#IDIODC Instructional Designers In Offices Drinking Coffee

Training content can only help create true change if it can help everyone in your organization. There is a whole range of reasons and circumstances why learners might find content inaccessible or exclusive, and it can seem very daunting to try and solve accessibility and inclusivity for all possibilities. In this session of IDIODC, we’re talking with Sarah Mercier who has recently edited Design fo...

L&D teams face mounting pressure to prove engagement isn’t just a vanity metric. Join Becky Willis, learning strategist and co-founder of Tractus Learning, as she reveals how to transform engagement from abstract concept to measurable business driver. Discover practical frameworks for connecting learning maturity to engagement strategies, including how to leverage modern ecosystems that blend AI-d...

Tune in as 2025 LPI Learning Professional of the Year Susi Miller reveals how inaccessible learning content creates significant organizational risks, including compliance violations, talent exclusion, and reputational damage. Through her groundbreaking eLa1000 Accessibility Assessment initiative, Susi demonstrates how organizations that prioritize accessibility gain competitive advantages in emplo...

It's been almost 12 years since Experience API (xAPI) version 1.0 was released, and it’s still experiencing some growing pains. With so much potential yet still waiting to take the world by storm (or by SCORM?), xAPI seems much like many other Tweens. The fabulous Megan Torrance joins us for this episode of IDIODC to discuss where xAPI stands in 2025 and its future as it strives toward adulthood....

The goal of any L&D department is to influence and change behavior. And guess what? That’s the same goal of the marketing department. Marketers are great at grabbing attention and convincing people to carry out an action, and many of the strategies and tools they use can also help L&D teams improve the success of training programs. Tune in for a great conversation with Bianca Baumann, VP Learning...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is in the spotlight these days, and many L&D teams are exploring the role it can play in their development processes—and even in the learning content itself. The team at Welbee began incorporating AI into its dominKnow | ONE courses a year ago. Welbee provides courses and learning content focused on school staff well-being in the UK and US. Their use of AI has centered...

It’s time to dust off our trusty coffee mugs and get back on the mic! Instructional Designers In Office Drinking Coffee (IDIODC) is back, and we have a lot to discuss. In our first session this year, we’ll cover the top eLearning industry challenges in 2025 – some are new and trendy, while others are legacy and persistent. How can we tackle these challenges (if at all)? What are the consequences?...

We've all heard of Sales Enablement roles. But why is it that only sales teams get special attention enabling them to do their jobs better? Shouldn't we be enabling the entire organization? One might argue that traditional onboarding and training has that responsibility. But it's not quite the same. Enabling all departments to be successful and productive requires more than what traditional traini...

Have you asked yourself lately why you don't put a stronger focus on accessibility when creating eLearning content? Oh c'mon, you know you've made excuses why you "can't" do it. We all have at one time or another in our careers. I include myself in that. Here are just a few I'm sure you've used: "Yea, but nobody in our organization has a disability." "Yea, but nobody with a disability could do the...

Just because you have the skills to shoot and edit a video doesn't mean it's instructionally sound. This is why some videos are easier to learn from than others. And why that learning sticks. Watching video is a passive experience and therefore you might think there isn't much more to it than just making it more entertaining. Yea, you'd be wrong. Dr. Patti Shank joins us to discuss some of the men...

AI is the hottest topic in L&D since Learning2.0. It's even hotter than Virtual Reality. Why? Because it's something everyone can use and doesn't require additional hardware expenses.  And more importantly, when used creatively, AI apps can supercharge your individual productivity. But if you're a manager/director of an L&D or Training department, you need to build your knowledge of these tools as...

Nonprofit organizations need training too. Just like the for-profit enterprise, a nonprofit has learning needs. Some of that learning is unique to the nonprofit world. And just like SMBs and large enterprises, nonprofits come in all sizes. And as these organizations scale up, so do their training needs. If you're an L&D professional you may have considered working for, or consulting with, a nonpro...

