It's time to tear up the rule book
Predicting a future without critical thinking
Navigating gender bias in edtech seas
Coming to a classroom near you
Gaming the future for special educational needs
In the face of AI, which skills are worth keeping?
Are you measuring the right metrics?
Building better behaviour change training
Welcome to another bumper issue of the world’s greatest e-learning magazine! This time around we have more excellent contributors than ever, so thank you to everybody who has helped make this, in my eyes, our best edition yet - I hope you agree!
As you’ll have seen from our cover, Whisper has gone all punk in honour of Lewis smashing his laptop against the wall and telling us to never mind the bollocks, we should all adopt a more “F@ck You” attitude to learning.
Our resident raven-haired mascot also tangles with The Scope Creep in this issue’s Client’Ell comic - a terrible creature that blights the lives of every developer at some point in their career (most months for me).
And on the subject of monsters, Dr. Ace Hulus unleashes some awesome Jaws metaphors as she talks about tackling gender bias in EdTech.
Bongo Learn’s Jennifer Bailey warns about the dangers of focusing on the wrong metrics for learning success in Sanity Not Vanity, while SonicWall’s Spencer Starkey looks at the increasing threat of malware in education.
Totara’s Matt Linaker questions which skills should we keep hold of and which are better off in the hands of our AI overlords.
Meanwhile, Michael Wright, of BuildEmpire, walks the tightrope between forcing people to undertake training and convincing them they actually want to.
Joseph Thibault returns and likens looking after an LMS to tending a walled vegetable garden, while Sam Harold theorises that if we want to become better learners, we need to apply a gaming mentality and learn to lose.
Talking of gaming, we caught up with Joanna Gibbs of SENsational Tutors, to discuss how gaming is revolutionising SEN education.
Natalie Birrell of Empica PR guides us through the marketing process for launching an online course and we’re joined by Lee Turner from Skillpod for her take on the L&D landscape.
And finally, I reminisce about my early career writing horoscopes and predict the future of critical thinking.
Cheers!
Mark
Dirtyword-TheE-LearningMagazineissue8. availableDirtywordispublished6timesayearandis dirtywordmag.comdirecttoyourinboxbysigningupat orviaissuu.com/dirtyword Forallenquiries,contactinfo@dirtywordmag.com Allcontentis©copyrightDirtyword-TheE-LearningMagazine2025 theandreuseofthecontentispermittedonlywiththepermissionof “Reusedpublisher.Inallcases,reusemustbeacknowledgedasfollows: ThewithpermissionfromDirtyword-TheE-LearningMagazine.” opinionsexpressedinthispublicationarethose oftheauthorsanddonotnecessarilyrepresent thoseofthepublisher.
Lewis Carr Publisher. Founder. Moodle Wizard. Digital Nomad.
Natalie Birrell Managing Director at Empica.
Lee Turner Ako Development Manager at Skillpod.
Mark Gash Editor. Writer. Designer. Prompt King.
Matt Linaker Head of Advocacy and Insight at Totara.
Michael Wright COO at BuildEmpire.
Dr Asegul (Ace) Hulus Professor, Lecturer, Researcher and Author in Computing.
CEO and
Jennifer Bailey Marketing Leader at Bongo.
We’re always on the lookout for guest writers and contributors who want to see their name in a future issue of Dirtyword. It’s all for the kudos and the community spirit - we’re looking for non-commercial editorial, tutorials and life wisdom; no sneaky advertorials pushing your wares (we can sell you some ad space for that).
For all enquiries, both editorial and advertising, get in touch at info@dirtywordmag.com
...a branching narrative with multiple endings...
...interactive 3D models...
...augmented reality with metaquest integration...
...AI video avatars...
CommLab India: No. 1 Rapid eLearning Solutions Provider 2025 - Sixth Win!
CommLab India has been recognised as the top provider of rapid eLearning solutions for 2025, marking its sixth consecutive win in this category. This accolade underscores the company’s commitment to delivering efficient and effective eLearning solutions, catering to the evolving needs of global organisations.
