Building a multi-purpose battle suit for L&D heroes
BATMAN'S BUTLER
Support your writing with an AI Alfred
IN THE ZONE
Design satisfying learning with Flow Theory and gamer insights
QUEEN B TO QUEEN HIVE
5 Bs to empower all women in L&D
MARKETING IS BROKEN
...and AI is to blame
MAURI-CENTRIC
Learning with all the right feels
WHEN THE CRYSTAL BALL GOES DARK
Finding your own magic
DEATH & REBIRTH
The impact of ChatGPT's Study Mode
PROVING L&D'S WORTH
Which metrics to measure and why
SOUL FOOD
Be an eLearning chef
DIRTYWORD
And... it’s raining again. But on the plus side, the summer holidays are over and kids are back at school! As a parent, it’s as though a great burden has been lifted and the house is once again calm and tidy. If you’re a teacher, you might not be joining me in my celebrations...
But it could be worse - you could work in L&D marketing. This month, Laura Caveney from BuildEmpire despairs over the state of content plans and algorithms, as AI rips a hole in the marketing strategies of EdTech companies around the globe.
Dr. Ace Hulus is back again to show us how an AIpowered Alfred can assist your writing in “Batman’s Butler,” while L&D Free Spirits’ Kim Ellis challenges us to think differently about learning design in her article, “Do People Think We’re Goldfish?”
For those wondering how to create learning that really satisfies your audience, Dr. Andrea LoveDowns explains how to get learners “In the Zone” with Flow Theory, while William Nolen gets spicy and writes that we should all be chefs of our eLearning courses.
We also have some thought-provoking pieces on the industry itself. Philip Huthwaite of 5app shares insights from 100 leaders on “Why L&D struggles to prove its worth”, and Darren Bindert from Hubken explores the impact of ChatGPT’s Study Mode in “The Death and Rebirth of L&D.”
For the Articulate Storyline crowd, Sam Harold pushes the boundaries by showing how to use Javascript to create “Intelligent freeflow text.” And speaking of innovation, I’ve had a go at crafting an “AI-powered battle suit for the modern-day learning hero.”
The eLearning Bestie, Ivonne Martin, shares a personal tale, about learning to trust in your own magic, and Sharon Claffey Kaliouby reveals her “5 Bs” to overcome Queen Bee Syndrome.
Skillpod’s Lee Turner is a re-turner (see what I did there?) to our pages and explores learning design through a Mauri-centric lens, while Josh Squires of Bongo talks about turning pilots into successful business cases.
Plus we’ve got Lewis bringing us all the latest Moodle news, and Whisper fighting AI (along with the rest of us) in Client ‘ell.
Enjoy and see you in 2 months...
Cheers! Mark
Dirtyword - The E-Learning Magazine issue 10. Dirtyword is published 6 times a year and is available direct to your inbox by signing up at dirtywordmag.com or via issuu.com/dirtyword
The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher.
Lewis Carr Publisher. Moodle Wizard. Digital Nomad.
Ivonne Martin Instructional Designer, Strategist & Accessibility & Inclusion Advocate.
Darren Bindert Head of Marketing at Hubken Group.
Mark Gash Editor. Writer. Designer. Prompt King.
Laura Caveney Head of Marketing at BuildEmpire.
William Nolen Instructional Systems Designer.
Dr Asegul (Ace) Hulus Professor, Lecturer, Researcher and Author in Computing.
Dr. Andrea Love-Downs Instructional Designer and Developer.
Philip Huthwaite CEO of 5app.
Josh Squires SVP of Strategy and Growth at Bongo.
Kim Ellis Instructional Designer and founder of L&D Free Spirits.
Sam Harold Instructional Designer and Moodle Developer.
Sharon Claffey Kaliouby L&D Leader and Advocate for a more inclusive future.
CLIENT’ELL
1 week later...
Dear Whisper,
We have transitioned to an “AI First” approach For writing our course content. Good luck for the future.
Whisper, Going forward, we will be using AI for our course visuals, so will no longer require your services.
news flash
Top e-learning development company goes bust, as learners turn to AI agents to ace online courses.
WHAT'S GOING ON?
UNESCO’s ‘Digital Learning Week’ to Focus on AI in Education
UNESCO has announced its upcoming ‘Digital Learning Week’, scheduled for September 2-5, 2025, in Paris. The event will focus on the theme ‘AI and the future of education: Disruptions, dilemmas and directions’, addressing the transformative opportunities and complex challenges presented by the integration of artificial intelligence in education. The week-long conference will assist in charting pathways for equitable, ethical, and human-driven AI integration, with discussions covering topics such as AI competency frameworks for teachers and students, and guidance for policymakers on generative AI.
Axia Solutions Delivers Workplace Training to West Midlands Industry
Axia Solutions is playing a significant role in supporting the West Midlands’ economy by providing targeted workplace learning programs. The company’s initiatives are tailored to meet the specific needs of local industries, helping to strengthen the regional workforce. This effort is a clear example of how e-learning and corporate training are being used to directly address local economic needs and skills gaps.
L&D Doctor Clinic Launches to Support HR and Learning Professionals
Paul Morgan, a veteran leader in learning and development (L&D), has launched the ‘L&D Doctor Clinic’. This new bi-weekly forum is designed to provide confidential advice and support to professionals in the human resources, L&D, and talent sectors. The clinic aims to be a valuable resource for individuals navigating challenges in a rapidly evolving professional landscape.
Innovative Neurodiversity e-learning
The John Innes Centre has launched a new e-learning resource on neurodiversity, which is now publicly available. This training was previously used internally at the John Innes Centre and other BBSRC (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council) institutes. The course, developed in a STEM environment, includes two modules: one for a general introduction to neurodiversity and a second specifically for managers on how to support neurodiverse individuals and teams.
The organisation made the decision to release the training due to its positive reception. According to Dr. Clare Stevenson, Head of Science Coordination and Research Culture at the John Innes Centre, the program had a significant impact on their staff and they wanted to share the benefits more widely. While the content uses examples from the STEM field, the core principles are universally applicable to any workplace or educational setting aiming to foster a more inclusive and supportive environment for neurodivergent individuals.
E-learning for forensic radiography
Imaging professionals who are keen to expand their knowledge in forensic radiography can access specialised content within the Clinical Imaging e-learning programme.
The Clinical Imaging e-learning programme, developed by the College of Radiographers in partnership with NHS England, offers a wide range of high-quality, interactive sessions designed to support the continuing professional development (CPD) of radiography professionals. Below is a breakdown of sessions related to forensic radiography.
• How radiography as a forensic technique has developed over time
• Legal and ethical issues (applicable to England and Wales only) and implications to clinical practice
• Guidance in the development of a local protocol for forensic radiography services
• The role of an imaging practitioner as an expert witness
• The role of radiography in the investigation of suspected physical abuse
• A practical toolkit for the forensic radiographer working within the hospital environment
CommLab India Celebrates 25 Years as a Global Leader in eLearning Solutions
Global corporate training company, CommLab India, is celebrating a major milestone: its 25th anniversary. Founded in 2000, the company has grown into a significant player in the e-learning industry, specialising in creating rapid and impactful training solutions.
From a small team, CommLab India has expanded its reach, partnering with over 300 organisations worldwide. The company’s focus remains on delivering scalable, high-quality digital training that helps businesses enhance employee performance and drive growth.
In a statement, Dr. Ayesha Habeeb Omer, the COO of CommLab India, credited the company’s success to the ‘trust of our customers and the passion of our people’. She reaffirmed their ongoing commitment to quality, speed, and creativity in transforming how companies approach learning.
Remember when all it took to build an engaged audience on LinkedIn was to show up, share your knowledge, and not be too cringe about it?
When people saw your posts when you posted them? And when your content had a shot at organic reach without needing to spark outrage?
Yeah. That’s over.
In the last year or so, the tectonic plates under marketing’s feet have shifted. What used to workthoughtful content, useful tips, showing your face once or twice a week - now gets swallowed by the algorithm void.
The noise has gone up, the reach has gone down, and you’re left with a bitter taste in your mouth for sweet revenge against the robots.
Let’s talk about what’s going on.
The LinkedIn letdown
LinkedIn used to be the platform for building a professional presence. And more than that, a place to find really good tips you could use yourself. You could post a tidbit of knowledge and see real conversations unfold in your comments.
Now?
We’re in a social feed that feels more and more like Facebook in 2012.
The algorithm has tightened and engagement is throttled unless you post constantly, play to trends, or luck out with a comment avalanche.
Or… get flooded by AI bots.
Great posts tank. Mediocre bait thrives. Carousels are out. Videos are in. Wait, no, text posts are back. Or maybe polls. Or newsletters. Or webinars. It depends on the week but don’t ask your marketing lead, they might have a breakdown.
It’s not just annoying, it’s totally unsustainable. Especially if you’re running a small team or you’re a one-person business trying to do good work, not just perform for the feed.
It’s not just LinkedIn: SEO is a dumpster fire
Back when Twitter/X started imploding, we shrugged and moved on. There were other channels.
One key channel for every marketer was organic (known as SEO). Optimising blog content to rank on Google used to be a solid strategy. But AI has steamrolled traditional search, and we’re stuck creating mediocre content to tick a box.
Now, Google’s results are clogged with content that reads like it was written by an alien trying its best to not be caught out in a corporate meeting.
Actual thought leadership gets buried beneath “helpful content updates” and zero-click answers. Good luck ranking for anything meaningful if you’re not running an SEO factory or paying Google to skip the queue. And worst of all: AI itself is the queue.
Tools like ChatGPT are giving people answers without them ever hitting your site. So now we’re having to claw at new stats like impressions, and forget about traffic. And the worst bit? AI doesn’t even credit you; it remixes you.
So it’s not just LinkedIn that’s on fire.
What used to work (that doesn’t anymore)
Community building gets drowned out unless you already have a following to move people over.
You used to be able to build that community with thoughtful commentary but that gets drowned out by hot takes, trends, and performative vulnerability.
And being useful is no longer enough. You also have to be loud and “engaging” (whatever that means this week).
Posting consistently on LinkedIn used to feel like a sure-fire way to build community.
But now it feels like feeding a machine that only rewards content that mimics the algorithm’s favourites.
And having a strong network doesn’t guarantee they’ll see anything you post and if they do it might be 3 weeks later…
So, what now?
Honestly?
We’re in the weird bit. The post-content-marketing era. The “everything’s changing and no one has a map” era.
But here are some things that still seem to work or at least offer some hope:
Narrower, braver positioning aka being specific and opinionated stands out more than ever. Generalists are getting washed out so be brave and stand above the parapet.
