Soft Skills and Emotional Intelligence: Can They Be Learned?

Two people sit at a desk in an office, talking and smiling. A laptop, notebook, and papers are on the desk. Shelves and framed prints are in the background.

These days, it’s not your resume that’s the focus of an interview—it’s you. But not your suit, or your polished shoes, or your perfectly manicured hands. Employers want to know what kind of temperament you display at work, how you handle stress, whether you’re optimistic or pessimistic, and if you can empathize and get along with others.

4 Tips for Building Successful Courses with Articulate Storyline

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Articulate Storyline’s popularity is surging, in large part because of its incredibly user-friendly interface and customizable features; in other words, you don’t need to be a code whiz to create and publish dynamic, interactive courses. The e-learning authoring tool is now boasting a client list that includes Google, IBM, Nike, Microsoft, and Amazon, among others. Still wondering what the big deal is? Here are four ways any course builder can use Storyline to make eLearning easy (and fun).

Can eLearning Influence Behavior Change?

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Transformative learning is more than memorizing steps or learning basic skills—in many cases, it’s about shifting values and beliefs to uproot old behavior patterns. Training classes that teach employees new policies and healthcare modules that try to improve patient habits are both examples of tools that are designed to incite behavior change.

Cognitive Load Theory: What You Need to Know to Develop Instructional Tools that Work

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A central piece in the puzzle of designing instructional tools is understanding how the human mind learns—how much information can a learner retain, and how should that information be presented? Investment costs in the design, production, and implementation of e-learning in particular makes the effectiveness of such tools even more crucial. A poorly designed course can confuse learners, missing the instructional mark and costing your company dearly.

How Can Virtual Leaders Be Effective?

A man in a suit points at a digital world map with interconnected lines, representing global business or network connections.

In response to an increasingly global marketplace, over half of organizational leaders are now called upon to collaborate with and oversee virtual teams—groups of remote employees who are spread out across cultures and time zones, connecting with the group via technology such as Skype, email, and phone conferences.

Digital Badges: Do They Help or Hurt Your Online Reputation?

Illustration of a yellow award ribbon with a star in the center and two blue streamers hanging below.

Digital badges are a fairly new phenomenon on the Internet. Educators (especially online universities), companies (particularly online companies) and people who work in Internet-based fields award and post digital badges as a form of accreditation in a particular specialty. When posted on a website, a digital badge attests to an individual’s skills or mastery of a subject through training, without necessarily a formal diploma or certificate. A badge on a university site signifies that the school teaches that subject. Organizations post badges to establish themselves in a niche market.

Enhanced Keys to Project Management

A group of people sit around a rectangular table, collaborating on a project with colorful gear graphics and charts spread out on the tabletop.

Being savvy in project management makes a big difference for corporate professionals in the learning and development environment. Understanding the keys of project management, while also understanding how technology plays an important part in the learning platform is essential. There are a number of factors that play a role in effective project management, but placing a priority on those that are often overlooked can help create a more useful and interactive platform. Pinpointing these keys and capitalizing on them will enhance project management efficiency.

Partnering up Gamification with eLearning

A woman in a pink hoodie holds a video game controller and looks forward against a green background.

Adults like the online eLearning experience, and according to one study by the U.S. Department of Education, learners do better online than in face-to-face instruction. That’s good to know, especially when you have a group of adult workers who need to learn new skills, but you don’t want to bear the costs and time involved in classroom learning.

Storytelling: A Creative Strategy for eLearning

Illustration of hands using various digital devices connected to a globe, with icons representing people and global communication on a blue background.

As training and eLearning modules become more prevalent and the learning spectrum evolves, new platforms and strategies for implementation have become a high priority. Learning and development needs vary with every student, and keeping up with a climate of “on-demand” instructional design can be difficult.

Increasing the Value of Corporate Learning

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With today’s competitive environment, it’s important for employers to go the extra mile in retaining employees. That means a concerted effort in enhancing training and development must be a top priority. Paying for training can add a significant amount of money to the bottom line, yet it is a worthwhile investment. It makes employees feel valued and appreciated, and more likely to remain with their employers. Companies that offer training and development opportunities save an average of $94,444.47 by avoiding turnover. The more technical the position, the more it costs to replace employees, sometimes averaging over $125,000.

5 Ways Adults Learn Better Online

Person sitting cross-legged on grass, typing on a laptop. Only hands, lap, and part of the torso are visible. An open book rests nearby.

Malcolm S. Knowles (1913-1997) was the most prominent expert on adult education in the United States during the second half of the 20th century. During the 1950s, he was Executive Director of the Adult Education Association of the United States and a champion of adult self-directed learning.