Say Yeah was excited to participate as a sponsor, offering a suite of technology to accelerate learning transfer through scenario-based, data-driven learning programs. Sharing our handy Say Yeah notebook with every conference attendee, we know we packed ours with exceptional insights from a series of informative and inspiring conference sessions. We’re eager to share some of these insights with you.

I4PL 2024 conference takeaways

Let’s check out the key takeaways along the following themes:

• Tracking behaviour change
• Trends driving learning innovation
• Authentic learning with measurable results
• The future of L&D

Tracking behaviour change

Chris Taylor’s standout session emphasized how we can use technology to bridge learning and business goals by going well beyond evaluating knowledge retention and participant satisfaction. Chris shared a series of models that culminate in tracking corollaries to behaviour change early in order to ensure pathways to business impact.

This jam-packed session was full of insights that aligned with our own approach to personalizing learning for greater impact and maximizing digital learning ROI.

Here are a few key insights:

For every 1 part of content that is introduced, 3 parts contextualization are needed. For example:

• 10 minutes of content = 30 minutes of discussion and reflection

The goal of behaviour change needs to be embedded in all aspects of training programs. This starts with asking participants: What is one thing that you can put into practice that will make the biggest difference in your work?

Learning happens through interactions with colleagues, regular check-ins, and accountability partners.

Trends driving learning innovation

The pandemic reshaped training delivery—and it’s sticking. With 70% of organizations conducting less than 25% of their training in-person, digital transformation is here to stay.

Organizations know they have skills gaps in areas of digital transformation: 74% say they do—we’re inclined to believe the remaining 26% are in denial.

Interestingly, the priority remains on training soft skills over growing digital excellence.

AI dominated the conference floor, with vendors showcasing tools to personalize and enhance learning experiences.

Personalization for every learner continues to top the list of priorities, helping participants engage more deeply with tailored content.

Authentic learning with measurable results

A session from TD Wealth by Randy Sabourin & Courtney Appleby highlighted the importance of upfront research, strategic planning, and measurable outcomes.

Key highlights:

Use clear rubrics and coaching to normalize feedback across teams with multiple facilitators.

Create opportunities for immediate practice and feedback, with 1:1 practice sessions with a colleague, facilitator, or subject matter expert, not group role-playing.

Design “bring your own challenge” scenarios for practical, real-world learning.

The future of L&D

A keynote by Dan Pontefract reminded us that L&D is more than a function—it’s a fulcrum for workplace transformation. By integrating tools like AI and fostering empathetic, human-first training, L&D professionals can act as human performance change agents. This call to action sets an inspiring path for 2025!

A successful and inspiring I4PL 2024 conference!

The conference was a strong reminder that L&D isn’t just about delivering content—it’s about designing experiences that inspire action, change, and growth.

We’re inspired to integrate these ideas into our own work and help others leverage human-centred learning technology to make a measurable business impact with their training programs.

Ready to transform your training programs with personalized, adaptive technology?

Let’s talk

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The Articulate Rise web-based authoring tool has been a boon to course creators looking to build interactive, mobile-friendly online courses without deep technical skills.

Rise already does so many things well—from allowing for responsive design to incorporating interactive content blocks—but there are clear opportunities to improve accessibility, flexibility, and engagement. We’ve taken Rise to the next level by creating an add-on that lets users listen to the content immersively as they engage with media and interactive content, while allowing course managers to easily update content on an ongoing basis.

Trust us, it’s cool. Get a feel for Rise & Shine.

Let’s explore what Shine is and how it can provide a better user experience for your learners.

Shine makes every Rise course more engaging and accessible

No question, Rise is a great tool for course creators, but there are a number of out-of-the-box constraints for learners. The model of Rise courses is a slide-show style standard that’s augmented by an overreliance on animation that isn’t as immersive, flexible, or comfortable for every learner as it should be.

To address this, we created an immersive read-along narration that works with all standard Rise elements across a course. Easy to setup and seamless to update, courses become more immersive, flexible, and accessible for every learner.

Here’s how it works.

Automatic integration into existing content

Shine automatically syncs its narration—not only with text-based content, but with interactive Rise blocks too—as learners are guided through the course. This includes headings, quotes, images, lists, and more. The add-on requires no additional technical set-up—making enhancing existing courses quick and simple, and easy to update if you need to make any changes to course content.