Off-platform content is your friend so think podcasts, newsletters, communities that you own. They’re harder to grow, but much more defensible.
Dark social channels like DMs, LinkedIn communities, group chats, WhatsApp threads. The conversations are still happening; they’ve just gone underground.
Trust-based marketing. We’ve always known it but people buy from people not brands. The more human and transparent you are, the more people remember.
Most of all? We need to stop pretending the old playbook works. It doesn’t.
Final thoughts
There’s no single fix. But there is a growing appetite for honesty in our space.
From what’s broken, what’s not working, to how we can reimagine visibility, influence, and connection without burning out or selling out.
If you’re struggling to market your L&D business or eLearning product right now, you’re not alone.
The game has changed. And the only way forward? Stop playing the one that no longer serves us.
Laura Caveney is Head of Marketing at BuildEmpire. Connect with her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-caveney
Mark Gash crafts an AI battle suit to meet the needs of the modern day e-learning hero
I’ve never been one of those people who says, “That’s not my job.” When I was a kid, I couldn’t make up my mind as to whether it would be cooler to write comic books or draw comic books, so I used to practice doing both.
This multi-skill attitude continued at university too - I got my degree in Electronic Imaging & Media Communications, which was a catch-all course for what was known back in the late 90s (f@ck me, I’m old…) as “New Media”. So I learnt Photoshop, Macromedia Director, Dreamweaver, Pagemaker, Flash, Photography, and Animation, graduating with an ambition, and poorly-planned business case, to create cartoons.
That dream didn’t quite play out but I managed to get onto the graduate stream at The Press Association, where I wrote TV listings, movie reviews and Horoscopes, alongside editing images. I never said “No” to learning a new skill, and consequently, I’ve carved out a career as a Jack-of-all-tradesmaster-of-none. If I wasn’t a 45 year old father with a dad bod, I’d be Batman, with a utility belt bursting with creative tricks, or Iron Man, with a lab of hermetically sealed mech-suits engineered for every battle with a pushy client who can’t make up their mind.
I love getting to grips with new tech and I feel that as a designer in edtech, holding my own against the onslaught of AI, it’s more important than ever to keep adding to my creative arsenal. So when a client hits me with a problem, I don’t panic and say, “That’s not my job” - I either break out one of my exisiting battle suits, or like Tony Stark in a cave, with a box of scraps, I engineer a new one.
If you’re a freelancer, a lone instructional designer, or part of a small development team, learning new skills is essential to your survival. Even if you’re embedded in a larger organisation, where your superpower is blending in and hiding in the shadows to avoid being called to the frontline of an epic cinematic customer confrontation, be mindful of the fact that the scourge of AI is waiting to shine a spotlight on those who are still rocking their MK1 mech suit and refusing to upgrade to flight capabilities and rocket launchers.
Despite what the client brief or tender document specifies, the real objective is never just “build an online course”; it’s to be the complete solution. I can’t be the only one whose own personal head-canon job description is “Deliver the impossible, with no budget, yesterday” but with the dizzying pace of AI innovation, which seems hell-bent on devauling
25-years’ worth of skills, the need for a versatile suit (or suits) of skills has become even more critical.
Weapons-ready
The reality for freelancers and smaller e-learning outfits is you can no longer afford to specialise in just one aspect when competing with larger agencies. Clients often prefer a single point of contact, someone who can shepherd their vision from initial concept to final deployment and beyond. This means constantly innovating and integrating new weapons and armour into your professional suit:
Development Prowess: This is your core armour – not just authoring tools, but multimedia creation (video, audio, graphics), animation, accessibility, and the knowledge to integrate your creations with various Learning Management System (LMS) and websites.
Sales & Marketing Acumen: Your propulsion system and targeting sensors – identifying leads, crafting compelling proposals, networking, managing professional presence, and articulating value.
Consultancy & Strategy: Your tactical analysis unit – understanding client needs, advising on learning
objectives, recommending appropriate solutions, and providing strategic direction.
Project Management & Admin: Your internal operating system – keeping projects on track, managing budgets, invoicing, and handling contracts.
Support & Maintenance: Your repair protocols – being responsive to queries, troubleshooting technical glitches, and providing post-launch assistance.
Each of these components demands distinct skills and a significant time investment, requiring you to constantly evolve your e-learning hero battle armour.
Know your enemy
The advent of AI has, in many ways, intensified this demand for a versatile “Iron Man suit.”
Increased Competition & Expectations: AI tools allow for faster content generation and more sophisticated outputs, raising the bar for what clients expect. If a large agency can churn out personalised content or complex simulations with AI assistance, smaller players need to integrate similar “upgrades” to keep pace.
Information Overload: The sheer volume of new AI tools and their rapid evolution means constant learning and evaluation – another skill to master on top of everything else, akin to learning a new suit’s complex controls.
The “Can’t AI Just Do That?” Question: Clients, aware of AI’s capabilities, might increasingly challenge the scope or cost of human-led tasks, pushing freelancers to justify their value in an AI-augmented world.
However, viewing AI purely as a threat misses its immense potential to empower. Just as Tony Stark uses AI to enhance his suits, you can use it to enhance yours.
Team-up
Here’s where AI transitions from a potential enemy to the ultimate “upgrade module” for the solo practitioner or small team. AI isn’t here to replace the nuanced human elements of instructional design, creativity, or client relationships, but to augment and streamline the more repetitive, time-consuming, or skill-intensive tasks.
Tony Stark’s JARVIS AI is the advanced technology that allows Iron Man to perform feats that would be impossible without his suit, plotting course trajectories, arming weapons, running life support, and making split-second decisions when the unexpected happens. Here are the killer AI features you should look to incorporate into your own suit :
Auto Assembly - Drafting Scripts & Storyboards: Use large language models (LLMs) to quickly generate initial drafts for video scripts, module introductions, quiz questions, and scenario-based learning prompts. AI can condense lengthy source material into digestible chunks or rephrase complex topics for different learning levels, saving valuable research and writing time.
Design Studio - Visual Asset Creation: AI image generators can rapidly create custom visuals, icons, and even character designs, eliminating the need for expensive stock photos or specialist graphic designers for every project.
Voice Modulator - Narration & Presentation: AI voice synthesis can produce high-quality narration in various accents and tones, making multilingual course delivery or quick audio updates far more feasible without hiring voice actors for every iteration.
Comms Array - Generating Marketing Copy: AI can assist in writing compelling website copy, social media posts, email newsletters, and even proposal introductions.
Target Lock - Personalised Outreach: AI can help segment potential clients and suggest personalised messaging, making your outreach more effective and less timeconsuming.
Sensor Suite - Market Research & Trend Analysis: AI-powered tools can quickly sift through data to identify emerging e-learning trends, competitor activities, and client pain points, informing your service offerings.
Strategic Analysis Processor: Consultancy & Instructional Design Support
Tactical Planning - Brainstorming & Ideation: Use AI to brainstorm creative solutions for tricky instructional design challenges or to generate diverse approaches to a learning objective.
Diagnostics - Feedback & Refinement: AI can analyse existing course content for clarity, tone, and readability, suggesting improvements.
Mapping - Adaptive Learning Pathways: While full adaptive systems are complex, AI can help small developers conceptualise and even prototype basic branching scenarios or personalised content suggestions based on learner input.
Logistics - Automated Scheduling & Communication: AI-powered tools can assist with scheduling meetings, sending reminders, and even drafting routine client communications.
Performance HUD - Data Analysis: Quickly analyse learner performance data to identify trends, pain points, and areas for course improvement.
Legal Database - Contract Drafting & Review (with human oversight): AI can help generate templates for common legal documents or highlight key clauses, reducing legal costs and time.
You are the power
I’ve banged on about this for a while now but it’s crucial to reiterate that AI is a tool, not a replacement. Without Tony Stark inside the armour, the Iron Man suit is just a fancy pile of tech - the same applies to your new AI-powered offering. The “human element” – empathy, creativity, critical thinking, strategic vision, and genuine client relationship building –remains paramount. AI can handle the heavy lifting of repetitive tasks, but you need to focus on:
Emotional Interface - Client Understanding: Build rapport to grasp the needs and culture of clients.
Creative Core - Innovative Instructional Design: Create experiences that connect with learners.
Safeguards - Quality Assurance & Ethical Oversight: Ensure AI-generated content is accurate, unbiased, and aligns with learning objectives to limit damage and protect your reputation.
Solutions RAM - Problem-Solving & Adaptability: Be prepared to handling surprise challenges and think up solutions on the fly.
Take flight
As someone who has worked in online content for 25 years, it feels like we’ve come full circle. Back in the early 2000s, one person could be a “Web Designer”, creating the backend, frontend, visuals, copy and dealing with the SEO. Then, as the web development and e-learning industries grew, companies hired specialists for UX, coding, servers, graphics, content, etc. But as budgets have shrunk, we now seem to be returning to a place where a lone in-house employee, or freelancer, is expected to spin the plates of a whole development and delivery team.
If this is you, AI offers the opportunity to meet these expanding expectations head-on. By experimenting with, and adopting, AI tools into your utility belt – from ideation and development to sales and support – you can perform well beyond your previous capacity. You can offer a comprehensive, highquality service that rivals larger agencies, all while maintaining the agility, personal touch, and costeffectiveness that clients often crave.
I can’t promise that AI will see you doing less work, or earning more money, but by forging a more capable, adaptable “Iron Man suit”, you can at least fight the good fight and hold your own alongside the big league heroes.
E-Learning Devs…. Assemble!
Mark Gash Writer. Designer. AI Image Prompter. Connect with him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markgash/
BATMAN’S BUTLER
Dr. Ace Hulus says stop treating Artificial Intelligence as the villain - if you want to be an L&D hero, then the best toy in your utility belt is an AI Alfred.
Bruce Wayne is in his study at Wayne Manor, intensely focused on a crucial speech for the Wayne Foundation’s education program. The words aren’t flowing. His speech feels disorganised, and his confidence seems diminished; even his alter ego Batman could not save him. From the shadows steps Alfred, not with tea and sympathy, but with precise suggestions: “Perhaps restructure this paragraph, Master Wayne. Your central thesis appears in sentence four but might serve better as your opening.” Alfred doesn’t write the speech, but he sharpens every word until Bruce’s vision becomes crystal clear.
Today, this imaginative example has become a reality. Classrooms across the globe, where Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing assistants (proof-reading tools) have become education’s digital Alfred. These proof-reading tools are sophisticated, supportive, and raise profound questions about authorship, learning, and the future of academic integrity.