Chameleon Creator, a modern eLearning authoring tool based in New Zealand, has launched Chameleon Analytics. This new feature provides rich learner behavior data directly within the tool, offering educators and organisations deeper insights into learner engagement and course effectiveness.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has launched a comprehensive e-learning series designed to enhance understanding and application of its safety standards across various nuclear technologies. The series begins with an introductory module, available in all six official IAEA languages, providing an overview of the safety standards, including their structure, development process, primary objectives, and the integration of safety fundamentals, requirements, and guides.
Subsequent modules, currently available in English, delve into specific safety requirements for peaceful nuclear applications in sectors such as health, agriculture, industry, energy, and
research. Each module employs straightforward language to explain topics ranging from governmental and regulatory frameworks to practical measures for safe nuclear facility operations, supplemented with real-world examples. Learners can complete these highquality, self-paced modules in under an hour, receiving a certificate upon completion.
Since the series’ inception in 2020, over 6,500 individuals worldwide have participated. This initiative aims to globally increase awareness and accessibility of IAEA safety standards, supporting robust national nuclear safety infrastructures.
Virtual College by Netex has introduced an updated cyber security training program aimed at equipping learners with the skills needed to combat evolving threats, including AI-driven cybercrime.
The enhanced course features shorter, bite-sized modules for efficient learning, a modernised design, practical, actionoriented advice, interactive visuals to boost engagement, and real-world examples for contextual understanding. This revamp ensures that learners are prepared to navigate the complexities of today’s digital landscape.
Newcastle University has partnered with Ciphr eLearning to develop a bespoke Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) training program, now mandatory for all staff. This initiative underscores the university’s commitment to embedding inclusivity as a core institutional value, extending beyond mere compliance. The tailored program ensures relevance and engagement by aligning with Newcastle’s unique policies and culture.
Prioritising accessibility, the training enables full participation from all colleagues, reflecting the university’s dedication to fostering a respectful and collaborative environment. This collaboration sets a benchmark for other institutions aiming to cultivate inclusivity within their communities.
Wavelength Learning and Aspire Development have officially joined forces under a new banner - Cognition Evolve - forming a global powerhouse in learning and development. This strategic merger unites Wavelength’s award-winning digital learning capabilities with Aspire’s leadership, management, and apprenticeship expertise.
Backed by parent company Cognition Learning Group, the move signals a bold step toward delivering more personalised, impactful learning experiences worldwide.
“By uniting as Cognition Evolve, we are not just combining two companies; we are enhancing our ability to deliver exceptional learning solutions tailored to our clients’ needs” said Tina Lucas, CEO of parent company Cognition Learning Group.
Gomo, a leading eLearning authoring tool, has unveiled its ‘Flip Card Asset’ feature, enabling instructional designers and L&D professionals to create interactive cards that reveal additional content upon user interaction.
This feature aims to boost learner engagement by allowing content authors to customise card borders, incorporate images, and select between horizontal or vertical flip animations, ensuring alignment with organisational branding and learner needs. Accessible through Gomo’s Presentation panel within the Assets tab, the ‘Flip Card Asset’ offers a dynamic approach to presenting information, catering to the evolving demands of modern learners.
The corporate e-learning market is experiencing significant growth, with projections indicating a rise from approximately $20 billion to $45 billion by 2031, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.8%.
This expansion is driven by the increasing need for continuous learning, heightened investment in employee development, and widespread digital transformation across industries.
Leading platforms such as Skillsoft, LinkedIn Learning, and Coursera are at the forefront of this growth, offering diverse and accessible training solutions. Emerging trends in the sector include gamification, microlearning, social learning, AI-powered learning, and mobile learning, all contributing to more engaging and effective educational experiences.
