Educational Insights Episodes

You can feel the moment when a career finally makes sense: you read a course list, something clicks, and you realize there’s a name for the work you’ve wanted to do all along. That’s the energy behind Jackie's conversation with Naomi Allen, who recently completed her master’s in instructional design at Grand Canyon University after starting down a very different path in clinical mental health counseling. We dig into what pulled her toward instructional design and learning and development, espec...

Most schools and nonprofits don’t have an “engagement problem” they have a follow-up problem. If you’ve ever gone to a campus event, felt a quick burst of nostalgia, and then never heard anything meaningful again, you’ve seen the gap firsthand. I sit down with alumni engagement and nonprofit consultant Jennifer Cunningham to unpack what actually turns a one-time attendee into a connected community member who mentors, hires, volunteers, advocates, and eventually gives back. Jennifer shares how a...

A shiny new tool can feel like instant progress, but what if it quietly makes your course harder to learn? Jackie is tackling one of the most stubborn myths in instructional design and education: the idea that technology automatically improves learning. Whether you’re rolling out a new LMS, testing an AI content creation tool, or adding interactive features to eLearning, the real question isn’t “Is it modern?” It’s “Does it help learners do something meaningful?” Jackie breaks down why this bel...

Most of us can remember a teacher who noticed us, but we struggle to remember the worksheet, the lecture slide, or the exact content on the exam. That’s where this conversation with Dr. Lou Hirsch lands: the real unit of change in higher education isn’t another tool or another “coverage” strategy, it’s the small, intentional moments of human connection that create trust and make learning stick. We talk about why modern systems built on speed, scale, and deadlines often squeeze out creativity, e...

The fastest way to lock learners out of your course is to wait for them to ask for access. We’re tackling a stubborn myth in instructional design and education: “Accessibility is optional if learners don’t request it.” It sounds reasonable on paper because many organizations have formal accommodation processes, but it breaks down in real life when learners don’t feel safe disclosing, don’t have documentation, or don’t even know what to ask for until they’re already struggling. We unpack why thi...

What if making great learning videos felt like finishing a slide deck—familiar, fast, and oddly satisfying? Jackie sat down with Pictory co‑founder Vikram Chalana to unpack a clear path from messy tools to simple, repeatable workflows that help educators and L&D teams publish short, accessible videos at scale. No timeline acrobatics. No blank‑screen dread. Just practical steps that turn content you already trust into engaging microlearning. Vikram shares the three design choices that shaped Pic...

Ever watch a promising writing class lose steam by midterm? We’ve been there, and we built this conversation to flip that script using the ARCS model—Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction—as a practical blueprint for motivated, higher-quality writing across live and online courses. With award-winning author and curriculum developer Ruth A. Douthit, we unpack what actually keeps students engaged, why “busy work” backfires, and how to design assignments that feel purposeful from the first...

Training that doesn’t change behavior is just content, and content alone won’t move a business metric. Jackie sat down with Dr. Steven Linley, a learning strategist and adult learning expert, to unpack how to turn “we need training” into performance that lasts. From the first stakeholder request to the final coaching touchpoint, Steven shows how to investigate like a detective, separate red herrings from root causes, and design solutions that fit the real constraints of work. If you’re ready to...

What if assessment made thinking visible and turned AI into a learning partner instead of a shortcut? Jackie sat down with Hamza Sami to close our series by unpacking practical ways to design for real understanding—where reasoning, judgment, and context take center stage. We start by reframing purpose: assessment is for learning, not just measurement. That lens leads to formative moves that build trust and invite responsible AI use. Hamza breaks down how to set clear AI norms, teach limits and ...

Ever feel like your tools change faster than your lesson plans? Jackie sat down with tech translator and founder Charly Leetham to unpack a calmer, smarter way to work with technology—one that starts with first principles, respects human limits, and favors preparation over firefighting. From story-rich field experience to practical classroom routines, this conversation is a guide to making tech serve the teaching, not the other way around. If you’re ready to replace panic with process and guess...

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 a...

Creativity isn’t extra; it’s how we unlock potential. That’s the heartbeat of this conversation with Austrian‑Californian multimedia artist and creativity awareness educator Michaell Magrusche, whose neurodiversity shaped a human‑centered approach to learning, design, and life. We talk candidly about why people must come before systems, how to balance money, meaning, and voice in design, and the simple habits that make creativity a daily practice instead of a once‑a‑year workshop. Enjoyed the c...