The Butler’s Evolution: From Grammarly to GPT
Just as Alfred evolved from butler to hightech support system, AI proofreading tools have undergone their own transformation. Early grammar checkers were glorified spellcheckers and punctuation-checkers. Modern tools can understand context, propose structural enhancements, and adjust to various writing styles, encompassing everything from academic papers to imaginative stories.
According to Marketing Maverick (2024), tools such as Grammarly now have over 30 Million daily users. While tools like ProWritingAid examine every aspect, including sentence flow and readability ratings. Moreover, ChatGPT is capable of rewriting whole paragraphs while preserving the original author’s style. Far from being simple error correctors, these tools are sophisticated writing partners that are somewhat unnerving.
Nevertheless, the Batman analogy proves to be key: the finest AI writing programs, akin to Alfred, augment rather than eliminate human ability. These are meant to refine the abilities of proficient writers, rather than do all the writing.
Master Wayne’s Dilemma: Enhancement vs Dependency
The dynamic between Batman and Alfred brings up an important query: where does support cross the line into dependence? Hiring ghost writers could be an option for Bruce Wayne, though it would sacrifice his authenticity. He could ignore Alfred entirely, but that would waste valuable intelligence. The sweet spot lies in partnership, as in Alfred’s insights serving Bruce’s vision.
Educational institutions face the same dilemma. Rosa Saeedi (2025) from the High School Insider reports that AI tools could potentially make students more engaged, more focused, and assist with their writing. However, it’s up to the students to utilise this technology effectively, not to substitute it for actual learning; the problem isn’t that AI tools make students lazy, but rather that they’re being misused.
Building on the previous points and in agreement with Rosa Saeedi (2025), Yoshija Walter (2024) argues for the integration of “AI literacy” into education, alongside traditional writing lessons. Students learn how to craft effective AI prompts, analyse AI responses critically, and maintain their individual writing styles when using AI. It’s Alfred-based training for the next generation.
Yet, dependency remains a real risk. Some students submit papers entirely generated by AI, and while well-written, they lack the human imperfections that make writing engaging. They’ve mistaken Alfred for Batman, forgetting that the human must remain in charge.
The Batcave Classroom: Where Technology Meets Pedagogy
The most effective EdTech deployments share the same design principles as the Batcave: advanced technology supporting human objectives. By using AI writing analysis, Jinhee Kim (2025) can find students who are grappling with academic writing rules. The technology does not assess the papers but identifies patterns that might show a student needs help.
Jinhee Kim (2025) notes that AI tools are particularly good at identifying problems in structure, redundancies, and inconsistencies. Yet, they are unable to determine a student’s comprehension of the source material or if they have produced original thoughts while writing. That’s still, at its core, something humans handle. It demonstrates a change in perspective, moving from AI being perceived as a threat to AI being utilised as a diagnostic instrument.
Like Batman utilises the Batcomputer for crime analysis, teachers can use AI to pinpoint learning deficiencies, monitor writing progress, and tailor feedback on a large scale.
When Alfred Goes Rogue: The Authenticity Crisis
What is the impact when Alfred’s advice completely changes the message Batman is trying to convey? AI writing tools can enhance technical aspects but potentially sacrifice the writer’s unique style. An argument from a student, full of passion but lacking polish, may end up as a lifeless essay, like something you’d see in a corporate document.
The crisis of authenticity undermines the core of how we evaluate education. When AI can write flawless essays on any subject, what exactly are we assessing? Is it the student’s ideas, their skill in prompting AI, or something different?
Several institutions have started using “AI detectors,” - digital technologies that try to detect computer-generated writing. Yet, this method resembles Gotham’s past failures in trying to catch Batman with technology as the sole approach. The key is to change how we define value and what we measure.
The Commissioner Gordon Problem: Policy and Institutional Change
Commissioner Gordon represents institutional authority grappling with new realities. He can’t stop Batman from operating, so he finds ways to work with him constructively. Educational institutions face similar choices with AI writing tools.
The recent guidelines from Oxford University reflect this understanding: they mandate that students disclose any AI help and describe its usage, instead of imposing outright bans. This transparent AI model views AI tools as helpful research aids if users acknowledge them, but as a problem if users conceal them. Therefore, students learn not only what plagiarism is, but also how to work together with AI in an ethical way. This is a more nuanced method compared to the old-fashioned “just say no” approach to AI.
Training the Next Generation of Robins: AI Literacy
in Action
Although Robin is mentored by Batman, he has to cultivate his unique skills and use his own discretion as a crime-fighter. Likewise, students need direction on building their AI literacy without sacrificing their individual writing styles. Kristen Henr (2023)’s article, “Adolescent Digital Writing: Considerations for the Classroom and Beyond,” mentions that younger writers should draft essays using traditional methods and then utilise AI tools to revise their writing. The final version will feature both drafts, along with a discussion of how AI tools influenced the writing.
With this approach, students will find that AI is very good at finding basic errors but not good at understanding subtle differences. They will learn to use it thoughtfully rather than completely depending on it. This approach understands that AI literacy goes beyond coding, including critical thinking, evaluative skills, and maintaining human autonomy within increasingly automated systems.
Gotham’s New Villains: Ethical Challenges in EdTech
Each technological advancement leads to the creation of novel types of misconduct. While grammar checkers might produce flawless but uninspired essays, advanced AI tools facilitate more complex academic misconduct. Students are now capable of producing essays that evade plagiarism checks, even if they lack substantial original ideas.
But the more insidious villain might be the erosion of writing as thinking. If AI can immediately reshape arguments and improve writing, students could lose the important, yet challenging, experience of developing their thoughts on paper. Thus, they might lose their creative abilities.
EdTech companies have a duty in this situation. The most ethical AI writing tools are designed with constraints, prompting users to interact thoughtfully with the recommendations instead of using them without consideration. Their purpose is to educate, not just to refine.
The Wayne Foundation Approach: AI for Educational
Equity
Here’s where the Batman analogy reveals its deepest insights. Bruce Wayne’s wealth gives him access to Alfred’s assistance, whilst Gotham’s struggling citizens face crime without sophisticated support. Similarly, premium AI writing tools often remain behind paywalls, potentially exacerbating educational inequalities. Some institutions are choosing the “Wayne Foundation approach” by integrating AI tools into their core educational infrastructure, not just as premium features. Chapman University now gives every student a free premium Grammarly account, believing that everyone should have equal access to writing assistance.
This equity consideration becomes crucial as AI writing assistance becomes normalised. If middle-class students use advanced AI tools and working-class students stick to basic spellcheckers, we might worsen existing inequalities, even though technology should be helping.
The Future of the Partnership: Where We Go From Here
Batman’s relationship with Alfred evolves with each new challenge. The increasing complexity of AI writing tools necessitates a corresponding shift in educational partnerships. AI tutors are likely to emerge, offering tailored writing lessons, along with automated feedback that considers context and learning objectives, and assessment tools that evaluate human creativity as well as technical skills.
The key idea persists: Alfred is there to help Batman, not the other way around. The best AI writing tools will improve what humans can do while still letting them make their own choices. They will improve skilled writers without eliminating the critical human tasks of thought, debate, and meaningful writing.
Beyond the Batcave: Implications for EdTech Design
The relationship between Batman and Alfred serves as a guide for creating ethical AI in education. Effective AI writing tools should:
• Enhance rather than replace human capability
• Maintain transparency about their • suggestions and limitations
• Encourage active engagement rather •than passive acceptance
• Support learning rather than just improving
• writing output
• Remain accessible regardless of
• economic status
In this age of rapid technological change, let’s not forget that Alfred’s most significant contribution to Batman isn’t his technical skills, but rather his steadfast dedication to Bruce Wayne’s goals. Effective AI writing tools are sophisticated enough to provide genuine aid, while also having the good sense to know when to let human judgment take over.
Ultimately, every student needs an Alfred to assist them in writing more effectively, rather than doing the writing for them. Educators and EdTech developers face the difficulty of creating systems that support this collaboration without damaging the fundamentally human aspects of learning: critical thinking, persuasive argumentation, and genuine communication.
The future of teaching writing won’t be a choice between human educators and AI programs. The purpose is to establish classrooms that utilise technology to support learning, thereby equipping students with digital proficiency and enduring communication abilities, and empowering every young writer to obtain the assistance needed to discover and express their individuality.
After all, even Batman needed Alfred and his crime analysis machine. But Gotham’s safety ultimately depended on Batman, not Alfred and the machine.
Dr Asegul (Ace) Hulus is an Assistant Professor, Lecturer, Researcher and Author in Computing, and a regular contributor to Dirtyword.
Learn more about her work and connect with her here: https://www.linkedin.com /in/asegulhulus/
It’s been the standard formula for compliance training for as long as there’s been compliance training:
Learning objectives > Content > Quiz > Recap of objectives.
Congratulations, you can now fight the good fight against money laundering.
But there is a better way, and loads of people have been talking about it for years – the problem is, the people who book us to design the training aren’t the ones who want to listen.
They don’t want to change. The formula works for them. It’s tidy. They can write a report to the powers that be and say 100% of their staff completed the Anti-Money Laundering eLearning and scored at least 80% the assessment. The powers that be then put that into a report for a governing body, and they get a nice fancy compliance stamp for another year.
They sit back in their ivory towers, smug in the knowledge that they’ve saved the business from the corrupt scammers for another year… Or have they?
Goldfish learning
See, the problem with this formula of content, and I’ve seen it for non-compliance stuff too, is that it doesn’t actually have the impact people think it will. I mean, think about it, can you remember the seven data protection principles from your last round of GDPR training? I blooming build the training and I’d have to give it a Google to get them all!
What the powers that be (and insert your particular power here, stakeholder, client, training manager, etc) don’t understand is that just throwing content together and then quizzing people on it isn’t good. Because it’s treating your people like they’re goldfish, give them some info and test them straight away to make sure they’ve remembered it… goldfish mentality.
And don’t come at me saying that’s the embedding stage of the learning content. Testing people straight away with a multiple-choice quiz isn’t embedding!
Testing straight away is testing to see if their prefrontal cortex is working and they have some form of short-term memory – not whether they understand, care, or can apply what they’ve learned.
If you want people to remember and act on what they learn, you need to make them feel something. You need to create an emotional connection. You need to make it mean something so that your people actually care about the content.
Real content. Real people. Real experiences.
When I built the Anti-Money Laundering eLearning for an online bookmaker, the powers that be said I needed all the legislation in there so they could tick their box to say it was included. So I had very little power with that side of things; all I could do with it was design it in a way that wouldn’t make people want to claw their eyes out or fall asleep. So I got creative.
