Mon, 16 Jan 2023 14:50:34 +0000Captivate.fmThe Dr. Chris Showhttps://artwork.captivate.fm/0cf7bedd-6c4c-4034-86eb-407cbdb721a6/avatars-000671675906-w8o0tp-original.jpgThe Dr. Chris ShowThe Dr. Chris ShowThe Dr. Chris Show is a daily update filled with guidance and insight into instructional design & instructional technology. With luck, you will be able to make your own course development efforts be even more effective with what you'll learn here.https://DrChrisShow.comnoepisodichttps://feeds.captivate.fm/dr-chris-show/2019 - 11 - 01 - Get Thee To A Museumtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/714987592Mon, 18 Nov 2019 18:23:01 -050001:38nofullGet thee to an art museum! With all of this talk the past week about learning from photography I wanted to share an even more effective piece of advice when it comes to the increasing sill with regards to good design. Luckily it’s a simple one. Get thee to an art museum! I’m serious. Find some local art museums and actually put a visit on the calendar, bonus points if you can get your boss to approve an outing on company time, and another set of bonus points if you can move exceptionally slow through the museum by yourself. Our local museum currently has an exhibit on illustrator N.C. Wyeth. With Treasure Island being a favorite in our house I knew I needed to take my boys. And I’m going to be making a return trip solo soon. Because while Wyeth is quoted as saying “Painting [or fine art] and illustration cannot be mixed—one cannot merge from one into the other.” I completely disagree. Exploring the world of fine art can indeed help with improving our design efforts.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 31 - ISO Explainedtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/714984325Mon, 18 Nov 2019 18:15:14 -050002:45nofullISO Explained There was a bit of confusing and I received a few questions yesterday regarding ISO and what exactly it is and how it works. In this video, I delve a little deeper. ISO is easiest to visualize when we consider film photography. ISO literally refers to the size of the silver halide crystals that are on the plastic film. The smaller the crystals the smaller the ISO number and the larger the crystals the larger the ISO. So what effect does the size of the crystals have on the images? The larger crystals are more light-sensitive so they can absorb more light and need less light to produce a quality image, the smaller crystals need more light to produce the same image. The trade-off comes in the form of graininess in the image. The original “pixilation” if you will. Now grainy photos can be quite cool, especially if you’re aiming for spooky fall photos but not so cool when you’re trying to get technical details so the ISO choices will largely depend on what you’re trying to achieve in your photography. Generally speaking though the lower the ISO the better with regards to detail. In digital photography, we don’t swap out our light sensor for one that is more or less sensitive to light so what happens is the computer in the camera will computationally boost the values of the light hitting the sensor in low light situations or if the ISO is manually increased. The effect as anyone who’s taken a low light photo with a smartphone will notice is a grainy photo. Since the effect is almost exactly the same as in the film the name and paradigm work well in both instances.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 30 - The Exposure Triangletag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/714981091Mon, 18 Nov 2019 18:07:57 -050002:43nofullThe Exposure Triangle Photography and video are important components of instructional design. As we look at some of the things that photography can help us with regarding good visual design overall as well as good instructional design it would be a mistake not to share one of the more important photography concepts. This is the exposure triangle. We’ve all seen images that were overexposed and a bit too bright and images that were a bit underexposed or a bit dark. So today I wanted to discuss the three elements that make up the exposure triangle in photography. The first element is the shutter speed. This is literally the speed at which the shutter moves out of the way and lets light pass through to the film or these days to the light sensor. The slower the shutter speed the more light but also the more likely that images seem blurry due to movement. The second element is the aperture. The camera’s aperture works just like the pupil in our eyes, it opens and closes to let in more or less light. We discussed this a few days ago when we discussed the depth of field, the trade-off with light and the aperture has to do with the depth of field your image sill have. The third element is ISO. ISO can be a bit confusing but it refers to the light sensitivity of your film or the artificial light enhancement done in the computer part of your digital camera.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 29 - When In Doubt Simplifytag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/714976795Mon, 18 Nov 2019 17:59:01 -050000:55nofullAnother bit of photography composition advice that is useful for instructional design is the idea to simplify whenever possible. Remove as much as possible. This allows for focus on the subject, removes unnecessary elements to reduce cognitive load, and gives you a cleaner overall design.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 28 - Backgroundstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/714971414Mon, 18 Nov 2019 17:55:08 -050001:09nofullAnother important aspect of photography and composition has to do with backgrounds. Essentially the backgrounds in our visual work should not distract our learners. We should be focused on our subject and the backgrounds our images should be used to give context if necessary but we need to be aware of them and not forget to check for distracting or inappropriate items in the background of the media we make. This is also another good analogy for the instructional content. We should include useful background information that can give context but it should not distract our learners.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 27 - Depth Of Fieldtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/714965356Mon, 18 Nov 2019 17:44:50 -050002:06nofullToday I wanted to discuss an important photography and videography concept. Depth of field. I’ve been asked quite often about how to get the “blurry background” when photographing or recording video of a subject. In this video, I discuss the concept of depth of field. In essence, the depth of field is how “deep” the field of focus will be in an image. This is controlled primarily through adjusting the aperture. The larger the aperture (ironically the smaller the f-stop number) the more narrow the depth of field and the smaller the aperture (again larger f-stop number) the wider the depth of field will be.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 26 - Don't Cut Off Limbstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/714961837Mon, 18 Nov 2019 17:35:53 -050001:03nofullAs we explore the concepts and composition advice from photography that can help us in instructional design one less known one is the advice to not “cut off limbs” of photography subjects. The idea is to give context and not confuse the perspective of the viewer. An important visual concept to remember as we place images in our instructional materials this also works as an important metaphor as well. We should ensure that we give our content context as well so that our learners know where all of this sits.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 25 - Fill The Frametag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/714957148Mon, 18 Nov 2019 17:25:17 -050001:01nofullAs we explore some of the important things we can pull from photography to enhance our instructional design another tip from photography that can help with instructional design is the idea to “fill the frame” with your subject. This, of course, works visually as you should focus on your subject to direct attention and remove distraction but it also makes a good metaphor with regards to filling our content with our subject for much the same reason.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 24 - 180 Degree Ruletag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/714928354Mon, 18 Nov 2019 16:29:46 -050001:41nofullAs we continue to explore the ways we can gain insight from photography and video for use in instructional design I wanted to share the 180-degree rule. The easiest way I have been able to visualize this rule is to imagine a traditional stage for live theater. The actors can come right up to the edge and the audience can also go right up to the edge. But except in rare situations, the audience shouldn’t climb onto the stage and the actors shouldn’t come down off the stage. When filming or doing photography or illustrations for elearning it is important that we not confuse the audience with regards to perspective. If our two actors or characters are facing each other one on the right and the other on the left they should stay on their respective sides and we should be careful when changing our perspective that we don’t confuse the viewer by thinking our actors have traded positions.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 23 - Rule Of Thirdstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/714804859Mon, 18 Nov 2019 14:19:41 -050002:12nofullI was at a photography exhibit the other day and was reminded about how many of the concepts of good photography directly impact instructional design. Not only because photography is used in instructional design but because of the very often very visual nature of our work. While it is possible to have 100% life instruction with no physical materials or 100% audio materials more often than not we are going to have a visual element. So I wanted to explore a bit of what we can take from photography either directly or indirectly. Today the idea I wanted to share is the “Rule of Thirds” many cameras and most phones have the option to overly a “grid” over the screen to help in composing our photography. The one I find most valuable is the two vertical and two horizontal lines that break the image into six boxes. This helps us frame using the rule of thirds which states that if we place our main elements on those lines with an emphasis on the for cross points we will end up with a more appealing image and overall better composition. My recommendation today is turn on that grid if you don’t already and try to get in the habit of using it.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 22 - My Personal Conference Listtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/700594678Wed, 23 Oct 2019 15:41:07 -050002:52nofullWith all of the "cool kids" at DevLearn this week I wanted to take a moment to share my personal list of conferences in the area of Instructional Technology, Instructional Design, Distance Education and the like. The list has a good dose of K12, Higher Ed, and Industry so feel free to take a look. It's organized chronologically by month so if there are times that are a bit more free than others it's a good way to search. Smaller regional conferences are also great ones to check out as well for those of us who can't travel as much as we'd like. I'm sorry for my international friends the list is quite US Centric but I'd love suggestions for international conferences to add. It will be a few years before I'm able to get much international travel in but once I am able to travel more that is something I want to prioritize. Link to my list of conferences: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MLwLCXfD133NVpa4dJHBp48_GKCpaEoT4aFRpXbrEAI/edit?usp=sharingChristopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 21 - Leveraging The TPACK Modeltag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/699870892Tue, 22 Oct 2019 02:31:57 -050011:39nofullThe TPACK model is extremely valuable for Instructional Designers. It offers an excellent way to articulate what we bring to the table regarding education and training. And it can help shed some light on how the role of the ID can shift in different circumstances. The TPACK model represents a ven diagram of Technology knowledge, Pedagogical knowledge, And Content Knowledge. The magic, of course, is in the overlap. So it's not enough to know about technology and the content someone needs to understand how technology applies to the content area. It's not enough to understand pedagogy and the content one needs to understand how pedagogy can be leveraged to teach the specific content, and again with technology and pedagogy. Understanding how the technology works but not being able to apply it to help students learn is of little value. And of course in the center where all of the three domains where all of the integrated understanding can be applied to best help the leaners. One of the misunderstandings regarding the TPACK model is that one person needs to master all of these all of the time. Most of the time the core function of the instructional designers is to round out these necessary skills for our Content Knowledge expert. So while our subject matter expert may spend 15 or 20 years to become an expert in the content we should put just as much effort into understanding the technology and pedagogy so that we can be flexible enough to adapt to whatever they throw our way. The TPACK model also highlights were sensitivity is sometimes required when someone also perceives themselves to be an expert in more than just the content, and especially when they are an expert. A veteran teacher of 25 years may not need as much pedagogical support as we may be excited to offer. For more on the TPACK model be sure to visit https://TPACK.orgChristopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 20 - Helping Your Story Resonate By Keeping It Relatabletag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/699343180Mon, 21 Oct 2019 00:56:41 -050003:52nofullThere are several elements in storytelling that are important to consider when trying to make your story relatable with your learners. Conflict: Keep your conflict realistic, if your learners can't see themselves ever needing to rise to a similar challenge your story will seem out of touch. Characters: Your learners will need to see themselves in the main character of your story, and will need to see their coworkers and customers in the other characters you have. Learning about your learner's actual working environment can go a long way here. Setting: Similar to needing characters to be relatable the setting should be relatable as well. While it is possible to have your call center set on the moon having the call center set in your actual call center or one that looks quite similar, even if set on the moon, can go a long way. Language: The language, vocabulary, and communication style should match the actual working environment. This goes for both the level of jargon used in the environment, the tone, as well as the actual language. This is when having access to a quality translator can come in handy if you are not a fluent speaker in all of the languages your learners speak.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 19 - How To Create An Effective Story For Instructiontag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/699335803Mon, 21 Oct 2019 00:33:30 -050002:49nofullToday I have three solid tips to help you create a more effective story for instructional purposes. 1. Analyze the content: Telling a good story means having a good story to tell and having a package that is most compatible with the content. You can use anecdotes, historical narratives, case studies, scenarios, or even a good mystery to solve but you should ensure the format fits the content. 2. Grab learners’ attention: Classic storytelling hooks could include something surprising, interesting, a question, or a problem that can help keep your learners attention. 3. Stimulate your learner's imagination: A good story will engage the imagination either through creating an emotional connection or starting up your learner's problem-solving mindset. In either case, you will need to ensure that your learners care about the characters and the situation in your story.