Keeping its student-centered mission top of mind helps focus the importance of training at Milton Hershey School, a  private residential school for Pre-K through 12th grade children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Craig Wrights,  director of training & organizational development at Milton Hershey School shares how they create meaningful and impactful adult learning for the benefit of the kids they serve. Show Notes:  Milton Hershey School focuses time on onboarding and...

To make microlearning successful in your organization you must first understand what it can and can’t do. Learning Strategist, Consultant and Author Dr. Robyn DeFelice explains how to think about microlearning as part of your overall training goals and not just a way to deliver training.   Show notes: In this interview, Robyn DeFelice stresses how and when to successfully use microlearning and makes these key points. Microlearning is much more than creating short-form training. If the only...

While you may think of improv as entertainment, you may not know how it can be used in training teams to adapt to change. In this episode, Fairplay Communications' Andy Eninger and Scott Zoll explain how improv can create a safe space for growth and dialogue in your organization. Show Notes: Fairplay Communications offers suggestions that organizations can implement to facilitate better communications, learning, and growth. Their key points include the following: The tenets of improv help...

Learner leaders are tackling challenges head on including how best to train a hybrid workforce, how to use microlearning, and how to put the learner first. We spoke to several thought leaders at the ATD Central PA 75th Anniversary event to see how they are taking new approaches to learning. Show Notes: The guests on this episode shared many helpful approaches to improving learning, including these key points. There are cases where in-person learning is more effective and situations where...

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America trains staff and volunteers at 4,300 local clubs reaching more than four million young people.  Director of Learning Design Yvette Francis explains how learning advances the organization's mission and impacts lives. Show Notes:   Whether you influence learning at a non-profit or for-profit organization, these takeaways from Yvette Francis will help. All decisions made about learning topics, content, and learning formats are guided by the organization's...

No matter how good your training is, the learning won’t stick without support from leadership.  Jennifer Recla, Director of Organizational Learning and Development at the healthcare company Colorado Access, shares how her organization supports employees throughout their learning journeys to make training more impactful and the business outcomes better. SHOW NOTES: Jennifer Recla offers best practices that L&D professionals can implement to leverage leadership to support learning. Her key...

Podcasts continue to grow in popularity with more than two million currently available. But can podcasts also work as a training tool? In this episode, PGT Innovations Digital Learning Administrator Sherri Connor shares how this leading window and door manufacturer’s podcast has become an important part of their learning and development program.  Show Notes: PGT’s Sherri Connor shares how her company’s podcast trains employees, builds brand awareness, and even reaches customers. Here are some...

You may think of accounting and tax firms as working “by the books,” but when it comes to training, global accounting firm KPMG is leveraging innovative technology to engage and educate their global workforce. Vaughan O’Leary, Interactive Learning Apps Program Manager at KPMG, shares how his company’s Globerunner Cup is training team members and connecting associates around the world through gamification.   Shownotes: KPMG’s Globerunner Cup is an example of how a company can use gamification...

The pandemic has forced training leaders to pivot and re-examine how best to educate their organizations. While there are challenges to training in a hybrid work environment, it also presents some real opportunities. We interviewed L&D leaders at the Training Industry Conference & Expo to learn how they are navigating training in today’s work environment. Show Notes: The learning leaders interviewed in our podcast shared the challenges and successes of training in a hybrid world. Some...

While learning leaders have different training goals and educate various audiences, they share common challenges to engage learners and get results. We spoke to attendees at the Training Industry Conference & Expo (TICE) to hear about their greatest challenges and successes.    Show Notes: The L&D leaders featured in this episode shared issues and solutions related to understanding the ROI of training, finding enough time for training, and aligning training with business goals. Some...

Retaining talented team members is a critical part of any company’s long-term success. At The Hershey Company, they’re taking strategic steps and leveraging technology to skill their workforce for the future. Leanna Meiser, Director, Enterprise Learning & Organizational Change Management discusses how L&D leaders can shift their thinking from “learning” to “skilling” their workforce.  Show Notes: Leanna Meiser discusses how companies can grow their talent pipeline by not only seeking...

At the recent Training Industry Conference & Expo (TICE) in Raleigh, N.C., more than 400 learning leaders reunited to talk about the state of the training industry and discuss best practices for L&D.  d'Vinci President Mason Scuderi was at the conference and shares his quick takeaways. Show Notes: Mason Scuderi provides insights from the conference keynotes and sessions including these key points. Out of 350 companies surveyed by Training Industry, a majority reported a plan to...

Gamification can create engaging learning experiences that increase learning and retention. Intel’s Learning & Development Consultant Usha Chazhiyat shares best practices for any organization looking to integrate gamification into the learning experience.  Show Notes: Intel’s Usha Chazhiyat has develop a recipe for successfully using gamification to engage and educate learners. She offers advice on how to get started and build on learning solutions that leverage technology to teach. Start...