Artificial Intelligence is the hottest thing since the internet. And it's the fastest growing, and fastest changing technology in human history. The businesses that survive will be those that can quickly adapt and incorporate these changes with minimal business disruption. Learning and Development will play a critical role in the future of this augmented enterprise. With AI changing the business l...

Oops! I tripped on a lego, and got back up as an accidental instructional designer. HA! Okay, maybe not that type of accident. But there aren't that many of us that grew up always wanting to be an ID. The reality of our workforce is that we're the island of misfit corporate professionals, and former school teachers. This is also the story of today's guest. And she also wrote the book on becoming a...

Is your company, or department, growing and needing to upgrade the training systems you've outgrown? Or maybe you're just curious about the future of your career in L&D or corporate training? Perhaps you just like to stay informed about the training industry for other reasons. Digital technology has been changing our industry for over 50 years. Keeping up is not easy, but IDIODC is here to help. C...

The 5 Moments of Need exist in every department of every enterprise, and requires a strong and efficient learning ecosystem. Both formal and informal learning solutions support each of the moments in different ways. When you need to learn NEW stuff or MORE stuff, those are the first 2 moments of need and probably the most obvious. But there is also APPLY, CHANGE, and SOLVE. These are moments that...

As your career progresses you will be asked to be a speaker, or deliver a presentation, more and more. And it doesn't matter if you enjoy it or not, your thoughts and ideas will need to be communicated to others if you expect to succeed in your career. Working from home, virtual meetings and training sessions, have become the norm. Just because you can open up the zoom app doesn't mean you're good...

Learning and Development leaders and their teams support many different stakeholders. But all of these stakeholders play an important role in the success of each enterprise. If our job is to help them improve their performance than we must learn to become better advisors to those lines of business. Jess Almlie joins us to talk about becoming a trusted business advisor. For Jess, this is key in doi...

Industry research is an important part of advancing our profession. Did you know that, sometimes, researchers discover interesting trends that don't make the final edit of a report? Obviously, if it was industry changing findings it wouldn't hit the cutting room floor. But even the stuff you never read about can very interesting and helpful in your career growth. We've been looking forward to havi...

Data literacy is not something traditionally taught to training teams, but leveraging data for decision-making is critical in today's workplace. But just counting butts-in-seats doesn't cut it. It's necessary to interpret the business data you are expecting to impact with your training solutions. But that's often easier said than done. Especially if you're new to the world of training and developm...

When you hear about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, how often do you associate them with accessibility? Probably not immediately, right? But when you see it, your brain says "of course"!   Accessibility conversations are often discussed as a separate initiative, when in reality, creating accessible learning content is exactly what DEI programs are all about. Perhaps we should add ano...

Are you tired of hearing the term "gamification"? Do you even hear it that much any more? Was it just a trend that has finally passed? These are all questions for the master of games for learning, Karl Kapp. He's a regular contributor to IDIODC and we want to know what happened... and what's next. Dr. Kapp is well a well-known professor at Bloomsburg University. Many of his students have become na...

Facilitation is about mastering how to deliver an engaging learning experience, all in the effort of improving workplace performance. Instructional designers work hard to do the same. But often times lack facilitation skills or the nuanced understanding of facilitating a learning experience. Let's connect these valuable skillsets and improve training experiences for everyone. In our current digita...

Telling stories is a tried and true method for helping people learn. You've probably studied the traditional story arc, and the hero's journey, but have you ever tried the Sabido Method? Have you heard about it? Yea, I haven't either. The Sabido Method has a few steps in the process: Formative Research Policy Framework The Values Grid Writing and Production Monitoring Audience Feedback Impact Eval...

Colors, fonts, images, shapes, white space, and so much more. Our work as instructional designers requires a significant understanding of digital visual design. Even if you're "just an instructional designer" and hand your work over to a "developer", there are still many basics of digital design that make us all better at the work we do. As we've learned from past episodes on topics such as transl...