We did a photoshoot with the contact centre team and featured them throughout the course. They loved it – suddenly they were mini celebrities in the office. It created a buzz around the eLearning that I honestly wasn’t expecting.
Then came the quiz. The LMS needed to track completions. They wanted a pass percentage mark. I pushed back – but as ever, it was an uphill battle.
So, I created a video-based scenario which was a little like a choose-your-own-adventure story (if you’re old enough to remember those). Again, I used people from within the business and put them in real situations, then the learner would see what happened based on their choices.
It would have been easy for me to write 20 multiple-choice questions and have the course pull a random 10 for each person, then give them three attempts on each question and as many resits as they wanted. It would have saved a heck of a lot of time, but I knew what would happen.
People would rush through the main content as quickly as possible to reach the quiz, where they could choose the longest answers or those that say ‘all of the above’ and keep retesting until they achieved 80%.
However, this approach required them to think about their answers, consider the content and apply it to real situations. Rather than being treated like a regurgitating goldfish, they were now doing real problem-solving and seeing what the results would be, based on their decisions. And that’s the shift we need.
Let’s stop designing for reports
Next time a client or stakeholder says they want a 10-question assessment in their eLearning, try and convince them there’s a better way.
Forget the reports - let’s start designing training that actually works. I mean, if you really want to shake things up, test people first. If they already know it – let them skip the course. Wild idea, I know. That might be a tad too controversial for most people, though!
IN THE ZONE
Dr. Andrea Love-Downs explains how to design satisfying instructional modules using Flow Theory and gamer insights
In an era where digital interfaces dominate our lives, work, and learning, instructional design is ripe for transformation, one that extends beyond transferring knowledge to trigger satisfaction, fulfillment, and sustained growth. Surprisingly, some of the most compelling insights come from adult online gamers regarding learning experiences. Their lived experiences reveal rich dimensions of engagement that instructional designers may overlook. By weaving together a theory, called Flow, and the satisfaction drivers uncovered in adult gaming research, instructional modules could evolve into immersive learning experiences that learners not only complete but also enjoy interacting with.
The Power of Flow in Learning
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow Theory explains the psychological sweet spot where people feel deeply immersed in an activity. It’s that energized state where time seems to disappear and effort feels effortless. For learning to reach this state, the challenge presented must align with the learner’s current skill level. Too easy, and boredom creeps in. Too hard, and frustration wins. But when the balance is just right - Shazam! Learners enter the ‘flow’ zone, and that is where the magic happens.
Flow theory offers six key elements instructional designers can strategically harness:
• Clear goals that align with learning outcomes and provide visible milestones
• Balanced challenges tailored to the learner’s evolving competence Immediate feedback through dynamic scoring, prompts, and progress updates
• Deep focus fostered through immersive, distraction-free environments
• Sense of control via choice, personalization, and learner agency
• Intrinsically motivated, rooted in purpose, meaning, and authentic curiosity
When these design elements come together, they transform routine learning into engaging experiences that spark rare passion in adult learners.
Why Adult Gamers’ Lived Experiences Matter in Instructional Design
The research data, derived from the lived experiences of adult online gamers and grounded in qualitative phenomenology, revealed something compelling. Gaming is not just entertainment or flashy graphics. Gamification with adults provides a source of emotional connection, skill mastery, and life satisfaction.
These findings unlock a new potential in designing educational and training modules that go beyond cognition to include social, emotional, and psychological engagement. More importantly, adult gamers reported increased life satisfaction through five dominant themes within the research, each offering a lens through which instructional design can become more human, dynamic, and memorable, as well as changing the behavior required and the reason behind the training module.
The Five Satisfaction Themes
The research, Exploring Gamification’s Impact on Adult Gamers’ Life Satisfaction: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, explored adult gamers’ lived experiences of gamification implementation to improve overall life satisfaction. The five results provided insights into the benefits of gamification on life satisfaction.
Social Interaction: Learning as Connection
Online gamers build friendships, engage in teams, and thrive on shared experiences. Similarly, learning environments that emphasize community through collaborative quests, peer review, and team-based challenges provide a nurturing sense of belonging and shared purpose in life. It’s not just about the content within the game; it’s about who you’re learning with and how you grow together.
Gamification Rewards: Learning as Progression
Adult gamers light up at achievements, whether they’re leveling up, unlocking new skins, or climbing leaderboards. Instructional design can
borrow this brilliance by incorporating progress bars, badges, goal setting, and competitive elements that mirror game mechanics. When implemented effectively, these features enhance motivation and enable learners to track their progress in real-time.
Escapism and Relaxation: Learning as Refuge
Gamers reported that immersive play helped manage stress and supported mental well being. Learning can do this, too! By crafting aesthetically resonant learning modules that allow learners to explore at their own pace, designers offer a reprieve from the day-to-day demands, providing an opportunity for personal exploration and emotional renewal.
Achievement and Mastery: Learning as Empowerment
Just as gamers take pride in solving problems and completing missions, adult learners thrive when they’re trusted with tasks that require strategy, critical thinking, and resilience. Modules designed with stretch goals, self-assessment, and skill tracking reinforce autonomy and encourage mastery that extends beyond the screen into everyday life.
Nostalgia and Familiarity: Learning as Identity
Those games that sparked a love of gaming at
Bringing Flow Theory & Gamer Psychology to Life
Designing satisfying modules means looking at the learner as a whole person with needs, motivations, and preferences shaped by rich digital experiences. Here are practical tactics that can bridge Flow theory with instructional design application: ‘
Story-driven modules: Transform learning into interactive quests, each with its own plot, purpose, and decision points.
Progress indicators: Use visual tools like level-ups, dashboards, and timelines to build momentum. Flexible pacing: Offer autonomy in module navigation so learners can move confidently through content that meets them where they are.
Evolving challenges: Introduce adaptive difficulty and layered complexity to maintain engagement and stimulate growth.
By leveraging these tactics, instructional modules mimic the energy and personalization of game worlds, which will invite learners to not only absorb the information, but experience it, and retain it. Isn’t that what the instructional design module is trying to do?
Implementing Flow Aligned Design
The journey from concept to practice begins with understanding your audience. Designers can start by crafting rich learner personas that incorporate gamer preferences, learning styles, and personal
Next, build micro modules, yes, those short, digestible modules infused with Flow theory, which will test features such as interactivity, narrative, and progression. These prototypes serve as agile building blocks to refine learner
Finally, giving feedback throughout the module. It must be continuous throughout the module to change the problem behavior. Additionally, obtaining written reflections from the learner (similar to open-ended surveys and reflections) will reveal emotional and motivational cues that numbers alone cannot capture. Having a reflection at the end of the module will provide valuable data on the amount of information the
Flow theory (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990)
Visualizing the Flow Zone
To sustain satisfaction over time, instructional learning modules will need to ensure that learners stay within the flow channel, striking a balance between anxiety and boredom. If the challenge outpaces the skill, stress will dominate. If the skill outpaces the challenge, disengagement is likely to occur. But staying within the ‘flow’ zone, learners remain immersed, motivated, and successful throughout the module. Keeping in mind that a good learning module scaffolds the ‘flow theory’, helping learners grow as the demands of each task evolve. Think of it as a dance of alignment, pacing, and purpose.
Designing Beyond the Ordinary
Instructional design has always been, and should be, about creating and crafting experiences that ignite curiosity, build competence, and support learners in becoming the best versions of themselves. By integrating ‘flow’ and the lived experiences of adult gamers, designers can gain powerful tools to elevate instruction from routine delivery to resonant transformation, changing problem behavior.
Whether it’s the thrill of a challenge met, the warmth of connection, or the pride in mastering a new skill, gamer insights remind us that
satisfaction is not just a byproduct of learning; it is a prerequisite. When education feels meaningful, immersive, and alive, learners don’t just absorb; it sticks, and that is where the transformation begins.
Want to learn more about the research on adult online gamers’ satisfaction and from many other researchers about gamification? Please see the dissertation link below. This document was inspired by the research data and articles referenced in the dissertation.
Love-Downs, A. (2025). Exploring gamification’s impact on adult gamers’ life satisfaction: A qualitative phenomenological study [Doctoral dissertation, American College of Education]. ACE ScholarWorks. https://scholarworks.ace.edu/ items/891b940a-daa3-4b17-845e-988aaf6d8212
Dr. Andrea Love-Downs Ed.D , M.Ed is an instructional designer, developer, and educator with more than 20 years of experience turning complex ideas into engaging, learner-centered solutions.
Connect with her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ andrealovedownsmissouri/
A career in eLearning is a scary ride with ups and downs, but Ivonne Martin says, ‘When you find yourself in the dark, you just need to trust in your own magic.’
I grew up surrounded by magic. My family owned a spiritual and flower shop that stood for over thirty years in a tiny neighborhood overlooking the NYC skyline. We sold candles for every intention, oils for every ailment, and flowers that could brighten a room with their scent or bring a little good luck.
As a kid, I would watch my family work with customers, offering spiritual guidance, reading tarot cards, or helping them choose the right flowers for a celebration or a farewell. That shop was my first classroom in magic and in life. It taught me that the future isn’t just something you wait for, it’s something you prepare for, shape, and sometimes even conjure.
So when it came to building my own career, I didn’t follow the “traditional” route. I ended up being an adult college student who worked full-time, balanced assignments and life one day at a time. I was also the first in my family to attend and graduate college. My degrees weren’t just pieces of paper; they were a spell I have been casting for years, one that I believed would create the future I envisioned for myself.
For a long while, everything seemed to be working just fine. I landed several good jobs, met deadlines, completed and managed projects, and even moved up in the world of Instructional Design. My “crystal ball” became vision boards, carefully written goals, and the occasional psychic reading for fun (don’t judge). In my mind, the future was clear: stability, growth, a steady climb.
That is until the crystal ball went dark.
It happened one summer morning. The email arrived without ceremony, no meeting, no phone call, just a subject line that would change everything. I opened the email and froze. My hands went cold, followed by a full-blown panic attack, and then the tears came. You think about layoffs in the abstract, kinda in the way you think about hurricanes that hit other towns (I’m in Florida), you know they happen, but you never believe one will hit your town.
But here’s the thing, when your crystal ball goes dark, it doesn’t mean it’s broken. It might actually just be refusing to show you a future that isn’t yours anymore.
The very next day, in between waves of anxiety of course, I filed official paperwork to start my small business. That is something I’d been meaning to do for years but had always pushed aside for “later”. I suddenly started to see all the hidden cards I was ignoring: the projects I wanted to create, the connections I hadn’t nurtured, the skills I’d let sit idle because my energy was always spent elsewhere.
I realized how much I’d neglected my own magic.