Educating the public requires an integrated approach to engage and inform so that’s why POZ Magazine leveraged online assessment tools and eLearning courses to educate people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Ian Anderson, president of Smart + Strong, and Oriol Gutierrez, editorial director for Smart + Strong and editor-in-chief for POZ Magazine join us with more.  Show Notes: Ian Anderson and Oriol Gutierrez from POZ Magazine use eLearning as one way to reach the public. They offer tips...

Keeping the learner in mind when designing eLearning courses is key to engaging them and driving organizational success. Highmark Health's Learning Architect Angela Sample, Ph.D.  discusses best practices for using empathetic principles in instructional design. Show Notes: Empathetic principles can be complementary to learning experience design principles Focus on the importance of designing a solution that's human-centered to truly engage learners.Create learner profiles that consider the...

Engaging adult learners can start with lessons learned years ago in the classroom. In this Powered by Learning episode, teacher-turned L&D professional Maggie Layfield shares how to use K-12 teaching strategies to engage adult learners, create meaningful assessments, and increase retention.   SHOW NOTES:  Maggie Layfield of NetSupport shared her passion for using K12 learning approaches with adult learners. Her key takeaways include: All students will be in the workforce someday soon. It...

It’s not often that we talk to someone who invented a fresh approach to instructional design. In this Powered by Learning episode, Catherine Mattiske, managing director at Inner Genius, shares how her ID9 intelligent design approach delivers results.  Show Notes: In her interview, author, speaker and L&D professional Catherine Mattiske shares practical takeaways and inspirational ideas to shape your next learning solution.  If people don't apply their learning if they don't take action,...

After two years of almost exclusively online learning, L&D leaders are navigating the new normal in training and figuring out how to maximize the blend of online and in-person learning. According to Learning Consultant Ian Townley, the learning journey exists now in multiple locations. In this episode, we discuss where learning goes from here and how best to transfer learning to improved performance. Show Notes: Practical Training Transfer is a global company that helps translate learning...

Even before the pandemic forced learning leaders to rethink their training programs, Constellation Brands, maker of many leading wine, beer, and spirits, was pivoting to ensure learners were set up for success. In this Powered by Learning episode,  d'Vinci client Maggie Romanovich of Constellation Brands, talks with our Client Solutions Consultant Angeline Evans about the changes they’ve made to impact learner engagement, retention, and the bottom line.  Show Notes: Director of Learning...

When it was time to transform the learning and development culture at The GIANT Company, learning leaders knew they had to focus on the learner journey. In this episode, Anthony Amadure, Manager Learning Organizational Development at The GIANT Company, talks to d'Vinci Learning Experience Director Jenny Fedullo about the innovative changes they made.   Show Notes: Anthony Amadure transformed their learning and development culture by building a framework that focused on ensuring employees...

When you move beyond designing a learning event to creating a learning experience, you can amplify your performance outcomes. This is how Marybeth (MB) Weiss, VP of People and Culture approaches her work at FORME, an at-home fitness technology company. She explains in her conversation with d’Vinci CEO Luke Kempski.   Show Notes:  Combining her experiences as a learning designer and personal trainer, MB Weiss recommends putting the learner at the center of a comprehensive learning solution....

In order for learning leaders to be true strategic business leaders, they must know how training works with marketing, sales, IT and other areas of an organization. Ajay Pangarkar, a partner at CentralKnowledge, a leading workforce performance consultancy, provides thought-provoking insights about how L&D leaders can improve organizational performance and achieve targeted business and operational objectives. Show Notes: Ajay Pangarkar delivers good advice to re-center learning leaders and...

Learning leaders are often focused on content in training solutions but sometimes do not put the same emphasis on how the course is designed. In this episode of Powered by Learning, d’Vinci Learning Solutions Director Jenny Fedullo and Visual Design Director Melissa Wimbish explain how to marry art and science to create impactful learning experiences. Show Notes: In order to motivate a learner, you have to get their attention. Grab their attention, and keep their attention. One way we do...

Successful training starts with a good marketing plan according to Bruce Chen, CEO of KochaSoft Canada, a division of a cloud tech company focused on building learning and training products for the enterprise. In this Powered by Learning episode, Bruce shares some keys to motivating employees to learn and the benefits the training can have for the organizations. Show Notes: Upskilling is the major driver for organizations wanting to invest in IT training. It helps retain and develop...

At CVS Health, they put their whole heart into serving their customers and that service begins with their commitment to learning and development. CVS Health’s Senior Manager, Enterprise Learning and Development Loren Sanders explains how good training drives employee and customer loyalty and retail performance. Show Notes: Loren Sanders shares the best practices at CVS Health and explains how their commitment to the customer is front and center in all their training. Key points...