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 18 - Connecting The Six Elements Of Storytelling To Instructional Designtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/699331810Mon, 21 Oct 2019 00:18:36 -050003:09nofullThere are six elements of storytelling and they tie quite well into instructional design, which is probably why storytelling is such an effective instructional technique. 1. Setting: Where does the story take place? Often in our learner's performance context. 2. Characters: Our learner, or a surrogate, should most often be the main character. 3. Plot. What is the actual story? We should let the learning strategy form our plot. 4. Conflict: Whatever form our conflict or challenge takes it should directly be tied to the overall learning objectives. 5. Theme: The theme of the story is the main idea or underlying meaning and it should tie back to our performance objectives. 6. Narrative Arc: We covered a great deal of the narrative arch in previous videos when we discussed the hero's journey. The narrative arch is what keeps the story moving and keeps our learners engaged.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 17 - The Heros Journey Phase 10 Through 12tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/698031178Fri, 18 Oct 2019 01:36:46 -050009:33nofullAs we consider how much the learner's journey and the hero's journey overlap (which makes sense because our learners are the hero of our stories), how can we as instructional designers leverage what the hero's journey can tell us to better help our learners. Today I want to share how we can apply the three stages of the hero's journey that typically fit into Act 3 in a 3-Act structure. Those stages are: 10. The Road Back 11. Resurrection 12. Return with the Elixer The road back is the opposite of the "call to adventure" this is when our hero decides to go home and to use what they've learned there. The resurrection refers to the final battle the largest challenge where our hero comes the closest to death. And for our learners, this is most often applying what they've learned on the job. And finally "Returning with the Exlixer" is the final stage where our hero returns to their "normal life" but transformed in some way. And this is what we hope for out of our training programs. That our learners return to work having proven that they can apply what they have learned and then having that application just become part of their normal every day.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 16 - The Heros Journey Phase 5 Through 9tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/697453602Thu, 17 Oct 2019 02:12:01 -050012:57nofullAs we consider how much the learner's journey and the hero's journey overlap (which makes sense because our learners are the hero of our stories), how can we as instructional designers leverage what the hero's journey can tell us to better help our learners. Today I want to share how we can apply the five stages of the hero's journey that typically fit into Act 2 in a 3-Act structure. Those stages are: 5. Crossing the Threshold 6. Tests, Allies, & Enemies 7. Approaching the Innermost Cave 8. The Ordeal 9. The Reward or "Seizing the Sword" Crossing the threshold refers to when our hero, either willingly or being pushed commits to the adventure. And in our case, since our learner is our hero it is when they commit to our program. Tests, Allies, & Enemies refers to the array of escalating challenges to overcome that our hero is faced with. As instructional designers this can be interpreted as the sequencing and scaffolding we need to put into place to ensure that our hero has the proper cognitive struggle to ensure learning but is still able to meet the challenges. Approaching the innermost cave represents when our hero is faced with doubt regarding just how big the overall goal is. As instructional designers, we should anticipate this moment of doubt and build in clarity regarding our overall learning goals and offer support as our hero gets ready for the next phase in their journey. The "Ordeal" in the hero's journey refers to the "Supreme Ordeal" where everything is on the line and it often parallels the summative evaluation in a learning experience. While I'm no a fan of a "test" as a summative evaluation I do think that this analogy with the hero's journey works well. Our summative evaluation should indeed test our hero. Finally, act two concludes with the "reward" often referred to as "seizing the sword" and in this phase of the hero's journey, our hero is transformed. She has learned a secret knowledge, new insight, and has been transformed by obtaining some treasure. As instructional designers, we need to ensure that there truly is a treasure at the end of Act 2 for our learners. If we fail to attend to this critical stage in our hero's journey we miss the whole point of the journey.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 15 - The Heros Journey Phase 1 Through 4tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/696565819Wed, 16 Oct 2019 01:30:41 -050011:55nofullAs we consider how much the learner's journey and the hero's journey overlap (which makes sense because our learners are the hero of our stories), how can we as instructional designers leverage what the hero's journey can tell us to better help our learners. Today I want to share how we can apply the first four stages of the hero's journey. Those stages are: 1. The Ordinary World 2. The Call to Adventure 3. The Refusal of the Call 4. Meeting the Mentor In the first phase of the hero's journey, we see our soon to be hero in their ordinary world. This is where we learn about their true nature, their capabilities, and their overall outlook on life. The lesson for instructional design is that we should get to know our learners just as well. It doesn't matter how formal your learner analysis is but you need to learn about your leaner. The second phase of the hero's journey is the call to adventure where there is something that disrupts the status quo. This can be something dramatic or mundane but whatever it is the call to adventure highlights a challenge to be overcome. As instructional designers, this parallels the needs analysis quite well. We need to identify if there is even a call to adventure and if there is it needs to be presented in a way that the challenge to be overcome is clearly presented. The third phase of the hero's journey is the Refusal of the Call. I think this one is clear when it comes to training and development. This phase is where however eager our hero is to undertake the adventure there are still lingering fears or concerns that need addressing. We need to do our best to identify these fears. In the fourth phase of the hero's journey, the hero meets their mentor. In this phase, the mentor helps to dispel the fears, addresses any concerns, and gives the hero the tools and resources they need to begin. This is our responsibility as the learning professional in our learner's journey. We need to help to dispel their fears, address any concerns, and give our learners the tools and resources they need to begin. Tomorrow we'll continue with a few more of the 12 phases of the hero's journey and explore their parallel to the learner's journey and how we as learning professionals can apply this.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 14 - The 12 Steps To The Heros Journeytag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/695821312Tue, 15 Oct 2019 03:07:21 -050016:28nofullJoseph Campbell describes 12 steps in The Hero's Journey. And when we look at these steps we can see not only how they fit within the 3 act structure but also how they describe the typical learner's journey as well. The 12 steps are: 1. Ordinary World 2. Call To Adventure 3. Refusal Of The Call 4. Meeting The Mentor 5. Crossing The Threshold 6. Tests, Allies, Enemies 7. Approach To The Inmost Cave 8. Ordeal 9. Reward (Seizing The Sword) 10. The Road Back 11. Resurrection 12. Return With The Elixir These steps can be used to craft a good story, examine our own personal journey, and also to proactively build supports in place for our learners to anticipate their needs as they progress along a similar journey we call the leaner's journey. In the video, I walked through the steps using a Scrivener file that I use as a template from time to time. If you'd like a copy of the VERY BASIC template you can find it here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/u8hrzswr05pjnjw/AAAiNnM_9jzZx2joQb8mUEZLa?dl=0Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 13 - Three Act Structure Parallelstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/695327008Mon, 14 Oct 2019 02:30:50 -050003:23nofullWhen we take a closer look at the three-act structure it can be difficult not to see the parallels between it and a quality learning experience. Both start in Act I with an introduction to all of the characters, the setting, and any needed backstories. Both move onto Act II where our Hero starts to lean and apply there learning until they master the challenge before them. And both end with Act III with a Hero who has mastered the challenge and then returns home, hopefully, changed for the better. This parallel is so strong that I may have on more than one occasion broken courses up and labeled them Act I - Act II - Act III There is also a similar parallel between the Hero's Journey and the Learner's Journey. Which we will start to explore a bit in the coming days.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 12 - Comic Book As Instruction Exampletag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/694929664Sun, 13 Oct 2019 03:05:35 -050004:22nofullI've always loved comic books and graphic novels. In addition to being works of art, they can also be an effective instructional medium that can leverage storytelling and scenario really well. One great example of this is the comic "Radio an Illustrated Guide" by Ira Glass and Jessica Abel. In addition to teaching a bit about radio production and audio editing the comic also discusses good storytelling in audio. Unfortunately, the paper copy is out of print, there are some used ones on Amazon but you can get a digital copy for $2 from the This American Life website. https://store.thisamericanlife.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=RADIO%3AANILLUSTRATEDGUIDEPDF While I was pulling the comic off my shelves I also decided to share another book about the art of Instructional design that is out of print and I only share with those I think deserve it. NO link for that book but if you watch the video or listen to the podcast you'll get the name of the book so you can hunt for it on Amazon.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 11 - Storytelling As An Instructional Design Strategytag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/694523800Sat, 12 Oct 2019 02:08:45 -050009:03nofullStorytelling has been used to teach for as long as there has been language. We know this and we also know that human beings are natural storytellers. Yet there are still so many times as instructional designers when we find ourselves with an instructional goal our storytelling skills just can't be found. This highlights the importance of critically examining what makes a good story and practicing those skills. If we're going to support our learners along their learning journey it can help to understand what this type of journey entails. So my tip of the day is to review "The Hero's Journey" specifically by reading or watching "The Power of Myth" with Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers (which rumor has it can be found on Netflix).Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 10 - Operant Conditioning And Spaced Repetitiontag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/694071424Fri, 11 Oct 2019 03:05:50 -050002:30nofullTwo of the more practical learning theories are Operant Conditioning and Spaced Repetition. And when they are combined you can use what they teach us as a solid strategy for boosting learner engagement and retention in your instructional design work. The lesson from Spaced Repetition is that in order to retain information we need to review it periodically. When we learn something new we don't hold onto it forever instead we begin to slide down the "forgetting curve" and reviewing what we've learned before we lose too much can reduce the effects of that forgetting curve. One of the lessons from Operant Conditioning is that rewards work and that rewards at unpredictable intervals work wonders. This can offer instructional designers a useful strategy. Return to important information regularly but not too regularly so that the interval is a bit unpredictable and offer a reward when the information is remembered. In animal studies food was most often used so while a cookie is always an option human beings are a bit more flexible, positive feedback, encouragement, and recognition can also work wonders.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 09 - What Is Mind Mapping Anywaytag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/693540460Thu, 10 Oct 2019 01:44:05 -050006:55nofullYesterday I shared some recommendations regarding Mind Mapping software and received a few questions asking for some information about what exactly a mind map is and when or how you would use one. Today I wanted to jump in with a screencast of the Mind Node software I mentioned yesterday as we go a bit "meta" and use a Mind Map to explore what a Mind Map is and where it can help.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 08 - Mind Mapping Software Recommendationtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/693086638Wed, 09 Oct 2019 04:54:34 -050002:48nofullOne organizational technique I use often is that of Mind Mapping. A mind map is a visual way of breaking down ideas and concepts hierarchically. A mind map starts with a central idea or concept and then branching out from that central idea are the keywords that represent the different aspects of that central idea, and, and out until the concept is fully explored or you've run out of space on your paper. While I've done paper mind maps for years I have had great luck with using software to rapidly develop mind maps for a variety of purposes such as in project planning and especially in working through a task or concept analysis for instructional design projects. The two pieces of software that I have used and enjoyed are MindMeister and MindNode. MindMeister is a free cloud-based tool found here: https://www.mindmeister.com which has some excellent collaboration abilities. MindNode is a MacOS and iOS software that syncs between devices but doesn't really have the collaborative component the same way MindMeister does. It's also a bit pricy coming in at about $55 if you go all in. https://mindnode.com/ I'd encourage you to try your hand at mind mapping your current project or challenge. It's a lovely technique that can help get things organized.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 07 - Self - Confidence And A Supporting Belief Systemtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/692584486Tue, 08 Oct 2019 03:34:39 -050002:45nofullSelf Confidence, Self-Acceptance, and a Supporting Belief System. Now you may be asking yourself.. This seems like such a fundamental and foundational pillar of creativity why is it the last one we are talking about? I have a good reason. It can be easy to share platitudes. Believe in yourself. Really? For me believe often comes with success. It is my hope that by working through the homework for each of the other pillars will help you build that confidence. Self-acceptance comes with accepting where you are now. It doesn't matter if you are a skilled artist. What matters is that you acknowledge where you are on the continuum and move in the direction you want to go. Anyone can do anything and you can increase your creativity by believing in your potential enough to put in the effort regarding the 12 pillars of creativity. The supporting believe the system is that of a growth mindset. Your skills and your creativity can grow. I hope that you have discovered that through the exercises. It is not easy, it takes work, but it is very much worth the effort. And finally, self-confidence comes with practice and accomplishment.