Hi community,

December is here with a selection of events to wrap up the year and set the stage for 2025.

Here’s a quick snapshot of key themes I am seeing in L&D this month:

• Sustainability in Digital Learning: Balancing innovation with environmental responsibility.
• Future-Ready L&D: Preparing for 2025 with cutting-edge strategies and AI integration.
• Empathy and personalization: Deepening learner engagement through emotional intelligence and tailored design.
• Showcasing excellence: Insights from the best learning solutions of 2024.

And here are the LXD picks for the month:

Sustainable Digital Learning: Balancing Innovation and Environmental Responsibility – December 3
A free webinar exploring sustainable technologies, greener data centers, and case studies of environmentally responsible digital learning.

Unlocking Active Learning: The Power of the Flipped Classroom – December 4
Learn how the flipped classroom approach enhances engagement, featuring real data, student feedback, and tools for interactive classrooms.

✨ 2024 Best of DevLearn DemoFest Webinar – December 11
A showcase of outstanding peer-created learning solutions, with tools, techniques, and inspiration for future projects.

2025 Learning Trends: A Tale of Two Futures – December 11
Discover high-impact skill architectures, AI integration strategies, and how innovation positions L&D as a competitive advantage.

The Power of Empathy in Learner-Centric Modern Design – December 17
Explore strategies for understanding learner motivations, creating relevant challenges, and using impactful feedback to deepen engagement.

Strategies for Achieving Better Performance in 2025 – December 18
Gain insights into proactive habits, goal-setting, and actionable steps to achieve better results in the new year.

The Problem-Statement Workshop: Three Steps to Kickstart Any L&D Project – December 18
Learn to simplify challenges, align stakeholders, and use actionable templates to start new or refine existing projects.

ROI Made Simple: A Step-by-Step Guide to Measuring Success – December 19
Understand ROI methodology, learn how to justify budgets, and align learning objectives with organizational goals.

As always, if you know of any other interesting events this month, feel free to share them below so we can all take them into account.

Happy learning!

LXD

As the title says, do you feel that your role at your organization is unique or essential to its success? I'd like to hear from both sides. But more specifically, those who feel optimistic about their role, would you attribute it to your work-related responsibilities, skills and abilities, or both?

Hi Everyone,

I am six months from finishing my masters program in Instructional Design, and am hoping to work towards becoming a full time contractor in the future. I was thinking of enrolling in a graduate certificate program in human-computer interaction after my masters to start building a skillset in UX/UI to be able to offer a wider range of services in the future. Does this sound like a reasonable plan? I appreciate any feedback!

What do you find as being the best method to receive edits on content from SME’s? I am currently making content on Articulate, downloading a PDF and folks are making comments on Adobe Reader for me to source through and make edits.

Is there a better/easier (free) way to get edits from SME’s?

Thank you!

Hey, fellow Instructional Designers! Quick question: Is it okay to take on contract work while working full-time in ID? Are there any red flags or things I should watch out for? Can you balance full-time work and side gigs in Instructional Design, or is it a no-go? Would love to hear your experiences!

Hi all! I've been an ISD for a while and I'm looking to use my company's education benefit. They are willing to pay up to $7500/year for any course/certification/conference that they deem relevant to my career. I've been thinking about doing a part time MBA or getting my PMP, as both will help in this particular org. That said, I wanted to hear from my peers if they had any suggestions on anything that they've found helpful. Thanks in advance!

I know I have proven myself to my boss with my ID skills. However, there a section of a project she wanted me to see if I could do something with. It turned out it’s beyond my skill level. This has to do with variables in Storyline. I told her I have to learn how to create it, but it’s going to take some time in order for me to up my skills. It’s no big deal on her end. She just wanted me to look into it. It doesn’t have to be completed any time soon.

Have you ever had to tell your boss you simply don’t have a certain strait of skills yet to complete a certain project? How did you resolve this issue?

Have a question you don't feel deserves its own post? Is there something that's been eating at you but you don't know who to ask? Are you new to instructional design and just trying to figure things out? This thread is for you. Ask any questions related to instructional design below.

