That's Awesome ID!
48 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 7 ratingsJoin me as I chat with guests about one thing they think is awesome in the field of instructional design right now. It could be a tool, an app, a learning platform, a book, a blog/vlog, a learning theory, a person they admire, or anything really!
All that matters is that it's awesome!
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Episodes
2.9 - That's What It's Like to Speak at DevLearn!
March 22, 2022 21:41 - 19 minutes - 16.7 MBHead of Learning Engineering, Kristin Torrence joins me to share her experience as a first-time presenter at DevLearn Conference and Expo in 2021. Kristin gives a play-by-play of her process, from submitting a proposal, to preparing her presentation, to delivering her presentation to a somewhat sleepy crowd. She also gives some tips for how to find resources if you are interested in speaking at conferences. Connect with Kristin on LinkedIn. Watch the video series "I Have Questions About ...
2.8 - That's UX Traps to Look Out For When Designing for VR!
March 01, 2022 14:00 - 22 minutes - 18.3 MBSara Johnston, Cofounder at motive.io, joins me to share tips and tricks on how to design learning for immersive environments. She offers some common mistakes, pitfalls, and traps to look out for to make sure the learner has a good user experience. Her biggest tip, keep things simple! More realistic isn't always better. Connect with Sara via email (Sara at motive.io) or on LinkedIn.
2.7 - That's Awesome Gen Z in L&D!
February 15, 2022 13:00 - 29 minutes - 22.9 MBInstructional designer and eLearning developer, Asha Mohamud, joins me to talk about her journey into the field of L&D at such a young age. We also discuss the things that excite her about the field, and the ways in which her generation prefers to consume content, whether that be for entertainment or for learning. Connect with Asha on LinkedIn.
2.6 - That's Some Thoughts on How to Design for Neurodivergent Learners!
February 01, 2022 14:00 - 24 minutes - 19.7 MBInstructional designer Mandy Brown joins me to share a little bit about her own journey of self-discovery as a woman on the autism spectrum. We talk about ways in which designers can keep neurodivergent learners in mind when designing learning experiences. Mandy shares the ways in which her own neurodivergence affects her learning, and offers some suggestions on different accomodations that can be made which don't just help neurodivergent learners, but neurotypical learners as well. Connec...
2.5 - That's How to Get the Most Out of Your LinkedIn Profile!
January 18, 2022 18:44 - 21 minutes - 17.4 MBGlobal Learning Partner and host of the "The Jr. High Dropout" podcast, Elizabeth Fine joins me to talk about the importance of messaging on LinkedIn. Elizabeth share a little bit about her own story and why she is so passionate about helping educators transition into new roles. She shares ways to optimize your profile and the ways in which you might be underselling yourself. Connect with Elizabeth on LinkedIn. Listen to the "The Jr. High Dropout" podcast here.
2.4 - That's Voice Over Narration Tips!
January 16, 2022 21:26 - 22 minutes - 19.3 MBVoiceover Talent and Host of the "DIY Narrrator" podcast, Josh Risser, joins me to share some tips for getting the voice over narration that you need, regardless of your skill level. Josh shares pointers for absolute beginners and for those who might know a thing or two but still want to improve. He also gives advice on how to source VO talent for your A-list projects that require a higher production value. Connect with Josh on Linkedin. Check out more VO narration tips on the "DIY Narrato...
2.3 - That's Portfolio Tips!
November 30, 2021 13:00 - 20 minutes - 16.8 MBInstructional designer and founder of Teaching: A Path to L&D, Sara Stevick, joins me to talk about building a portfolio. Sara shares why a portfolio is important, how to come up with ideas for portfolio samples, and what you should be demonstrating to prospective clients or employers. Join the Linkedin group "Teaching: A Path to L&D". Connect with Sara on Linkedin.
That's CGI VR vs. 360 Immersive Experiences!