I was so focused on meeting deadlines, attending meetings, and serving other people’s visions that I stopped tending to my own. I got too comfortable. I even stopped updating my Instructional Design portfolio.
Honestly, the layoff ripped away the illusion that someday was guaranteed.
But once the initial shock and tears faded, I realized I started to feel calmer. I am not at the mercy of someone else’s schedule or approval anymore. My anxiety began to ease. The relentless hum, the need to perform, to keep up appearances, to always be “on” finally went still.
And in that stillness, I started to hear possibility and excitement.
I began to follow glimmers instead of the grind. I started saying yes to opportunities that felt aligned, reaching out to people I admire, investing in my own skills again. I returned to what I learned in my little shop decades ago: the future is not something you wait for someone else to hand you. It’s something you craft, one intention at a time.
I still keep my spiritual tools on my desk. These days, they don’t tell me much and maybe that’s the point. I no longer need to see the whole picture to believe in it. I know that I have the tools, the connections, and yes, the magic to create what comes next.
Initially, losing my job felt like the universe snuffed out the candles and left me alone in the dark. But as my eyes adjusted, I realized I wasn’t lost, I was just in a different room. And this new room is one filled with possibilities I never noticed before.
The crystal ball didn’t fail me. It simply told me what I needed to know: this path is done, it’s now time to write a new one.
Because sometimes, the magic isn’t in knowing your future, it’s in daring to create it.
Ivonne Martin is an Instructional Designer, Course Creator, and Magical Witch! Connect with her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivonneid/
Follow her eLearning Bestie TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@elearningbestie
LEARNING DESIGN THROUGH A MAURI-CENTRIC LENS
Lee Turner from Skillpod explores an approach that’s culturally relevant and inclusive in any context, leaving learners with all the right feels.
OK, so you’re a designer tasked with the mahi (work) of designing a module based on the content supplied by the subject matter expert. You jump in from your usual starting point. Maybe it’s aligning with the business strategy, identifying the performance gap or thinking about the theory that informs your choices.
These are all good but I like to also make sure there is consideration of mauri from the outset of a project.
Mauri is the life force and source of emotions, present in everyone and everything. It’s what makes us unique, gives us energy, and connects our physical tinana with our wairua (spiritual being). Applying a mauri-centered lens means we take a more holistic approach when we create learning, to not just develop cognitively but to tautoko (support) spiritual, emotional and social wellbeing.
Yup, it’s a biggie to foster all of these things in a little microlearn but by considering the whole person and their wellbeing we have the opportunity to impact not just workplace behaviours but also whānau (family) and community. It can help us to connect with a person’s sense of identity and belonging. To create content and experiences that are culturally relevant, inclusive and respectful to strengthen akonga mauri and their connection to the learning.
There are many ways that we can approach mauri-centred design, with subtle choices resulting in a big impact when it comes to designing for meaningful, regenerative and purpose-driven learning. We can start by considering how we welcome people into the experience. This aligns with the concept of manaakitanga in te ao Māori. It’s a value commonly described as kindness, hospitality, generosity and support. It’s actually a much deeper concept but as with most Māori kupu there isn’t a way to literally translate without losing the depth of the concept.
The way we welcome learners, with written, visual and audio can have a huge impact on engagement and belonging. Try asking “how does the introduction to this learning make you feel” and you might be surprised how many times the emotional reaction is little to nothing. Does the introductory text or audio make you feel welcome, do you see yourself reflected in the content and design choices? Are the objectives of the learning expressed in a way that you can connect to in your context or are they a set of bullet points that leave you cold?
As we move through the design process we can also contemplate how the experience is contributing to the growth of individuals both within the professional context and their personal lives. If we develop activities and resources that allow akonga to bring their context in rather than us providing the scenarios, we provide opportunities for the learning to be deeper and transferable. For example, when we think about skills for minimising conflict we can call on learners to share their wider experiences beyond just workplace conflict. I’m pretty sure I’ve developed some high level conflict resolution skills with four teenage daughters that could be applied to a professional context!
By acknowledging the whole person and what they bring we encourage a sense of belonging and value their mauri. We need to move beyond generic, static content and instead be looking to embed authentic pūrākau and opportunities for learners to make connections and apply
reflective thinking. We need to design with care, respect and the understanding that the real value in any learning experience is in the people it serves, uplifting and empowering mauri.
Popoia te kakano kia puawai. Nurture the seed and it will blossom.
Lee Turner
is one half of Kim and Lee - two learning geeks from Aotearoa who are on a mission to raise the recognition of Human Skills and the power they have to help real people achieve their potential.
Lee comes armed with 25 years as an educator with a masters in eLearning and Kim with a background in design and engagement. Together they are smashing your microlearning experience with Skillpod. Connect with Lee here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/-lee-turner/
FROM QUEEN BEE TO QUEEN HIVE
Sharon Claffey Kaliouby reveals the “5 Bs” to overcome Queen Bee Syndrome and empower all women to lead change and innovation in learning.
In an era defined by rapid change and technological advancement, the role of women in shaping the future of learning and leadership has never been more critical. As we navigate 2025, it’s clear that women are not just participating in the corporate learning space; they are actively driving its transformation with bold, strategic, and inclusive approaches. Yet, there is still work to be done, and before we can address the external barriers that allow women to carve out a space in L&D, there is one worrying issue that prevents the collective female hive from flourishing - “Queen Bee Syndrome”.
This term describes a situation where a woman in a leadership position doesn’t support other women’s career growth, or might even work against it. It’s important to understand that this behaviour isn’t usually about a woman’s personality; instead, studies suggest it’s often a coping mechanism in male-dominated environments where women feel pressured to distance themselves from other women to succeed. Researchers even recommend using “self-group distancing” instead, to highlight the systemic issues behind it.
The business case for gender-diverse leadership is undeniable, with companies boasting higher profitability and retention rates - so join us as we uncover how women are uniquely positioned to lead the charge in creating human-centred learning solutions and a more equitable future.
Panellists Catherine McGaw and Anu Roy discussed the need to “debunk” this syndrome at the Learning Technologies Conference, London in April. In a show of support, over 130 men and women wore tiny wooden bee badges, symbolising a push to “reverse the curse” of the Queen Bee Syndrome and position the “Queen Bee” as a positive role model for empowering women leaders.
In this article, we will explore key strategies, often overlooked statistics, and emerging trends that underscore the power of female leadership.
We will introduce the “5 Bs”
Benchmarking, Being Bold, Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers, and looking Beyond
- as a way to leave the outdated “Queen Bee Syndrome” in the past, together with revealing actionable insights for fostering environments where women thrive.
The “5 Bs” offer a powerful strategy to empower women and counteract the “Queen Bee Syndrome.” These five actionable strategies aim to transform the perception of women in leadership and guide them in positive ways:
Benchmarking: Setting the Standard for Excellence
This involves looking at key metrics and benchmarks to highlight the progress women are making in business, technology, and learning. By analysing data and setting clear goals, organisations can create a roadmap to empower women in leadership roles, ensuring they have opportunities to thrive.
For example, Jordan leads globally with 62% of managerial positions held by women, while France is at the top of G7 nations with 45.4% female board representation. In tech, Nordic countries are European leaders with 32% of senior tech management roles held by women. Even though corporate Learning & Development (L&D) is a female-dominated field, only 30% of women hold senior leadership roles, and less than 20% are in C-suite positions. It’s worth noting that some of these statistics are preliminary, and more research is needed, especially from regions like Africa.
Being Bold: Embracing Innovation and Risk
The future of learning requires boldness – the willingness to innovate and take calculated risks. Women leaders in L&D are already redefining traditional learning by using new technologies and encouraging experimentation. This includes
embracing AI, personalised learning, and inclusive design. Being bold also means challenging existing norms and advocating for accessibility and equity in learning environments, ensuring they meet the unique needs of diverse workforces.
Building Bridges: Fostering Collaboration and Connection
Women leaders excel at building connections across teams, departments, and even entire organisations. In 2025, cross-functional collaboration is more important than ever, and women in L&D are using their strong interpersonal skills to build connections that improve learning outcomes and drive innovation. Mentorship and sponsorship programs, often led by women, are great examples of this, supporting the growth of emerging leaders and creating a ripple effect throughout organisations. At the Learning Technologies Exhibition & Conference in London, “Networking” was the number one topic “flip-charted” under “Building Bridges,” followed by “Mentoring/Coaching.”
Interestingly, some research suggests women are less likely to network than men, but this was strongly challenged on a LinkedIn post with over 1100 impressions, where many argued that women are excellent, intuitive networkers. Studies show that 67% of women with mentors feel more confident in their roles, and sponsored employees are three times more likely to advance their careers.
The case for more women in leadership
Companies with diverse leadership teams are reported to have 50% higher profitability and 42% better employee retention rates.
Firms with more women on their boards consistently outperform those with fewer.
Globally, women now earn more bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in many countries, and control a significant portion of household spending – about 70% or $12 trillion in developed countries.
Nordic countries lead in gender equity, with women holding 40% of tech leadership roles in some regions.
Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are also 15% more likely to outperform their competition.
Breaking Barriers: Overcoming Challenges and Advancing Equity
Despite progress, women in corporate learning still face obstacles like unconscious bias, limited leadership opportunities, and not enough representation in decision-making roles. However, women leaders are actively breaking these barriers through their resilience, advocacy, and innovative approaches. Organisations are implementing policies that promote gender equity and inclusion, and women in L&D are using their platforms to amplify under-represented voices, paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable future.
Support women in joining women-led professional organisations. Look for your corporate business resource groups dedicated specifically to women; some examples: “Women Who Lead”, the Women Forum - Lets Grow Together, Women Initiative Network (WIN), Women in Tech (WIT), and LeadHERship Lab.
Beyond! Women are Shaping the Future of Learning
This final “B” emphasises the evolution from “Women in Learning” to “Women in Technology,” highlighting a future where empathy, creativity, and resilience redefine innovation. Women are uniquely suited to shape technologies like AI, leveraging their ability to create human-centred solutions that connect, inspire, and elevate. Women in learning tech leadership roles are already making strides in places like Jordan, the Philippines, and the Nordic countries, driving innovation, increasing profitability, and ensuring the continued relevance of the Corporate L&D industry. They hold the key to advancing gender equity and ensuring AI and other transformative technologies reflect humanity’s diverse tapestry.
Sweet Statistics
Preliminary statistics on women in leadership across various sectors show promising trends and areas for growth.
Women in Business:
Jordan leads globally with 62% of managerial positions filled by women.
The Philippines achieves parity with 43% of senior management roles held by women.