If you like answering questions kindly and honestly, this thread is also for you. Condescending tones, name-calling, and general meanness will not be tolerated. Jokes are fine.

Ask away!

I've been in the ID game for about 3 years now, and the demand for my products for enterprise clients is necessitating having my own platform. Up to this point, I have just been selling on Udemy.

I have started to look around, and all learning management systems are so dang expensive! Nearly <$250 / month just to have features like bulk enrollments.

Why is this? Does anyone have any recommendations for affordable LMS? Ideally, something in the $40 - $100 per month range, especially because I am operating at a small scale.

If you could ask Santa for your ideal ID software with all the bells and whistles you need, what would it look like?

Oh, we’ve come full circle!

Many will say that today’s ID roles are reduced down to surface-level content creation and Canva graphics. While that is true for many roles, those will go the way of the dodo with AI and outsourcing anyways. The hourglass is getting close.

I contend that business acumen is the way of the future for IDs who want to stay employed. Business acumen and human performance was the core of this role anyways before people confused an entire field with one (buggy) software.

We will leverage AI as all industries, but by bringing the old school strategic performance and business consultation to the table, we will prove our worth and keep our seat at the table.

Hey everyone,

I'm new to ID / LXD / e-Learning. I was recently watching a YouTube video on Copywriting. The Copywriter said that all those who are new to this field should observe as many Ads as possible. Analyze and deconstruct them to understand them better.

Have any of you come across Content: YouTube video, Website, a Specific ID/e-learning Portfolio that really utilitized the Learning Principles and Theories so well that made you go Wow! I need to pay attention to this or something that inspired you to up your own game?

Request if you could post them here IF it's available in the public domain.

I've been actively searching for jobs for quite some time now, but I keep facing rejections. I usually get 2-3 interview invitations per week, but it's still not enough. Some weeks, there are no invites at all.

Meanwhile, I can't help but compare myself to my senior classmates who all secured ideal positions back in 2020. It feels like I'm stuck, and this comparison only amplifies my self-doubt.

Has anyone else experienced a similar struggle? I don't have other choices but keep searching, everyday I woke up is to refresh my LinkedIn...I don't know when the job market will get warmer, hopefully it is 2025.

I'm curious to know what you all have experienced in your careers in terms of best/worst managers, teams, projects, and/or companies.

If you have a story to share, I think it will help bring insight to new IDs or anyone struggling with "sticking it out a few more months."

What did you like about your best experience?

What could have changed in your worst experience that would have made you stay?

What questions have you found to be successful in job interviews to try to detect toxic managers or other deal-breakers?

I know folks can find general career guidance, but I think consolidating stories from more experienced IDs in a single post would be interesting and helpful. It may even lead to us noticing patterns (at least among those of us on Reddit!) about ID roles.

Hi everyone! I have a technical question that’s a bit specific, and I’m hoping you can help.

We’re planning to create a WordPress website with LMS plugins to host various Rise and Storyline modules. How easy is this setup, and does it work well in practice? Also, if we include links between the e-learning modules, will those links function properly?

I’m asking because I once came across a Rise module created using a free trial, and the link at the end didn’t work - it displayed a message like "this feature doesn’t work in free trials."

This project is something we’re doing voluntarily for a good cause, so I’m looking for the easiest and most cost-effective way to make it happen. I realize we’ll likely need to pay for an Articulate subscription, but if some of the modules are hosted in Rise, does that mean the links or content will stop working once the subscription ends?

Apologies for the long and chaotic message 😁 I appreciate any ideas you can share!

Hi everyone! Every time I ask a question in this community, I receive amazing feedback, so thank you in advance!

I work for a large corporation and am planning to register on a freelance website. A former colleague did the same without any issues, but he was based in the US and was great at communicating with his manager, while I’ll probably feel unsure when speaking to mine about this. I’m based in a small European country, and my manager is also in Europe, if that matters at all.

Do you have any advice on how I can approach this conversation with my manager effectively?

My specialty is eLearning but my division is getting more requests to help classroom instructors make their classes more engaging/interactive. These are adult learner and the subject matter varies. Does anyone have ideas or examples? Thanks!

Tell us your weekly accomplishments, rants, or raves!