November 16, 2021 13:00 - 24 minutes - 20.5 MBSenior Learning Experience Producer, Destery Hildenbrand, joins me to talk about the differences between 360 immersive experiences and what most would consider typical VR (virtual reality) experiences. We also chat about some use cases for both types of learning experience, as well as where the technology might be going in the corporate workspace in the near-ish future. Learn more about CGI VR for learning at Motive.io. Connect with Destery on Linkedin.
2.2 - That's CGI VR vs. 360 Immersive Experiences!
November 16, 2021 13:00 - 24 minutes - 20.5 MBSenior Learning Experience Producer, Destery Hildenbrand, joins me to talk about the differences between 360 immersive experiences and what most would consider typical VR (virtual reality) experiences. We also chat about some use cases for both types of learning experience, as well as where the technology might be going in the corporate workspace in the near-ish future. Learn more about CGI VR for learning at Motive.io. Connect with Destery on Linkedin.
2.1 - That's Needs Analysis!
November 02, 2021 12:00 - 19 minutes - 15.7 MBInstructional designer and podcast host, Amy Petricek, joins me to talk about needs analysis. Amy shares what the term means to her, how she and her team use it in their work, and the consequences of what can happen if this stage is skipped over in the design process. Listen to the "Share Whatcha Learned" podcast at amypetricek.com. Connect with Amy on Linkedin.
That's a Wrap on Season 1!
May 12, 2021 13:00 - 5 minutes - 5.31 MBThat's Awesome ID! will be taking a break this summer. Therefore, to wrap up this season, I put together one more blooper real of some laughs from various episodes over the course of this past year. I've had so much fun talking with all of my awesome guests about all of their awesome ideas. Thank to everyone who has helped make this such a fun and rewarding process. Stay awesome! Connect with me on Linkedin.
That's How to Apply Digital Marketing Best Practices to ID!
May 04, 2021 13:00 - 27 minutes - 25.9 MBDirector of Development and Innovation at RedSaberes, Emily Justin-Szopinski, joins me to talk about the overlap between digital marketing best practices and instructional design best practices. She also shares a little bit about user retention models that have been most successful for her company. Spoiler alert: let your learners know there is a human on the other side of the course! Connect with Emily on Linkedin.
That's Microlearning with 7taps!
April 27, 2021 13:00 - 24 minutes - 23.1 MBKate Udalova, founder of the micro-learning authoring tool 7taps.com, joins me to discuss the surprising and diverse ways in which 7taps is being used by course creators. We also take some time to answer crowd-sourced questions about microlearning from members of the Linkedin community. Special thanks to everyone who submitted questions: Bhavani Nadakumar, Priyanka Wheatley, Chris Karel, Richard Mendoza, Diana Salazar. Try out 7taps at 7taps.com. Connect with Kate on Linkedin.
That's How to Navigate the Gray Spaces of a Liminal Career!
April 20, 2021 13:00 - 23 minutes - 22 MBTraining Manager Stacy Salinas joins me to talk about the ways in which instructional designers must navigate a lot of gray spaces to carve out a career path. Inspired by the article "61 Ways to Know You Are Talking to An Instructional Designer", Stacy talks about the ways in which careers in L&D often involve a lot of liminal spaces. We are always navigating the spaces between projects, clients, technologies. We also discuss how instructional design is a growing field and how we are uniquel...
That's Myths About Gamification!
April 13, 2021 13:00 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MBPlay and game consultant, Alyea Sandovar, PhD, joins me to talk about some myths around gamification. Alyea has done a lot of research around play and games, and provides consultation on gamification through her company tint hue. Throughout her career she has come across many misunderstanding about gamification, and she shares some of those insights with me. She also discusses the Playful Creative Summit, which is a virtual conference on the importance of playfulness and creativity to many d...
That's Stealth Assessment for Immersive Environments!
