eLearning Experts: List of Top Industry Authors, Speakers, and Practitioners
"Learn to balance design and instruction. Learners don’t care how pretty the content is if they don’t learn anything."
Aaron Quigley
Learning Strategist | Education Guru | Content Manager, Linkedin
Featured in: 2017 Trends
"Elearning will be the first non-game-based, but widely accepted, use of VR."
"Micro-learning is increasing and it will be more scenario-based incorporating learner-added content. The problem will be easily uploading and retrieving."
Allen Partridge
Head of Evangelism, Digital Learning Solutions, Adobe
Featured in: 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"Video remains the strongest long term trend. Expect continued improvements in the ease of getting streaming video content to learners, and improvements in delivering both standard and interactive video."
Allison Rossett
Professor Emerita of Educational Technology, San Diego State University
Featured in: 2017 Trends
"Everyone wants what they want, when and where they want it. The challenge then is how to guide employees as they make choices and use their resources. These choices make it urgent to clarify expectations and options. We must do more than serve up a flood of content. It can overwhelm instead of inspire.."
Ashley Chiasson
Senior eLearning Developer, Traliant
Featured in:Scenario Tips, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"Adaptive learning and personalizing the learning experience is becoming critical – it’s been done well in few places, but the learning world is demanding more."
Alexander Salas
Director Of Learning, eLearning Launch
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends
"Incite action in learners through the activation of previous knowledge. Help learners solve problems, not read a fancy e-book."
Anita Horsley, M.Ed
Director Of Training And Development, Connect for Education Innovative Solutions
Featured in: Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends
"Add a variety of multi-media and scenario based training"
"Combining a variety of tools to create content"
Bianca Woods
Senior Manager, Programming, The Learning Guild
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2017 Trends
"Avoid text dump slides. You’re better off with slightly more slides, but with less text on each one."
Brent Schlenker
Corporate Training Learning & Development Strategies and Community Builder – cohost of #IDIODC, dominKnow Learning Systems
Featured in: Scenario Tips, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"Live mobile streaming video will continue to grow and integrate with communication, collaboration, and learning strategies. The movement towards VR is very real and will push into the training departments faster than many are anticipating."
Brian Allen
Learning Experience Designer, Epiq
Featured in: Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"If you had your learner in person, what kind of interaction would you use to make your learning more engaging"
"I think the acceleration from 2017 will continue in 2018 in terms of xAPI adoption and the development of tools that will make it easier for instructional designers to generate statements and develop a data strategy."
Brooke Schepker
Instructional Designer, Yukon Learning
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends
"Everything on the slide “speaks” to learners. Figure out the key point on each slide, and design visuals to portray it."
Bruce Graham
Content Creator – Vonage
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"Be brief with your messaging, brief but clear. Check that you have done so with the target audience."
Cammy Bean
Senior Solutions Consultant, Kineo
Featured in: Engaging eLearning, Instructional Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Slide Design Tips, 2017 Trends, 2018 Trends,
"Recipe for a bored and glazed out learner? Cram LOTS and LOTS of words onto a slide."
Cara North
Operations Training Manager, Silfex, Inc. – A Division of Lam Research Corporation
Featured in: Slide Design Tips
"Stopping thinking of it as a slide and consider how it fits into the big picture of the learning experience you are creating."
"Understand the problem–what do people need to DO? Help them practice doing it with realistic challenges"
Chana Messer
Subject Matter Expert writer, Certiport – A Pearson VUE Business
Featured in: Slide Design Tips
"Good elearning is a digital playground. Make it engaging!"
"Look at the overall idea (given in a short slide or paragraph) and try to build a visual system that mirrors that idea"
Charles Jennings
Partner, Strategy and Performance, Tulser/70:20:10 Institute
Featured in: Engaging eLearning
"If learning material,...is designed to be highly relevant and delivered in context then it is likely to be useful."
Christy Tucker
Learning Experience Design Consultant, Syniad Learning
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends
"Align objects to guidelines to create a unified look across multiple slides."
Clark Quinn
Executive Director, Quinnovation
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends
"Use an image to represent a concept, sparking curiosity."
Clive Shepherd
Writer and composer, Self-employed
Featured in: Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"The number one factor in engagement is relevance, because relevance drives out resistance."
Connie Malamed
Founder, Mastering Instructional Design
Featured in: Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"Interview sample audience members...Understand your audience and you can connect with them… person to person."
"It’s all about video in a learning system. The authoring tools not so much, nor any 3rd parties. That said, expect an increase in video management functionality which will include ties into micro, social, mobile incl. apps, web cam and so forth."