Despite these advancements, challenges persist, notably in overcoming resistance to change, addressing cybersecurity concerns,
Corporate training is broken. Overly polished, compliance-driven, and unbearably dull. A bit like today’s music. Employees click through endless slides, mindlessly answering multiple-choice questions just to check a box. But what if we tore up the rulebook? What if online learning went full punk rock - raw, rebellious, and completely antiestablishment?
The Who, The Ramones and The Sex Pistols are before my time. I was more of a Greenday, Offspring, Bad Religion kinda guy. (Yes, I know they aren’t real punk bands compared to the 1970s). 70s Punk is all about anti-establishment, anti-status quo and is antiinstitutional. They believed in anarchy, freedom of the people and destruction of tradition.
For decades, corporate training has followed the same tired formula: top-down, dictated by L&D departments, and designed to meet regulatory requirements rather than inspire actual learning. I’ve waxed lyrical about this for the best part of my career. I’ve even been part of the problem by building this crap. I sold out. Corporate training is about risk mitigation, not growth. This approach breeds disengagement, resentment, and, most importantly…failure.
Punk rock was never about following the rules. It was about challenging norms, embracing imperfections, and doing things on your own terms. So just what could happen if we apply that ethos to online learning? Well, with the added risk of getting fired, quite a lot.
Punk bands didn’t wait for record labels; they recorded and distributed their own music. Online learning should follow suit. Instead of mandatory, HR-imposed training modules, what if employees curated their own learning paths? What if they had access to real-world, usergenerated content, peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, and decentralised learning communities? What if people actually wrote courses that told the truth? The intro to a punk rock version of an HR course would go something like this.
“Welcome to this boring as shit HR course. Where you will sit and read pages of pointless information on things that don’t actually matter and worse still, are not reflective of the workplace”.
Corporate e-learning is overproduced and sterile. A punk rock approach would ditch the overly scripted, robotic voiceovers and embrace raw, unscripted learning. Think authentic video lessons, real employee stories, and rough-cut content that feels human, not manufactured.
We all know that the job we thought we had, isn’t really the job we ended up doing. We know that we might have to work late, deal with pain-in-the-neck clients, redo countless revisions of the same page, make someone’s logo smaller and chase invoices for the next 90 days until someone finally pays.
And you know what? What’s wrong with telling people how it really is? Why not just tell the truth? A 10-second TikTok video on where the fire meeting point is would be a million times better than watching Nigel show you on a PowerPoint for 2 hours. (Sorry Nigel but take your Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran albums elsewhere).
Punk is all about action. Get up, pick up a guitar, and play. E-learning should be the same. Hands-on learning, problem-solving in real scenarios, and experimental approaches should replace passive content consumption. Employees should create, test, fail, and iterate in realworld conditions, not just answer quiz questions. This is how we can prepare people for real-world situations, by using real employee stories, and rough-cut content that feels human, not manufactured, like how The Ramones’ fast, imperfect, but passionate sound was more powerful than any overproduced arena rock of the same era. Gritty is better.
Most e-learning content assumes that employees are passive learners who need to be spoon-fed information. Punk rock learning treats employees like active participants who question the status quo. Why not let learners challenge training content, debate policies, and contribute their own insights to the learning process?
The reason we don’t is that this is too controversial. People would get fired for speaking the truth. Imagine if Dave from the warehouse wrote a course on “How we really work in the warehouse”. Or Sally from Marketing wrote the course, “Why Brand Guidelines are nonsense and limit creativity because marketing folk think their logo is the most important thing in the world, when it’s not!”
If we did go all punk, then management would not be happy. We can’t really tell people what it’s like to work here, can we? I hate to say it, but if there ever were an office fire, I would grab my coat, car keys and bag on the way out. It would literally be a 2-second thing on the way out, there’s no way in hell I’m leaving my MacBook to melt when I can simply cradle it in my arms and carry it with me in one swift movement as I stand up. You see, that’s punk rock right there. And you know what, you would do the same if you were being completely honest.