Customization options

Learners have different preferences as to how they engage with course content. Shine empowers every learner to choose the path that best suits them. Each learner can control and adjust the speed of spoken content, while automatically scrolling through the text to create an immersive, hands-free learner experience.

You get to choose from multiple voices to match the tone of the course and adjust settings for more accessible text sizes, voice integration, and animations.

Enhanced interactivity

Shine makes spoken playback more engaging by automatically incorporating visual elements like tabs, accordions, and flash cards provided by standard Rise blocks.

Learners can also follow the narrated content while simultaneously interacting with multimedia elements, such as videos, quizzes, and clickable scenarios.

And audio prompts remind learners when their input is needed for assessments or other types of engagements, ensuring everyone gets to experience the full, expanded, and immersive learning experience of Rise & Shine.

Try out the latest demo at https://shine.sayyeah.courses

Compatibility

Shine is compatible across all devices and platforms. Whether learners access a course on a desktop, tablet, or mobile device, the narration will function smoothly, providing a consistent and seamless learning experience. Simply put: Shine works where Rise works, augmenting your Rise courses wherever they’re accessed.

Let’s highlight Shine’s benefits for learners

Improved accessibility

Shine makes Rise courses even more accessible by allowing learners with visual impairments, reading difficulties, or other specific learning needs more options for how they access and engage with the course content.

Increased engagement

Shine not only adds greater interactivity to courses, it also creates a multi-sensory experience that can help clarify complex ideas and reinforce key points.

A more flexible learning experience

Shine makes it easy for learners to access their online courses on any device, whether at home, work, class, or on a commute, while tailoring the learning experience to their preferences.

How does Rise & Shine work?

Unlocking these benefits couldn’t be easier.

You simply take your Rise course package, drop it into Shine, choose a voice, and let the magic happen. You then take your Shined Rise package, publish it as you usually do, and you’re done!

Need to make changes?

No trouble! Update your course content in Rise and drop the latest version back into Shine. Shine will automatically update all the audio based on the latest course content and you’ll get your latest Shined Rise package back.

Shine for Rise courses is available now!

Get in touch today to get started or for a personalized Shine demo.

Get in touch for a custom demo

See Shine in action

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Here’s what we learned.

The Training Industry Strategy Summit, held online September 25-26, 2024, brought together thought leaders, innovators, and training professionals to share insights and explore the future of the industry.

With so many shifts happening in the world of Learning and Development (L&D), this event provided an information and engaging exploration into where the future of training is headed and what businesses need to realize performane gains from L&D.

There were far too many great presentations to recap—and to attend! There was a one-hour interval where we were debating between three different sessions, but here’s a few representative takeaways from across the following themes:

• Training in the flow of work
• Changing priorities in Learning and Development
• Measuring training impact
• Where AI fits into training

Training in the flow of work

One of the key takeaways was the growing need for training in the flow of work—making learning available when it’s needed. With employees juggling multiple responsibilities and tight deadlines, self-directed learning is becoming more important. Whether it’s on-demand microlearning or an AI-powered coach, training that fits seamlessly into day-to-day tasks allows employees to upskill in real-time, boosting both efficiency and retention.

Changing priorities in Learning and Development

The summit also shed light on the evolving priorities within L&D.

As technology continues to advance and workplace models shift, companies are focusing on building capability through upskilling and digital transformation. This, combined with the increasing use of AI, means there’s potential for a more streamlined, tech-driven approach to training.

However, we’re also seeing a strategic reduction in L&D staff, pushing organizations to rethink how they deliver training. With fewer people available to facilitate, methods that incorporate digital tools and automation are becoming essential to maintaining effectiveness.

Measuring training impact

To ensure that L&D efforts are truly impactful, companies must use both quantitative and qualitative data to validate their training initiatives.

Training programs must align with business objectives so organizations can see real results—not just in learning outcomes but in overall business performance.

Where AI fits into training

AI was a hot topic throughout the summit, particularly in terms of personalizing training pathways.

AI-driven solutions can adapt content to different roles, scenarios, and specific audiences, allowing businesses to extend core training with contextual content tailored to particular roles or situations.

