Megan Torrance

Really good article! I can't share it publicly, but I think I'm safe in noting a few of the most in-demand instructional designer competencies. Should come as no surprise because they align with the IBSTPI framework. I encourage you to check your library for this paper. It divides the study participants into three factors, so the answers depended on which factor (designer personality) they most identified with. Basically, these skills surfaced in the positive (demand) column. There were many in the negative and neutral columns as well: Communication (all forms) Needs assessment development Selecting an appropriate ID process Developing instructional materials Project Management Designing assessments Organizing programs Revising instructional solutions

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There are certain types of phrases that can trigger an instructional designer. Learning styles, using “understand” in learning objectives, cognitive overload, last minute stakeholder changes, and more are enough to drive the best instructional designer crazy. Over the years, I’ve had to channel these grievances into more productive ways with sharing best practices. But even now, there are still some things that pop up where I shake my head and pray for divine intervention. So, come commiserate with me as we talk about my top three instructional design pet peeves. I'd also love to hear your thoughts! What are your instructional design pet peeves?

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AI and ID

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Gap analysis is a crucial process for instructional designers. This article explores the different uses for gap analysis. #WeAreTrainingPros #GapAnalysis #instructionaldesign

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New on The eLearning Coach podcast. Do you know why you need a quality management program? https://lnkd.in/eQA5p5tb Hadiya Nuriddin explains how to get started and why quality management will get your team the respect it deserves.

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How do you balance the need for thorough needs analysis with limited time and resources? It’s not uncommon for stakeholders to request a specific solution that doesn’t fully address their underlying needs. As an instructional designer, I sometimes encounter situations where stakeholders initially ask for an eLearning module, but upon deeper exploration, it becomes clear that this solution may only address a symptom rather than the core issue. Often, stakeholders are trying to resolve an adjacent symptom—such as insufficient knowledge retention or inconsistent performance—while the true challenge lies within broader systemic factors like workflow inefficiencies, management practices, or organizational culture. Identifying the root cause is essential for developing interventions that deliver sustained impact and align with strategic goals. In cases like this, conducting a thorough needs analysis helps ensure that solutions are both effective and directly relevant to the organization’s unique challenges. However, there’s rarely enough time to conduct a full needs analysis. How do you balance the need for thorough needs analysis with limited time and resources? I’d be interested to hear how others approach this common challenge in instructional design and organizational development!

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"Body Talk: Mastering Presentation Impact through Nonverbal Communication" As an instructional designer and facilitation expert, I've spent years seeking effective ways to engage audiences during presentations. Through extensive testing and refinement, I've developed this list to empower you with the skills to maximize your impact through nonverbal communication. 1. Maintain Eye Contact for Trust: It shows confidence and sincerity, fostering trust and engagement. 2. Stand Tall with Purposeful Gestures: It conveys confidence and authority. 3. Express Sincerity with Facial Cues: Smile genuinely, use facial expressions to match your message, and show enthusiasm for your topic. 4. Utilize Space Effectively: Move around purposefully and use the stage or your virtual space to command attention. 5. Match Body Language to Tone: Whether it's energetic, empathetic, or serious, let your gestures and posture reflect the tone. Mastering these practices will help you captivate your audience and deliver memorable presentations every time. #bodylanguage #presentationskills #presentation

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This is going to be a fun workshop. It is not a webinar you will actually work through the process of adding AI into your L&D workflows. AI is never the goal. It helps us to reach our organizational and team goals.

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Understanding by Design by Wiggins and McTighe: Two of their biggest contributions are: The "backwards design" instructional design model The "Six Facets of Understanding" Six Facets of Understanding explain provide thorough and justifiable accounts of phenomena, facts, and data interpret — tell meaningful stories, offer apt translations, provide a revealing historical or personal dimension to ideas and events; make subjects personal or accessible through images, anecdotes, analogies, and models apply — effectively use and adapt what they know in diverse contexts have perspective — see and hear points of view through critical eyes and ears; see the big picture empathize — find value in what others might find odd, alien, or implausible; perceive sensitively on the basis of prior indirect experience have self-knowledge — perceive the personal style, prejudices, projections, and habits of mind that both shape and impede our own understanding; they are aware of what they do not understand and why understanding is so hard Backwards Design The backwards design model centers on the idea that the design process should begin with identifying the desired results and then "work backwards" to develop instruction rather than the traditional approach which is to define what topics need to be covered. Their framework identifies three main stages: Stage 1: Identify desired outcomes and results. Stage 2: Determine what constitutes acceptable evidence of competency in the outcomes and results (assessment). Stage 3: Plan instructional strategies and learning experiences that bring students to these competency levels. Stage 1. Identify Desired Results In other instructional design models this is known as defining goals and objectives. Wiggins and McTighe ask instructors to consider not only the course goals and objectives, but the learning that should endure over the long term. Stage 2. Determine what constitutes acceptable evidence of competency in the outcomes and results (assessment). The second stage in the design process is to define what forms of assessment will demonstrate that the student acquired the knowledge, understanding, and skill to answer the questions. Wiggins and McTighe define three types of assessment: 1.   Performance Task— The performance task is at the heart of the learning. A performance task is meant to be a real-world challenge in the thoughtful and effective use of knowledge and skill— an authentic test of understanding, in context. 2.   Criteria Referenced Assessment (quizzes, test, prompts) These provide instructor and student with feedback on how well the facts and concepts are being understood. 3.   Unprompted Assessment and Self-Assessment (observations, dialogues, etc.). Stage 3. Plan Learning Experience and Instruction In this stage it is determined what sequence of teaching and learning experiences will equip students to develop and demonstrate the desired understanding. 