"short form the content to a series of mini modules that can each be consumed in under two minutes"
David Kelly
Speaker | Writer | Executive Vice President & Executive Director, The Learning Guild
Featured in: Scenario Tips, 2018 Trends
"While not a sexy new technology, I think Context will be a key word in 2018. The word applies in many ways, but what many of the trends we’re following are doing is putting content closer to the context in which it is being used. Context is the common thread of how technology is being used to enhance learning.."
"The viewing and sharing of video content online continues to grow in popularity, so it only makes sense to predict the use of video content in elearning to continue to do the same. People love to learn by watching and listening.."
Dawn J Mahoney CPTD
Professional Facilitator & Content Designer, Learning In the White Space
Featured in: Slide Design Tips
"No need for company logo taking up precious screen real estate. People know where they work. Display on first & last screen."
"AR can provide real-time, on-site, step-by-step visual guidance for complex tasks. We need to help build companies build implementation road maps that lay out AR benefits and capabilities needed to expand its use."
Diane Elkins
Co-Founder, Artisan E-Learning and E-Learning Uncovered
Featured in: Slide Design Tips,Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"Can’t think of good visuals? Question your writing. Abstract concepts=hard to illustrate. Concrete tips =easier to illustrate"
"Two letters – AI. Artificial Intelligence has been around in learning for a long time with Google, easily the most important pedagogic shift in the last 20 years.."
"L&D innovation needs to reflect improvements in productivity, outcomes for stakeholders, influencers. L&D practitioners needs to be more comfortable demonstrating value that generalizes beyond deeply held personal opinions."
"Develop for the use case of the realistic least desirable learning circumstances."
"Start with a story – people relate to emotion, excitement and analogy"
Eric Tremblay
Director, Engineering Teaching and Learning Team, Queen’s University
Featured in: Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends
"Stop thinking about technology to “replace” human instructors and start thinking about technology to “enable” human instructors."
Erik Lord
Curriculum Technology Manager, Chamberlain University
Featured in: Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends
"Make the content ... relevant to the learners. People...pay attention to things that they find relevant to their own experience."
France Swift Hernandez
Learning and Information Designer / Creative Consultant, eLearningArt
Featured in: Slide Design Tips
"Be bold and confident with your slide design. Good design helps sell the learning."
"Interactive video is now very easy to do with tools like Articulate Storyline and H5P. It takes a passive medium to a level where you can weave in instructional elements and make it more compelling."
Jackie Van Nice
Award-Winning Instructional Designer, Proud Articulate Super Hero
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Engaging eLearning
"Control text, images, animations, audio, or activities so the learner is never distracted from where you want their attention."
Jacqueline Hutchinson
E-Learning Instructional Designer & Developer, E-Learning Pros
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips
"Design your content so it works well for all devices, then test thoroughly."
"Don’t just start loading content onto slides. Before you begin, step away from the computer and ask, “How can I help people learn this?”
Jane Hart
Speaker, Writer & Adviser, Modern Workplace Learning
Featured in: Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends
"Insert the quote from 1 post and prioritize the quote from Slide Design Tips, then Engaging eLearning, then Scenario Tips, then 2018 Trends, then 2017 Trends.."
Jean Marrapodi
eLearning thought leader and pioneering problem solver, Mass Mutual
Featured in: 2017 Trends
"The busy workforce requires learning that is expressly targeted, and microlearning offers specific, bite size nuggets, fitting learning in during brief downtime."
Jeff Batt
Senior Product Manager, Learning Systems, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Featured in: 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"I see augmented reality as the ultimate on the job performance aid, imagine starting a new job and walking through the office and getting several job tips and tricks you can use in the moment. To get learning into all these new areas we have to broaden the kind of development we do and the kind of developers we work with."
"Think like a learner! What draws in your attention? Makes you sit up in your chair? Whatever it may be, use it to your advantage in eLearning.."
"Insert the quote from 1 post and prioritize the quote from Slide Design Tips, then Engaging eLearning, then Scenario Tips, then 2018 Trends, then 2017 Trends."
"As costs decrease, technology such as augmented reality, 360° video, NFC tags and more will be available for those content areas where they make sense.."
John Blackmon
Chief Technology Officer, eLearning Brothers
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"Allow the user to explore the content in the way that’s right for them."
JD Dillon
Chief Learning Architect, Axonify
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, 2018 Trends
"Start by asking yourself “why would a person spend their limited time on this slide?”"
"A consistent slide layout is central to a consistent learning experience."
Julie Dirksen
Learning Strategy Consultant, Usable Learning
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"Say “So for example…” as much as possible — you can also have slide template to support it."
