The Importance of Testing in Instructional Design
While many people truly enjoy learning something new, most people dread having to take a test that measures how much they just learned. So why do we keep forcing people to take exams? This blog has covered testing in the past. The testing industry abounds, from state-mandated aptitude exams, to the college-entrance SAT and ACT, to […]
What Pokémon GO Can Teach Learning and Development Professionals
You certainly wouldn’t want employees spending time during the work day trying to find Pikachu in the break room, but the game’s popularity can provide insights into the future of workplace learning and development. Last week, comScore, a research firm that measures Internet usage and statistics, released some interesting though not surprising findings: smartphone and […]
The UX of Learning
User experience (UX) isn’t just the responsibility of the marketing department. Apply UX principles to your learning modules, and your learners — who are your internal customers — will take notice and be much more engaged. Heck, they might even be impressed. Half the challenge facing L&D leaders nowadays is figuring out what training employees […]
Crushing the ‘Forgetting Curve’
Learner retention is perhaps the most important metric to measure the success of L&D initiatives. However, as we’ve covered in this blog before, the vast majority — often as high as 90 percent — of new skills are lost within a year if not reinforced by practical follow-ups or assessments. A recent article in Chief Learning […]
A Magazine Evolves as a Profession Evolves
The Association for Talent Development (ATD)’s publication, TD magazine, recently celebrated its 70th birthday. But who knew that the publication had 6 previous names? Industrial Training News The Journal of Industrial Training Journal of the American Society of Training Directors Training Directors Journal Training and Development Journal T+D (Training and Development) TD (Talent Development) A […]
Can You Teach Employees to Think Critically?
In an ever-changing, ever more complex workplace, people need to be dynamic — adjusting procedures, chasing new opportunities, or finding solutions — often on a daily basis. As such, one of the most important skillsets employees need on the job today is the ability to see a problem before it’s even on the horizon, and to […]
L&D Will Be Responsible for the Survival of Organizations
As organizations fight to survive, their learning and development (L&D) teams will lead the way. This is a position taken in a recent blogpost by eLearning Industry columnist and Tata consultant Sahana Chattopadhyay. The war for talent will continue to increase, as companies struggle to identify, hire and retain individuals with high-demand skills. Ten years […]
The Softer Side of Goldman Sachs
The Wall Street Journal reported today that investment bank Goldman Sachs is shaking up the way it handles performance reviews for its 35,000+ employees. The firm has decided to do away with a company-wide grading system (where staff would each be rated on a scale of one to nine), and will soon incorporate an online […]
Pencils Down: Why Testing Still Matters
Sure, employees want to learn. But they dread having to take a test afterwards. Let’s face it: we live in a testing culture, and it’s not abating anytime soon. From high school students sweating through the SAT to exams qualifying employees for the Six Sigma Black Belt certification, testing will always be a part of […]
People Still Want to Learn from Others
We all love our devices and the always on nature of the Internet and apps, but experts agree: we need social interaction when we need to learn. A recent interview with L&D experts, published in Chief Learning Officer magazine, found that employees prefer to learn by observing, reaching out, and interacting with others. “That social […]