In Europe, Austria is at the top with 34.6% of board members in listed companies being women, followed by the UK at 37.8%. France leads the G7 nations with 45.4% female board representation, and Canada tops the G20 with 51.1% of civil service leadership positions held by women.
Women in Tech
This is still a challenging sector for gender equity. Women make up 25-28% of the global tech workforce, but only 11-15% of C-suite roles.
Nordic countries in Europe lead with 32% of senior tech management roles held by women, and Singapore is emerging as a regional leader in Asia Pacific.
Women in Learning
While Corporate L&D is a female-dominated field, only 30% of women hold senior leadership roles, and less than 20% occupy C-suite positions.
The UK and Ireland show strong representation in senior L&D roles, with Nordic countries leading in leadership equity.
Gender-diverse L&D leadership teams report 35% higher employee engagement and 30% stronger innovation capabilities.
The journey ahead requires a commitment to women leaders who remain agile, embracing new technologies and methodologies that enhance their impact.
Want to contribute to the “2025 State of the Industry Report on Women in Learning” ?
This report aims to be a collaborative effort, not just the work of one person. If you’re interested in sharing anecdotes, statistics, or other information, you’re encouraged to join the #WomeninLearning LinkedIn Group or reach out to Sharon Claffey Kaliouby.
All contributions will be cited if requested, to ensure the report accurately reflects the industry and helps keep corporate learning relevant in an ever-evolving learning technologies landscape.
Resources/footnotes for this article
www.grantthornton.com
www.trainingindustry.com
www.harvardbusiness.org
www.chieflearningofficer.com
Harvard Business Publishing: Women Leading Change in L&D
CIPD (UK): Responsible AI in Workplaces
World Economic Forum: Global Gender Gap Report 2025
Grant Thornton International Ltd.: Women in Tech Leadership
McKinsey & Company: The Business Case for Diverse Leadership
McKinsey & Company: Women in the Workplace 2024: The 10th-anniversary report
The OCM (UK): ELECTRIC Conversations Programme
Russell Reynolds Associates: Diversity Challenges in Leadership
IMD Business School: Women in Leadership Insights
BFT Online: Achieving Gender Equity Through Innovation & Technology
World Economic Forum: When women lead, economies leap: Gender parity lessons from around the world
Benchmarking Footnotes
Harvard Business Publishing: Global Leadership Development Study
Grant Thornton International Ltd.: Women in Business 2025
Russell Reynolds Associates: Gender Diversity in the C-suite (Diversity Challenges)
IMD Business School: Women in Leadership - Insights from the Boardroom and beyond
World Economic Forum: Global Gender Gap Reports 2018 – 2025
Sharon Claffey Kaliouby is an advocate for analytics-led, personalised workflow learning and supporter of an environment committed to a more inclusive future.
Connect with her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonkaliouby18/
5 Bs Action Impact
Benchmarking
Track gender equity metrics and leadership support behaviours
Encourage women to challenge exclusionary norms
Building Bridges
Create mentorship and sponsorship programs
Breaking Barriers Address unconscious bias and systemic inequities
Identifies gaps and progress in inclusive leadership
Promotes psychological safety and innovation
Strengthens intergenerational support and trust
Reduces the need for self-distancing behaviours Beyond
Celebrate inclusive leadership and advocate for systemic reform
Sustains cultural transformation and equity momentum
WHY DOES L&D STRUGGLE TO PROVE ITS WORTH?
5app’s Philip Huthwaite asked 100 leaders for their views
Everyone in L&D talks about measuring the impact of learning. But talk is cheap, and if we’re pinning all our hopes on LMS logins or course completions moving the needle, we might need to lower our expectations.
Until now, it’s been virtually impossible to truly understand the impact of our learning programmes. But what if the high-level vanity metrics we’ve been using are entirely the wrong ones? What if the real story of learning’s effect on business performance is hiding in plain sight, just beyond the reach of our traditional tools?
We recently spoke with over 100 learning and talent leaders to explore these questions, and their candid responses reveal a landscape of frustration, but also a glimmer of hope for a new approach. From struggling with soft skills to tech letdowns, I’m pleased to reveal the key themes and insights from conversations with the industry’s biggest movers and shakers about why measurement matters, and how we can get better at it.
Soft skills, hard data
“I’m especially frustrated with soft skills measurement! Soft skills are really hard to measure, especially when it comes to how those skills are applied in real-world situations.”
We all know that soft skills are important – but typically, they end up being overlooked and undervalued in the workplace. We don’t have an easy way to measure them, and line managers are not in every meeting to assess who’s communicating well, who’s the best at coaching and who needs to improve their active listening skills. The tech just hasn’t been there to make measuring soft
skills easy. So, no tech coupled with a hugely time-consuming, manual effort leaves L&D with no real opportunity to understand how soft skills are showing up across the business.
Of course, the danger here is that we end up sticking to measuring what’s easy. That tends to be hard skills, like coding or equipment mastery, while those allimportant soft skills fall by the wayside. Reducing everything to what’s easy to measure, vs what we should be measuring, is a dangerous game, and it means we’ll miss out on huge chunks of the L&D impact story.
Tech letdowns and tool fatigue
“I’m frustrated by the lack of insight our tech gives us into real behaviour change and application of learning.”
Every single L&D team in the world has invested in disappointing learning tech at some point. These tools promise valuable insights, but inevitably, those insights don’t go beyond ‘How many people logged in last month?’ or ‘Do learners prefer videos or PDFs?’. Useful for the L&D team… but why would anyone in the wider business care?
Many of the L&D leaders we interviewed made it clear that there’s a vast disconnect between what vendors promise and the reality of what tools really offer. They find themselves overwhelmed (by too many bells and whistles they’ll never need), underwhelmed (thanks to products that don’t align with the fancy marketing) or misled, when they find that yet again, their new tool doesn’t allow them to access the data they so desperately want. This, understandably, has led to widespread tool fatigue.
Having been burned so many times by tools that don’t do what they were expecting, L&D leaders are highly suspicious of new tech. This means that lots of learning teams are stuck with tech that doesn’t do what it should do, but with no better alternative to take its place. It’s no wonder so many businesses are so dependent on manual spreadsheets!
The seduction of vanity metrics
“Most learning measurement is shallow, based on feelings or engagement rather than being linked to performance outcomes or ROI. Most companies avoid deeper measurement because they fear accountability.”
One thing I heard loud and clear is that L&D leaders know vanity metrics aren’t great… they just don’t have access to anything better. No L&D professional wants to rely on ‘happy sheets’ or course signups to ‘prove’ learning impact… but what else is there?
One of the most common reasons for succumbing to the temptation of LMS logins is that this is what senior leadership teams are familiar with, and what they want to see. They don’t understand that learner engagement isn’t the same as real learning, so they’re satisfied with a 20% increase in logins or 95% course completions. But that doesn’t mean we are!
The frustration we heard from these L&D leaders
There’s a will… but no way
“I’ve yet to work in an organisation that effectively tries, let alone is capable of understanding the genuine impact of training.”
One thing we heard loud and clear is that L&D leaders know what they should be measuring… but they simply don’t have a way to do it. Sometimes it’s because of the lack of tech, sometimes it’s because they don’t know how to make it happen, but the result is always the same: measuring what’s easy, not what matters.
Actually, this area is where we saw a lot of vulnerability from the leaders. Many of them admitted that they simply don’t have the necessary skills, such as data literacy, or they’re overwhelmed with other work, or they can’t get buy-in from their business leaders to make measurement a priority.
A sense of apathy or lack of faith in the L&D team from senior leadership teams was a very common theme from our interviews. We heard things like ‘If your leaders are asking you to prove ROI, you’ve already lost’, and that leaders tend to lose interest in any metrics beyond engagement figures. When it feels like your own business leaders don’t care, it’s easy to see how L&D gets discouraged – and that’s why so many learning leaders are looking for ways to make them care.
Good old Kirkpatrick Levels 3 and 4
“Most companies I work with stop at Kirkpatrick Level 1, with reaction surveys right after training. There’s very little follow-up to check for knowledge retention or behaviour change.”
If we had a pound for every time we heard the words ‘Kirkpatrick levels’ in our interviews, we’d have a nice chunk of change by now!
Almost everyone we spoke to acknowledged that they stuck to Level 1 (Reaction – those ubiquitous happy sheets), or possibly Level 2 (Learning – did the learners learn what they needed to?), with Level 3 (Behaviour change) and Level 4 (Business results) broadly ignored. Some L&D professionals have committed themselves to using real-world assignments and integrating L&D data with CRM data to draw a link between sales training and sales growth – but even then, it’s hard to 100% prove the causal relationship between learning and business results.
What L&D is crying out for, then, are simple, intuitive tools to connect learning to real business outcomes. We know how important it is to move up to Kirkpatrick Level 3 and Level 4 – we just need a little help getting there.
The dirty truth about learning data
The honesty and candour from the L&D leaders we spoke with are clear: the data we are currently collecting is not enough. We know what we should be measuring - the true impact on soft skills and business outcomes - but until now, the tools to do so have been lacking.
Fortunately, the rapid advancement of AI is creating new opportunities for skills intelligence. The conversation is shifting from passive engagement metrics to active, in-the-moment insights. For instance, our new AI-powered solution, Helix, is one example of how this technology can be applied. It’s designed to measure soft skills like coaching and active listening directly in virtual meetings, providing users with feedback in the flow of work. It then emails you a handy summary immediately after the meeting to reveal which skills you displayed, including suggestions for improvement.
The path to better skills measurement is messy, and the perfect solution may not yet exist. But the conversation we’ve had with so many of you shows that there is a collective will to ditch vanity metrics, ask better questions, and tap into real-world data.
The challenge now is to face these numbers head-on and begin the hard work of truly understanding the impact of our efforts. The technology to help us get there is finally here. The question for all of us is: how will we use it?
Philip Huthwaite is 5app’s CEO. He provides hands-on expertise across sales, marketing and product development, and has a strong interest in using AI to drive success in learning and talent management.
Intelligent Freeflow Text Using Javascript
Open text boxes are a useful tool, but the ability to utilise what users input is limited in default Storyline360.
You can grade an entire submission or reuse the input elsewhere, but what if you wanted to do something more dynamic? Is there no way to search the input for keywords?
The answer is yes, by using JavaScript. Sam Harold shows us how.
First, open your Storyline project and navigate to where you want your activity.
A ‘TextEntry’ variable and trigger are made when the field is added. We will use these in our walkthrough, but if you need to use others, ensure you update them accordingly.
We will not be using the built-in text question type, as this only allows us to grade an entire text string; we want to search for keywords. So, we will need to insert our own..