"Mobile is the growth driver in e-learning and many of the trends will stem from it. Social learning concepts, micro-content, and informal learning are a result of the mobile learning surge. Expect ‘snappy’, concise courses that leverage the social components that we are used to but outside of the formal e-learning context."
"Engage the learner’s curiosity. Don’t start with objectives, start with questions the learner needs to answer."
"Design a flexible curriculum that can be personalized with bite-sized videos that satisfy the modern learner’s appetite for smaller morsels of information."
"The old centralized top down model of e-Learning creation is changing. Companies are leveraging the power of their SMES and e-Learning creation is handed over to them."
"Focus on helping people do the things they want to be able to do and getting rid of, or providing efficient pathways through the things that get in their way."
Kevin Thorn
CLEO, CNH, NuggetHead Studioz
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends
"Visuals should lift up the content as opposed to the content supporting the visuals."
"As long as Grovo does not actively pursue trademark infringement for on Microlearning®, I suspect that this will also continue to be a powerful trend in 2018."
"Our benchmark research shows that it is not the tools we use, but how we use them that makes an impact on the business results we hunger for."
"To engage learners there has to be a WIFFM – What’s In It For Me, so it’s not just about eLearning content, even more important is the context.."
"Boredom and solitude are THE enemies of all learning methods, but even more for eLearning.."
Linda Lorenzetti
Senior eLearning Developer, Public Services Health & Safety Association
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"Save examples of great design that you see and use it the next time you are stumped."
Margie Meacham
Chief Freedom Officer, Learningtogo, LLC
Featured in: , Scenario Tips, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"It’s no accident that neuroscience and AI are my top two trends, since they are interconnected. While we have been seeing both topics pop up here and there for years, 2017 will be the year they become part of the day to day conversation instead of just promising curiosities."
Mark Britz
Workplace Performance Advisor, markbritz.com
Featured in: Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends
"provide opportunities for an emotional connection to the content; invite conversations, create associations to personal experiences."
Matthew Guyan
Learning Experience Designer, Macquarie Group
Featured in: Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends
"Create something that’s relevant for them, arouse their curiosity, challenge what they know, have them make decisions with consequences and ultimately help them to perform better."
"Insert the quote from 1 post and prioritize the quote from Slide Design Tips, then Engaging eLearning, then Scenario Tips, then 2018 Trends, then 2017 Trends."
Melissa Milloway
Learning Experience Design Manager, Amazon
Featured in: Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends
"Invest in your professional development.Specialize in something and team up with colleagues who have different strengths.."
Michael Allen
CEO, Allen Interactions Inc
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2017 Trends
"Don’t think of elearning as a presentation. Make it an instructive conversation with the learner."
Mike Taylor
Learning Consultant, Change 4 Growth Consulting
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"Clean and focused"
"Focus on the copywriting!...Write a first draft and then edit...to eliminate everything that doesn’t support your objectives."
Oliver Schinkten
Staff Instructor, Business & Education, LinkedIn
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"As technology and apps continue to improve I believe we’ll continue to see more and more video content being utilized in eLearning environments. There will also be more opportunities to engage students in projects, with an emphasis on higher order thinking skills, including the creation of videos, podcasts, blogs and more."
"Less is more on-screen."
Patti Shank
Founder, Learning Peaks, LLC
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends
"Don’t just deliver content: Ask important questions and offer activities. Deep processing is critical for deeper learning."
Phil Mayor
Award Winning Creative Director – Articulate MVP – Articulate Storyline Developer, Articulate
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"Avoid the templates and defaults setting. Make it visual and tell a story!"
Ray Jimenez, Ph.D.
Chief Architect, Situation Expert and Vignettes Learning
Featured in: Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"Write, speak, engage from your heart, try not to be a phony, be sincerely curious."
Renaldo Lawrence
Award-Winning E-Learning Content Developer & Motivational Speaker, Glyn School
Featured in: 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"I believe Mobile Learning is the future and the now. Because students and adult have their phones with them 24 hours a day, training will become more relevant and Companies will have to start developing content which is mobile friendly such as the sites we are creating for our students. I think there will be a bigger adoption of mobile learning.."
"Use Morph in PowerPoint – easily create dynamic visual content to effectively explain ideas then export to video for any use."
Richard Watson
President, Bridgehill Learning Solutions, LLC
Featured in: Engaging eLearning, Instructional Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Slide Design Tips, 2017 Trends, 2018 Trends,
Portfolio Highlight | Featured Example
"Every element on the slide engages the learner and moves them towards achieving the learning objective"
"Put the “multi-” back into multi-media, which is what eLearning is all about. Use all forms of media at your disposal to engage and promote retention.."
"Find out more about your target audience and then design the content to be a close fit for their specific needs."
