In this episode, I chat with Sara Stevick, who is an instructional designer and the founder and president of Teaching: A Path to Learning & Development (TPLD) (formerly known asThe Next Step: Life After Teaching (TNSLAT)) , a volunteer organization who helps educators transition into instructional design career roles. We talk about why we are committed to helping new instructional designers essentially become our competition, imposter syndrome, and some of the more surprising nuances of inst...
Jan 12, 2021•33 min•Ep. 15
In this episode, I chat with my former manager, Jenifer Johnson, about organizational development (OD) (or, as I like to call it, instructional design's cousin) and how OD can transform your organization, improve performance, and engage employees. She also shares some tips for managing a virtual team and how to keep some of the work-from-home perks we currently enjoy after the pandemic is over. Jen is currently the Senior Manager of Associate Experience at Dealer Tire in Cleveland, Ohio. As...
Dec 15, 2020•31 min•Ep. 14
In this episode, I start by answering the question I ask all my guests, "Tell me a little bit about your career path and how you got into L&D." Then, I reflect on this year and share one of my favorite resources to help you reflect on 2020 and set goals for 2021. YearCompass offers a free booklet that I used last year and intend to use this year as well! Scroll down to "Download Booklet," and choose your language and format preferences. Thank you so much to all my listene...
Dec 01, 2020•15 min•Ep. 13
In this episode, Leslie and I talk about some of the controversial thoughts and ideas educators and IDs bring to the table: including pedagogy versus andragogy, where learning objectives belong, and the myth of learning styles. *Gasp* Leslie shares her perspective as both and educator and an instructional designer. Leslie Early is an instructional designer focused on developing engaging digital content that incorporates the best of storytelling, graphic design, and adult learning theory. In a pa...
Nov 17, 2020•32 min•Ep. 12
In this episode, I talk to Alex Mitts about our shared undergraduate backgrounds in English Literature and our affinity for the arts and how that has shaped who we are as instructional designers. Alex gives advice to those who are looking to hone their craft and shares how "being obsessed" has helped him to transition from teaching to instructional design. Alex Mitts currently serves as an Instructional Designer for California State University, Bakersfield and Bakersfield College. He i...
Nov 03, 2020•53 min•Ep. 11
In this episode, I talk to Veronica Reed about developing your instruction design/talent development/learning and development style and why it is important for you personally as well as for your organization. We also talk about your ID/L&D philosophy, which goes a bit deeper and why it's important to be grounded in your style and philosophy and also to revisit them regularly. Veronica Reed, aka "The Learning Queen," is a new Learning Experience Designer who has over 7 years of...
Oct 20, 2020•28 min•Ep. 10
In this solo episode, I celebrate International Podcast Day by sharing some of my favorite L&D podcasts: The Classics: The Mind Tools L&D Podcast (formerly known as The Good Practice Podcast ) The eLearning Coach Podcast with Connie Malamed The Instructional Redesign Podcast with Cara North and Joseph Suarez Trends & Issues in Instructional Design, Educational Technology, & Learning Sciences Podcast with Abbie Brown and Tim Green The Up and Coming: Dr. Luke Hobson Podcast That’s ...
Oct 06, 2020•8 min•Ep. 9
In this solo episode, I issue a challenge for my fellow L&D professionals to do the following to finish 2020 strong: Keep up with and consume educational research, Find a new technology to try to help you design instruction, Have one difficult conversation that helps you gain a little bit more autonomy, and Set one last professional development goal. Connect with Heidi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/ or on my website: www.heidikirby.com To learn more and get more great ...
Sep 22, 2020•19 min•Ep. 8
In this episode, I talk to Holly Owens about how the media has given remote learning a bad reputation, and Holly talks about the difference between remote learning and online learning. She provides best practices for teachers as well as tips for those hoping to transition from education into instructional design. Holly Owens is the Assistant Director of Instructional Design with Online Education at Touro College and University System. She has over 13 years of experience in education in various r...
Sep 08, 2020•45 min•Ep. 7
In this episode, we talk to Cara North about how to professionally brand yourself as a learning and development professional. We also talk about graduate degrees for learning and development professionals, and although neither of us believe a degree is necessary for success in the field, we talk about some of the benefits we've seen to pursuing one. Cara North is an award-winning learning experience designer and has been in talent and development for 10+ years, working in both higher educat...
Aug 25, 2020•34 min•Ep. 6
In this episode, we talk to Jeremy Negrey about finding potential in candidates outside of traditional learning and development roles. He issues a challenge to L&D hiring managers to think outside the box when looking for qualified candidates. Jeremy Negrey has spent nearly his entire career in customer education. He’s run the gamut from technical writer to instructional designer and has created and delivered both instructor-led and eLearning content. He’s currently the owner and lead learni...
Aug 11, 2020•33 min•Ep. 5
In this solo episode, I summarize and provide insight on a blog post I wrote for Verasana about creating a leadership development framework for your organization. Here is the link to the blog post on Verasana. Connect with Heidi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/ or on my website: www.heidikirby.com To learn more and get more great resources: Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our global Useful L&D Community Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff...
Jul 28, 2020•13 min•Ep. 4
In this episode, we talk to Latoya Smith about about how to bring positive change to organizations and how to tell if a potential employer truly values learning during your interview. LaToya Smith is the Director of Support & Training for EDX Wireless in Eugene, Oregon. EDX is the technology leader in advanced Radio Frequency (RF) planning solutions. As an active member of the Executive Leadership Team, LaToya has reintroduced EDX Wireless and their customers to service-oriented support offe...
Jul 14, 2020•29 min•Ep. 3
In this episode, we talk to Dr. Luke Hobson about his popular blog post, "What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming an Instructional Designer" and discuss some of our own stories from the field. Dr. Luke Hobson is a Program Manager for Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and an Instructor for Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). His blog and podcast center on his years of experience in online higher education and focus on the learning experience and supporting online students. He...
Jul 14, 2020•57 min•Ep. 2
In this episode, we talk to Eamonn Powers about simulation and virtual reality and how it can be used for training. We also talk a little bit about Star Wars and video games! Eamonn is the Learning Experience Architect at FlightSafety International. He specializes in technical training environments, the use of simulation, and emergent technologies like virtual/augmented reality. His research interest focus mainly around how data generated performance measures can improve training effectiveness a...
Jul 14, 2020•39 min•Ep. 1
Do you want your organization to live and breathe learning, but you don’t know where to start? Do you want your team to be as passionate about learning as you are, but you don't know how to inspire them? Join Heidi Kirby, a learning and development professional, as she chats with people in the field who are passionate about creating a learning culture to be proud of. It all happens here on the BLOC (Building Learning and Organizational Culture) Podcast! To learn more and get more great reso...
Jul 10, 2020•1 min