For our JavaScript, we need some True/ False Storyline variables to toggle, based on whether a keyword is found. You can create these now. There is no limit to how many you use, but we will be looking for five in this demonstration.
We have the text entry, and the True/False variables we will use like ‘keys’ toggle. Now we need to add the JavaScript.
Here you can see the complete JavaScript. These five lines are used to change one of our variables, True/False, if a keyword is found; let’s explore each line now…
Line 1: var answerText = getVar(“TextEntry”);
Tells the program to get our text field variable, “TextEntry”. Make sure you update TextEntry here if using a different text variable, but ensure you keep it within “ ” marks
Line 2: var words = {“1”, “one”};
Tells the program what words we are looking for. Each distinct word is contained between “ “ marks within the { }. A comma is used to separate each potential word variant. i.e 1 or one. Update the { } area in this format with your list of words.
Line 3: var foundWordsCount = words.filter(word => new RegExp(`\\b${word}\\b`, 'i').test(answerText)). length;
Tells the program how to review the list when looking for our words specified on Line 2. `\\b${word}\\b` defines the boundaries we expect between words.
Now that we understand this JavaScript, what would an example look like?
It is important to ensure words are checked correctly. ‘i’ specifies that keywords are not case sensitive.
This line requires no modifications; copy as you see here to ensure correct functionality
Line 4: var containsMininumWords = foundWordsCount >= 1;
For this walkthrough, we require only one suitable keyword per True/False variable, but you can increase this number to require multiple unique variants.
Line 5: setVar("answer_contains_key1", containsMininumWords);
Updates our True/False variable “answer_contains_ key1” to match what was found based on our inputs in Lines 2 and 4. If a suitable number of keywords were found, it will update to True. Change the variable in the “ “ marks to the desired True/False variable.
We can now use this variable change to run other triggers, such as changing the state of an image based on whether the user inputs one of my Knight keywords.
See how I modified Line 2 to check for variants of the Knight we see in the image. (i.e “knight”, “warrior”, “soldier”, “hero”) If at least one of these is used, it will set my “answer_contains_key1” variable to True.
Repeat the steps above for as many keyword checks as you desire, ensuring each aspect has its own unique True/False variable.
Using JavaScript, we have seen how easy it is to create dynamic text entry questions. Stretch your creativity with this and have fun!
In this demo, I will use these variables to alter the visibility of images. You can use this functionality to provide custom feedback or branching scenarios for your users!
Sam Harold is an Instructional Designer and Moodle Developer, who spends his time playing games and trying to break Articulate Storyline.
NEW RELEASES
The next major version, Moodle 5.1, is scheduled for its initial release on October 6, 2025. Following that, Moodle 5.2 is expected to be released on April 20, 2026.
Moodle is preparing to roll out some exciting new features with the upcoming release of Moodle 5.1, which builds on the groundwork laid by Moodle 5.0. This new version focuses on improving the user experience for everyone, with the adoption of Bootstrap 5, making it cleaner and more responsive on all devices. You can also look forward to a new Activities overview that gives both students and teachers a single place to track course progress and upcoming tasks.
Moodle is getting smarter too with new AI enhancements. You’ll be able to use providers like Ollama to create content, and admins will have new tools to manage AI usage policies.
PLUGIN SPOTLIGHT
Say goodbye to manual form-filling! This issue, I’m highlighting a Moodle plugin that’s a potential gamechanger for educators and trainers, it’s called AutoPDF Form (mod_autopdfform).
This activity plugin is an effortless automation tool that integrates seamlessly into your Moodle courses. It allows you to upload a PDF with pre-set fields and, with a single click, it generates and downloads a personalised PDF for each student.
The magic of this plugin lies in its ability to automatically populate the PDF fields with a student’s personal information directly from their Moodle profile. This includes details like their name, student ID, and email address, saving you countless hours of manual data entry. The generated PDFs are also automatically named with the student’s details for easy organization.
Now although initially it sounds like a custom certificate plugin, and it could be used for that, it does have other real-world applications too.
Welcome back, readers, to my regular column, where I write about all things new and exciting in the Moodleverse.
NEWS
The Global Moodle Moot 2025
There’s still time to grab a ticket for the upcoming Moodle Moot in Edinburgh, 16-18 September 2025. With three days of discussions, workshops, and networking, attendees will gain insights on the future of learning, including AI and digital transformation, connecting with a global community focused on equitable education.
AI Plagiarism Updates
Originality.ai is stepping up to the challenge with its new and improved Moodle Plugin, an advanced tool designed to combat both plagiarism and AIgenerated content.
This plugin integrates seamlessly into Moodle’s core modules, including Assignments, Quizzes, and Forums, providing teachers with a comprehensive system for verifying submissions. It boasts impressive accuracy, with a claimed 99% rate for detecting AI-generated text and a 99.5% rate for identifying plagiarism.
The plugin not only helps institutions maintain academic integrity but also empowers students by allowing them to view their own scan reports, promoting a culture of self-awareness and accountability. With support for over 30 languages, including Arabic, Spanish, and Chinese, this tool is ready to serve the global Moodle community. The launch of this advanced plugin is a significant move in the ongoing effort to ensure that student work is a true reflection of their own knowledge.
Teachers could build customised lab reports and generate personalised lab sheets for each student. Or generate individualised instructions or unique feedback or forms tailored to each learner. It could even be used for personalised assignment cover sheets, custom checklists and much more.
Developed and maintained by Tangat Baktybergen and Ivan Volosyak, the Auto-PDF Form plugin is a fantastic addition to any Moodle site, bringing a new level of professionalism and efficiency to your courses. It’s early days yet, and the plugin has only recently dropped into the plugins database, but I suspect, when more placeholders become available, the creative opportunities will be limitless.
The Death and Rebirth of L&D
Hubken’s Darren Bindert looks at the impact of ChatGPT’s Study Mode.
OpenAI’s newest ChatGPT Study Mode isn’t just another education feature. I think it’s the most significant disruption to corporate learning since the Internet went mainstream. While most L&D professionals are still debating whether AI is friend or foe, this single feature has just redefined what learning looks like in the workplace.
The launch on July 29, 2025, might seem like just another tech announcement, but dig deeper and you’ll find the blueprint for the complete transformation of how we develop talent. ChatGPT Study Mode doesn’t just provide answers - it teaches people how to think. And if that doesn’t fundamentally challenge everything we’ve built in L&D over the past two decades, nothing will.
The $350 billion L&D industry just got its wake-up call
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: 65% of organisations are already using generative AI regularly (McKinsey), nearly double from just ten months ago. Meanwhile, 73% of employees desperately need AI skills (McKinsey), and 49% say they need training on AI tools before they can effectively use them (TechRepublic). I would argue that, for most L&D teams, they are not just behind the curve; they are probably not even on the same road.
ChatGPT Study Mode represents something more profound than a new learning tool. It’s the emergence of what Josh Bersin calls the ‘Superworker’ era, when employees who leverage AI deliver exponentially greater productivity and creativity (Galileo). The question isn’t whether your organisation will adopt AI-powered learning. The question is whether your L&D function will lead that transformation or become irrelevant to it.
Consider this: One in three college-aged people already use ChatGPT, with learning as their top use case (Axios). Your newest employees aren’t waiting for your training programs - they’re already engaging and learning with AI. The gap between how people actually learn and how we think we’re teaching them has never been wider.
Traditional training methods are becoming museum pieces
The Socratic method powering ChatGPT Study Mode isn’t revolutionary simply because it’s new. No, it’s revolutionary because it can scale infinitely (OpenAI).
While we’ve spent years creating one-size-fits-all training programs or ‘generalised’ personalisation, AI can now provide individual, personalised, step-by-step guidance to every employee simultaneously.
The numbers tell the story: AI can reduce content creation time by 62%, cutting video production from nearly 13 days to under 5 days (Chieflearningofficer). But that’s just the operational efficiency. The real transformation is happening in learning effectiveness. Organisations using AI in L&D report 41% more effective programs, 39% cost reduction, and 38% increased employee engagement (SHRM).
The competitive landscape reveals our strategic blindness
Are we witnessing the slow demise of the traditional learning management system? Static courses, completion tracking, and satisfaction surveys are being replaced by dynamic, conversational learning that adapts in real-time to each learner’s needs and pace. My prediction is that the LMS will evolve and integrate with AI. The platforms will become smarter, more interactive and more personalised. So, no, I don’t think we’re witnessing the death of the LMS. But we will see its metamorphosis into something far more powerful. The LMS of 2030 will be AI-native, conversational, predictive, and seamlessly integrated into the flow of work. Those that adapt will thrive; those that remain static will indeed become obsolete.
And while we’ve been perfecting our traditional approaches, the competition has evolved dramatically. Google offers Gemini for Education free to all educational institutions. Microsoft bundles Copilot for Education at £19 per user per month. And in the US, Khan Academy’s Khanmigo provides AI tutoring for just $4 monthly (Khamigo).
ChatGPT Study Mode enters this space with premium positioning but superior AI capabilities. However, the real insight isn’t about feature comparisons. This is about market strategy. Educational technology companies are moving faster than corporate L&D departments to integrate AI into learning experiences.
This competitive landscape reveals a critical strategic failure: while we’ve been focused on vendor negotiations and platform integrations, our employees have been adopting consumer AI tools for their learning needs. We are no longer competing with other corporate training providers. Instead, we are competing with the AI tools employees already use.
L&D professionals face an identity crisis (and opportunity)
The role transformation happening in L&D isn’t gradual...it is seismic. 92% of executives expect to boost AI spending over the next three years, but only 1% of companies consider themselves “mature” in AI deployment (Mckinsey). This gap represents the greatest professional opportunity and threat L&D has ever faced.
“AI won’t replace L&D professionals, but L&D professionals who understand AI will replace those who don’t. “
The skills required for success are evolving rapidly:
• AI literacy becomes as fundamental as presentation skills once were Data analytics replaces intuition-based program design
• Prompt engineering becomes more valuable than instructional design
• Strategic thinking matters more than content creation
The L&D professionals who recognise this shift are already positioning themselves as AI-enabled strategic partners rather than training administrators. They are moving from asking “What courses do we need?” to “How can AI accelerate our business objectives through our employees’ development?”
The agentic AI revolution is just beginning
ChatGPT Study Mode is merely the preview of what’s coming. By 2027, Deloitte predicts 50% of enterprises will deploy AI agents - autonomous systems that can plan, learn, reason, and act independently. In L&D terms, this means:
• Personalised AI learning advisors that proactively identify skill gaps and recommend development opportunities.