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 06 - Discovering Our Autonomy And Ability To Make Choicestag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/692073541Mon, 07 Oct 2019 03:08:14 -050009:45nofullIt is difficult to express your creativity in a project if you are unable to make any choices regarding how the project is done. Eventually in order to create something new you will need to leverage your own autonomy and make choices regarding your project. This is not to say you need a total lack of constraints or limits in order to be creative. Quite the opposite. Having a strong set of constraints and limits while still preserving the ability to make choices within those boundaries is where you can find your creativity jump. This pillar can be leveraged in two steps. The first is recognizing the areas of autonomy and the choices that we have. Over the course of the week watch for the areas within your work where you are making choices. Acknowledge those choices. There is often a layer of choices that we defer either by habit or avoidance. I found there was a tremendous amount of decisions I was deferring out of conflict avoidance as I was going through this exercise. Watch the choices you make each day for a few days. Especially the ones you make by default, habit, or out of avoidance. You don’t need to change the decisions you make, just acknowledge them as you make them. The second step is to critically review your choices one at a time. Now, this step takes some energy. Once you acknowledge the bounds you have and the freedom you have within the constraints of your work you will need to start to exercise some of those choices. If you are working on your own project this is significantly easier than if you are working at a job or for a client since you will need to do the work in a way that the client or boss will approve. If your decisions require approval, try, ask, and sometimes take a chance. That said if you are being micromanaged in your work and can’t afford to be fired, you may need to find another outlet for your creative energies. And if you are a boss with employees you would like to see be more creative you can’t micromanage them. They will need autonomy and the ability to make choices.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 05 - The Importance Of Motivation And Ambitiontag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/691632595Sun, 06 Oct 2019 01:40:46 -050010:16nofullQuite seriously it takes a lot of work to be creative. There is effort and as we learned earlier there is quite a bit of failure and the need for perseverance. In order to sustain this level of energy over the long term, you need to have the motivation to keep going and the ambition needed to focus on your improvement. There are times when external forces can work on our motivation, these external motivators can be money or obligation. Usually, for me the external motivation tends to be an obligation, obligation to my family mostly. Even the tasks from an external boss tend to filter through my need to be a provider for my family. Internal motivation is another important source of energy. The internal motivation can come from having a connection to your “strong purpose” from pillar two. It can also come from exploration and discovering the areas where you have that natural curiosity from pillar nine. Quite simply it is difficult to be creative if you do not want to be creative. if you're here then you have demonstrated in motivation and an ambition to be creative. Motivation though can ebb and flow in our lives. Over time our ambitions and goals can change. The key step to mastering this pillar of creativity is listening to your heart, connect to your larger goals, and remember to dream. Your homework is to dream what are your motivations and what is your honest ambition I suggest a vision board or a writing exercise that explores this question. Choose your medium and dream big. How far do you want to go?Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 04 - Freeing Your Curiosity By Raising Your Tolerance For Ambiguitytag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/691237993Sat, 05 Oct 2019 01:46:02 -050003:44nofullI am a firm believer that people are naturally curious. The area where you find yourself the most curious is generally the area where you are the most creative. But how can we increase our curiosity or even evaluate our curiosity? That is why I have the concept of a “Tolerance of Ambiguity” included. There are ways to increase our tolerance for ambiguity. For those most part, this involves a combination of looking at things from multiple perspectives as well as stepping into situations of uncertainty. Take a different path, explore, talk to a stranger. There are all things that you can do to help strengthen your tolerance for ambiguity and build your curiosity. We spoke earlier about the importance of routine. And this does not mean you should abandon routine for ambiguity but rather that you should plan in times to strengthen your tolerance and to explore the world. In many ways, creativity as a concept involves generating new ideas and crossing into new territory. For those without some experience sailing off the map as it were, this can be a difficult thing to do. It may seem easier and safer to stay in your comfort zone. Being able to step outside of your comfort zone with a minimal amount of discomfort can significantly improve your creative output. Learn to explore the world in as many ways as you can. Every time you find yourself saying or thinking “but what if I don’t like it” fight the urge to step back and try. The idea is not that you will enjoy and like everything you try but rather that you will discover what you do like and what you don’t like. Take the training wheels off. Your homework this week is to go exploring. Remember to start easy. Choose an area of your life that you enjoy, be that food, fishing, bike riding, or quilting. Whatever the context explore a different perspective. A different restaurant, different fishing spots, a different bike path, or different techniques. Remember to continually try new things and new experiences. You don’t need to like them all, or even most of them, it’s a big world. Explore. And learn to enjoy the discoveries. This can strengthen your creativity by enhancing your exposure to the world and sparking connections. It can also help you explore different aspects and be curious about your area of focus.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 03 - Boosting Creativity By Leveraging Incubation Timetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/690771322Fri, 04 Oct 2019 02:28:19 -050002:25nofullOut of all of the different pillars of creativity, incubation times the one I struggle with the most. So what exactly is incubation time? incubation time is the time you set aside to allow your unconscious mind space to work on the problem at hand. This is the time when creatives need to take a step back walk away from that project and let go. it's a simple concept, but one that requires a reminder. Going for a walk and giving yourself time to breathe, to think, to let go, and to rest is indeed part of the creative process. Most people have heard the story of Archimedes, or have at least heard the word EUREKA! “I have found it!” The story of eureka is a story of incubation time. In the story Archimedes yells out “EUREKA” as he was getting into the bath and finally understood the mathematical concept of displacement. The important part here is that the sudden realization came when he was getting into the bath, not working in his studio, workshop, or office. There are times we need to step away and let our ideas steep like a cup of tea. There are many ways we can do this, the classic warm bath in the style of Archimedes, a walk in the style of Henry David Thoreau, or whatever you need to power down and give your ideas and problem and chance to settle into your unconscious and to let that unconscious mind do what it needs to do. The unconscious works in different ways and you may find that sudden rush of insight comes at unexpected times. Keep a notebook or your cell phone handy, but remember this is a time to unplug so don’t forget to put that cell phone in “airplane mode” so you are not disturbed.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 02 - Boosting Creativity By Optimizing Our Physical Spacetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/690271912Thu, 03 Oct 2019 01:18:34 -050009:30nofullMany types of creative work require a set physical space or specialized equipment. And the place we are has a much more profound impact on how we feel than we think. In their book “Designing Your Life” by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans they remind us just how different we feel in a football stadium than we do in a cathedral. In addition to the where of our physical space, there is also the what, and how it’s laid out. Chefs, for example, may need need to work in a kitchen and often set up their workspaces with almost ritualized precision. Knowing how you need your space to be the most efficient and effective is the first step Some of us are lucky and are able to work from coffee shops or paint “en Plein air” in that case it is a combination of finding the right workspace and ensuring we have what we need. Do you have a dedicated place to work, be that a studio, a coffee shop, or a corner of the laundry room? How easy is it for you to walk away from a work in progress and return to it without needing to pack up or change the use case? If you work “en Plein air” or coffee shop style are your supplies kept packed and ready to go? How is your bag or laptop? The underlying idea is that you will have a dedicated workspace with all of the tools and supplies that you need to do the work that needs doing.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 10 - 01 - Boosting Creativity Through The Use Of Routine And Ritualtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/689760157Wed, 02 Oct 2019 01:07:45 -050003:25nofullMost of us understand what a routine is. But building a solid routine and intentionally setting our habits to work for us can free up the mental energy for our creative work. In the book “The Power of Habit” Charles Duhigg reminds us just how much of our lives are made of habit, routine, and ritual. The ability to add a routine to your day can help preserve that mental energy that comes from making small decisions. There are several ways to build routine into your day. Personally, I use two old standby tools. A calendar and a todo list. And if you don’t think the word routine works for you choose a synonym. Ritual is a favorite of mine.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 30 - The Importance Having A Feedback Cycle To Boost Creativitytag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/689290228Tue, 01 Oct 2019 02:39:21 -050002:57nofullWith instructional design being a creative act it's important for us to practice, but what good is practice if we're practicing the wrong thing or moving in the wrong direction. In order to make practice work most efficient, we need feedback. One of the things that I enjoy about my time in academia is that just about anything done in academia is met with a "peer review" a chance for feedback. This practice of peer review can work wonders as a creativity boosting tool. It's one of the reasons so many writers join writing groups. There are many ways we can solicit feedback, and I'm partial to the ones from the book "Show your work" by Austin Kleon. In fact, I'm such a fan of the book I need to buy yet another copy because I keep giving them out. What are your thoughts on ways to solicit feedback with instructional design work? Especially with so much of our work being proprietary or behind NDA agreements it's another argument for having a set of our own work that we do as a personal practice.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 29 - The Importance Practice And Positivity To Build Skills And Knowledgetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/688712809Mon, 30 Sep 2019 01:16:30 -050003:27nofullIt's undeniable that having knowledge and skills related to a certain domain will give you a creative advantage in that game. That is why knowledge and skills are a key pillar of creativity. Sometimes people are lucky and their paid work gives them an opportunity for daily practice and growth but not always. In order for us to be our best creatively, we need to strengthen our knowledge and skills. Luckily for instructional designers, we are quite skilled at helping others develop their skills and knowledge. This is simply where we need to do this for ourselves. And we know the drill, it's repeated intentional practice. Another thing to watch for in this pillar or domain of creativity is that our eyes learn much faster than our hands. Meaning that we will begin to see good work and be able to judge good work long before we are able to produce it. Our standards rise faster than our ability to produce. This makes it important to practice and stay positive. This taste vs production gap can be very demotivating to some, it can make them quite, drink, or fall into a depression. But if we know the gap is normal it also has the possibility to be a source of inspiration, the fact that you are seeing the possibilities means that you are on the path to being able to execute with enough practice.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 28 - The Importance Of Our Health As A Factor In Our Creativitytag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/688288312Sun, 29 Sep 2019 01:11:42 -050002:35nofullWith creativity being so central to our work as instructional designers it's important that we do all that we can to boost our creativity. And since most of us came into the field because we wanted to be creating things that boost our creativity are usually valuable in other ways too. The third pillar of creativity is one of those things that can spill over benefits to other aspects of our lives quite easily since it's the importance of our physical health. It can be helpful to think of our health in a couple of different ways, there may some things that are completely out of our control and then there are the ways we can manage our day to day such as moving more and eating better. Doing what we can to stay healthy can boost our creativity by removing the stress of being unhealthy as well as giving us more physical energy because creative work is exhausting! So get out there tomorrow and go for a walk, or better yet put a walk into your schedule at the same time every day for the next few weeks and try to make it a habit.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 27 - Having A Strong Purposetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/688287754Sun, 29 Sep 2019 01:09:15 -050002:14nofullOne of the most fundamental things we can do to be more creative and have more creative output is to connect with the importance of our work. This can mean connecting with the "Big Why" regarding what we do, or it can be the little every day "whys" such as helping out our coworkers or overcoming a small technical challenge. Reflecting on the "big and small whys" can reshape the way we approach our work and help us find the energy when we need it most which is a great boost to creativity.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 26 - Convergent And Divergent Thinkingtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/688287106Sun, 29 Sep 2019 01:06:45 -050003:10nofullDivergent thinking is the act of coming up with as many ideas or options as possible, and in creativity studies, divergent thinking gets a lot of love because it's relatively easy to measure. Convergent thinking is the ability to come together and find the "ONE" answer for a given problem. Equally important for creativity but less simple to measure. You can exercise your divergent ad convergent thinking muscles with a quick tip. Make a list of 10 to 15 things every day and Rank the list. Your personal collections of lists can be work-related or completely personal it's the act of making then ranking that exercises this muscle and helps boost your creativity.