Courses Episodes

What if AI became your most thoughtful co-teacher instead of a shortcut students hide behind? Jackie had an engaging and insightful conversation with John Williamson, lead curriculum developer at Grand Canyon University and founder of Olive and Rose Education, to map out how generative AI can boost creativity, deepen learning, and give teachers precious time back—without losing professional judgment or student agency. We unpack John’s three-tier framework for responsible adoption: AI-assisted ac...

Hiring managers don’t want a gallery of artifacts; they want proof you can solve real performance problems. We walk through a clear, house-style blueprint for building an instructional design portfolio that highlights your judgment, shows measurable impact, and makes it effortless to find your best work. To help your work get found, we align language across your site, resume, and LinkedIn, weave in job-aligned keywords naturally, and create a light sharing plan. Add your portfolio to LinkedIn’s ...

Ready to move beyond one-size-fits-all courses? We explore a practical path to adaptive learning that uses the content and tools you already have—no massive rebuilds, no mystery AI required. By focusing on three simple levers—sequence, pacing, and practice—we demonstrate how to direct learners to the right support at the right time and convert feedback into fuel for mastery. The goal is simple: design smart checkpoints, not clones, and honor learner differences without inflating complexity. If y...

Want to design learning that actually sticks—and gets you hired? Jackie sits down with Connie Malamed, publisher of The eLearning Coach website and podcast, author of Visual Design Solutions and Visual Language for Designers, to unpack how newcomers can skip the noise, master the essentials, and build a portfolio that proves real instructional design skill. We dive into the mindset shift from “make e‑learning” to “design for how people learn,” then get tactical: reducing cognitive load with whit...

What if your classroom could adapt to each learner without handing their data to the cloud? That’s the promise we dig into with technologist and founder Sebastien Fenelon, whose journey from scarce resources in Haiti to building privacy-first, edge AI tools reframes what “future-ready” really means for educators and instructional designers. We start with the power of resilience—how self-taught coding, late-night study sessions, and community support can outpace limited infrastructure—and move in...

Short doesn’t automatically mean effective. We dig into the craft of microlearning that actually changes behavior on the job, moving past buzzwords to a clear blueprint you can use this week. You’ll hear the green‑yellow‑red fit test, a tight scoping method, and five delivery patterns that make small learning moments do real work without bloating your course catalog. Ready to ship something meaningful in seven days? Try the micro sprint, share your results, and help a teammate build their first ...

Ever try to squeeze a desktop course onto a phone and wonder why learners bounce? We reframe the challenge and share five essentials that make mobile learning fast, clear, and genuinely useful in the moments people actually have. From finding mobile moments to building microlearning mile markers, we walk through patterns that turn scattered minutes into meaningful progress and show why one crisp outcome per lesson is the antidote to overload. A practical case study ties it together: a 45‑minute ...

What happens when a tech industry veteran gets frustrated with complicated video editing software? They build something better. In this captivating conversation, Jeremy shares his journey from early-2000s startups like Sling Media to leadership roles at media giants before launching his AI-powered video editing platform. Whether you're an instructional designer looking to enhance learning materials, a marketer seeking to increase your content output, or an entrepreneur considering your next vent...

What makes a learning experience stick long after the course ends? We pull back the curtain on the “secret sauce” of Learning Experience Design , also known as LXD, and break it into five essential ingredients—empathy, storytelling, interactivity, accessibility, and feedback—that you can apply right away to elevate any course, workshop, or training program. In this episode, you’ll get practical reflection prompts, examples you can copy, and a focused action step to build momentum this week. Alon...

Most training looks polished yet forgettable; this one shows how to make learning unforgettable by design. This episode breaks down five practical strategies that turn passive content into active skill-building: set laser-clear objectives, transform quizzes into decision practice with rich feedback, build shallow but meaningful branching scenarios, introduce lightweight simulations that let learners try again without fear, and bake accessibility and UDL into every step so engagement is equitable...

What happens when you're thrown into a college classroom with zero preparation and told, "You start tomorrow"? Dr. Albert Bramante faced exactly this scenario when he unexpectedly became a psychology professor overnight. His remarkable journey from panicked novice to confident educator reveals powerful lessons about authenticity, intuition, and finding your teaching voice. For educators battling self-doubt, Dr. Bramante offers practical wisdom: reconnect with your "why," surround yourself wi...

Have you ever struggled to create courses that truly engage your learners? The Dick and Carey model might be the game-changer you've been seeking. Unlike traditional linear approaches, this powerful framework views instructional design as a recipe where each ingredient affects the final outcome. For beginners, the model offers essential guidance through potentially overwhelming design processes. The systematic approach helps you resist the temptation to skip crucial planning stages. By spending ...

