leveraged open-source technologies to build new experiences, many eLearning instructional designers and developers have limited themselves to rapid eLearning tools such as Captivate and Storyline. But what is possible when we go beyond our usual toolsets?

In this session, you will learn how to go beyond the basics and truly leverage HTML5 and open source to build eLearning courses that are both mobile and responsive for desktops, tablets, and phones. You will learn how to avoid the common pitfalls found in mobile design. In this session, you will learn how Facebook was able to use the open-source Adapt framework to build an eLearning program that is accessible on any device and in multiple languages.

In this session, you will learn:

• Mobile responsive design for eLearning
• The power of the Adapt framework
• SCORM in the mobile age
• Pitfalls to watch out for in mobile design

Audience:
Intermediate designers, developers, project managers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Adapt Framework, mobile responsive design, HTML5 templates.

Infographics powerfully convey content in a visual and readily understandable manner. However, as appealing as they often are, learners often spend only a brief time viewing them before moving on. Are there ways to increase an infographic’s “stickiness,” or its effectiveness to make the content better understood and retained by the learner?

In this session you will learn various techniques and designs to add interactivity and engagement to infographics. You will be able to explore various page layouts, categories of interactives, and deconstruct how several examples were developed and produced. You’ll also have the opportunity to investigate the pedagogy and brain-based research that support the use of interactive infographics. This session will give you the techniques and access to multiple templates to quickly implement interactive infographics into eLearning courses, presentations, and web-based content. Templates will be available in Articulate Storyline, Lectora Inspire, and Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel.

In this session, you will learn:

• Adult learning and brain-based theories that support interactive infographics
• The best designs for infographics and interactive infographics
• How to create interactive infographics using various platforms (Articulate Storyline, Lectora Inspire, and Microsoft PowerPoint)
• How to access and use various interactive infographics templates so you can create your own

Audience:
Intermediate and advanced designers, developers, project managers, and managers with a working knowledge of at least one of the authoring platforms (Articulate Storyline, Lectora Inspire, and Microsoft PowerPoint or Excel).

Technology discussed in this session:
Articulate Storyline, Lectora Inspire, Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, and Adobe CS (Illustrator).

The importance of social factors in learning are well established. But knowing how to best influence and impact these factors remains something of a mystery to most organizations. A number of thought-leaders have suggested you can’t do much of anything to impact social learning in the workplace. They are wrong. You can design social learning opportunities and measure their impact. Drawing on research, and from our experiences of working with some of the leading organizations in the world, we’ve developed our own social-learning playbook. Now we invite you to develop your own, based on the framework we provide.

In this session you will develop your playbook on how to make the most of the opportunities social learning provides. Punctuated by insights from real-world studies and supported by learning data, you will gain a series of insights to help you with the successful design and deployment of social learning and enable you to proceed with confidence and direction.

In this session, you will learn:

• What makes for effective social-learning experiences
• The asynchronous and real-time design techniques used to facilitate social learning
• Applicable design techniques for your situation
• How to use data to prove the impact you are having

Audience:
Intermediate and advanced managers and directors with some background in the notion of social learning and/or the 70/20/10 framework. Even better … you’ve tried to develop a more social-learning experience of your own.

Technology discussed in this session:
Common social-learning tools by way of example such as Yammer, SharePoint, or Jive. However, this session is more a tactical exercise than a technical demonstration. The tools you use are likely to be the ones at your disposal.

It’s hard enough to get learners to engage with the content of your eLearning course. The issue is compounded even further when learners can’t figure out how to use the course in the first place. All too often, new eLearning designers put their focus solely into designing the learning content, while at the same time ignoring the interface it’s encapsulated in. This leads to confusion on the part of the learner and disrupts the learning process.

In this session, you will explore five simple rules for designing an eLearning user interface that promotes engagement, interaction, and learning. Using real-life examples, you will explore demonstrations of simple interface changes that removed visual distraction and redundancy. eLearning designers looking to improve their courses by removing user interface distraction and promoting intuitive action by the learner will learn five rules for designing effective user interfaces.