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 25 - The 12 Pillars Of Creativitytag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/687859876Fri, 27 Sep 2019 23:52:01 -050009:03nofullI've always been fascinated by the creative process and probably a bit more about how some people can't seem to see their own creativity. Creativity and our ability to be creative and be productively creative can be strengthened. And this is huge for those of us who work in creative fields. I've been reading on the subject for years, boring academic papers that I won't bore you with, and I've been experimenting on myself as well. Below are my 12 pillars to creativity. And strengthening them can increase both our sense of creativity but our creative output as well. 1. Convergent and Divergent thinking 2. Having a strong purpose 3. Physical health 4. Skills and knowledge 5. Feeback and having a tolerance for failure 6. Routine 7. Our physical space 8. Incubation time 9. Curiosity and a tolerance for ambiguity 10. Motivation and ambition 11. Autonomy and the ability to make choices 12. Self-confidence and a supporting belief systemChristopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 24 - Instructional Design As A Creative Acttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/687839416Fri, 27 Sep 2019 22:48:42 -050001:24nofullInstructional Design is a creative act. One of the reasons that many instructional designers find their way into the profession is for this reason. And this also means that the creativity boosting pillars that work for other creative pursuits will also benefit instructional designers. Today I share one of the most classic and timeless. When you find yourself stuck. Go for a walk. That extra incubation time can do wonders.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 23 - What Makes A Group A Teamtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/686344042Wed, 25 Sep 2019 01:02:04 -050011:08nofullThere are many models that try to describe what happens to transform a group into a team. One of the more common and popular models is the Tuckman Model" Bruce Tuckman was charged by the US Navy to determine and describe this process and he came up with four basic steps that teams go through: 1. Forming: This is when the team comes together and starts to get to know everyone and figure out what's going on. The leader's role is to establish clear instructions so people can get to work quickly which helps people get to know each other better. 2. Storming: In this stage like hens in a hen house the group tries to figure out the "pecking order" and determine who's really in charge. It can be frustrating for everyone involved and the role of the leader is to continue with clear working directions and sometimes to give guidance or intervene with social or personal issues as well. 3. Norming: This stage is when group norms are established. These expected and behaviors within the group add predictability and stability. Members begin to understand their role as well as the roles of the other members. Respect grows and people start to help each other. The role of the leader at this stage is to help support the development of the norms and to connect people so they can help each other. 4. Performing: This stage is the stage where everyone is working well and things are getting done. The role of the leader at this stage is often just to be a resource and to shield the group from outside interference. Since teams change in the modern workplace a number of people have added a 5th step and called it a variety of different things from Adjourning, Mourning, Transforming, etc to describe what happens when the group breaks up or changes in some way. Which is an important consideration, since it's likely that from time to time a change in the situation or group membership can knock this lovely linear description on its head and you may find your group back in an earlier stage of development. Because try as we might to explain the world in linear ways, the world is rarely linear. Have you observed this pattern in the groups you've been a part of?Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 22 - Motivating Ourselves And Otherstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/685317025Mon, 23 Sep 2019 03:10:24 -050010:53nofullTo get projects done and be effective leaders need to have the ability to motivate others. And while it's tempting to think in the carrot & stick mindset of the transactional leader and just offer performance bonuses. Those aren't as effective as we'd wish. Once people are paid enough that they aren't worrying about money, money itself stops being a very effective motivation. Instead, there are the "Big Three" Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose. These are covered in more detail in a great book by Daniel Pink called "Drive" which I recommend but essentially if you ensure the team knows the work they are doing is important, help them become better at their craft, and then stay out of the way. Chances are they will be more motivated to get the work done. And while there are tons of specific items that motivate people essentially it's our Values that drive our behavior. So being able to identify what people value and playing on their strengths is another effective way to motivate people. I recommend The VIA Character Strengths Survey as an excellent way to articulate your own values and to give some insight into how you might identify the values of others, not necessarily having them take the survey but in general as a way to consider values. The survey can be found at this URL https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/account/registerChristopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 21 - Servant Leadershiptag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/684886489Sun, 22 Sep 2019 02:45:19 -050004:14nofullOut of all of the models of leadership, I find that servant leadership is the one that I resonate with most, and also the one I think resonates with most instructional designers. And that's because we tend to have a "natural desire to serve others." This natural desire to serve others is at the core of servant leadership. And although in all of the research and all of the studies people come up with many attributes and characteristics, in the end, it boils down to that core. Essentially with servant leadership, you have a leader whose focus is on serving the needs of the team. I like to think of this as clearing the path of obstacles and helping people on the team find what they are looking for both at work and in their wider lives. Much like was described in transformational leadership this sets an example for the whole team who then see service to others as something to emulate. With everyone focused on helping others, everything then turns out to be that much easier.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 20 - Transformational And Situational Leadershiptag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/684447677Sat, 21 Sep 2019 01:50:11 -050011:16nofullThere are many leadership styles worth looking deeper at and trying to emulate. Two of them are the Transformational Leadership style and the Situational Leadership style. Transformational leadership is when a leader identifies a need for change and brings that change about through inspiration. And there are four components that we can work on if we want to be transformational leaders. 1. Intellectual stimulation: transformational leaders challenge their team to challenge the status quo through creativity and innovation. 2. Individualized consideration: transformational leaders demonstrate that they care about their team members. 3. Inspirational motivation: transformational leaders clearly establish and communicate an inspirational vision. 4. Idealized influence: transformational leaders "walk the walk" which builds trust and credibility by demonstrating both belief in the vision but the behaviors that will lead to the vision. Situational Leadership acknowledges that like so much in life our particular leadership styles will depend on the situation and who we're trying to lead. The formal leadership theory described four maturity levels and how to address them but essentially the concept is that a leader will approach a novice differently then they will an expert and the specific style of leadership should adjust from explicitly telling a novice what to do and how to do a task to simply delegating a task to an expert.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 19 - Laissez - Faire And Transactional Leadershiptag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/683667936Fri, 20 Sep 2019 00:59:13 -050003:34nofullThere are a variety of leadership models and two of the important ones to know about early and to know the descriptions of are the laissez-faire model of leadership and the transactional model of leadership. They both have their place but are best left to small scale or short term situations. The laissez-faire model of leadership is quite literally a "hands-off" approach where the person in charge of the situation just does nothing. And while I don't advocate this model of leadership for instructional designers it can be advantageous for "go-getters" to find themselves in since if you are part of a project with a laissez-faire leader it can be an opportunity for you to step up and try your hand at leadership within the vacuum. It is also a style I don't judge. There are often very real reasons why someone in a leadership role takes a step back. The transactional model of leadership is almost a "Behaviorist" style of leadership with a focus on rewards and punishments. And like the behaviorist approach to learning it can work in the short term and it can work on lower-level tasks. But again not something to focus on long term.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 18 - Leadership Traitstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/683172777Thu, 19 Sep 2019 04:31:24 -050003:13nofullInstructional designers often find themselves in leadership roles, even if they don't have any formal authority in projects or situations they have an opportunity to truly be effective leaders. But there are some fallacies about leadership. First that people are "Born Natural Leaders" and second that Charisma has something to do with leadership. Effective leadership mostly has to do with: Providing a compelling vision, setting and communicating clear goals, and developing a healthy working culture. When you put it that way instructional designers sound like they can be great leaders. There are however a few traits that we can work on to boost our success. Luckily they aren't traits you need to be born with. There was a great video produced by The Blue Water Partnership that outlines the seven traits that show up most often in leadership research. 1. enthusiasm 2. fairness 3. toughness 4. humility 5. warmth 6. integrity 7. confidenceChristopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 17 - Thinking About The Instructional Designer As A Leadertag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/682677986Wed, 18 Sep 2019 02:55:07 -050009:48nofullWhen I was in school I had limited leadership training, which was a bit unfortunate because of the importance for instructional designers to be leaders in their organizations. Most of the training I received was simply either on project management or some light interpersonal items. For me, I find that some of the traits that help instructional are technical competence, emotional intelligence, tact, and not only trustworthy but being trusted. I wanted to spend some time exploring the IDs role as a leader and how some of what we know about what makes a good leader can help instructional designers in this effort. Both some of the big ideas and the practical ways that we can improve our leadership skills.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 16 - Adobe Flash Is Dead Long Live Adobe Animatetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/682178159Tue, 17 Sep 2019 01:31:14 -050002:49nofullI've been frustrated with Adobe Flash since before it was Macromedia Flash. And now that we're finally looking like it might just go away with the imminent death of the Flash Player in December of 2020 that leaves a WHOLE lot of flash-based training that needs to be dealt with. After I spent part of my morning fighting with Chrome to play some ancient flash based training I did some poking around and found a tool I want to share https://swf-decompiler.org has a nifty app that will convert the SWF file back into an FLA file which will open in Adobe "Flash" Animate. Depending on what you have for an SWF file it may be possible to then just convert the workspace to an HTML5 workspace and export. For more complex projects the SWF-Decompiler will break down all of the elements in the SWF file and export them nice and organized so that you can use them to rebuild whatever it is you need to rebuild. Not the cleanest solution but one that looks promising. What has everyone else been doing for conversions of Flash to HTML5? (Link to full video in bio)Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 15 - Project Management Closing The Projecttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/682152782Tue, 17 Sep 2019 00:12:04 -050010:56nofullWhen a project goes well and everyone is happy there are still several critical things to do. These involve closing out any accounts that are project-specific, especially internal budget line items that can easily be forgotten, getting an official sign off that the project is complete and the product delivered, collecting feedback both internal and external, and most importantly the PARTY! And I'm serious about the party, even a small ritual such as donuts or pizza helps to close out a project emotionally and build a sense of community and teamwork that helps with future projects.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 14 - Project Management The Excecution Phasetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/682143410Mon, 16 Sep 2019 23:44:53 -050003:28nofullWhat are the key steps in executing a well-planned project in instructional design? For me they are keeping a tight view and control over the "Critical Path" that we talked about yesterday, ensuring there are formal signoffs and approvals for changes to the scope of the project, and ensuring that everyone is well informed and on the same page.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 13 - Project Scheduling The WBS And Instructional Designtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/680797178Fri, 13 Sep 2019 23:46:02 -050009:43nofullOne of the more critical planning steps in project planning is scheduling the individual project tasks. A big reason for this is that there are so many moving pieces. Deadlines, availability, and everyone's favorite "The Critical Path" or "the hunt for what's making this take so long" I often describe project schedule as a messed up game of Tetris and in this video, you'll find out why.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 12 - The Relationship Between The WBS And Project Budgettag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/680353514Fri, 13 Sep 2019 01:47:40 -050014:40nofullContinuing our talk about project management in instructional design today I wanted to share an important connection between the development of a project budget (or at least a budget proposal) and the work breakdown structure (affectionately referred to as the WBS). The key, of course, is to have a very detailed work breakdown structure, properly notated, and then to systematically move through and estimate, price, or get quotes for each item on the work breakdown structure. And as a bonus, I'll share my thoughts on how to include contingency funds in your budget for when the "stuff" hits the fan.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 11 - Project Scope Document And The WBStag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/679858517Thu, 12 Sep 2019 02:24:20 -050012:56nofullOnce a project has been initiated and is moving forward it's important to plan the project. Probably a tie for most important documents with regards to project management are the Project Scope Document and the Work Breakdown Structure. There are several components to the scope document which serves to "set the stage" for the project and to clarify the goals of the project, the deliverables of the project, and to place limits on the project. The specific elements are: * Project justification * Product scope description * Acceptance criteria * Deliverables * Exclusions from the Scope * Limitations * Assumptions The Work Breakdown Structure is just that, a systematic breakdown of all of the steps involved. I personally like to include a limited work breakdown structure (Affectionately referred to as a WBS) with the project scope for further clarification. This can be the primary phases or tasks of the project together with the subtasks a layer or two deep of extra detail.