I’ll give you another example. Cybersecurity Training vs. Real Scams - employees are trained to spot phishing emails using textbook-perfect examples. But actual scams are far more sophisticated, mimicking real messages from their bosses or IT departments. No slideshow can prepare them for the subtlety of a well-crafted cyberattack. I’m not talking about those fake Royal Mail text messages that take you to a fake website, I’m talking about those boss-level ones that take down banks.
Here’s another one, Customer Service Scripts vs. Real Conversations – many customer service reps are trained using rigid scripts, but customers don’t follow a script. Real interactions require adaptability, emotional intelligence, and problem-solving skills that aren’t learned from clicking through a training module. You can have the best flowcharts in the world, but sometimes you have to think on your feet. Just because you completed your Storyline course on customer service skills does not mean you’re ready to face Beryl, the 70-year-old lady from Glasgow who grew up listening to The Ramones. She will take you down.
Do you know what, F*ck it, here’s another one whilst I’m ranting (see I’ve gone all punk). Time Management Training vs. Workplace Pressures - employees are trained on productivity techniques like “time blocking” and “prioritisation.” Then they return to work and are immediately bombarded with urgent emails, last-minute meetings, and unrealistic deadlines, rendering the training useless in practice. You can shove your Pomodoro Tomato-shaped timer up your ass. And whilst you’re at it, take your Gantt chart and wipe with it because projects do go to hell. I live in the real world, and I can tell you, nothing stings more when a client signs off on something and then changes their mind towards the end of the project. No training in the world can stop this. As Jonny Rotten once famously sang, “God save the client, she ain’t no human being!!!!!”
Just like punk songs are short, fast, and straight to the point, e-learning should ditch the bloated, hour-long courses in favour of fast, high-impact content. Think no-BS learning that respects people’s time and intelligence. The Greenday line, “Do you have the time, to listen to me whine?” is a perfect fit here. We live in a world where a meeting could have been a quick email. People drag out Zoom meetings to make them feel worthwhile. Online courses are bloated with text to fill the page, when a single sentence would have been more than enough. It’s all done to make things seem more important. When in reality, they are not. So let’s stop the BS, let’s deliver a two slide course, let’s actually create learning that reflects what really goes on at work.
We’re seeing the early signs of this movement already. Companies are adopting more informal learning communities, leveraging TikTok-style videos, and encouraging peer-led knowledge sharing. The future belongs to organisations that embrace a punk mindset and those willing to scrap the old ways and build something that actually works.
We should also apply the same ethos to LMS platform design and websites. Every goddamn Moodle site looks the same, every Articulate Rise course is a clone, every WordPress site is the same as the next. And now, with AI, all learning content is sounding the same. It’s like today’s music; it all sounds the same to me. AI-generated crap, repetitive drum loops and auto-tuned voices. Modern music sucks. E-learning sucks, that’s why it’s the strapline for our magazine. So if you actually give a monkey’s, why not take a leaf out of our book and go all punk. What’s the worst that could happen? Apart from being fired. But you would go down as a legend.
So if your L&D strategy feels more like an ‘80s power ballad rather than a three-chord punk anthem, maybe it’s time to shake things up. Burn the rulebook. Smash the guitars, put explosives in the drum kit. Let’s make learning something worth caring about. I hope you had the time of your life.
Lewis Carr Founder. Moodle Wizard. Digital Nomad. Lewis wears many hats but his most comfortable is his Dirtyword beanie. Connect wth him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ lewiscarrlearning/
Got an e-learning problem? Need a quick and dirty solution? You’ve come to the right place. A.I. have no idea.
Dear Dr. Carl,
I’m an elearning developer who has heard about this new thing called “Artificial Intelligence”. Not sure if you’ve got wind of it yet but there seems to be quite a few tools that could possibly help me in my role.
If there’s any chance you’ve come across this “AI”, would you have any recommendations for what I should keep an eye out for?