And as a reminder, be excellent to one another.

I did not see this listed anywhere else but I noticed that TutorLMS is having a Black Frida sale. It's a wordpress based LMS plugin and is very easy to work in. There is a free version or the pro version (which is up to 50% off for the next few days) Its free or for about $100 US you can use the pro version which has scorm ability, e-commerce hooks, etc...

https://tutorlms.com/black-friday/

I am curious to know what all sorts of documentation could be maintained for classroom, virtual and e-learning courses. What I generally follow is below:

E Learning

Project plan (for new course development) Design Document Detailed course outline Storyline files and SCORM files Resource materials Graphics folder Version control document

For classroom/Virtual

Project plan (for new course development) Design Document Detailed course outline Course materials (PPT, word, Indesign & Illustrator files etc.) Trainer notes or Instructor Guides Additional resources Version control document

The objective of proper documentation is to help managing the course material in long run…avoid scope creep during updates and revisions…have a proper log of the changes implemented.

Is this all or there is something that could be added or maybe is redundant here to make it more easier and professional in these terms.

Getting ready to get a new Macbook and need to move my Parallels/Windows key to a new computer. Moving from old 2016 to silicon. How sticky of a process is this? Wonder if I just bite the bullet and buy a new Windows code.

Here is a guide to different types of learning design roles. I’m writing from my own experience working as an Australian learning designer. Whilst these are specific to Australia, I think these are widely applicable and can be mapped onto US based learning designers as well. I hope this guide is useful for those who are looking to get into learning and instructional design and are interested in the career path and opportunities.

Learning Design Roles

• Builder (Entry level position): Someone who builds learning experiences using eLearning Authoring tools (Articulate, Learning Management Systems etc). Builders create lessons based on storyboards which specify what text, images and interactive elements (videos, multiple choice questions etc) should be present on each screen. These storyboards have often been designed by a learning designers. Builders often also conduct Quality Assurance checks (QA) on the learning experience before it is deployed to real learners, checking things like copywriting, images and videos loading properly and checking the accuracy of interactive elements such as multiple choice inputs, text inputs etc. In universities, sometimes learning design builders can be student interns or apprenticeships for aspiring learning designers.

• Learning Designer (Entry level or some experience required): A learning designer designs a digital learning experience. This involves working with a subject matter expert to design the learning experience most importantly by drafting a storyboard. This will involve some combination of objective setting, learner research, design storyboarding and implementation work. Depending on the organisation, a learning designer may directly manage their projects, which involve negotiating with subject matter experts, providing updates to management, stakeholders and tracking financial budgets. This project management may also be handled by a specialist project manager or a lead learning designer.

• Lead Learning Designer (Experience required): A lead learning designer leads and mentors a team of learning designers and is responsible for the output of training and learning experiences. This role can involve designing a learning design process, giving feedback to learning designers and collaborating with subject matter experts, project managers and middle managers.

• Other Management roles (Head of Learning, Head of Training and Development etc), I wont go into these types of roles for now, as these roles are still quite rare and emerging. Often these roles are more likely to exist in a larger established private company are often located in the HR department.

Stakeholder and Adjacent Roles

So far I have only covered learning design roles, however there are adjacent roles which often interact with learning designers. These roles can be also be part of the learning designer role (e.g. a learning designer might be their own project manager and produce video content as part of their role, especially if they are operating in a lean team).

• Subject Matter Experts: These are experts in their domains who learning designers have to collaborate with in order to produce learning experiences. SME’s are responsible for writing the subject content and checking the accuracy and appropriateness of the learning experience for their intended audience. In a university context, this is often an academic. In a corporate companies, this can be a line manager or individual contributor with domain knowledge.

• Project Manager: A project manager is in charge of ensuring a project is completed on time, under budget and fulfills the requirements of the learner. This can involve creating project plans, drafting status updates and coordinating teams of learning designers, graphic designers, video producers etc. They will also provide status updates to stakeholders such as managers, directors etc.

• Graphic Designer: Graphic designers create visual artifacts such as images, infographics, visual overlays and create a unified visual style guide (involving font hierarchy, visual imagery and logos).