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 10 - My Key Pieces For A Project Charter Documenttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/679398669Wed, 11 Sep 2019 03:09:09 -050010:09nofullAs I continue to share about project management in instructional design I wanted to take some time to talk about the "Project Charter" which is a very important document. And the specific format and formatting of the document aren't very important but what goes in the document is critical to setting a project up for success. Here are my must-haves in a project charter: * Title of the project * Basic description of the project * Projected start and finish dates * Estimated budget * Project objectives * Assumptions about the project and ideas for the approach * Constraints about the product or process * A list of deliverables * Authorization to move forward with the projectChristopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 09 - Important Project Management Responcibilities And Skillstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/678909315Tue, 10 Sep 2019 02:18:14 -050004:21nofullProject managers working on instructional design projects have the same types of responsibilities as project managers working on other projects. With the addition of needing to have a solid understanding of instructional design. Some of these involve hard project management skills such as: * Defining scope * Activity and resource planning * Developing schedules and timescales * Budgeting * Project Documentation * Risk management * Project Process Monitoring * Managing the Project Team * Quality control There are also leadership and soft skills needed such as: * Team leadership * Oral and written communication * Negotiation * Delegation * Coaching and mentoring * Conflict resolution Luckily these are all skills that can be learned.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 08 - The Importance Project Management Skillstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/678325497Mon, 09 Sep 2019 03:17:06 -050014:14nofullOne of the key skillsets an instructional designer should have is solid project management skills. After all much of what we do as instructional designers is to manage projects and understanding what a project is and how to effectively manage a project can make a world of difference. Essentially a project is something that has a defined beginning and end so it's temporary in nature. A project also produces a unique product or service, such as a workshop or course. A project will have specific resources (usually people) assigned to the project. And finally, a project should have a set of approval criteria to formally end the project. There are also some specific steps that go into a successful project which may have different names where you are and may be more detailed if you follow the full PMBOK. 1. A project charter is created with a description of the project and its purpose. 2. Requirements are defined 3. Assumptions and constraints are defined 4. The project scope is documented 5. A Work Breakdown Structure is developed 6. Resources (often people) are assigned to the project 7. A schedule is developed 8. A budget is developed 9. A change management procedure is developed/adopted 10. The project's work is monitored and controlled. 11. When the work is done and the "product" is complete the project is formally closed and the product is formally accepted.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 07 - The Importance Of Credibility Behind The Credentialtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/677780922Sat, 07 Sep 2019 20:23:14 -050010:02nofullThese days there is a lot of talk about credentials. And sometimes it comes from large tech firms and other big corporations declaring that they are removing the need for the classic credentials of a Bachelors or Masters. Sometimes it is in the quest for a replacement for the ancient credentials in the form of certifications or badges. Ultimately the value of a credential is determined by the reputation of the authority behind it. This is why I think that the current state of the university credential is facing a few challenges. Ultimately though, there is too much history for the traditional degree to fade completely. The Master's degree, for example, started to become relevant in 1233 after an edict from the Pope. That's a lot of history of adapting to changing times. Whatever credential you are looking for yourself or looking to implement in your organization remember that the reputation of the organization or underlying authority is what truly matters and not what it is called.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 06 - The Invisible Nature Of Instructional Designtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/677770251Sat, 07 Sep 2019 19:52:55 -050003:09nofullI've been reflecting a bit about the invisible nature of instructional design lately and have started to seek out examples of instructional design in my day to day life. Things like the instructions left for the warehouse workers on the ladders and lifts themselves. Invisible things that no one else would notice. I've also been starting to look for examples of instructional design in the different training departments and organizations that I am connected to. Those examples are harder to find than random examples out in the world. I think part of that has to do with the nature of instructional designers as a group that tries to be helpful but not make waves. In the Bing Crosby song "Swinging on a Star" his three animals that we should avoid being like are a mule, pig, and a fish. And using a similar analogy I'm thinking we should also avoid being like the duck. And if you have an opportunity to observe a duck as they effortlessly glide across the water try to look beneath the surface. You'll notice that while the duck may look like it's gliding effortlessly across the water it's little ducky feet are going like crazy. So while there are times that we should make it all look effortless, there are also important times that we stand up, show our work, and demonstrate our value.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 05 - Contingency Planning And Being Preparedtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/676990098Fri, 06 Sep 2019 01:30:20 -050004:05nofullPart of what's expected of kids in the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts is that they "Be Prepared" and this is important in all aspects of life including instructional design. When giving a presentation or teaching a course/workshop there are a number of things that we can do to be ready for anything. This can include having an extra projector in our car, carrying extra whiteboard markers, or even chalk. As instructional designers, there are things that we can do to support instructors in their effort to be prepared. This largely comes down to having alternative forms of instructional materials and having quality prep materials so that instructors can know the material forward and backward and even upside down. It's also important that we keep these resources available and accessible because having a spare projector in the car isn't helpful if you took the train that day.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 04 - My Top Ten Places To Find FREE Photography For ELearningtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/676435751Wed, 04 Sep 2019 22:52:15 -050003:58nofullFinding photography that is free and easy to use is often a critical component of eLearning projects. Not all of us can afford the eLearning Brother's Stock package. The good one today at least is $1,500 a year per designer! Now if you can afford it I highly recommend you go for it. https://elearningbrothers.com/stock-assets/ For the rest of us there are other sites to look for from Pixabay to the collection of "Stock Photos of Women of Color in Tech" and of course our own cameras. I cover those in the video and share my list of resources at this URL https://www.christopherbergeron.com/50-copyright-friendly-image-sites-teachers-students/Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 03 - Pre - Workshop Materialstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/675965663Tue, 03 Sep 2019 23:06:29 -050003:30nofullOne of the ways that instructional designers can make learning experiences more effective and enjoyable is providing learners with pre-workshop materials. A collection of resources that can help bring everyone up to the starting line, something to cover the entry-level skills that are not going to be covered in the workshop. This week I was given just a set of materials for a course my son and I are going to be taking later this week. It was literally a textbook. Read the book and learn all the "stuff" really? There are many ways to address pre-workshop materials but I recommend clear guidance on what specifically is expected, and having those expectations broken down into small chunks with their own learning materials. Following this idea of a collection of microlearning elements can give learners the ability to focus on the specific areas they need, and bonus points if you are able to provide these in as many mediums as possible.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 02 - My Top Ten List For Royalty Free Music And Soundtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/675258554Mon, 02 Sep 2019 22:23:17 -050011:05nofullBelow is my list of audio sources. Enjoy. 1 – https://www.freesound.org/ Freesound has an excellent collection of audio artifacts. Easy to search with many recorded by volunteers who contribute to the site. 2 – http://soundbible.com/ Sound Bible is another excellent source of free audio effects with a quality search function. 3 – http://www.audiomicro.com/free-sound-effects Audio Micro has a free sound effects section. However, make sure they don’t wander into the paid section and find the perfect sound that may come with an invoice. 4 – http://www.freesoundeffects.com/ Free Sound Effects is one of my favorite sound effects sites. Easy to navigate with a large collection of sound effects. 5 – https://www.partnersinrhyme.com/ Partners in Rhyme has an excellent free audio section including background music. It also offers an opportunity to discuss with students the differences between Royalty-Free and Free Royalty-Free. Since royalty free music means you pay once and don’t have to pay royalties for continued use whereas “Free Royalty Free” takes it to the next level and is free to use. 6 – http://freemusicarchive.org/ The Free Music Archive is less for sound effects and more for actual music. This is a useful resource when you need background music. 7 – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Again Wikimedia is one of my favorite sources for media in general. The site offers a large collection and is useful to find free to use copies of older pieces. 8 – https://archive.org/ The Internet Archive has a massive collection of audio artifacts and is well organized. When I know what I am looking for I will check WikiMedia and the Archive first. 9 – http://www.freeplaymusic.com/index.aspx Free Play Music is a massive collection of music that can be used in a variety of ways. They offer some paid services but allow for all of their music free of charge for classroom use. 10 - https://www.shockwave-sound.com/ I tend to use Shockwave Sound whenever I have a budget. I just love their interface and the site is so very easy to use. They have a massive collection and I can almost always find what I am looking for.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 09 - 01 - My Post - Production Checklisttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/674325011Mon, 02 Sep 2019 00:40:47 -050012:44nofullIn this video, I share my personal post-production checklist. Post Production Checklist ✓ Copy and Organize All Assets ✓ Rename all Files (shotlist ID, Storyboard ID, AND description) ✓ Backup All Files ✓ Setup Project in Captivate and Premier for Export Settings ✓ Import Primary Assets ✓ Rough Layout ✓ Visual Effects ✓ Sound Effects ✓ Clean Sound ✓ Color Corrections? ✓ Final Cuts ✓ Finalize Transitions ✓ Intro ✓ Out-ro ✓ Normalize Audio ✓ Background Music ✓ Ducking as needed ✓ Export Final Project ✓ Archive and BACKUP!Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 31 - My Production Checklisttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/673902083Sun, 01 Sep 2019 00:20:27 -050001:47nofullThis is my video production checklist, and it's important to point out that this is a daily list. So if you're shooting video every day then you should go through these steps every day. Now there are also some things missing such as ensuring everyone else is ready. This is typically just for the video. The person that you are filming should also be ready and prepared which is often also part of the Instructional Designer's responsibilities but fall outside of strictly the "video production checklist" Video Production Checklist ✓ Check all equipment ✓ Check all batteries ✓ Verify any electricity ✓ Setup/Check Lighting ✓ Setup/Check Sound ✓ Calibrate Microphones ✓ Record “RoomSound” ✓ Verify Shotlist Order ✓ Shoot ShotlistChristopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 30 - My Pre - Production Checklisttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/673508702Sat, 31 Aug 2019 00:39:47 -050009:43nofullThis is my video pre-production checklist. I’ve used this for a variety of educational video projects and it can be adapted for a variety of eLearning projects. Video Pre-Production Checklist: ✓ Budget Approved ✓ Deposit Made ✓ Script Written ✓ Script Approved ✓ Storyboard Written ✓ Storyboard Approved ✓ Generate Art List (images photography list) ✓ Scout Locations ✓ Create a Shot List including B-Roll ✓ Permission and Permits for Locations ✓ Equipment list ✓ Voice & on Screen Actors List ✓ Schedule Location ✓ Schedule Talent ✓ Rent (or borrow) equipment (verify dates) ✓ Last Chance Budget ReviewChristopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 29 - Basic Steps In A Video Projecttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/672988457Thu, 29 Aug 2019 22:45:15 -050004:27nofullOne of my favorite mediums for instructional design is video. Which I suppose isn't a huge surprise. And when working on instructional video there are some familiar steps to ensuring there is a quality product. These steps fall into Pre-Production, Production, Post-Production, and Distribution phases. Pre-Production is typically everything that happens between project approval and when the cameras come out. This includes scripting, storyboarding, any location scouting, and generating a few lists such as the talent list, the image/graphic list, shot list (which includes any B-Roll), the prop list, and the equipment list. Production is the phase where you are recording and all that goes into that process such as ensuring your sound and lighting is correct and that you are systematically going through the shot lists to get everything you need. Post-Production is what happens back in the office, editing the video, adding any soundtracks, images, graphics, special effects, as well as any needed corrections such as color corrections or audio corrections. Then finally there is Distribution or Delivery. This may be anything from driving over a physical copy, uploading to youtube, or ensuring the video is properly loaded on a client LMS system or integrated into a larger eLearning project.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 28 - Recommendation For The Book The Checklist Manifestotag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/672443741Wed, 28 Aug 2019 23:55:57 -050003:14nofullThe Checklist Manifesto is more than a quick reminder that we should be using checklists to streamline our work and work on continual improvement. The book includes some practical tips on what makes a good checklist and how they can be incorporated into work. I have become a huge fan of checklists and use them in several forms. My favorite form is as a project template in whatever project management tool I'm using. These days I'm finding I use OmniFocus for the Mac most often but most project management tools allow for the use of templates. What I like best is the opportunity for continuous improvement so that when the process is improved or new ways are found to do things better the template can be easily changed and these learnings are not lost. The other way I have been enjoying making checklists started as an excuse to use my Apple Pencil. Forms and checklists can be saved as PDFs and then loaded into the iPad software Noteshelf where they can be used as templates. I've found it quite useful and fun.