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Well, I found a new challenge! Can I explain instructional design concepts in under 60 seconds? The goal is to cut through the fluff and give a simple answer. Check out my first video in this series with ADDIE in 60 seconds. What topic would you like me to try next? #instructionaldesign

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I always like uncovering new tools that merge well with Storyline! But sometimes a simple and reliable tool, like PowerPoint, can act as the perfect bridge for getting started with eLearning development. And next week, my team is going live to help you learn how to utilize this tool to its fullest potential. Join my team on Thursday, June 27th at 10 AM PDT, where they’ll walk you through building an interactive PowerPoint prototype that you can easily transfer into Storyline. At the event, you’ll get to vote on one of the 3 projects from this week's YouTube video (link in the comments) and the winning project will be built in real time so you can follow along. You'll get to practice using key PowerPoint functions, effects, and transitions that will easily integrate with your eLearning projects (especially when using more complex authoring tools like Storyline). Come join the team and the larger ID community for this interactive PowerPoint workshop! Seats are limited so register with the link in the comments. And be sure to register before Thursday so we can send you the project assets before the workshop begins, You won’t want to miss it! #LinkedInWithDevlin #InstructionalDesign #Learning #LearningAndDevelopment #eLearning

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In the fall of 2015, I had a wild idea to pick up the xAPI adoption effort started by ADL with a tiny hand-picked group of 35 people. The xAPI Learning Cohort, led by the Learning Guild since 2022, has grown in numbers, strength and influence over the years. 9 years 18 Cohorts 20 xAPI Parties (we had a few extra parties that first year … it was fun!) (xAPI Party is the end-of-Cohort show-and-tell mini-conference) ~10k people enrolled So many projects Countless connections New skills New jobs ... heck, new job titles that didn't exist before! New businesses _____ And, exciting as xAPI is ... it is the data standard by which we report on something else that’s happening. The projects made in the Cohort have all been xAPI + Something Else. xAPI + Storyline xAPI + Video xAPI + Alexa xAPI + Slack xAPI + Alchemer xAPI + Unity xAPI + VR And a few of you are already working on xAPI + AI in conjunction with our team. I've been nurturing the seed of an idea and now seems the right time to do it. While the exact details are still being worked out—including a new name that broadens the scope beyond xAPI—we’re looking forward to continuing the tradition with fresh ideas and new opportunities for involvement. Interested in being part of all of this? Whether you want to participate, help shape its future, or just stay in the loop, let us know here: https://lnkd.in/g9rm_pXQ We'd love to have you along on the journey! How about we start by having a Party? Mark your calendar for Dec 13. Online and in-person Ann Arbor, MI. Details to come. #xAPICohort #AppliedLearningTechnology #LearningEngineering #LearningTech #EdTech

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Corrective feedback is key to improving both learning outcomes and course design. In eLearning, where instructors and learners are often physically distant, providing timely and effective feedback ensures that learners can address gaps and fully benefit from the content. It’s not just about fixing mistakes—it’s about driving continuous improvement for both learners and designers. #eLearning #InstructionalDesign #CorrectiveFeedback #LearnerSuccess #ContinuousImprovement Enroll in Instructional Design for ELearning program today and embark on a journey to reshape your career as an instructional designer. https://lnkd.in/erZT7T-c

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As instructional designers, we are a curious bunch who are continually learning and growing. This month, something I’m working on is agile project management. Agile project management looks different than projects that are predictive and fully planned out in advance for one big release. Agile focuses on iterative review and delivery so we continuously provide value. I've been managing the development of an internal digital product at CSG, and using what I've learned about agile project management along the way. Azure DevOps makes our features and stories visible as we work in iterations. Regular demos and creating content in batches are also part of our process. David McLachlan's project management videos have been the best resource for this, and they are free on YouTube! How about you…learning anything new? #TransitioningTeachers #CareerDevelopment #ProfessionalDevelopment #ProjectManagement #InstructionalDesign Image Description: A photo of a woman reading a book on an outdoor staircase, next to text that says “What I Learned This Month”

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