sponsored by iSpring

Our trip to Seattle was awesome! Both campuses we visited were beautiful, and we had a lovely waterfront dinner with one of my high school classmates. We also hit the Boeing Museum of Flight where I had the privilege of chatting with a WWII bomber pilot who made a whopping 35 bombing runs in a B17. Can you imagine?! All in all, it was an unforgettable experience. Although, I must admit, I'm secretly hoping my son chooses a college closer to home.

As always, thanks for reading.

📰 News & Notes

Learning Tech Trends

If you're looking for a comprehensive overview of the latest learning tech trends, look no further than Dani Johnson and the redthread research team. They're experts in the field and have their finger on the pulse of all the latest action. Lucky for use, they've got a webinar recording that's sure to provide you with valuable insights.

🥡 Take away: The learning tech market is enabling skills and mobility for learning, connecting people, finding a signal through the noise, freedom to develop, and doing more with less.

How to Quickly Create a Learning Resource Website Using SpreadSimple

You may know that I’m a big fan of #nocode tools and their potential for learning and development (L&D). In this post, Connie Malamed takes you on a step-by-step journey of creating an interactive learning resource website with SpreadSimple. Trust me, it's an absolute breeze! All you need to do is gather your information in a Google Sheet, make a few design choices, and then let SpreadSimple do the rest of the work building a beautiful, interactive website in the blink of an eye. This is an amazing tool that you don't want to miss out on, so be sure to add it to your digital toolkit.

🥡 Take away: No-code tools like SpreadSimple can be a game-changer for creating interactive learning resources quickly & easily.

What Instructional Designers Should Know About AI

Dr. Luke Hobson chats with William Cronje about the relevance of AI in the learning space and the skills that instructional designers (IDs) should have to effectively use AI in their work. They agree that AI is here to stay and will change everything, so IDs need to be adaptable and explore the limitations of AI while being creative. Prompt engineering is a crucial skill for creating high-quality content quickly, but IDs should not neglect the traditional instructional design process.

🥡 Take away: AI is an important and transformative tool and instructional designers need to have the right skills to effectively use it including: being adaptable, creative, a good communicator, and having prompt engineering skills.

Research Review: Evidence-based L&D Practices for 2023

Get ready to discover the latest trends in Learning and Development (L&D) for 2023. The Learning Guild has put together a research report where Jane Bozarth dives into 14 research articles covering a wide range of topics relevant to today's L&D landscape.

🥡 Take away: Jane Bozarth has highlighted evidence-based practices that we should keep our eyes on to stay current with the latest L&D research.

Small acts of kindness matter more than you think

One reason small acts of kindness matter is because they can help bridge the "liking gap" - the phenomenon where we assume that others don't like us as much as they actually do. By showing someone a small act of kindness, we can help them feel valued and appreciated, and potentially even strengthen our relationships with them.

Another reason small acts of kindness matter is because they can have a ripple effect. When we're kind to someone, they're more likely to be kind to others, and the positive impact can continue to spread.

But perhaps the most important reason small acts of kindness matter is because they're a reminder that we all have the power to make a difference, no matter how small. Whether it's smiling at a stranger, holding the door for someone, or simply saying thank you, each small act of kindness has the potential to brighten someone's day and make the world a little bit better.

Take away: Text a friend, write a thank-you note, compliment a stranger — people appreciate these gestures.

🎧 Podcasts

These are the conversations that caught my ear this week.

🧰 Tech Tools & Tips

If tools are your jam, check out my new Work Smarter newsletter

sponsored

How to create a course in Moodle

An Illustrated step-by-step guide for educators

Do you consider creating a course in Moodle to be a daunting task? That's not the case if you're equipped with this step-by-step guide provided by iSpring. It's brimming with insights and pro tips on how to create an interactive course with a knowledge check twice as fast. And here it is, ready to download. Feel free to grab it and take course creation in Moodle to the next level!

🧳 Where’s Mike?

• Microlearning Conference, April 27, Online

• Learning & Marketing Conference, June 7-8 Online

If you or your event needs a speaker or workshop that is highly interactive and super practical we should talk.

Like this post? Share it with someone you love. Don't like it? Share it with someone you don't!

Friday Finds is an independent publication that I produce in my free time. You can support my work by sharing it with the world, booking an advertising spot, or by buying me a coffee.