Finally I was certified as an Adobe Captivate (2019) Specialist. And so, it was time for the Adobe Learning Summit and the opportunity to hear from industry experts, take time to reflect on my experiences and celebrate in a city that’s built for fun.

Adobe Learning Summit

The Adobe Learning Summit is a complimentary event that I was automatically register for when I signed up for the certification training. For me, this was an exciting next step because it potentially meant there was a community of professionals who I could get to know, learn from and share with. I hadn’t had such an opportunity for quite some time and I missed it very much.

The Summit, like the certification training, was held at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. But, on the day of the conference it was clear that people were in much higher spirits. Those who had successfully completed the training the day before could now pick up their framed certificate and have a professional photograph taken with it. It was fun to see a few office teams smiling and laughing in group photo sessions. They’d rolled a professional development day and team building activity all into one.

I’d preregistered for my sessions using the Adobe Summit app that I’d downloaded earlier. And, unusual for me, I stuck with what I’d selected as I went through the day. Sessions included product demonstrations of Adobe Prime, presentations on specific features of Captivate 2019 (such as the 360 degree slide capabilities) and presentations on eLearning strategies and best practices. All in all, there was a lot to choose from.

One session that stood out to me was a presentation about the on-boarding strategies used by Adobe itself. The organization is quite large so new employee intake functions on an equally large scale. Using Adobe Connect, the company welcomes their employees online but in a personal way by engaging them with questions, discussions and activities. One of the presenters stated that for her, engagement at the on-boarding phase includes being aware that people are probably “multi screening.” With this in mind they develop strategies for the on-boarding sessions to keep the new employee’s “hands on the keyboard”.

Some reflections

By this point, I’d completed about 30-hours of online pre-training, a full day of face-to-face training, a certification exam and the better part of an eLearning conference. Reflecting on my experience, it was clear that Adobe has an excellent software, a team of dedicated experts and a desire to bring eLearning to the next level. As a certified specialist, I was excited to officially be a part of it all.

My hope is that their innovation, passion and dedication continues to enrich the Adobe Captivate Certified Specialist course. The certification training is excellent but it would have been wonderful if it included, for example, an Adobe Connect event to on-board the learner cohort. As well, the pre-training videos would have benefited from the innovative learning capabilities inherent in Captivate and Prime, such as knowledge checks, learning interactions and gamification. Perhaps these learning strategies and best practices could enrich the face-to-face training as well. Indeed, the certification course is an opportunity for Adobe to showcase all that is possible with their eLearning products. With the creative team that Adobe has in their ranks, perhaps these possibilities are already in the works and I feel excited about what might be on the horizon for their certification program.

Celebration

The Learning Summit came to a close and it was time to relax and celebrate. For myself, I enjoyed a quick dinner and then headed to the Adobe poolside party on the rooftop of the Hard Rock Hotel. When we arrived, a light punch was offered and tasty appetizers. An incredible live band was playing and we all chatted and swayed to the music (pictured). There were smiles all around as the sun set and the palm trees became silhouettes. Unbelievably, the hour finally came when I had to head to the airport. I grabbed a taxi and before I knew it I was heading northeast, to cooler temperatures, and to my home. What an adventure it had been.

Tips from the road

• As there are many great sessions to choose from at the Adobe Summit consider coming with colleagues, splitting up and sharing what’s been learned later on.
• Use the event app to select your sessions. It helps you stay on track and know where to go (it includes a venue floor plan).
• Be sure to stick around and take in the evening reception. It caps off the event and it’s a perfect venue to meet new people.