In this session, you will learn:

• How bad user interface decisions distract from the learning process
• Five rules for designing effective eLearning user interfaces
• How to visually distinguish interactive elements from your course content
• How to promote intuitive action by the user through visual cues

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, and project managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Articulate Storyline, Articulate Studio.

Often the idea of using instructional games is met with stiff resistance by project stakeholders and the organization’s leadership: “We don’t want our employees playing games! We are a serious organization with serious work to do!” So how do you design instructionally effective games for the workplace and gain buy-in from stakeholders and leadership in your organization?

In this session, you will be introduced to methods for designing effective games and getting them taken seriously by shifting the focus of game design from the game interface (the look and feel of a game) to the game’s mechanics. You will get a close look at the complex world of game mechanics, explore how to leverage these mechanics in instructional game design, and give real-world examples of how to use this approach to create effective instructional games that are taken seriously within serious organizations.

In this session, you will learn:

• About the wide range of mechanics found in games
• How to leverage game mechanics to design instructional games
• About real-world examples of games used effectively, even in reluctant organizations
• How to play and analyze games for transfer of essential mechanics to your instructional games

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
N/A

A number of myths persist about people’s allegedly ever-shortening attention spans—but what does the science say? Neuroscience, behavioral economics, and consumer psychology all offer insights into how we manage and allocate attention. Additionally, our ability to manage attention and focus seems to be related to our abilities to allocate willpower and influence how we make decisions.

In this session you will learn what the current science says about how attention, willpower, and decision-making interact, and how that influences the design of eLearning environments. Having a deeper understanding of this topic will help you create more engaging and effective learning solutions.

In this session, you will learn:

• How cognitive load and glucose usage influence willpower
• How we allocate and manage attention
• How to engage learners’ attention and manage distraction
• How to use the principles of willpower, attention, and decision-making to create better eLearning

Audience:
Intermediate and advanced designers and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
N/A

Intellectual property law affects every stage of the development process. Yet, it is daunting and complex. Trying to gain a working knowledge can be overwhelming. As a result, decision making is rooted in ignorance, fear, or frustration, none of which contributes to project goals. The continuing struggle to quickly develop content may lead you to infringe on someone else’s work, expose your work to an unpleasant legal action, or miss out on using free media to enhance your projects.

In this session, you will learn about copyright essentials through an entertaining snapshot of the law and recent cases. Learn how to apply legal concepts such as the fair use doctrine to everyday scenarios. You’ll become more confident finding sites that offer public domain, Creative Commons, and open access–licensed works. Developing an applied understanding of copyright law and learning how to find media you can use will help you become more productive and focused as you maximize your financial and creative resources.

In this session, you will learn:

• Copyright and fair use basics
• Which recent court cases are interesting and important
• How to find online media you can use
• About Creative Commons licenses and which are most accommodating
• How to correctly attribute media you use

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, project managers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
API for Creative Commons licenses and plugins for proper attribution of work.

From the first desktop PCs to today’s cutting-edge smartphones, technology has a history of fundamentally changing the expectations of learning and development programs. We are now on the cusp of another technological advance, one that will once again change some of our definitions and how we address performance issues: wearable technology. This technology will come in various forms, but the one that many expect to serve as a quantum leap forward is Apple Watch.

In this session, you will learn about Apple Watch from an early adopter who is viewing the device through the lens of learning and performance. You will learn what Apple Watch is, how it works, and what the experience of using it is like. You will explore the many different ways that Apple Watch can be used for learning and performance improvement. In this session, you will discover the possibilities that are being opened by this new and exciting technology, and how those possibilities are once again redefining the expectations of learning and performance programs.

In this session, you will learn:

• What Apple Watch is, what it isn’t, and what it can do
• What the Apple Watch experience is like for the user
• How people react to Apple Watch
• What doors Apple Watch opens up for learning and performance
• How people are already using Apple Watch for learning and performance support today

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Apple Watch, mobile phones.

eLearning developers are often challenged with making learning more interesting or interactive. Games provide an opportunity to meet both needs. You’ve read the research on their impact and you know that games have been useful learning tools through all the stages of life, but building games in eLearning has been a challenge for those who do not know how to program.