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 27 - Dealing With Procrastination And Writers Blocktag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/671976233Wed, 28 Aug 2019 00:57:34 -050004:05nofullIn this quick video, I share my thoughts on procrastination and writers' block and how I deal with them. Specifically, I view procrastination as my impulsiveness or curiosity or ADHD running down a rabbit hole. To combat procrastination I use two tools on my laptop. An app called SelfControl and app called Time Out (I'm quite sure they are both Mac only sorry) together with other techniques that are a bit specific to ADHD. For writers' block, I find it pretends to be procrastination more often than not but tends to hide a secret. This creative block is usually a sign my subconscious is stopping my work because something is wrong or I'm missing something that will likely cause me to need to redo work or otherwise waste time. I tend to consider this form of "procrastination" a friend and try to ask it questions. What am I missing? What should I do instead? There is usually an answer that can be found with a quiet walk. Especially by the water. So I wanted to ask. Do you suffer from either of these two ailments and how do you handle them?Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 26 - How I Keep My Completed Projects Archive Organizedtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/671500394Tue, 27 Aug 2019 01:30:10 -050003:03nofullOne of the things that can ruin your day is having a project return from the dead. In this video, I use the example of a building having its name changed. A simple update, just swap out the slide, hire Jack for the easiest 3-second voice over, and republish. Right but without all of the source files, this simple update can leave you needing to recreate everything from scratch. So proper project archiving is critical. I store my archive on a large Network Attached Storage which is backed up using Carbonite. I have a folder for each year then a folder for each month and then a project folder with the name of the project and the date the project ended. And then inside of the project folder, I have subfolders for all of the original materials, any notes, export files, etc. Everything I would need to go back to work if the need arrives. How do you keep your archives organized?Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 25 - Talking To Friends And Family About Instructional Designtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/671400500Mon, 26 Aug 2019 21:25:34 -050002:46nofullOne of the interesting challenges instructional designers face is talking to friends and family about instructional design. And the inevitable "What's That?" response. And it's even further complicated by the lack of job title consistency within the field. A funny story is that my mom's cousin is also an instructional designer and I could have used her help throughout school and while working on many projects but never knew because my mother could only describe what she did as "Fancy and Important". I adjust my description of instructional design depending on the audience, sometimes I say I make instructional media, sometimes I say I make sure people who go through training get something out of it, sometimes I try to make training not suck. It can be tough when the world isn't familiar with your entire field, and also tough when your own mother doesn't understand. But I think I'm doing well on that last front because at least my mother has been primed by her cousin into knowing that instructional design is "fancy and important"Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 24 - The Importance Of Course Evaluation Rubricstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/670552301Sat, 24 Aug 2019 22:11:32 -050010:22nofullWhen it comes to Course Evaluation I find that Rubrics Make the Evaluation Easier: For the most part, I find the Quality Matters Rubrics to be the most useful and their professional development is not only a fantastic resource for developing and evaluating online courses and workshops they are also fantastic examples of well planned out online learning products. The annotated Rubrics are worth the effort of the workshops, however, there are un-annotated copies of the quality matters rubrics available for free: • Higher Ed. Standards • Higher Ed. Publisher Standards • K-12 Secondary Standards • K-12 Publisher Standards • Continuing or Professional Standards The rubrics are also useful tools to use during the design process since they can be used as a checklist of key best practices. The annotated rubrics are available for members, currently, the fee for an individual membership is approximately $175 a year per rubric. https://www.qualitymatters.org/qm-membership/benefits-fees There are other rubrics available as well that I use often. The University of Illinois has a useful rubric that they have released under a Creative Commons License which makes it free to use. Their web-based rubric provides an excellent overview of best practices that can help with the design of online courses and they offer downloadable copies with room for comments and a checklist which can help when giving feedback on an already developed course. http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/initiatives/qoci/rubric.asp The University of Southern Mississippi Learning Enhancement Center has an “Online Course Development Guide and Rubric” It is essentially a rubric that I also like, while it doesn’t have as many specifics as the others it is an excellent way to quickly communicate a course evaluation. http://ablendedmaricopa.pbworks.com/f/LEC_Online_course+rubric.pdf Michigan Community College Association has another rubric. One of the items I like about this rubric is that it covers the importance of support for the faculty as well as the importance of “course maintenance” which is not common in other rubrics. http://www.mccvlc.org/~staff/content.cfm?ID=108 Clayton Wright from Grant MacEwan College has a detailed outline that works as an excellent checklist for evaluating courses. It is quite comprehensive with over 100 points to check and can be used for a detailed review of courses. http://elearning.typepad.com/thelearnedman/ID/evaluatingcourses.pdfChristopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 23 - The Importance Of Continually Taking Courses And Workshopstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/670206023Sat, 24 Aug 2019 00:39:23 -050003:43nofullOne of the things that I think every instructional designer, every teacher, every instructor, and every trainer should do continually is to take courses. Now not any course in particular but rather always be taking at least one course, workshop, something so that we can observe others in action. Last fall I took an InDesign course and ended up taking more notes on the instructor's style and technique than I did on InDesign. And today I just returned from a watercolor course being taught by an expert artist but this was her first time teaching anyone anything. Lots of Instructional Design related learnings in both of those experiences and in every workshop and course I've ever taken. How often do you step out and take courses? Do you remember to take notes and to observe the course and the instruction as much (or more) than the content?Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 22 - My Recommendation For Adobe Capturetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/669695048Thu, 22 Aug 2019 22:58:36 -050009:17nofullOne of my favorite iPhone apps is Adobe Capture which among other things can generate lovely Swatches from the camera and from saved images. You can then save the swatches directly to your Adobe account and use them in most of the Adobe Apps. This can be a lifesaver when you know kinda the colors you want but want to make sure that the individual colors work well together. Adobe Capture. Go out and download it, you'll be glad you did.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 21 - Which Medium Is The Besttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/669210821Wed, 21 Aug 2019 23:43:11 -050011:44nofullThere is a classic debate that is part of most instructional design curriculums. The great media debate between Richard Clark and Robert Kozma. Clark argued that all mediums worked so you should use the cheapest, Kozma argued that the different attributes of different mediums made them easier in different situations. I view this as two sides of the same coin. Any medium will work but some are easier in different situations so you are free to adapt to the situation and to any constraints you have while knowing there is a way to make it work. I take this approach to learning styles as well. I consider the different learning styles not as that people learn best in one way over another (and research backs me up on this) but rather that we all learn in all of the different styles so as instructional designers we are free to adapt to the situation and constraints and know that there is a way to make it work. What about you what are your thoughts?Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 20 - The Important Of Optimizing Your Images For Elearning Projectstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/668745932Tue, 20 Aug 2019 23:52:57 -050002:40nofullToday I wanted to share a reminder that just because you should shoot any needed images in as high a resolution as possible doesn't mean that you should make your learners download the images at that resolution. Images for use in elearning should be optimized. This means they should be resized to the largest they are going to be used for, you should keep a copy of the highest resolution you have, and if possible the images should be compressed by using a format such as jpg. While a PNG file can offer a transparent background and should be used when you need one a jpg file will be much smaller especially with a photograph. These simple changes can dramatically improve loading times for those on wireless or mobile which can reduce distraction and provide a more pleasant learning experience.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 19 - Why You Should Record Video At The Highest Resolutiontag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/668217950Mon, 19 Aug 2019 21:43:24 -050010:53nofullWhen making instructional video there is the risk of just having a talking head, and yes I see the irony there, but there can be some ways to take the long video and make it a bit more dynamic and those options come from multiple cameras and mixing up some of the shots. But what can you do if you only have one camera and maybe only have time for a single take? My quick and dirty trick is to record at a much higher resolution than you are going to need and a bit wider than you would like. You can "zoom" in using your video editing software in post-production. The key though is you should only "zoom-in" to the actual resolution of the video so if you have recorded at twice the resolution of your final project then you can zoom in 2x but you don't want to do more than that our your video will look pixelated and blurry. And you don't want to overdo the effect or it will stop working and will be a distraction. Other visual elements can also help break up the video and keep your learners' eyes moving so they don't fall asleep. Even something as simple as tossing in a lower third can help keep the eyes from drifting closed.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 18 - More Instructional Video Tipstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/667741343Sun, 18 Aug 2019 23:29:29 -050003:20nofullAs we move through our quick series on instructional video I wanted to share two additional tips. The first has to do with screen resolution for screen capture. I highly recommend having your screen resolution turned down which makes all of the on-screen elements larger. This can go a long way in making the video more legible, especially if your learning is consuming the video on a mobile device. which may not be the case today it may be the case in the future and making this change can help you not need to record again if the plans for the video change. The second tip is to count the seconds between shot changes the next time you're watching TV or a movie. You might just be surprised how many cuts there are in what you're watching that you haven't noticed before. Depending on what the content is you might see a cut every ten seconds or less.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 17 - Instructional Video And Watching Your Transitionstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/667314986Sat, 17 Aug 2019 22:29:01 -050002:13nofullWorking in Camtasia today I was reminded of how fun adding every type of transition can be, same in PowerPoint and all of the tools. But it's important to consider that unless a transition specifically adds to the learning experience it should probably be skipped and instead either use a "Jump Cut" or a "Fade to Black" or Fade to White" depending on which would be the least distracting and fade most into the background.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 16 - The Importance Of B Rolltag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/666995069Sat, 17 Aug 2019 03:27:39 -050002:48nofullWhen working on a video project it is critical to record some B-Roll. B-roll is background video that can set the scene or help provide context to the content. It can be used in a variety of ways and is usually placed "on top" of the other elements in the video. In a pinch, you can use a still photograph as B-Roll so that when the audio is discussing something the screen can display that relevant photography or other still image. B-roll is useful to provide that context, useful in transitional points, and also useful for when the main video has an issue that needs "covered up" so always remember to get some B-Roll footage especially if you are recording on-site somewhere because it's great to use, fine to not use, and horrible if you need it and forgot to record it.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 15 - The Importance Of Quality Audiotag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/666519071Fri, 16 Aug 2019 03:41:21 -050012:37nofullOur learners will forgive a lot, especially video-wise, but learners will not forgive bad audio. If your project has bad audio your learners will disengage and shut down if they don't turn the entire project off. Personally, I break audio into three quality categories: Unacceptable audio is audio that has distracting elements whatever they may be the air conditioner, other background noise, too quiet, too loud, out of sync, if there is an element that is distracting to your learners the audio is unacceptable. Acceptable Audio, this is the most common level of audio instructional designers should be aiming for, I sometimes also call this the "prosumer" level of audio. I remember the "prosumer" name from the cameras that weren't quite professional but they were "good enough" for most enthusiasts. For instructional designers, this means doing whatever you can to get the best quality audio that is realistic given your situation. A quality external microphone, a sampling of the background noise to use the noise reduction features of professional tools, calibrating your microphone so you aren't too quiet or too loud. Professional quality audio is when you send the script to a professional voice actor. There are two warnings though, first is that the price for a quality professional voice actor is not cheap. This isn't a "Fiver Gig" this is a professional. The second warning is that if you get approval to hire a professional voice actor you will want one for every project of importance. So the big question is what do you do to increase the quality of the audio in your projects?Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 14 - Boosting Creativity With Convergent And Divergent Thinkingtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/665875793Wed, 14 Aug 2019 22:09:27 -050003:24nofullToday I discuss the importance of creativity in instructional design and specifically the pillar of creativity that is Convergent and Divergent thinking. And I end with a tip on how you can boost your own creativity by exercising the Convergent/Divergent Thinking Muscle.