April 06, 2021 14:00 - 24 minutes - 22.6 MBLearning Experience Designer Kristin Torrence joins me to discuss stealth assessment, particularly within immersive environments. Kristin has designed learning solutions ranging from educational games, mobile applications, e-learning, Instructor-Led Training (ILT), and virtual reality (VR). In this episode we talk about what stealth assessment is, the history of its development by Valerie Shute, and why it is the optimal form of assessment for learning within immersive environments. We als...
That's How to Successfully Onboard New Clients!
March 30, 2021 13:00 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBProject Manager Mark Cunningham joins me to share his thoughts on how to go about onboarding new clients to a project in a way that ensures a successful outcome and builds strong working relationships. Mark discusses some of his own process, which involves using empathy to understand your client's needs, and asking the right questions to get a better sense of what success looks like for your client. You can connect with Mark on LinkedIn.
That's IDLance.com!
March 23, 2021 13:00 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MBAndrea McEneaney and Parker Grant join me to talk about breaking into freelance instructional design. Andrea and Parker are the co-head honchos at IDLance.com, an awesome website dedicated to providing guidance to anyone looking to embark on a freelance ID career. They share some of the motivation for starting IDLance, which is that basically there really isn't another good place to find practical information all in one place. They also share the most beneficial tool a freelancer can have - ...
That's Communities of Practice!
March 16, 2021 13:00 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MBInstructional Designer and founder of Learning Carton, Chris Karel, joins me to discuss communities of practice. We talk about what makes a community of practice and ways in which it might differ from a class or cohort. We also talk about how communities of practice might be used to describe different learning communities of the past, and think about how social media applications might enable the communities of practice of the future. You can connect with Chris on Linkedin.
That's Interactive PDF's!
March 09, 2021 14:00 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MBSenior instructional designer Mike Peacock returns to the show to talk about interactive PDF's. Mike shares what motivated him to want to get more out of the training manuals he was creating for his company, not just for his own satisfaction, but also because he knew he could better support his trainers. He gives recommendations types of interactive elements can be added, as well as tools you can use to create the documents. Mike loves his interactive PDF's so much he just got done presentin...
That's How to Manage a Layoff!
March 02, 2021 14:35 - 19 minutes - 18.3 MBInstructional designer Brenda Peterson joins me to discuss how to respond to a layoff. She shares what that process typically looks like and walks through the emotions and considerations that come along with it. She also gives some pointers on how to prepare yourself for what most hope will never come, including building your network, growing your skill set and knowing how to ask for help. Connect with Brenda on LinkedIn, check out her blog at brendalearns.com, or find her at Condition Oran...
That's 5 Awesome ID Resume Tips!
February 23, 2021 14:00 - 19 minutes - 18.4 MBInstructional designer and career strategist, Laura Hoyer, joins me to share her top 5 tips for writing an awesome instructional design resume. We talk about summary statements, keeping things measurable, and finding ways to keep your contact info simple and easy to find. If you'd like to get more career tips connect with Laura on LinkedIn or find her at The Right Fit Career Coaching.
That's Instructional Story Design!
February 15, 2021 14:00 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBStory designer, author, and speaker, Rance Greene joins me to talk about instructional story design. Whether you are brand new to story design, or whether you've been doing it a while, Rance shares his tips for using stories to engage learners. He also shares reasons why stories are so engaging, and answers the question, in what learning situation would story design not be a good option? Rance is launching the Instructional Story Design Roundtable where people can meet and discuss their qu...
That's Gamification: Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics!
February 09, 2021 14:00 - 23 minutes - 21.3 MBMoe Ash joins me for the second part of our two-part series on gamification. In this episode we dive a little deeper in MDA, which stands for Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics. MDA is a formal way of thinking about game design, development, and criticism, and offers more depth and breadth to the gamification conversation, expanding it beyond the mechanics of points, badges, and leaderboards (PBL). Check out Moe's ebook on gamification in a nutshell here. Connect with Moe on LinkedIn. You...
