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“To begin is easy, to persist is art”
― German Proverb
You might spot a little twist in this week’s newsletter format. With a jam-packed fall of teaching, speaking, and writing, I’m tweaking things to make my newsletter routine a tad smoother. My hope? To save some precious time on my end and deliver an even more curated experience for you. Imagine sifting through hundreds of sources and now getting only the best of the best! Dive in and share your thoughts. Do you love it, like it, or feel meh about it? Any suggestions for a sprinkle of extra magic? Hit ‘Reply’ and let me know! 😊
Thanks for reading!
🎶 What I’m Listening To
If you’re been around here long, you know I’m an 80’s kid. Nothing says 80’s to me more than Tears for Fears which I’m spinning today with a big smile on my face.
👆 Last Week’s Most Clicked
📰 News & Notes
Focus on the ‘Learning’ of MicroLearning
This post from the Learning Scientists blog by Dr. Nidhi Sachdeva delves into the concept of “microlearning.” Coined in 2002, microlearning refers to shorter learning sessions compared to traditional teaching. While the exact duration of a microlearning session remains debated, its defining characteristic is its brevity. However, the term has become somewhat ambiguous in literature. Dr. Sachdeva introduces a new term, “MicroLearning,” emphasizing lessons designed with evidence-based principles. These lessons should focus on limited content to avoid cognitive overload. She proposes six principles for creating MicroLearning content: valuable content, clear instructional purpose, appropriate length and structure, timing, format, and interactivity. The aim is to bridge the gap between the science of learning and the application of microlearning in formal educational settings.
🎯 Take away: “In sum, the length and structure of a microlesson should be informed by cognitive load theory and not by time frame.”
Automating Creativity
Ethan Mollick delves into the world of AI and creativity, revealing that AI isn’t just about logic—it’s a budding creative genius! Through various studies, it’s clear that AI can whip up innovative ideas that often outshine human efforts. Yet, our most imaginative minds still have the upper hand. When guiding AI, you don’t need fancy prompts; simple ones do the trick. And if you’re looking for a sprinkle of originality, set some constraints. At its core, AI’s brilliance lies in its knack for recombining existing ideas, acting as a bridge between seemingly unrelated concepts. Read this to learn more about AI’s practical prowess in idea generation.
🎯 Take away: There is now strong evidence that AI can help make us more innovative.
Creating Better Video For Learning: Processing Instructional Video
Patti Shank delves into the art of crafting effective instructional videos. She emphasizes that while many often overlook or skim through these videos, active mental engagement is crucial for genuine learning. By incorporating design elements like freeze-framing and zooming, and principles such as signaling, we can guide viewers’ attention. Shank champions embedding thought-provoking questions within videos to foster deeper engagement and comprehension. Leveraging interactive tools and crafting well-framed questions can amplify this effect. Ultimately, the essence lies in facilitating mental processing, using enhanced visuals, and adhering to Mayer’s principles to ensure viewers not only watch but truly grasp the content.
🎯 Take away: Patti Shank underscores the power of intentional design and interactive questions in instructional videos to transform passive viewing into active learning.
Visit and subscribe to the Neovation Learning Hub for free eLearning resources – L&D superpowers that you can use to improve your eLearning initiatives and help you be more creative, productive, and valuable to your L&D team!
Get smarter in 5 minutes with Morning Brew (it’s free)
There’s a reason over 4 million people start their day with Morning Brew – the daily email that delivers the latest news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. Business news doesn’t have to be boring…make your mornings more enjoyable, for free.
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🧰 Tech Tools & Tips
If tools are your jam, check out my new Work Smarter newsletter.
Transhumans
Transhumans: Free & Open Source Illustrations from Pablo Stanley. Under the CC0 license, these are yours to play with (PSD, PNG & SVG)
pablostanley.gumroad.com/l/transhumans
Play.ht
These AI Voice Generators are getting really good! With 600+ AI voices, play.ht converts text to audio that you can download as MP3 & WAV files.
Start every learning project off right with a Learning Environment Analysis (LEA), a powerful framework for uncovering learners’ problems, constraints, and needs to prescribe the right solution. This comprehensive guide introduces the LEA and the specific tools to use at each stage, from learner discovery to analyzing findings.
Download the LEA Guide »
🎧 Podcast
This conversation caught my ear this week. Check out previous episodes in the Friday Finds podcast playlist.
Embracing scenario-based learning
Scenario-based learning takes learners beyond a short-term memory check, instead challenging them to respond to real-life situations. But how do we make sure they’re effective? Christy Tucker talks about why scenario-based learning is effective and the characteristics of a great scenario
open.spotify.com/episode/2D7IxNCG6Z8aGrBcZlQflk?si=_dWo4BeySzKfHlz4U7loSw
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🧳 Where’s Mike?
- NASJE 2023, August 28 , Columbus, Ohio
- Central Ohio ATD Annual Conference, Sept 12, Columbus, Ohio
- CUNA Learning Live , October 16 San Antonio
If you or your event needs a speaker or workshop that is highly interactive and super practical we should talk.
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Mike Taylor 
Hi there,
If I had to point out exactly what you’ve done differently with the email, I couldn’t unless I pulled last week’s newsletter up. But I can say for sure it feels and looks cleaner.
As always, thanks for being my go-to curator for all things learnings,
Cim
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Thanks, Cim! I think that’s good 8-). Just a few less items in total to help keep it to the best of the best and a little bit quicker for me to publish. Hope you’re doing well
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