This level of personalization makes learning more relevant and engaging, driving better outcomes for both employees and organizations.

Thanks to all the great people we met at Training Industry Strategy Summit 2024!

In addition to the insightful sessions, the Training Industry Strategy Summit 2024 was a fantastic opportunity to network with other L&D professionals.

Thanks to the organizers for hosting such an informative and valuable event.

We look forward to next year’s summit!

Ready to transform your training programs?

Connect with us to see how we can transform your training programs with personalized, adapative learning technology and turn training investments into workplace results.

Let’s talk

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Much of this work is driven by English-language business. So much so that organizations we’ve worked with in South America, the Middle East, and South Asia have asked us to focus on English-language training for their staff and students.

The intention behind this English-first approach is to grow capacity and capability in doing business globally, but the result can make onboarding, upskilling, and collaboration more difficult.

Through our ongoing research and practice at Say Yeah, we asked: how might we improve how language is incorporated in learning programs to better enable a global and diverse workforce?

Let’s take a look at how this works.

Getting started with an English-language course is common across the globe. In the examples that follow, we’ll reference our Practical Inclusive Design course.

One of the key considerations (and gaps we see across courses) is that, while new terms are consistently introduced to learners throughout a course, there’s no easy way to gather or reference those terms.

A Glossary should be standard across all courses.

A Glossary is a central reference for learners to jog their memory related to key topical terms. And it allows for so much more.

In addition to gathering key terms related to a course topic, we can move beyond the written word to incorporate audio. This helps learners not just see and spell a word, but also incorporate it into their vocabulary with confidence, whether reading, writing, or speaking.

Better still, we can expand the capabilities of a glossary to include the most common languages spoken in a region, workplace, or with global partners. In our course example, we’ve included English, French, Spanish, and Arabic.

You can easily add more languages that may be relevant to your workforce or group of learners.

Now you can prepare for a discussion with a colleague who speaks another language by reading and listening to those keywords relevant to your conversation in their native language.

And there’s more.

The foundation of the glossary allows for new integrated multi-lingual references across an entire course. Consider when you’re working through a new course, coming across new terms.

On any page of a course, the terms you may not be familiar with are highlighted. By clicking on the term, not only do you see the definition in the language of the course, but you can hear how this word sounds.

If you’re new to English, you can see the word in your native language to help you make the connection to this new English term.

Or, if you’re collaborating with a colleague who prefers a language other than English, you can review the word in their language and join them in conversation.

This kind of integrated multi-lingual learning is a natural evolution for eLearning that we can help you provide, whether integrating these capabilities within your existing eLearning authoring tools or helping you get started.

Get in touch today to talk about how we can help your entire organization learn and work smarter.

Let’s talk

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This new technology:

• opens up course accessibility
• automates personalization for learners
• remains portable and compatible with existing LMS and HRIS systems.

And it’s only available from Say Yeah!

Let’s explore why this is so important and how it works.

There’s a fundamental challenge with learning where most courses—whether online, hybrid, in a classroom, or led by a workplace trainer—follow a single, typically lecture-based model.

One course, delivered one way, for everyone.

The challenge is, people learn in different ways. And this single model or format for delivering a course doesn’t help everyone learn and grow with confidence.

That’s a problem for workplace preparedness and development, where success is measured by growing the capacity and capability of everyone on a team.

To address this, we’ve developed a software framework that helps you deliver next-generation learning programs to everyone, whether you’re launching a brand new course, or working with an existing LMS or HRIS system.

I’d like to share with you a transformative shift in eLearning that celebrates and supports every learner, giving them the options they need to engage more effectively with course content in order to move from knowledge to action in their day-to-day work. ~ Say Yeah CEO, Lee Dale

When we develop a course together, we combine course content best practices with the latest AI-powered eLearning automations to quickly and easily expand single-track learning to allow people to watch, listen, or read a course.

Included is the ability for every learning to adjust the settings to their ideal:

• Auto advance to the next lesson to keep the course material flowing.
• Scroll with spoken text and have the video move along with you. The video anchors in the corner and the screen scrolls to the text that’s being spoken.
• Highlight spoken text so you can follow along with the narration even more closely.

The settings are designed to support multiple learning modes so every learner can work through the course in a way that works best for them, with the flexibility to adjust at any time.