What if job hunting could feel more like leveling up than burning out? Jackie sits down with language and mindset coach Jade Arthur to explore how AI and game design thinking can transform ESL learning, portfolios, and interview prep, especially for creatives entering the gaming industry. Jade walks us through a clear, repeatable workflow: define your outcomes, prompt ChatGPT for layered outputs, then move everything into Gamma to create a polished, visual resource your learners and job seekers ...

A frontline nurse turned founder changes how we think about “marketing” by treating it like care extended. David Sanchez, RN, shares how clinical empathy, clear language, and the right tools help healthcare organizations and educators reach the people who need them most. We unpack the journey from ER shifts to launching a recovery program and a patient-first agency, then translate that experience into steps any small team can take to grow with integrity. We go deep on foundations that matter: s...

Want a smarter way to work with AI in the classroom without losing what makes learning human? Jackie had an engaging and insightful conversation with academic manager and curriculum designer Hamza Sami to unpack practical ways educators can harness generative AI as a learning partner while strengthening integrity, critical thinking, and authentic assessment. We start by reframing generative AI with simple language students can use: it’s the confident friend who doesn’t always have the facts rig...

What if the key to tomorrow’s lesson lives in what lit you up at age seven? We bring back Tommy Kilpatrick to turn that early spark into practical, compassionate teaching—linking identity, choice, and classroom design. Together, we unpack a simple ten-minute exercise to replay your earliest memories and name the gift you were eager to share. That clarity becomes a compass for lesson tweaks you can implement this month, aligning activities with purpose and giving students a language for who they ...

Think AI can do everything? We put that assumption under the microscope with AI engineering leader and author Sairam Sundaresan, and walk away with a playbook that’s practical, ethical, and built for real classrooms and design teams. We break down why narrow, well-scoped tasks are where AI shines, how to turn prompting into a repeatable workflow, and what it looks like to treat a model like a new hire you’re onboarding—clear roles, examples, and tight feedback loops. We dig into the big wins fo...

AI can feel like a runaway train in classrooms and training programs—powerful, fast, and a little scary. We take the controls and show how to turn generative tools into true co-pilots: clear roles, simple guardrails, and small pilots that free us to focus on coaching, feedback, and real human connection. You’ll hear role-based examples across K-12, higher education, and corporate learning: differentiated reading passages and exit tickets, outcome-aligned case prompts and quiz banks, and realist...

What if a fifth grader could turn a pile of ideas into a clear, grounded paragraph—every time—without leaning on AI? We bring back dyslexia researcher Russell Van Brocklen for part three of our series to show exactly how: start with a hero, a universal theme, and a villain; distill three good reasons into one-word themes; and anchor everything to a real quote. The result is a body paragraph that’s honest, teachable, and repeatable—plus a writing process students can explain step by step. We als...

Forget the headset hype: real learning impact starts with a clear problem, a focused outcome, and a modality that actually fits the job. We dig into how to choose between VR for safe practice, AR for in-the-flow guidance, and MR for complex 3D collaboration—then show exactly how to design the actions, decisions, and feedback loops that change behavior on the job. No fluff, no jargon, just a practical roadmap for building immersive experiences that matter. If you’ve been looking for a practical ...

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 i...

Thunder cracked over San Cristóbal as Queen Michele told us how a retired teacher, armed with a suitcase and a stubborn sense of purpose, found her soul in Mexico and a mission for the most connected generation on earth. What followed is a story of reinvention, caregiving, and building a mindfulness curriculum that teaches middle schoolers to center before they swipe. We unpack Generation Alpha—kids born into a 24/7 feed—whose attention is shaped by platforms that never power down. Queen shares...

Want learners to finish training, remember it, and use it on the job? We walk through a no-fluff approach to gamification that starts with clear outcomes and ends with measurable behavior change. Instead of throwing points at problems, we show how to pair decision-based practice, tight feedback, and meaningful rewards to build real skill. The heart of the episode is a practical toolkit: five common pitfalls and exactly how to flip them, plus the metrics that prove impact. We cover mastery rate,...