• Autonomous coaching systems that provide real-time performance feedback. - Predictive career planning that optimises individual development paths based on business needs and personal aspirations.
The World Economic Forum estimates agentic AI will save US workers 78 million hours per week by 2026 (World Economic Forum). Those aren’t just operational hours...those are learning hours, time that can be redirected toward higher-value skill development and strategic thinking.
Regulatory reality check: Compliance is coming
The regulatory landscape is also crystallising faster than most organisations realise. The EU AI Act becomes fully enforceable by August 2026, with fines reaching €35 million or 7% of global revenue (European Commission). In the US, the states of Colorado and California are looking to implement comprehensive AI acts by 2026.
And while governments and business leaders plan and talk about ethical AI policies, having policies isn’t the same as having competent implementation of them. L&D functions that develop expertise in AI governance, bias prevention, and ethical implementation will become invaluable strategic assets.
This isn’t just about compliance, it’s about developing a competitive advantage. Organisations that master ethical AI implementation in learning will attract and retain top talent while avoiding regulatory penalties that could devastate competitors.
The strategic imperative: Lead or become irrelevant
The ChatGPT Study Mode launch represents an inflection point that demands immediate action. My guess is that organisations have roughly 18 months to transform their L&D approach before the market moves beyond their ability to catch up.
The strategic choices are stark: Lead the AI transformation in your organisation or watch as other departments, external vendors, or employeedriven adoption make L&D irrelevant to how people actually learn and develop.
The winners will be L&D leaders who recognise that ChatGPT Study Mode isn’t just a new tool, but rather it being the proof of concept for a completely different approach to employee development. L&D teams need to invest in AI literacy, redesign their roles around strategic consultation, and position themselves as the guides for their organisation’s transformation into Josh Berswin’s Superworker era.
The future of L&D isn’t about choosing between human connection and artificial intelligence. It’s about orchestrating the collaboration between human expertise and AI capabilities to create learning experiences that were impossible just months ago.
The question every L&D professional must answer today: Will you lead this AI revolution, or will you become a casualty of it?
Darren Bindert is
Head
of
Marketing
at Hubken Group Connect with him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-bindert/
Are You the Chef of Your eLearning Course?
William Nolen says good learning design should feed your soul.
Would you consider yourself a foodie? If you’re anything like me, when you travel, discovering the local cuisine isn’t just a perk, it’s a priority. The best way to connect with a place is often through its food. As the saying goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” and yes, that means eating like them too.
Take tacos, for instance. Where can you find the best in the United States? Hands down California. Thanks to its rich Mexican heritage, you’ll find tacos that are handcrafted with recipes passed down through generations. These dishes aren’t just food, they’re cultural expressions, infused with passion, history, and heart. It’s no wonder we’ve dedicated an entire day of the week to them: Taco Tuesday.
Think about your favorite global dishes: Italian pastas, Japanese sushi, German bratwurst. What do all these culinary traditions have in common? Passionate creators. These chefs aren’t just cooking, they’re crafting experiences. As Chef Thomas Keller puts it, “A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul to the recipe.”
Now, what does this have to do with eLearning? EVERYTHING.
As an Instructional Designer or course developer, you are the chef of your learning experience.
So, ask yourself:
• Are you bringing that same creative energy and passion to your content?
• Are you balancing the heat, spice, and flavor of your delivery methods?
• Would you be excited to take your own course?
• Are you drawing inspiration from other “chefs” fellow designers whose flavors excite and motivate learners?
Like any good meal, eLearning should leave people satisfied, not stuffed. Too often, we’ve reliedon PowerPoint-heavy training that resembles an overloaded Tex-Mex combo platter with rice, beans, cheese, cheese, and more cheese, buried in sour cream. While it fills the plate, it doesn’t always feed the soul.
It’s time to trim the fat and ditch the distractions, reduce the filler, and focus on crafting content that’s vibrant, nourishing, and unforgettable. Rewrite until it tastes right, until it gives your learners energy, clarity, and a reason to come back for seconds.
As Julia Child famously said: “You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces, just good food from fresh ingredients.” The same applies to learning: make it good, make it fresh, and make it with love.
Bon appétit and happy designing.
William Nolen is an Instructional Systems Designer with over 25 years’ experience in Training and Development
Connect with him here: https://www.linkedin.com/ in/nolenw/
Here’s the thing: in enterprise sales, the tech can be flawless, but you can still lose.
It’s rarely the software or the service that kills the deal. More often, it’s that the business case can’t survive the rooms you’re not in, the budget reviews, the “are we sure this is worth it?” moments, the quiet conversations between people who have the final say on spend.
I’ve been on both sides of this. I’ve watched promising pilots with enthusiastic users die on the vine because the champion didn’t have enough proof to defend the investment.
And I’ve seen modest, tightly scoped pilots turn into massive expansions because they made that champion look like the person who delivered a safe, high-return win that aligned perfectly with leadership’s priorities.
That’s the essence of the enterprise buying motion, the complex, multi-step process organizations use to evaluate, test, and implement large-scale solutions. Unlike consumer purchases, enterprise deals involve numerous stakeholders, strict validation requirements, and significant organizational change. Every step is about demonstrating business value to the right people at the right time.
The difference-maker isn’t the feature list, it’s how you run the motion. For me, that’s always been Pilot, Validate, then Launch, not as a box-ticking exercise, but as a discipline that proves strategic value, reduces perceived risk, and positions your champion as the hero who brought in the right solution.
Phase 1 – Pilot
A pilot isn’t a trial run. It’s your first closing argument… and your champion’s audition for being the person who “found the win.”
Most pilots set out to answer, “Does it work?” But if the financial decision-maker signed off to even get to a pilot, they already believe it works. The real question is, “Will this move a top business metric quickly enough to make scaling a no-brainer?”
The strongest pilots lock onto leadershiplevel metrics, things like market share, margin protection, risk reduction, or time-to-revenue and
then scope them so tightly there’s no noise in the results. That way the champion has a clean, defensible win they can present upstairs without you in the room. And every number is documented as if you’re writing their business case for them.
One example that sticks with me was a 45-day pilot for a global SaaS company. We zeroed in on a single high-margin product line and used asynchronous practice with AI scoring to measure partner capability before launch. The results projected a 15% faster time-to-revenue, which is exactly what leadership had called out as a quarterly priority. The champion took those numbers into a budget meeting and walked out with approval before the steering committee had even convened.
When pilots fail, it’s usually for one of three reasons. They measure “engagement” instead of outcomes that actually matter. They promise ROI that can’t be delivered in the timeframe. Or they hand the champion a story that’s too muddy to repeat upstairs. My rule of thumb? If your pilot can’t make your champion look like the smartest person in the next leadership meeting, it’s not ready.
Phase 2 – Validate
Validation is the stage where “it works” becomes “we can’t afford not to scale this.” And if you’ve done it right, it’s also where your champion starts to look like the one who found the smartest investment in the portfolio.
By now, the tech has been proven. The focus shifts to whether it’s safe, and smart to put some serious money behind it. That means the case has to be strong enough to survive without you present. You’re equipping your champion to stand in front of the people who hold the purse strings and make the argument themselves.
That requires translation. 18% faster ramp is a metric and $2.3 million in earlier revenue capture is a decision driver. You work with the champion to make sure every benefit is framed in leadership language, to answer the questions they care about most: Will it pay back quickly? Will it disrupt something critical? Will it make us look smart for backing it? And you make the buy feel safe with clean data, external benchmarks, and projections that take the edge off perceived risk.
I’ve seen the impact of this firsthand. For one client, we cut customer onboarding time by four days. On its own, that’s interesting, but not game-changing. We connected it to accelerated ARR recognition, improved cash flow, and a direct hit on the CFO’s capital efficiency targets. The champion delivered that deck themselves, and the decision-maker opened the meeting with, “If this plays out, it’s the best investment we’ve made this quarter.”
Validation tends to fail when teams stay in operational language, avoid total cost of ownership until procurement drags it out, or leave the champion without a clear, defensible scaling story. The test I use? If your champion can’t sell it without you, you don’t have a business case, you have a dependency.
Phase 3 – Launch
Launch is the moment where you either make the win untouchable or watch it start to unravel.
Going live isn’t the finish line. It’s the point where the investment has to start paying visible, strategic dividends and your champion needs fresh proof they backed the right call. This is where you either cement their reputation as the person who made a smart bet, or risk leaving them exposed when priorities shift.
The best launches base rollout decisions on data leaders can see and understand. They arm the champion with early wins, a revenue lift in the first month, improved retention rates, and/or cost avoidance that they can take into leadership updates. They keep the story current, adjusting to match new priorities, while staying visible enough that the program isn’t quietly turned into a budget line.
In one multinational rollout, we used capability scores from the pilot as a benchmark. Sixty days later, those scores were up 24%, tied directly to revenue per rep. We condensed that into a single, clean slide for the champion’s leadership update. That one chart secured funding for an additional region before the quarter was over.
Launches tend to fail when teams treat golive as the end, assume early enthusiasm guarantees adoption, or allow the original business case to get buried under competing initiatives. My advice here is simple: if you stop giving your champion fresh proof, you start losing their ability to defend the investment.
The Rules That Never Change: Tips for Navigating the Enterprise-Buying Motion
Across industries, budgets, and deal sizes, I’ve found three constants that hold true no matter what you’re selling.
Transparency is non-negotiable. When you’re honest about both wins and misses, you build credibility that compounds over time. But the moment you start spinning the story to make things look better than they are, you erode trust faster than you can recover it. You have to speak in leadership’s language.
Conversations about growth, margin, and risk will resonate far more than a list of cool features, no matter how innovative your product is. Leaders are making investment decisions, not shopping for gadgets, so tie your message to the levers they care about most.
Always lead with proof. Data paired with a compelling human story will beat even the most confident opinion, because it gives decision-makers both the measurable impact they can defend and the real-world context that makes it stick in their minds.
The Buying Motion Manifesto
A pilot is not a test drive. It’s your champion’s first shot at being the hero. Validation is not about more data. It’s about making scale feel like the safest, smartest move in the portfolio. Launch is not the end. It’s when you either lock in strategic value or lose it to the next budget cut.
The tech can be flawless and still lose. The business case is what wins, and if you’re not building it with your champion and the financial decision-maker from day one, someone else is.
At Bongo Learn, we walk alongside every customer through this very journey. Our team provides hands-on guidance through the Pilot, Validation, and Launch stages, ensuring your implementation delivers measurable impact at every step. Learn how we can help turn your enterprise goals into reality, one successful business case at a time.
Josh
Squires is
SVP of Strategy
and
Growth
at Bongo Connect with him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshsquires/