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 13 - Design Thinking And How It Can Help Instructional Designerstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/665391434Tue, 13 Aug 2019 22:08:22 -050011:12nofullI'm quite certain that instructional design was not on the minds of the people who originally started describing design thinking but the model's five components mirror the components of quality instructional design quite well. Those five components are: 1. Empathize 2. Define 3. Ideate 4. Prototype 5. Test Stanford's d.School has an excellent "Crash Course" in Design Thinking which is a pretty great example of good instructional design in and of itself which can be found at this link. https://dschool.stanford.edu/resources-collections/a-virtual-crash-course-in-design-thinkingChristopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 12 - How To Deal With A Subject Matter Experttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/664877255Mon, 12 Aug 2019 21:22:08 -050003:52nofullLike all of us, Subject Matter Experts come in all personality types. So what is the best way to deal with the subject matter expert that you have been assigned for your instructional design project? While I find subject matter experts may be described along a continuum of "Don't want to be bothered" to "Don't steal my thunder" a similar approach works in most situations. Show the person you are working with that you value them. That you value their time and their expertise in whatever subject your instructional design project is all about. This simple approach can smooth over many stormy waters. At the extremes, it can be important to be systematically programmed and pull out what you need from a reluctant expert and on the other extreme, it can be important that you show you are not trying to be the hero of the story but instead are trying to be the Obi-Wan to their Luke Skywalker. That you are a resource to make them shine and not take away any of the spotlight.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 11 - What Do Instructional Designers Dotag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/664479965Mon, 12 Aug 2019 00:25:08 -050003:02nofullOne of the topics that I haven't covered yet is to ask what do instructional designers do? Essentially Instructional Designers Design Instruction by: -Analyzing the work environment -Identifying Success Criteria -Determining Pre-training activities - determine prerequisite skills - identify learning objectives -Developing Course Materials -Developing Post Training Support -Evaluating Data -Revising Materials Other areas of instructional design include: Project Management Quality Assurance Graphic Design Audio/Video ProductionChristopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 10 - The Importance Of Staying Creatively Inspired And Some Apple Pencil Lovetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/664046966Sat, 10 Aug 2019 21:55:42 -050012:05nofullMy mother came by today and we ended up going to "Art in the Park" in South Portland Maine where there were 170 fine artists set up in the park. It reminded me of the importance of both keeping ourselves artistically inspired and energized and the importance of having our own practice. So today's topic is a bit of two topics in one day. That importance of being inspired as well as some of the ways I personally use the Apple Pencil which I whole heartedly recommend.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 09 - The Final Stages Of The Hype Cycletag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/663551219Fri, 09 Aug 2019 18:05:44 -050011:37nofullThe hype cycle's fifth stage is the plateau of productivity and this is the "boring stage" where the given innovation or technology just is there and is productive and predictable. This is where most of the technologies that we use on a daily basis are and it's also where many of the technologies that we no longer consider technologies can live for a very long time. Later on, innovations and technologies can slide down the "swamp of diminishing returns" and eventually off the "cliff of obsolescence". Again I love these names. But typically innovations and technologies can enjoy a long healthy life on the plateau of productivity. In this installment on the hype cycle I"ll also share where you should likely start investing in an innovation given your tolerance for risk and some extra opportunities at the top of the peak of inflated expectations to do custom work.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 08 - The Hype Cycles Slope Of Enlightenmenttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/663210650Fri, 09 Aug 2019 00:01:14 -050003:50nofullThe fourth phase of the hype cycle is the Slope of Enlightenment where expectations and excitement start to match the reality regarding a given technology or innovation. This is when you will start to see "off the shelf" versions of the technology and "best practices" become established. For the majority of organizations and individuals, this is the stage where adoption begins to make sense.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 07 - The Hype Cycles Trough Of Disillusionmenttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/662687681Wed, 07 Aug 2019 23:14:53 -050003:41nofullThe hype cycle's trough of disillusionment is the third stage of the hype cycle. As the name implies this is the stage where people become disillusioned with a new innovation or technology. It can also be seen as a "wakeup call" with respect to the unrealistic expectations that we have regarding new technologies ability to solve every problem and to pay for itself significantly faster than is realistic. There are several opportunities that you can take advantage to when a technology is in the "Trough" essentially these opportunities can be summarised as in not throwing the "baby out with the bathwater," essentially not giving up and scrapping your work and what you have learned. Another opportunity in this stage is for the enlightened technology advocate to start to get those around them onto realistic footing with regards to the technology. This is a time to get practical.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 06 - The Hype Cycles Peak Of Inflated Expectationstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/662130206Tue, 06 Aug 2019 21:53:46 -050009:40nofullThe second phase of the hype cycle is where the hype actually comes in and that's the Peak of Inflated Expectations. This is the phase where excitement and attention and novelty and the fear of missing out all work together to create this disconnect from reality. Skills instructional technologists and instructional designers can see this disconnect and leverage it in two ways. They can coach clients on the realities of the technology and help those who can handle the risk get in early and they can coach clients on the disconnect and the risks so that those organizations that couldn't survive the risk don't bite off more than they can chew. This is also a spot on the hype cycle where you can pad your portfolio with the "cutting edge" for extra visibility.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 05 - The Hype Cycles Innovation Triggertag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/661643513Mon, 05 Aug 2019 21:25:41 -050009:18nofullThere are five stages to the Hype Cycle, the innovation trigger, the peak of inflated expectations, the trough of disillusionment, the slope of enlightenment, and the plateau of productivity. Today I wanted to continue our talk about the hype cycle with a bit of a discussion about the first stage. The Innovation Trigger. What is the innovation trigger? And what should we do with technologies or innovations that are at the innovation trigger stage?Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 04 - Introduction To The Hype Cycletag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/661185917Mon, 05 Aug 2019 01:29:24 -050010:43nofullToday I wanted to share a quick introduction to The Hype Cycle which is an excellent way to explore and describe new innovations and predict their reception (among other traits). It's also an excellent way to identify if a specific new technology is worth your time and how you should be interacting with it at a given point in time. We'll explore a bit more and go deeper over the next few days.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 03 - The Importance Of Keeping Up With Technologytag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/660743687Sat, 03 Aug 2019 23:04:21 -050002:23nofullWhile some of the educational theories and fundamentals of instructional design tend to endure, if not fade in and out of favor depending on your particular circle. The specific technologies tend to change at a faster rate. We've moved from Macromedia Flash to immersive VR experiences in a very short time. Heck, we've gone from cutting magnetic tape to immersive VR experiences in a very short time. This is why it's critical for all instructional designers to take it upon ourselves to stay current. While some workplaces will coordinate quality professional development that is rare and it's even becoming rare for employers to pay to keep you current. So we need to take advantages of opportunities when they present themselves and to make our own opportunities to learn. So which new instructional technology are you trying to learn or know you should learn but are procrastinating like I have been with VR?Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 02 - Why Is Instructional Design The Best Career Evertag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/660363023Sat, 03 Aug 2019 00:47:40 -050002:56nofullI found myself having an interesting instructional design-related discussion today. The discussion surrounded on WHY we are instructional designers. Not the question of why is instructional design important or how we became instructional designers but rather what is the single best part of being an instructional designer? And it's different for everyone. Some love the systematic approach to solving problems, others love the creative expression, some love the different aspects of media development, some love working with people, and others love the constant need to learn new things. To learn my personal reason why instructional design is the single best career ever you'll need to watch the video but I'd encourage you to share your personal reason.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 08 - 01 - Kirkpatricks First Level Of Assessmenttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/659900309Fri, 02 Aug 2019 01:14:31 -050009:38nofullThe first level of the Kirkpatrick model is often the one that is most often done but is also most often done wrong. This is the level most likely to be reduced to "smile sheets" or "vanity measurements" of did my participants "like me". The reaction level of evaluation is the level where you can explore and evaluate levels of engagement and the perceived relevance of the training by your learners. It can prove invaluable for making formative adjustments to whatever the program happens to be. The big risk is when it is reduced to trying to measure enjoyment or the entertainment value of the facilitator.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 31 - Kirkpatricks Second Level Of Assessmenttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/659304914Wed, 31 Jul 2019 23:58:41 -050002:49nofullThe second level of the Kirkpatrick model is assessing learning. And this is an area that instructional designers have significant control over and are typically skilled in. So in this video, I share a few ideas on how we can best mix up some of our assessments because no one wants to take a test.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 30 - Kirkpatricks Third Level Of Assessmenttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/658788041Tue, 30 Jul 2019 23:46:18 -050003:38nofullToday as I struggle with the oppressive heat I wanted to talk about the third level of the Kirkpatrick model which is "Behavior" and this level of evaluation has to do with what our participants DO when they return back to work. So it is important for instructional designers to remember to ask what the participants are expected to do when they get back to work and what the goals are and not just be "order takers" because this is the level of evaluation that we will most likely be judged by even if that judgment is informal and in the background. In order to be successful instructional designers need to watch for the critical behaviors, the keystone habits that make everything easier, and the drivers of these behaviors, or as Kirkpatrick refers to them as the "Required Drivers" such as rewards and consequences and management support on the job not in the classroom.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 29 - Kirkpatricks Fourth Level Of Assessmenttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/658337759Tue, 30 Jul 2019 01:30:15 -050001:48nofullThe Kirkpatric model of assessment has four levels, reaction, learning, behavior, and results. Today I'm going to share a common misunderstanding regarding the Results Level. Essentially the results level of the model is asking the question "Do your efforts contribute to the results the organization is trying to achieve?" Not did you get the results from your training that you expected or were aiming for. So what is the ultimate mission of your organization? That shouldn't be too hard to nail down, it's the sole reason for the organization to exist, and so as you start each instructional design project you should ask the question HOW does your project contribute to that end result? And if you can't find a way, if you can't show a way, then you should take a step back to see if you can't find how your project connects to that mission.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 28 - Assessing Accessibilitytag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/657800939Sun, 28 Jul 2019 23:10:00 -050003:55nofullOne key component of eLearning that should be assessed before a project ever sees the light of day is the project's accessibility compliance. In the United States if your project is touched by federal money chances are it's covered by Section 508 which outlines accessibility requirements, and if not then there is a good chance that your project will be covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In addition to being the right thing to do both for your learners and for yourself as a practitioner of quality instructional design the consequences for not doing so can be financially costly. The standards to aim for can be found at https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/The Dr. Chris Show2019 - 07 - 27 - Cultural Awareness And Removing Barriors To Learningtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/657290909Sat, 27 Jul 2019 18:47:08 -050002:21nofullToday I wanted to take an opportunity to talk about cultural diversity and the responsibilities of instructional designers to take cultural diversity into consideration to remove barriers to learning. This involves both language barriers as well as other considerations. Probably the largest consideration that I forgot to mention in the video is visual representation. Every time I look at anything I tend to see a reflection of myself back at me as a middle-aged white guy. It has become clear that when your learners can see themselves in the instructional materials they are more engaged and more successful.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 26 - Assessments And Rubricstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/657018221Sat, 27 Jul 2019 01:10:55 -050009:29nofullWhen developing assessments Rubrics are an excellent way to communicate expectations regarding performance as well as to assess in a fair and systematic fashion. There are times when an automatically graded multiple-choice test won't cut it and so that's where a rubric comes in. In broad terms, rubrics come in two flavors Holistic Rubrics which describe the performance at several levels of competency holistically or more broadly. And Analytic Rubrics which break down that expected performance into a variety of criteria. While the holistic rubric can offer more flexibility in order to provide meaningful feedback for the learners it often needs to be accompanied with more narrative or detailed feedback. Depending on the detail and clarity in the analytic rubric the need for additional feedback can be minimized and a well written analytic rubric with enough detail can be administered by several assessors to and generate the same result. The questions as to which rubric style to use are often dependent on the amount of flexibility needed and the amount of time there is for generating more individualized and detailed feedback.