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“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.”
— Seneca
Happy National Coffee Day! Whether you’re here in the US, sipping on a complimentary cup from various coffee brewers, or elsewhere, where the brew might not be on the house, today is a celebration of all things coffee. While you may not get it free, take solace in the fact that your steaming mug is more than just a pick-me-up—it’s a health booster too. moderate coffee intake—about 2–5 cups a day—is linked to a lower likelihood of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver and endometrial cancers, Parkinson’s disease, and depression. So here’s to you, raising my mug in a caffeinated salute.
Thanks for reading!
🎶 What I’m Listening To
The Hails is yet another one that I’d never have found without Spotify. Joust right for a fall Friday morning, don’t you think?
👆 Last Week’s Most Clicked
The “secret sauce” behind the world’s most popular online course
📰 News & Notes
Speak to the Primal Brain
This post is for Learning and Development (L&D) professionals, urging them to borrow strategies from marketing to engage the primal brain. Drawing on Daniel Kahneman’s Dual Processing Theory, I argue for a shift from mere knowledge acquisition to catalyzing behavioral change. Among other things, we should strive to engage the primal brain, or System 1, to drive real-world action. It’s not just about “learning and remembering”; it’s about understanding and acting, a paradigm shift that promises to upgrade the future of L&D.
🎯 Take away: To revolutionize your L&D results, speak to the primal brain—bridging the gap between knowledge and action.
Learning Design for the AI Age
In her keynote, Professor Maireád Pratschke dives into the transformative impact of AI on learning design and digital education. She emphasizes the need for a pedagogically sound approach amidst the rapid tech advancements, highlighting the shift from digital to synthetic media and the rise of AI tutors. Pratschke also discusses the ethical considerations and the importance of equitable access to AI resources. She calls for a rethinking of traditional assessment methods, urging educators to focus on learning as a process rather than a mere output. The talk serves as a comprehensive guide for navigating the educational landscape in the AI age, urging educators to be proactive rather than reactive to technological changes.
🎯 Take away: Professor Pratschke urges educators to proactively integrate ethical and pedagogically sound AI technologies into learning design, emphasizing a shift from viewing education as a static output to a dynamic, ongoing process.
Videos as Instructional Content: User Behaviors and UX Guidelines
In the realm of digital learning, Nielsen Norman Group’s study underscores the nuanced ways people interact with instructional videos. The research reveals a spectrum of user preferences, from those who favor text to those who opt for video, often influenced by the complexity of the topic and individual motivation levels. The study advocates for a balanced approach, offering both text and video options, while also emphasizing the importance of strategic video placement and structure to enhance user engagement and comprehension.
🎯 Take away: Instructional videos are not a one-size-fits-all solution; they must be thoughtfully integrated with text and strategically placed to cater to diverse learning preferences.
Join other Learning & Development pros and subscribe to Neovation’s Learning Hub for free! You’ll receive fresh insights about instructional design, learning analytics, online training concepts, and using AI for eLearning development delivered directly to your inbox.
🧰 Tech Tools & Tips
If tools are your jam, check out my new Work Smarter newsletter.
Elicit: AI Research Assistant
Automate time-consuming research tasks like summarizing papers, extracting data, and synthesizing your findings.
Jitter: Fast & simple motion design
Create professional animated content with Jitter. Use it to design on-brand animated UIs, videos, social media posts, websites, apps, logos and more. Sign up for free.
Unlock the future of learning at Learnapalooza, (Online & Seattle), Oct 6th! Dive into sessions with Jimbo & Brandon Clark, explore AI, DEIB & more. Exclusive 30% discount for subscribers of this newsletter: Use code “L8MT”. Register now & connect early via our app! 👉 Learnapalooza8.com“
🎧 Podcast
This is the conversation that caught my ear this week. Check out previous episodes in the Friday Finds podcast playlist.
Prompt and Process with Ethan Mollick
Optimize your ChatGPT interactions with insights from AI expert Ethan Mollick, as he discusses the future of AI and its impact on work and education.
🧳 Where’s Mike?
- CUNA Learning Live , October 16 San Antonio
- Learning Rebels Learn Something New (Curation Workshop), October 18, Online
If you or your event needs a speaker or workshop that is highly interactive and super practical we should talk.
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How to Create a Course Outline
To create an effective course that learners will enjoy, you first need to work out the roadmap. It should be a crystal clear route that the learner will follow to arrive at the training goal. The course outline is this roadmap.
Read this comprehensive article to learn:
- What a course outline is
- What must be included in the outline
- How to create a course outline step by step
- Tips for creating an effective outline
And download this course outline template that you can customize for your eLearning project:
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Friday Finds is an independent publication that I produce in my free time. You can support my work by sharing it with the world, booking an advertising spot, or by buying me a coffee.
Mike Taylor 