That's Gamification: What It Is and Isn't!
February 02, 2021 14:00 - 19 minutes - 18.3 MBLearning architect and gamification enthusiast Moe Ash joins me for a special two-part series on gamification. In this first episode we discuss what gamification is and isn't, and how it differs from game-based learning, game-based pedagogy, and serious games. Connect with Moe on LinkedIn. You can also catch him at Gamicon21V this year, where he will be presenting his gamified learning experience "The Oracle".
That's Higher Ed ID: Expectations Vs. Reality!
January 26, 2021 14:00 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBInstructional designer Alex Mitts joins me to discuss his transition from a position in educational technology to higher ed instructional design. He talks about his expectations for a what an instructional design role might be and those differ from the role he currently has. He also talks about his strategies in preparing for his transition, including brushing up on tools Like Storyline, and expanding his network. Alex also shares his thoughts on whether he thinks it's easier or more challen...
That's The Next Step: Life After Teaching!
January 20, 2021 14:00 - 20 minutes - 19.4 MBInstructional designer and founder of The Next Step: Life After Teaching, Sara Stevick, joins me to talk about her passion to help educators transition out of classroom and into the world of instructional design. Sara shares a little about her own journey and her motivations for wanting to provide resources and advice to current and former teachers. Follow Sara on LinkedIn, join the TNSLAT LinkedIn group, or visit lifefafterteaching.co.
That's 5 Augmented Reality Project Ideas!
January 11, 2021 14:00 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBBetty Dannewitz of the "If You Ask Betty" podcast joins me to talk about what she knows best -- augmented reality. In this episode Betty talks about her journey into becoming one of the leaders in using AR tech in the field of instructional design. She gives some awesome ideas for AR projects that you can make right now using Zappar, and how to pitch the tech to your boss or your client. She also gives a special shoutout to her student Anuradha (Ann) Gopa for her creative AR Employee Rewards...
That's Realistic Gamification!
January 06, 2021 14:00 - 20 minutes - 19 MBInstructional designer and CEO of Anchored Training, Vanessa Alzate, joins me to chat about ways to realistically incorporate or pitch gamification in your ID projects. Vanessa is no stranger to keeping things real. In fact, it's one of the core values of her freelance instructional design business. Vanessa's advice for keeping gamification realistic is to start small. Another big tip is to consider your audience. For instance, not everyone responds well to a leaderboard, but sales people mi...
That's Our Best Advice on Starting a Podcast!
December 23, 2020 14:00 - 19 minutes - 18.3 MBFellow instructional designer and podcaster, Heidi Kirby, joins me to share some pointers on how and why to start an instructional design or L&D podcast. Heidi is the Instructional Design Manager at Verasana, and runs The BLOC (Building Learning and Organizational Culture) Podcast. We talk about reasons why we both started our respective podcasts and discuss the many lessons we've learned along the way, such as the importance of having a plan and establishing a posting schedule that you stic...
That's Sales Enablement!
December 16, 2020 14:00 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MBInstructional designer Jennette Skaggs joins me to give a brief overview of her role as a sales enablement specialist at Progress. If you are anything like me, you may never have heard of this role before, but once you know what it is, you will see sales enablement job postings everywhere. Jennette shares a little bit about her day to day, and the ways in which sales enablement crosses over with a traditional L&D role. You can connect with Jennette on LinkedIn.
That's Become ID!
December 09, 2020 14:00 - 20 minutes - 19 MBThe Chief of Awesomeness Alexander Salas joins me to talk about his new program, Become ID, a budget friendly program which aims to provide guidance and assistance to folks who are trying to transition into instructional design. Alex shares a little bit about the conception of the program, what it entails, and how it differs from other courses that are offered through eLearningLaunch.com. He also takes some time to talk about his own journey in the field of instructional design and why sh...
That's the Ever-Evolving World of Learning Tech!