Ryan Tracey
Learning Innovation Manager, Macquarie Group
Featured in: Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2017 Trends
"My tip for making eLearning more engaging is to use video scenarios. Far too much content “tells” us what to do, when what we really need is to see it in action.."
Ron Price
Chief Learning Officer, Yukon Learning
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"Would this content be better told or better discovered?"
"Clean design, proper use of color, and properly placed elements create a “flow” for your learner to follow."
Sam Rogers
Global Learning Technologies & Learning Analytics Manager, ConvaTec
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, 2018 Trends
"Use words learners use, not SMEs. Show things learners understand, not IDs."
"Gamification will continue to grow as a strong strategy towards creating truly engaging and immersive learning. Add mobile devices and augmented reality in the mix, and we have a great opportunity to create high impact learning with games that rewards and engages the learners.."
"CLO and Workforce data for the past two years have been showing us a trend toward increased use of video, both for learning and for HR communications. We’re reaching a nadir of majority adoption. Low barriers to entry make this a fast growing practice.."
"Video: because cost of production and delivery (bandwidth) is dropping. SaaS: because Articulate did it. Scenarios: because there are tools now to do it cheaply."
Shannon Tipton
Chief Learning Officer, Learning Rebels, LLC
Featured in: Scenario Tips, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"Micro-learning is making a big impact right now. One that is highly needed. Micro learning, when used as a performance support tool, will help people do their jobs at the moment of need. It’s a job aid, it’s a video; it’s a brief, recorded, power-point, it’s a phone app. Meaning short, sweet and to the point. Micro-learning brings needed support to the end-user, when they need it and when the business needs them to have it.."
"Well I could certainly go into why each of the items listed above is significant, I think the trend we’re looking at across all three items is that time and money are both short. We now, learning wise, need to maximize efforts based on both factors. Micro learning allows more bite-size knowledge transfer, social allows collaborative learning while completing work, and eliminating ADDIE gets learning out to the masses quicker."
"Every slide should have a purpose. Don’t just fill the space: make it meaningful and impactful."
Stephanie Harnett
Senior Digital Learning Specialist. Speaker. Author. Recognized Designer and Developer. Articulate MVP, ICE Ltd.
Featured in: 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"Learning that is short, structured with time between (not anytime, not J.I.T. access) rather spaced out over time by design to increase commitment, time to, practice and help people stay on track without becoming overwhelmed."
Stephen Downes
Researcher, Learning and Performance Support Systems, National Research Council Canada
Featured in: 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"These are core trends, not fads like VR or blockchain. They reflect both the demand for wider (and cheaper) access, plus the rise of new distributed technologies that make it possible. The crucial (but non-sexy) word for 2017 is “provisioning”."
Steve Haskin
Chief Creator, Industrial Strength Learning
Featured in: Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"Engage learners...visually. If you present...the same old slides with data. they'll tune out.."
"Tell a visual story with image and graphics."
Tim Buteyn
President and Chief e-Learning Strategist, ThinkingKap Learning Solutions, Inc.
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning
"“White space” is your friend. Make sure everything on slide has a purpose, and it supports the learner’s comprehension."
Tim Slade
Speaker, Author & Award-Winning Freelance eLearning Designer, Tim Slade Omnimedia
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning
"Use your slides to help your learners see what you’re trying to say."
"Placing a person in a real-life scenario where they get to make decisions (for good or bad) is ideal.."
Tony Karrer
CTO, Co-Founder, LA CTO Forum
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"At eLearning Learning, we track what top thought leaders are saying on many topics. The top eLearning Trends 2017 being discussed are micro-learning, augmented reality, analytics, gamification and mobile learning."
Tracy Parish
Instructional Designer, E-Learning Developer, Speaker , Southlake Regional Health Centre
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, 2017 Trends
"Ensure the font size is appropriate for the viewing audience; whether they are at the front/back of the room, or on a device."
"Keep it short. Small, relevant chunks. 3 minutes or less.."
Will Thalheimer, PhD
President, Work-Learning Research, Inc.
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, 2017 Trends
"Guide learners’ attention by using slide elements wisely!!"
Zsolt Olah
Manager, Digital Learning and Experience, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, 2018 Trends
"Forget slides! Imagine you’re having a conversation. You listen, probe, rephrase, clarify, explain…"
Example Person
Title, Company
Featured in: Slide Design Tips, Scenario Tips, Engaging eLearning, 2018 Trends, 2017 Trends
"Insert the quote from 1 post and prioritize the quote from Slide Design Tips, then Engaging eLearning, then Scenario Tips, then 2018 Trends, then 2017 Trends."