Dear Hiding-Under-A-Rock,
I don’t touch AI myself - it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, as I like to write with a Speak & Spell and make my own art with wax crayons.
However, my good friend Charlie likes to play around with all the new tools that keep popping up. He keeps a list of the best ones in his top drawer, next to a bottle of whisky and an old copy of a gentleman’s magazine that his wife thinks she threw away 20-odd years ago.
I’ve had a word with him and he says that if I can get him some more up-to-date specialist reading material, he’ll share the list with me. Luckily, I subscribe to many publications... so have at these and let me know how you get on:
Sora
An AI video generator that turns simple prompts into cinematic clips, giving your ideas instant movie-trailer energy.
ChatGPT
A conversational AI assistant you can use to brainstorm, write, research or just talk to when your coffee’s not kicking in.
Perplexity
A slick, ad-free search engine powered by AI that gives you clearer, more relevant answers than a Googling frenzy.
GitHub Copilot in VSCode
Like having a coding sidekick who autocompletes and writes complex code tasks while you focus on the fun bits.
Bolt.new
A full-stack app generator where the AI sets everything up, and you get to skip straight to building the magic.
CapCut
A super-friendly video editor with smart tools (some AI-powered) for quick, polished videos without a learning curve.
Claude.ai
An AI assistant built by Anthropic, great for coding and prompting, and a solid ChatGPT alternative worth trying out.
Google NotebookLM
An AI-powered notebook that digests long docs and turns them into bite-sized, useful summaries and insights.
Suno
An AI music generator that turns your words into original songs – ideal for projects that need a soundtrack with zero royalty stress.
Freepik
A massive library of graphics, icons, templates, and AI-generated images that’s basically a cheat code for designers needing assets fast.
Make.com
A no-code automation platform that connects apps and tools like AI-powered LEGO bricks to build whatever workflow you need.
“Just when you thought it was safe to enter the digital classroom...”
Under the projector’s blue light, another male administrator presented my research on genderresponsive digital pedagogy at the Educational Technology Conference. I presented that same, meticulously documented research at last semester’s faculty meeting. Repackaged and unattributed, the work was lauded as groundbreaking by an inexperienced man.
The 1975 movie, Jaws, is set on Amity Island - a beautiful tourist trap, plagued by a vicious shark hiding in the waves. And for many women, this is today’s educational technology landscape; glistening and promising on the surface, but swimming with unseen predators beneath. The 2023 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report “Gender Equality and EdTech: What are the barriers and enablers to enhance equity in and through EdTech?” confirms what I experienced daily: significant digital divides between males and females, with biases and assumptions about whether females benefit from and enjoy using EdTech.
Underlying the professional facade, subtle gender bias frequently surfaces in comments like, “Females don’t need advanced digital skills,” or “Impressive coding work... for a female educator.” These aren’t mere microaggressions; they are systemic barriers within an education system designed to exclude females.
At post-conference receptions around the world, discussions are dominated by men who frequently interrupt, contradict, and reiterate ideas women have already expressed. The invisible current of “who-getsheard” pulls strongly in one direction, mirroring the UNESCO report’s finding that disparities emerge, not just in relation to digital access, but also in digital freedom, literacy, pedagogies, and design within educational institutions.
The evidence of the problem is on my laptop: a painstakingly detailed spreadsheet documenting every stolen idea, dismissive comment, and “well, actually” interruption from the last year. The spreadsheet data corroborates the UNESCO report. Females in
Dr. Asegul Hulus’ JAWS protocol for navigating gender bias in EdTech seas.
educational technology aren’t imagining the predator below; they are systematically being circled, tested, and occasionally attacked by biases that limit their access both in and out of the digital classroom. The “Gender Equality and EdTech” report highlights the disparity in mobile device ownership and access between male and female students, showing how this technological divide, coupled with factors like location, poverty, and educational attainment, disproportionately impacts certain groups of females.