December 02, 2020 14:00 - 20 minutes - 19.2 MBInstructional designer turned customer success consultant, Erin Peterschick, joins me to talk about the constantly changing and evolving world of learning tech. Erin discusses what's been most surprising about her new role at Totara, the company behind the award-winning learning experience platform. We also talk about the challenges of implementing increasingly newer and more complex applications in the workplace, as well as the fallout of our society's churn and burn culture. Erin shares ho...
That's an Intro to Higher Ed ID!
November 25, 2020 14:00 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBInstructional designer and program manager Dr. Luke Hobson joins me to chat about what instructional design looks like in the higher education setting. He gives a brief overview of the day-to-day of what a higher ed ID does, and lists some pros and cons about higher ed versus a corporate ID position. He also gives some advice to any people looking to transition into higher ed from a K-12 background, and emphasizes the need to have a firm grasp on both tools and processes. You can find out ...
That's the Flipped Episode!
November 18, 2020 14:08 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MBIn this special episode, I hand over the reigns to newcomer Amy Petricek, and let her interview me about my journey from the world of education to instructional design. Amy is a naturally inquisitive person, so I knew she'd make an excellent guest host! We talk about how we first met, how I first got interested in instructional design, the importance of sharing your learning journey, and the secret to success in my career search. SPOILER ALERT: it was people! You can connect with Amy on Li...
That's How to Engage Adult Learners!
November 11, 2020 13:08 - 15 minutes - 14.8 MBLearning experience designer Cheryl Oberlin joins me to discuss the unique challenges that face adult learners in the corporate setting. We discuss why some adult learners may be reluctant to even engage in continued learning once they are out of the academic setting, and some ways to engage unmotivated learners. Connect with Cheryl on LinkedIn.
That's the Awesome ID Blooper Reel!
October 28, 2020 22:00 - 4 minutes - 3.92 MBI wanted to take a moment to pause and reflect on what an awesome journey this has been so far. Thank you to all my guests, listeners, subscribers, and cheerleaders. I didn't know if I'd continue past a few episodes, but you have all inspired me to keep going. As a thank you I've put together a blooper reel of silly moments from the first nine episodes. Enjoy! If you have enjoyed the show so far, please consider heading over to iTunes to leave a rating and review. It will help get the word...
That's Cognitive Load Theory!
October 21, 2020 14:00 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBLearning experience designer Chris Syracuse joins me to discuss Cognitive Load Theory. Coming from a technical communications and visual design background, Chris is particularly interested in how the theory of cognitive load might inform better learning design decisions. We talk about schemas, the power of seven plus-or-minus two, and why too much interactivity might actually be putting learners into the extraneous cognitive load zone. Chris also mentions a few things you should avoid using ...
That's Augmented Reality with Zappar!
October 14, 2020 16:36 - 21 minutes - 19.6 MBInstructional designer Mike Peacock joins me to discuss the ways his company has used augmented reality as both a marketing and training tool. We geek out about audio production, Zappar's new AR headset, the ZapBox, and the challenge of learning development applications like Unity. Mike also shares his personal philosophy to "focus on the art of possibility" and how that applies to trying out new things, including new technologies. You can connect with Mike on LinkedIn.
That's An Awesome Career Transition!
October 07, 2020 14:00 - 18 minutes - 17.5 MBThe multi-talented Cheryl Cooper joins me to talk about her transition from a career in chemical engineering to learning and development. She shares the many lessons she learned over the course of her transition and offers advice to others who may be interested in a career as an instructional designer or eLearning developer. We also chat about how generous and awesome the L&D/ID community is on LinkedIn and the value of helping out those who may be coming up after you by sharing knowledge an...
That's The eLearning Designer's Handbook!
September 30, 2020 14:00 - 15 minutes - 14.2 MBInstructional designer and author Tim Slade joins me to talk about the new release of his book "The eLearning Designer's Handbook". He graciously allows me to fangirl over the layout, design, and content of this book because I think it's just so neat. He also explains the inspiration for the book and gives advice on how to make eLearning that feels more like a learning event than a training. Finally, he shares his last minute idea to create companion notebooks to go along with the handbook s...
