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5 Videos that Will Inspire Your Online Training Designs

— by Gauri Reyes

Employee trainingLearning developmentUncategorized

I recently viewed the classic videos in 6 TED Talks That Anyone Designing Online Training Should Watch. The Talks inspired me to think of videos that are not directly related to training that nevertheless inspire me when I’m designing learning experiences.

Perhaps you’ll find these videos to be inspirational for creating effective online training, too? If not, perhaps you’ll simply find them to be inspirational?

Gaming for Understanding (9’20”)

There’s a lot of hype surrounding gamification. Is it the silver bullet for learning engagement? Or is it a short-lived gimmick? Here’s a reminder of the power of games done right.

In this thought-provoking video, veteran game designer Brenda Romero talks about the time when her daughter came home from school asking about slavery. Romero was inspired to create a game to teach her daughter about the issue, and later created additional games to facilitate understanding of other events of complex historical significance, including the holocaust and illegal immigration.

Wow.

Why 30 is Not the New 20 (14’49”)

Clinical psychologist Meg Jay convinces 20-somethings (and those who interact with 20-somethings in their personal and/or work lives) that “20 is not the new 30” with three fundamental pieces of advice.

Why does a talk on young adult psychology make my list of videos related to online training design? Because this age group encompasses the Millennials, currently the youngest age group entering the workforce. And, because of the realities of employment and aging, the generational peak of the number of Millennials in the workforce has not yet been reached. Jay’s talk provides inspiration for how to reach a Millenial learning audience and create content that maximizes workplace effectiveness while adding personal value for the learner.

A Pep Talk from Kid President to You (3’28”)

Speaking of people from a different generation, nine-year-old Kid President (a.k.a. Robby Novak) gives his viewers a pep talk about not being boring, making good decisions, and creating something that will make the world more awesome.

Why wouldn’t we want to do the same for our online training creations?

The Danger of Silence (4’18”)

Clint Smith is a poet and an educator who, in this video, talks about the power of using your voice.

When I think of online learners sitting behind computer screens or with heads down buried in mobile devices, it reminds me that it’s too easy for learners to disengage and stop interacting with the learning content and with other learners. With the huge possibilities for online learner engagement through embedded social collaboration tools, it seems a waste to design online training that doesn’t encourage the learner to talk and share.

How Great Leaders Inspire Action (18’04”)

Ethnographer turned leadership expert Simon Sinek talks about his methodology of flipping communication inside out and starting with “Why” (your beliefs, purpose, cause) rather than “How” or “What”, as is traditional.

From an online training perspective, we spend a lot of time on the What and How of training. (What does the learner need to learn? How should I communicate the concepts to meet learning objectives?) Time well spent. But telling someone what to do and how to do it—no matter how engagingly—only demonstrates what actions you want the learner to take. Creating content and course agendas that start with Why results in creating content that inspires action.

What do you think? What videos and concepts, even if they come from outside of the talent development world, inspire you when it comes to thinking about designing learning experiences?

Gauri Reyes is a talent developer and learning leader with extensive experience in roles ranging from software management to managing the learning function in organizations. She is Principal Learning Strategist and CEO at Triple Point Advisors and Founder of the YOUth LEAD program. Follow her on Twitter, LinkedIn or Google+.

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