Shannon Boyer shatters the myth of passive income in online education, revealing why high-quality courses require active engagement and student-centered design. Drawing from her 17 years of experience developing innovative college programs, she now helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs transform their expertise into meaningful learning experiences. Shannon's passion for student success shines through as she discusses the critical components many course creators mistakenly eliminate: guided practice...

Have you ever created a learning experience that left you wondering whether your learners truly understood the point? Backward Design might be the solution you've been seeking. This transformative approach flips the traditional instructional design process on its head by starting with clear learning outcomes before planning activities or selecting content. Throughout this episode, I break down each stage with practical examples, like designing customer service training where representatives lear...

Struggling to create multimedia content that truly engages your learners without overwhelming them? This episode delivers the solution you've been searching for. Mayer's 12 Multimedia Principles provide a powerful, research-based framework that transforms how we approach instructional design. Based on cognitive science and the realities of how our brains process information, these principles offer clear guidance for creating content that genuinely enhances learning rather than simply decorating ...

Ever wondered why so many online courses fail to deliver meaningful learning experiences? In this enlightening conversation with Dr. Catrina Mitchum, founder of Catrina Mitchum Learning Design, we uncover the critical mistakes that derail course creators and the powerful solutions that can transform digital learning. Dr. Mitchum shares her journey from higher education professor to course design specialist, revealing how she became an "accidental instructional designer" when her community colleg...

Ready to revolutionize your instructional design approach? The SAM (Successive Approximation Model) might be exactly what you need. This episode explores how this agile alternative to traditional linear design can transform your learning development process. Dr. Michael Allen created the SAM model to address common frustrations with traditional approaches like ADDIE, where problems are often discovered too late in the process. Whether you choose the streamlined SAM1 for small projects or the mor...

Welcome to episode 21 of the Designing with Love podcast, where I cover how to effectively use images, icons, and infographics as visual aids when designing learning materials for your instructional solutions. In addition, the episode covers how you can utilize AI-generated technology to help you create visual aids when needed. 🔗 Episode Links: Please check out the resources mentioned in the episode. Enjoy! Canva Color Wheel Genially Noun Project 📑 References: Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia...

Welcome to episode 20 of the Designing with Love podcast, where I cover the most effective methods to start using audio and video recording software when designing interactive experiences for your learners. 🔗 Episode Links: Please check out the resources shared in the episode. Enjoy! Audacity Camtasia Canva ScreenPal Snagit Send Jackie a Text Join PodMatch! Use the link to join PodMatch, a place for hosts and guests to connect. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purcha...

Welcome to episode 19 of the Designing with Love podcast, where I cover five key aspects to help you successfully create and manage eLearning courses for your learners. In the episode, I also share some key statistics to indicate how popular online learning is among learners and organizations. 🔗 Episode Links: Please check out the resources shared in the episode. Enjoy! eLearning Industry eLearning from Adobe The eLearning Coach The Rapid eLearning Blog 📑 References: Online Learning Statistics: ...

Welcome to episode 18 of the Designing with Love podcast, where I cover some tips for creating a learner workbook so that you can engage your learners to effectively interact with the content in meaningful ways. There are a total of five tips included as you consider creating effective materials for your learning solution. 🔗 Episode Links: Please check out the resource shared in the episode. Enjoy! Blog Post by Sprout Labs 📑 References: Designing a learning workbook . (n.d.). https://sproutlabs....

Welcome to episode 17 of the Designing with Love podcast, where I cover the benefits of creating a facilitation plan when designing a learning experience in any industry. The episode covers five main areas that you should include in your facilitation plan, along with how to properly review and adjust as needed, and what else to consider. 🔗 Episode Links: Please check out the resources mentioned in the episode. Enjoy! What's the Best Way to Design a Facilitation Plan That Meets Everyone's Needs? ...

Welcome to episode 12 of the Designing with Love podcast, where I cover several key aspects of writing effective objectives so that you can create the best experience for your learners while also being able to fully measure and assess their learning. 🔗 Episode Links: Please check out the resources mentioned in the episode. Enjoy! Backward Design: The Basics Authentic Assessment in Action 📑 References: Gonzalez, J. (2021, April 29). Backward design: The basics | Cult of Pedagogy . Cult of Pedagog...

Welcome to episode 9 of the Designing with Love podcast, where I share how to use Genially to create interactive and engaging learning materials. In the podcast, I cover the types of designs you can create with Genially, some of the interactive elements you can incorporate into your designs, and the features and benefits of the Genially Academy. Send Jackie a Text Join PodMatch! Use the link to join PodMatch, a place for hosts and guests to connect. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links...