In this session you will learn the process for designing and building simple learning games using Articulate Storyline 2. Starting with a simple framework, you’ll leverage some key elements such as Variables and randomization. You will leave this session knowing how to design and build your own learning games without needing programming skills!

In this session, you will learn:

• How to create a framework of a simple game
• How to create randomization
• Whether Variables are needed for a particular effect
• To decide which Variables work best in different situations

Audience:
Intermediate and advanced designers and developers who are very comfortable with the basics of Storyline. Participants should be able navigate around the interface quickly and easily. Some experience with Variables and Conditions is helpful.

Technology discussed in this session:
Storyline 2.

Participant technology requirements:
A PC or Mac running Windows Storyline 2.

Adobe Presenter works perfectly in some situations and not others. Knowing when to use a particular tool is half the battle. Adobe Presenter features many new possibilities for you to use it if the situation calls for it.

In this interactive session, you will learn how and when to use features like learner collaboration as a way to bring authentic conversation into your course module, speech to text and annotation to enable a personal video creation, and how to use the drag-and-drop interface to create meaningful and engaging interactions without any programming and right inside Microsoft PowerPoint. This session will focus on the best features of Adobe Presenter and give you the tips that make using Presenter a delight!

In this session, you will learn:

• When to use Adobe Presenter and when not to use it
• Which features in Adobe Presenter make your learning shine
• How to incorporate real interactivity into your learning
• How to balance what PowerPoint offers with the features of Presenter

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers and developers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Adobe Presenter.

Participant technology requirements:
Laptop with Adobe Presenter, licensed or trial version.

An intensive two-year study of 29 projects that were awarded funds to build digital badge systems in the 2012 Badges for Lifelong Learning competition revealed surprising results.

In this session you will get a deeper dive into the specific principles and practices learned for employing digital badges to recognize, assess, motivate, and study learning. You will learn how the most obvious principles for adding value to digital badges—associating them with formal credit and gaining external endorsement—turned out to be the most difficult to implement. You will learn how the most successful badges contained unique claims and evidence about learning, the impact of social and less informal learning, and the importance of “layering” into existing instructional content and web technology. You will explore value with connections to competency-based learning, stackable credentials, ePortfolios, and credit for prior learning.

In this session, you will learn:

• The contexts and practices in which open digital badges can be used most successfully to support learning
• To use the web-enabled resources from the Design Principles Documentation Project
• To use the web-enabled resources from the Open Badges in Higher Education project, including open case libraries and extended case studies to inform their own badge development efforts

Audience:
Intermediate and advanced designers, developers, project managers, managers, and directors.

Technology discussed in this session:
N/A

There’s been a large amount of research in recent years exploring the value music has on the brain and learning. We’ve all experienced it in some way in our lives, be it from listening to music while learning or studying, learning something from a catchy song, or by learning to play an instrument.

In this session you will explore the many relationships between music and learning. You will examine and discuss how people learn to play an instrument—there will even be ukuleles available for some to participate hands-on—and what this might mean to learning in general. Using the introductory ukulele lesson as a framework, this fun session will help you explore the many ways that music impacts and enhances learning. (Ukuleles made available during this session will be donated to the Children’s Hospital of Nevada UMC after the conference.)

In this session, you will learn:

• How music enhances learning
• How people learn to play an instrument, and what that means to learning
• How music might enhance your practices
• How to play a ukulele!

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, project managers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
N/A

When delivering training, it is important to align training content and assessment with the overall goals or objectives. But how do you ensure that the content delivered is aligned to the objectives and that assessment of the learner actually means that they’ve met the objectives? In this session you will learn practical, step-by-step strategies for creating a training blueprint, mapping and writing assessments, and evaluating the material to ensure it meets the needs of the training. You will also gain access to templates and resources that you can use immediately.

Two of the most popular technologies used to engage learners today are video and mobile. Videos are becoming increasingly interactive—even on mobile devices—but developing these videos can be complex. Where does an organization start? In this session you will explore how organizations can apply interactive video on any modern device to create an impactful experience. You will see how one organization in particular is managing the challenges that only bleeding-edge technology can provide. You will also explore how video interactions can be tracked and correlated with performance data using xAPI to measure real business impact from training.