Next to my computer is a cherished photo from my childhood – eight-year-old me, beaming, and holding up my Game Boy SP. The sneering comment from an old co-worker about my Game Boy – “Why were you playing that, didn’t they have Barbies?” – still stings. It’s preposterous to assume programming is only for men.
That early shark bite was just the first of many. The persistence of antiquated gender biases in educational institutions, places that should champion innovation, is remarkable and unacceptable. The 2023 UNESCO research confirms this reality: significant barriers exist in how technology is taught, designed, and implemented in institutions. Females like me in educational technology find ourselves playing dual roles: creating gender-responsive pedagogies while simultaneously fighting currents that constantly push females toward the digital shallows.
The days of ignoring problems, like the Amity Island officials in Jaws did to protect tourism, are over for institutions. The UNESCO report clearly states that gender bias in educational technology requires intervention; no woman should face this challenge alone.
The problem isn’t that females cannot swim in these waters; the problem is that we are forced to do so while constantly watching for fins breaking the surface, draining energy that should be directed toward learning and innovation. While our male colleagues freestyle ahead, we perform the exhausting dance of educational advancement while predator-spotting. UNESCO’s report showcases effective strategies for
tackling these challenges, such as collaborative design, comprehensive frameworks, individualized learning, and gender-sensitive teaching methods in institutions.
The solution is not to close the digital beaches or warn females away from EdTech education. The answer is in fundamentally changing how educational institutions monitor and address these waters. Females do not need simplified digital swimming lessons; the educational ecosystem needs transformation.
Enter the JAWS Protocol (Justice, Advocacy, Watchfulness, and Structural-change), my comprehensive approach to addressing gender bias in educational technology spaces based on the UNESCO report. The JAWS Protocol represents every evidencebased finding from years of navigating treacherous educational waters, every strategy developed for institutional change, and every insight gained from watching institutional leadership repeatedly claim “it’s safe to go back in the digital water” while female students and educators were still bandaging bite marks.
This is not just another diversity initiative to be framed on an institutional wall or highlighted in recruitment brochures. This is a bigger boat: one designed using the UNESCO report’s recommendations for co-design practices, comprehensive approaches that consider intersectionality, context analysis with gender-specific data, and disaggregation of outcomes by characteristics relating to inequality and marginalisation.
Implementing the JAWS Protocol: A Call to Action For educational institutions serious about addressing gender bias in educational technology, the JAWS Protocol offers a structured approach with actionable implementation guidelines:
Equal Resource Allocation: Technology budget audits should verify equitable funding for male and femalebenefiting initiatives. The UNESCO report highlights the significant effect of fair resource distribution on reducing the digital divide.
Representation Matters: All digital learning resources should accurately reflect diversity and be free of gender bias in their visuals and language.
Documentation Systems: Create accessible, confidential reporting procedures within EdTech to handle instances of prejudice, intellectual property infringement, and discrimination.
Females as Co-Designers: Involve women directly in the design of EdTech solutions using participatory methods, empowering them to shape the tools they will use.
Teacher Training: Make professional development in gender-responsive pedagogy mandatory for all technology educators.
Awareness Campaigns: Begin highlighting ongoing programs that celebrate women’s contributions to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and educational technology. For example, The Association for Computing Machinery’s Council on Women in Computing (ACM-W).
Gender Data Collection: Collect detailed data on technology access and use, broken down by gender, socioeconomic status, location, and other relevant factors.
Regular Assessments: Quarterly assessments should analyse participation and achievement patterns to determine gender equity in digital learning environments.
External Review: Institutions’ gender and technology practices should undergo independent audits.
Policy Reform: To ensure gender equity in technology education, update institutional policies with transparent accountability measures.
Environmental Redesign: Make both physical and digital learning environments equally welcoming and useful for everyone, regardless of gender.
Incentive Systems: Develop awards for educational technology that champions inclusivity and gender responsiveness.