• Video and Audio Producer: Some teams may have a dedicated video or content producer who films, records and edits video and audio content such as interviews, podcasts or instructional videos.

• Software Developers: Some learning experiences may require more custom experiences to be created using the skills of a software developer. This can involve custom simulations, custom website development and learning analytics.

Hello!

I’ve created a training prototype on Storyline and after testing it, the project sponsor has requested to track user completion of the program. Can this be done on Storyline? Or would I have to integrate the Storyline file onto an LMS in order to be able to track user completion?

Hi community,

I am an L&D Manager at a media agency in NYC. One program I manage (content, promotion, facilitation) is in the area of presentation skills - topics for various levels / experience. This program is voluntary for employees. An issue we come up against is the program "melt." That is, only about 50% of the people who register for training actually make it through to the end of the session.

Last year, we implemented a plan to remind employees and their managers one week + one day before the session, as well as sending follow up communications based on attendance status (also to learners and their managers). BUT this didn't really have an effect and "melt" persisted.

My leaders are asking me for a strategy to address this issue and I am at a loss. Do any of you have program management experience that could be relevant here? I appreciate it.

Hi guys, For my masters I had to do a design based research. I made the E-Learning module using storyline with the intention of using it for my portfolio.

I am wondering if I should mention that the module was used for my thesis and mention my research and share the results on my webpage. Or should I just post the module and just describe the module only.

Thanks

Hi all,

I am tasked with revamping training for new instructors joining an online school. The training is currently a WP site with pages of information, kind of like an encyclopedia. Trainees are then quizzed on knowledge and then start teaching. The results are often horrendous because they can't remember all the procedures required of them! It's terrible transfer and TMI all text based. Don't get me started on the usability. I want to revamp based on existing materials but have the liberty to rewrite and adapt as much as I want and will likely throw this into LearnDash as well.

Here's my question: most ID frameworks follow an ideal, as if I were to create training from scratch with unlimited access to members of target audience for eval. This is a tiny company and the budget is low. Do you have suggestions for frameworks I can adapt to my needs?

I am looking at SAM of course, lean ID methods, and continuous improvement for eval. I'd love to hear your thoughts on frameworks and theories rather than practical solutions.

Thank you!!

Hi! Can anyone explain to me how to upload a scorm file to articulate Rise? I’m only use web versions of the software on Mac.

From what I’ve found, I need to access the Manage tab but that doesn’t exist or at least I haven’t been able to find it…

I’m about to get my fifth manager in 5.5 years.

I started as a Learning Experience Designer and have been promoted to Senior about 2 years ago.

I’ve made it clear my goals are to climb the ladder and move away from building and more towards strategy and leading people.

I’ve had my hands in every department in the company, have relationships with people globally, and have been managing coursework/updates/everything under the sun.

I’ve asked over the last year what I can be doing to put myself in a position to get new roles as they are opened. LinkedIn learning, I’m actively mentoring a team member on the partner facing side of the business, and have been leading digital accessibility implementation into my department, just to name a few things.

A new org structure was shown to me yesterday and there was a manager position listed. I was told I was seen in more of a lead role… eventually. I asked if I was being considered for the manager job and the response was, “you can certainly apply!” Which I thought hey if I have no shot at this, then just please save me the trouble.

I asked what reservations there were about me going for that role and I was told that the hesitation was because I’ve never been a formal people leader.

Me and my team are so collaborative and have tons of respect for one another. We self manage when my boss (VP) is out or busy. I know this business. I have global relationships. I can do this. The transition should be easier, right?

I’m wondering if I need to get out and seek employment elsewhere, as the opportunity for growth is about to end (headcount won’t grow any further), and the tumultuous work experience will continue.

I’m just feeling down as I’ve worked my ass off to make a name for myself. We have grown globally and headcount’s increased 5x and I know I’ve had a big part in that. I helped my team win an ATD Best award. Just feels like it’ll never be enough.

A bit of a rant, but maybe someone can shed some light on how to navigate, or to tell me to suck it up because I know I’m more fortune than a lot of other people. Just feel stuck and like I’ve been passed around and ignored for my tenure with my employer.