That's Designerly Thinking!
September 23, 2020 14:00 - 16 minutes - 15.6 MBInstructional designer Elisabeth Huber discusses the concept of designerly thinking as a key trait that instructional designers should possess. I had never heard the term before, so naturally I was intrigued. She talks how she came across the term in her graduate studies and fell down the research rabbit hole to learn more. We also chat a little bit about our respective instructional design grad school experiences so far and ask the important question, "Where are all the e-Learning examples ...
That's the Association for Talent Development (ATD)!
September 14, 2020 14:00 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBSenior instructional designer Samuel Apata joins me to talk about the Association for Talent Development, a.k.a ATD, a talent development organization that offers courses, trainings, seminars and more to L&D professionals. Not only is Samuel a member, he is also the Vice President of Marketing of the Dallas/Fort Worth chapter. We talk about the benefits of joining an organization like ATD, and the benefits of continuous development in general, whether that be by attending learning conferenc...
That's GoDesignSomething.co!
September 07, 2020 14:00 - 13 minutes - 12.9 MBInstructional designer Veronica Celina Dominguez joins me to discuss the genius simplicity of GoDesignSomething.co, a website that contains endless project ideas for instructional designers. She walks listeners through how to use the site as a jumping off point for creating professional portfolio pieces, or as a way for people who are curious about ID to get their feet wet. We also discuss different thought leaders in instructional design, including Cara North, Alexander Salas, and Nyla Spoo...
That's the SOFLA Framework!
August 31, 2020 14:43 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBInstructional Media Designer and former TESOL instructor Sharon Tjaden-Glass joins me to discuss the SOFLA framework for virtual flipped learning. SOFLA (Synchronous Online Flipped Learning Approach) is an 8-step framework that guide instructors in the creation of virtual learning experiences that replicate some of the benefits of the flipped classroom model and was developed by Helaine W. Marshall and Ilka Kostka, PhD. You can learn more about the SOFLA framework here. You can connect w...
Sharon Tjaden-Glass Talks About Using the SOFLA Framework for Virtual Flipped Learning
August 31, 2020 14:43 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBInstructional Media Designer and former TESOL instructor Sharon Tjaden-Glass joins me to discuss the SOFLA framework for virtual flipped learning. SOFLA (Synchronous Online Flipped Learning Approach) is an 8-step framework that guide instructors in the creation of virtual learning experiences that replicate some of the benefits of the flipped classroom model and was developed by Helaine W. Marshall and Ilka Kostka, PhD. You can learn more about the SOFLA framework here. You can connect w...
Erica Zimmer Talks About Building a Professional Portfolio with eLearning Launch
August 24, 2020 14:00 - 8 minutes - 8.14 MBEd tech coach and instructional designer Erica Zimmer joins me to talk about eLearning Launch, an online instructional design academy started by Alexander Salas. We talk about Alex's supreme hustle skills, his teaching style, and the ways in which his courses differ from other self-paced courses out there. Check out eLearning Launch at www.elearninglaunch.com. You can also follow eLearning Launch on LinkedIn. Find Erica's podcast The Learning Journal - From Teach to LXD wherever you liste...
That's eLearningLaunch.com!
August 24, 2020 14:00 - 8 minutes - 8.14 MBEd tech coach and instructional designer Erica Zimmer joins me to talk about eLearning Launch, an online instructional design academy started by Alexander Salas. We talk about Alex's supreme hustle skills, his teaching style, and the ways in which his courses differ from other self-paced courses out there. Check out eLearning Launch at www.elearninglaunch.com. You can also follow eLearning Launch on LinkedIn. Find Erica's podcast The Learning Journal - From Teach to LXD wherever you liste...