The UNESCO report highlighted that addressing gender bias in EdTech demands a coordinated approach to tackle systemic, not merely isolated, challenges. The role each institution plays in either perpetuating or dismantling these barriers must be acknowledged.
As for me, Dr. Ace Hulus, I’ll continue charting these waters and expanding the JAWS Protocol based on emerging research and practice. Because in the educational technology ocean, we shouldn’t just be teaching females to swim with sharks; we should be transforming the ecosystem to ensure everyone can navigate safely through waters rich with opportunity rather than danger.
We’re going to need a bigger boat. Let’s build it together.
Ready to navigate these waters with us? This is how to participate in the JAWS Protocol and community:
Ace’s JAWS Committee: Join or Start an ACM-W Professional Chapter
Globally, the Association for Computing Machinery’s Council on Women in Computing (ACM-W) champions women in tech by supporting, celebrating, and advocating for them through ACM-W professional chapters.
ACM-W offers free JAWS-themed events, including webinars and talks by leading experts, focusing on topics such as EdTech equity.
At ACM-W, we don’t just discuss change; we embody the JAWS protocol. We are solution builders, defying stereotypes. ACM-W fosters a community that promotes mentorship, leadership, and innovation.
From your studies to your career, ACM-W is there to help you every step of the way. Innovation is not limited by gender.
Visit ACM-W to join the JAWS revolution. Or message me on LinkedIn (Dr. Asegul Hulus) or email.
Tell your Story, Display Posters, and Register for Future JAWS-themed Conferences
Speak up. Follow the JAWS protocol and see how much you can inspire people and follow the JAWS protocol to support each other.
Infographics and posters can visually highlight key statistics, such as Cheryl Robinson’s ForbesWomen 2024 report showing women comprise only 25% of the global computing workforce (including EdTech). These visuals help illustrate the persistent gender gap. Display these statistics in classrooms, staff rooms, and online to encourage discussion and raise awareness in EdTech.
Also, networking at seminars and webinars (conferences) is valuable; a quick Google search for “gender diversity webinars in EdTech” will uncover helpful resources and networking opportunities to further empower the Jaws protocol
We need to work together to safeguard these EdTech waters. Whether you’re an individual educator, administrator, or institution, your participation matters in creating safer EdTech learning environments for all.
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 wth her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asegulhulus/
Many years ago, I worked as a Sub-Editor for The Press Association, where one of my lessmundane jobs was writing the horoscope listings for most of the major national newspapers here in the UK.
The deal was that celebrity astrologers - Jonathan Cainer, Mystic Meg - would send us briefing notes for a month’s worth of horoscopes, covering the main points, such as relationships, work, money and health for each zodiac sign.
I would then take these notes and craft individual horoscopes for every star sign, for every day of the week, in the style of whatever news publication I was working on.
However, the reality was that going through the supplied notes from the “fortune-telling experts” was a lengthy pain in the arse for a 23 year old on a low graduate wage. So I skipped that part and just made up whatever horoscopes I liked. For a year.
I still think back and laugh at the thought of people on the daily commute, excited to read what their stars had in store for them, and potentially basing their day’s decisions on the nonsense I wrote. I apologise to Claire in Procurement for her never finding that tall, dark, handsome stranger in the copy room, to Jim in HR for getting him to waste his wage on all those scratch cards and to Jasmine, who never did get that promotion I promised. But hopefully, I put the fear of God into Mike, and he continues to check his balls every morning for lumps.
My point is, I had a platform where I could write drivel (nothing much has changed…) and people were possibly making life-changing decisions based on the factually inaccurate information I presented to them. Sound familiar? *Cough* ChatGPT *Cough* Gemini…
Now, admittedly, if the Horoscope page byline had read - Mark Gash, Lazy Graduate, then readers perhaps wouldn’t have put much stock in my words. Maybe they would have employed a bit of critical thinking that would have led them to surmise that I was, at best, winging it, or at worst, maliciously taking the piss. But because they were fooled into believing the predictions were coming from an authority on the subject, a worldrenowned celebrity astrologer, they were primed to believe the lies I fed them.