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 25 - Assessment Alignmenttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/656430980Thu, 25 Jul 2019 21:12:40 -050001:42nofullThe concept of alignment is one that is critical to a good assessment. Essentially instructional designers need to ensure that their assessment and content is aligned to the learning objectives and the learning objectives aligned to the overall goal of instruction. If any of these are out of alignment the entire project can be at risk.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 24 - Assessment Step 1 Instructional Goalstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/655976483Thu, 25 Jul 2019 00:43:51 -050003:20nofullThe first step of developing an assessment plan, and the first step of instructional design, in general, is getting a firm grasp of the actual instructional goal.  If you're lucky you will have the opportunity to do a full needs analysis with resources and access to the learners, chances are you will need to be a bit more scrappy and try and muddle through to dig deeper.  But it is a critical step.  I tend to try and keep asking, sort of a "Five Why's" approach when I'm in a pickle with someone who isn't clear or doesn't want to share.  I'm also not easily embarrassed so I don't mind acting a bit more confused than I am at times.  What are the methods that you might use to dig deeper when someone says they want a course but is less clear on the outcome they are looking for?Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 23 - Different Components Of Assessmenttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/655504787Wed, 24 Jul 2019 00:34:07 -050011:16nofullThere is a lot to do in the realm of assessment, and instructional designers are expected to do quite a bit of it. Most instructional designers will have had experience with or exposure to The Kirkpatric Model, or the Kirkpatric 4 Levels of Evaluation and Assessment. There is more to assessment than just Kirkpatrick. In this video, I'll run through what I think are the essential topics to cover with regards to assessment for instructional designers and ask the very important question. What am I missing? Then in the next few days we can start to go through the important topics one at a time.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 22 - Where Does Programming Falltag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/655224581Tue, 23 Jul 2019 13:05:12 -050003:25nofullWhere do programming skills fit into instructional design? This is a serious question and I'm sincerely curious. I've found that I don't use my programming or scripting skills much in instructional design with the exception of some light HTML and some light CSS. So I'm raising the question of how important are these skills and are HTML & CSS enough?Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 21 - Watch Your Backgroundstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654564419Mon, 22 Jul 2019 03:30:43 -050003:34nofullOne thing that can be easy to forget when you dash off to do a video is to remember to watch and listen for your backgrounds. A poorly lit project or distracting background noise can cause costly rework in terms of both time and money. And the wrong type of content in the background can be devastating. This is especially true in education where having a FERPA violation comes with real consequences and is easy to happen if you have student identifiable information up in your area. Watch your backgrounds, both audio and visual. In this video, I share a quick tip and recommendation on how to help with the audio backgrounds.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 20 - Gagnes Nine Events Of Instructiontag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654563453Mon, 22 Jul 2019 03:26:32 -050010:59nofullToday I wanted to share Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction which when considered in the design of a lesson can make that lesson much more effective. So just a quick overview of that the nine events are and how they can help make your instruction that much more effective.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 19 - Gagne As An Alternative To Bloomtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654561620Mon, 22 Jul 2019 03:20:57 -050004:12nofullBloom isn’t the only game in town when it comes to trying to describe the different categories of learning and learning objectives. And I’m not talking about those who revised and updated his work such as Anderson or Simpson, no I’m talking about actual alternatives. One such alternative comes from Gagné, can you see the parallels as they describe the same phenomenon from different perspectives?Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 18 - Blooms - Affectivetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654560189Mon, 22 Jul 2019 03:15:45 -050014:09nofullOut of all three of the domains of Bloom’s taxonomy, the Affective Domain seems to get the least amount of love. Which is a bit ironic since it’s the domain that deals with emotions, values, and character traits. The domain is made up of five levels. Receiving, Responding, Valuing, Organizing, and Characterizing. So what do those mean? How can they be applied to help our students? And when and how should we leverage them?Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 17 - Blooms - Psychomotortag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654558083Mon, 22 Jul 2019 03:07:36 -050012:53nofullThe psychomotor domain of Bloom’s taxonomy doesn’t get as much love as the cognitive domain. Which is interesting to me since the psychomotor domain is the area where we teach skills involving movement or manipulation of stuff which in many cases is a significant amount of the teaching domain that we are responsible for. So what’s in the psychomotor domain? And how can we use this to help our students?Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 16 - Blooms - Cognitivetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654556400Mon, 22 Jul 2019 03:01:06 -050013:25nofullToday I wanted to take a closer look at Blooms Cognitive Domain Taxonomy. Specifically, the revised taxonomy done by Anderson and his team in 2001. The revised taxonomy includes Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create. But what does that mean and how is that supposed to help us design instruction or build a curriculum that helps our students succeed?Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 15 - Blooms - Introtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654554534Mon, 22 Jul 2019 02:53:59 -050003:09nofullMost people have heard in passing about Bloom’s Taxonomy, especially if they are even remotely connected to education or training. But not as many know that there are actually three of Bloom’s Taxonomies. And almost no one remembers that Benjamin Bloom got his name on the spine of the first books on the subject by being the book’s editor not for coming up with the taxonomies on his own. In this video, I give a REALLY brief walkthrough of the three domains of learning that Bloom and his team came up with and walk through the different categories of learning within each of those domains.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 14 - How Fast Can We Make A Basic Wireframetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654553064Mon, 22 Jul 2019 02:49:39 -050034:43nofullAfter talking about storyboards the question came up “What is a wireframe” so in this video I answer that question and ask another, can we put together a quick and dirty wireframe prototype of a mobile customer service training module in ten minutes or less? The answer is no, but in this example of how easy it is to put something together, I was able to toss something that illustrates the point together in about 15 minutes.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 13 - Do - You - Storyboardtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654550139Mon, 22 Jul 2019 02:38:35 -050004:09nofullToday there is an important question. Do you storyboard? And with that what’s your favorite type of storyboarding? Do you have a favorite tool or method? How much detail do you put in your storyboards? If none of these questions make sense watch the video. #instruction #technology #onlinecourses #instructionaldesignChristopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 12 - Activity - Vs - Presentationtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654548123Mon, 22 Jul 2019 02:31:09 -050002:20nofullA question that instructional designers need to ask early in every project is: Are you building an activity or are you building a presentation? And this is important for a number of reasons but the biggest one is that we shouldn’t try to fool ourselves. If we are building a presentation then we should build a great and engaging presentation. And if we are building an activity then we need to make sure our students are actively engaging with the materials. And finally if you’re building a presentation, don’t feel bad about it, just be sure that you want to be doing a presentation and the decision is intentional.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 11 - Portfolio - Copyright - Warningtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654545954Mon, 22 Jul 2019 02:23:16 -050012:18nofullWhen it comes to copyright it’s important to be as honest as “Honest Abe Lincoln”. This is especially important with your public portfolio. While it may be fun to include images from popular culture as “decorations” in a course it can be deadly to your career. You’ll want to keep your projects copyright-clean. There are several ways to do this. You can create the images yourself, you can commission it to be made for you, or you can hunt for a royalty-free image or something that has been released with an appropriate creative commons license. Below are two collections of sites that I personally use when I’m looking for free audio or images. When you’re looking for images or media of any kind to use in a project it’s important to remember to check the authenticity of the sites and the information you are using. http://www.christopherbergeron.com/50-copyright-friendly-image-sites-teachers-students/ http://www.christopherbergeron.com/find-free-audio-effects-music-classroom-use/Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 10 - Portfolio - Importancetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654544154Mon, 22 Jul 2019 02:16:47 -050009:14nofullI was walking out the door today while the video I recorded was uploading but I decided to delete that one and make a new video with some practical advice. Today I wanted to tackle one of those classic “do as I say not as I do” topics. The importance of an instructional design portfolio. Most of the job postings I’ve seen in the past few years are almost entirely focused on the portfolio of work. So what should you include in your instructional design portfolio? The answer is a bit of everything with a spotlight on the type of specific work you want to be doing. So let’s all make a pact together. And make this be the summer that all of our portfolios become something we are excited to show off.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 09 - Project Deliverablestag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654543038Mon, 22 Jul 2019 02:12:27 -050003:03nofullHi everyone, today I wanted to chat about a tiny little part of project management and instructional design. But it’s a tiny detail that when handled correctly can save you from headaches and confusion. And that is the concept of a deliverable. In this quick video, I share my super simple tip on what makes a good deliverable (hit, take the word at its literal meaning).Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 08 - Scrivenertag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654542240Mon, 22 Jul 2019 02:09:27 -050004:16nofullToday I wanted to take a break from sharing Instructional Design Theory and share a tool that I use often in my own instructional design work. Scrivener.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 07 - Formative Examplestag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654541205Mon, 22 Jul 2019 02:05:40 -050010:09nofullFormative evaluation can fit in a lot of different places and in a lot of different ways. In this short video, I give some examples of formative evaluation techniques that can be used to enhance instruction at the design phase, in face to face instruction, and in eLearning.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 06 - Formative Assessmenttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654528182Mon, 22 Jul 2019 01:21:40 -050002:52nofullAssessment typically falls into one of two broad categories. Formative Assessment which hopefully in”forms” your teaching and allows for minor course corrections. And Summative Assessment which sort of “sums up” how you did with your instructional design and instruction. Both are important but I’ve found that formative assessment is often neglected. In this video, I share my thoughts on formative assessment and how it can be used to save time and money.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 05 - Learner - Analysistag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654517052Mon, 22 Jul 2019 00:45:42 -050002:33nofullThere is more to a learner analysis than just determining “entry level skills” evaluating “prior knowledge” and the other aspects of a formal analysis. Those are all important but there is are important intangible insights that you can gain when you are able to break through the barriers and actually sit down with your potential students and have an actual conversation. Far too many instructional designers (especially those who are new) are almost afraid to go sit down with potential learners and have that informal and frank conversation. It can be a game changer.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 04 - Learning - Objectivestag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654509699Mon, 22 Jul 2019 00:23:01 -050004:09nofullHi Everyone, Today I wanted to talk about learning objectives or performance objectives. Specifically, why are they important and what are the different parts of a quality learning objective. It’s a nice short video and as a bonus here is the URL for a quick and dirty learning objective generator that I’ve used a couple of times that helps with some of those learning objective verbs https://ift.tt/2ltxrwoChristopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 03 - Context - Analysistag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654506198Mon, 22 Jul 2019 00:10:26 -050004:55nofullHi Everyone, After yesterday’s video about the Dick & Carey Method I received a few questions about the context analysis, specifically how that works with online courses and eLearning and how come it’s bundled with the learner analysis. In this video, I try to answer both questions.Christopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 02 - Dick - N-Carey - Overviewtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654504683Mon, 22 Jul 2019 00:04:36 -050005:46nofullHi everyone, today I wanted to share a really quick and dirty overview of the Dick and Carey Method. This is the instructional design methodology that I start my graduate students on in their first course because it really helps to break down the instructional design process in nice compartmentalized boxes that can more easily be taught one at a time in greater detail. While we’re not going to go in that much detail in this video we can take a look at what the Dick and Carey Methodology can do to help us see an overview of the overall instructional design process. #instructionaldesign #methodologyChristopher Bergeron2019 - 07 - 01 - Challenge Introducedtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654489896Sun, 21 Jul 2019 23:15:47 -050000:54nofullI’ve accepted a challenge to make an instructional design/technology related video every day this next year so I’ve got a request for ideas, if you have any topic ideas for a short video please let me know so I can add it to the list. #technology #instructionaldesign #challengeChristopher Bergeron