A sample course interface showing how text highlights as video and audio play and all the available settings adjustments you may choose from.

Impressively, our software accelerates the previously manual process of creating multiple formats for content by leveraging subject matter expertise, instructional design expertise, custom code, and artificial intelligence to quickly and automatically deliver multiple formats that support every learner.

So what used to be difficult to make and manage becomes almost automatic to create, and effortless to update.

Get in touch today to transform your learning programs with automated personalization and discover the impact of adaptive eLearning.

Let’s talk

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Bringing together educators and learning experts, it was an opportunity to take a deeper dive into UDL and complementary frameworks like community building and empowerment to improve learning across professional development and higher education ecosystems. 

As a sponsor for the event, we were excited to sit in on some great conversations and hear fresh perspectives on continuous improvement, inclusive pedagogy, and more, while sharing a bit of our own mission to deliver inclusive, engaging, and accessible digital-enabled learning experiences for all.

Conference highlights

A snapshot of two attendees interacting during a networking session at a previous annual CAST UDL symposium.

• Unpacking Nicole Tucker-Smith’s keynote speech on cultivating brave spaces by designing from diverse perspectives
• Discovering the concept of the science of hope and how it impacts learning from Cathleen Stocktill-Beachboard
• Participating in a continuous improvement activity with Alia Latorre
• Digesting Humberto Hernandez’s insights into inclusive pedagogies

Takeaways from the 9th annual CAST UDL Symposium 2023

Diversity and intersectionality collectively drive change and innovation.

Nicole Tucker-Smith set the scene with a powerful keynote speech on designing from diverse perspectives, noting that the power of intersectionality is required to solve problems on a large scale. Among her references was a study showing the impact of diversity on the scientific community and how it resulted in improved problem-solving, specialization, objectivity, and more.

To conclude her speech, Nicole shared some concrete ideas about how to design learning environments free from limits:

• We embrace and showcase learner variability when we give learners a wide range of options, including aspirational ones.
• Diverse strategies make learning more effective. Consider storytelling, holistic thinking, systems approach, and analogies. 
• Be proactive in setting learning outcomes, and ensure the design of your learning programs empowers participants to meet them. Designing for learner variability takes into account individual and cultural characteristics.

Learners thrive when we prioritize their strengths.

Cathleen Stocktill-Beachboard’s session was centred around the science of hope and how it impacts learning. In particular, she focused on positive framing: Learning shouldn’t be something to endure; rather, it should be a positive experience that empowers learners to enhance their capabilities and gain confidence in their learning journeys.

Cathleen highlighted that the onus for learning is not just on the learner—education and training experts can do a lot to set learners up for success. In order to make learning more effective, she suggested strategies like enabling reflection, feedback, and goal setting, as well as: 

• making the subject matter relatable to the learner’s perspective and objectives
• providing additional resources and a community of practice to give learners a path forward when they run into challenges
• empowering learners with agency and choice so they can take ownership of their learning journey

Continuous improvement is a key ingredient to successful learning programs.

Whether you’re running onboarding programs or employee training, continuous improvement in learning and development can be a valuable practice in building learning tools and pathways to help learners bridge theory to practice.

 But how do you implement continuous improvement and ensure your learning programs continue to meet the desired levels of impact across the organization? 

In a continuous improvement activity with Alia Latorre, we practiced answering three questions to assess and drive continuous improvement: 

1. What problem are we trying to solve?
2. What change might we introduce and why?
3. How will we know that a change is actually an improvement?

There’s more to inclusive training than accommodations.

In his talk about facilitating inclusive teaching, Humberto Hernandez pointed out the barriers disenfranchised learners experience in programs across the United States. 

For instance, the term “inclusivity” is often associated with accommodations and “making room” for others, but it’s more than that. Inclusivity, especially in learning environments, involves welcoming users through language, design, and engagement. We can achieve this outcome through a deliberate and proactive process that not only designs for but also designs with diverse users.

Another barrier is that learning programs are mostly facilitated by subject matter experts who have limited experience in instructional design and learning science, and therefore can face challenges in applying inclusive practices in a learning environment.

The solution to these barriers mirrors our approach to course design, which includes:

• challenging traditional methods of learning by reviewing educational foundations and processes
• bringing subject matter experts and learning experts together to combine their expertise in building effective learning programs
• making digital learning environments more human by including options to engage with other learners and providing opportunities for learners to apply and contextualize courses in relation to their work and lives

The CAST UDL Symposium 2023 was an excellent opportunity to explore UDL best practices and other evidence-based frameworks that empower learners to move from theory to practice.

We look forward to next year’s symposium and the chance to connect with more of you as we continue to work to advance the goals of UDL.

Interested in learning more about how UDL can help you reach your organization’s training goals?

Over the years, we have set new standards of learning through projects that prioritize the UDL principles of Engagement, Representation, and Action and Expression.

Learn how we helped George Brown College build UDL capacity at scale across Ontario institutions.

The post CAST UDL Symposium 2023 Recap appeared first on Say Yeah!.

A snapshot of a diverse group of six attendees interacting during a networking session at a previous annual CAST UDL symposium.

The annual CAST UDL Symposium provides an excellent opportunity to explore Universal Design for Learning best practices and other evidence-based frameworks that empower learners to move from theory to practice. As eLearning innovators dedicated to prioritizing learner variability, we’re excited to share our perspective on practices that complement and advance the goals of UDL.

We can’t wait to hear from speakers like Nicole Tucker-Smith, Loui Lord Nelson, Tolu Noah, Alia Latorre, James McKenna, Jennifer Pusateri, and more.  

Explore the event agenda

Want to know more about how we approach UDL in course design?

Over the years, we have set new standards of learning through projects that prioritize the UDL principles of  Engagement, Representation, and Action and Expression.

Learn how we helped George Brown College build UDL capacity at scale across Ontario institutions. 

The post Join us at the 9th annual CAST UDL Symposium, July 31-August 1, 2023 appeared first on Say Yeah!.

This symposium offers the opportunity to take a deeper dive into Universal Design for Learning best practices and consider connections between UDL and education topics like learner empowerment, social justice, and community building. 

The 2023 edition of the CAST UDL Symposium will highlight UDL case studies and explore strategies to make UDL a common and prevalent practice in education. As eLearning innovators dedicated to prioritizing learner variability, we’re excited to share our perspective on practices that complement and advance the goals of UDL.

Catch these exciting talks at the CAST UDL Symposium:

• Cultivating Brave Spaces by Designing from Diverse Perspectives with Nicole Tucker-Smith 
• From Single Vision to Transition Lenses: UDL Is Maturing with Loui Lord Nelson
• UDL at work with James Mckenna
• Empowering Learners and Minimizing Barriers with iPad Accessibility Tools with Tolulope, (Tolu) Noah

Explore the event schedule

Save your seat!

You don’t want to miss this chance to explore the potential benefits of UDL in your higher education and professional learning programs. 

Get tickets for virtual access starting at $399 USD and in-person tickets at $799 USD.

Register today!

Looking to develop and deliver eLearning programs that meet the needs of all your learners?

Using our variable learning model, we can help you deliver flexible and engaging online courses that account for learner diversity and variability.

Get in touch

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The answer lies in learner-centred solutions and connections promoted in professional learning communities and thought-provoking events like the International Society for Technology in Education’s 2023 conference.

ISTE Conference 2023 emphasizes the transformative power of technology in education by spotlighting learner-centred approaches like project-based learning and communities of practice.

Starting on June 25, the event will showcase real-world projects that empower students, along with strategies to implement them. As innovators in tech and education, we appreciate the value of incorporating best practices in tech to drive desired results for all learners.

Catch these exciting talks at ISTE Conference 2023:

• Creating a Metacognitive Tool for Curating Assistive Technologies for Neurodivergent Students with Jessica Burke and Dr. Nicole Parsons from Curry College
• Using Technology to Create Life Solutions, The Future of Work with Bharanidharan Rajakumar
• Instructional Design Successes in Teaching with Dr. Vanessa Holtgrave

Check out the full event program

Register today!

Sign up for a chance to discover global edtech trends and contribute to the future of education.

Can’t attend the conference in Philadelphia? No worries! You can experience the live talks and networking sessions virtually. Virtual tickets start from $285 USD.

Grab a ticket

Looking to improve learning outcomes for your learners?

Learn about our approach to delivering eLearning experiences that engage all learners.

Get in touch

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