And that’s the problem with AI. Google is a household name, so surely their Large Language Model, Gemini, is the font of all knowledge? Ask it a question, and its answer must be correct, right?
We live in an age of instant gratification. Need a recipe? A translation? A complex calculation? A few clicks and the answer is yours. Our hyper-connected world has fostered a culture of immediate access, where information, once the product of lengthy fact-finding and truth-sifting during a bout of 2 am insomnia, is now dispensed instantly. And the rise of LLMs has only amplified this phenomenon, injecting a dangerous dose of perceived authority into the mix.
A good old-fashioned search engine marathon (what’s a library, eh?) provided a pick ‘n mix of information where you’d have to use your brain to sift the cola bottles from the white mice, before deciding which of the sugar-coated treats you were going to shove down your throat. LLMs take all the effort and fun out of pick ‘n mix, instead handing you a sealed bag of Haribo and assuring you that it’s filled with all of your favourites.
This shift is subtle but profound. We’re not just accessing information; we’re accepting interpretations, syntheses, and even creative outputs generated by an algorithm. The convenience is undeniable, but at what cost?
The concern is that, little by little, day by day, we’re increasingly outsourcing our critical thinking. If the answer is always a prompt away, why bother with the messy, time-consuming process of analysis, evaluation, and independent thought? Why question the seemingly authoritative response served up by a sophisticated AI? This isn’t a philosophical musing - this is already happening - in fact, it’s probably already happened to you, and the implications are potentially devastating.
Danny in Accounts usually checks the weekly figures himself but reckons he’ll give AI a chance to prove what it can do. In week one, he checks the AI output against his own figures - it’s spoton. So he uses AI again in week two, and again, the figures are correct. By week four, Danny doesn’t bother checking the AI data - he knows it’ll be fine. Six months go by and Danny has pretty much forgotten how to check the figures manually, but that’s okay, because AI never fails. Until, like a condom, it does, and ChatGPT’s misplaced decimal point costs the company, and Danny, dearly…
Alex in HR needs to hire a new Accounts Manager to replace Danny. But Alex is too busy creating AI-generated online Health and Safety courses to spend time writing a job description for the role. So she asks AI to write a job description that will inspire the perfect candidate to apply for the position. The LLM aggregates everything it knows about the stereotypical Account Manager, summarises market trends, reinforces existing biases and overlooks crucial Diversity, Equality and Inclusion guidelines. It spits out a job description and helpfully posts it on a Career Site, without needing Alex to check it over.
The company receives a hefty fine for advertising for a “Young, dynamic white British male with 5 years’ experience in accounts.” Alex joins Danny at the job centre, and the company employs a PR firm to try to salvage their reputation.
Okay, so I’m having a bit of fun with the above but, like Bart Simpson, I’ll eat my shorts if at least one of those scenarios hasn’t already played out somewhere in the world. The inability to discern fact from fiction, bias from objectivity, and logical reasoning from algorithmic mimicry can have severe consequences. But the real danger comes when we stop trying to.
When we become so blasé, so unaware of our laziness, that we automatically trust Artificial IntelligenceI to process information and formulate opinions, are we not relinquishing our intellectual autonomy? Are we not accelerating the very scenario we fear - the replacement of human roles by AI?
The fact is, AI, or what passes for it, is already here. For all the outcry from aging artists, writers, course authors and coders that we should heavily regulate, if not outright ban, AI, your kids have been asking Alexa to play Taylor Swift songs for the past 5 years, and there’s no going back from that. As adults, we need to educate ourselves to understand the risks and employ some of that common sense we all used to have, to use LLMs, and whatever comes next, in a balanced and responsible way (and yes, I spat out my tea as I wrote that). It’s too late for us - we just need to deal with it.
But for the Taylor-loving kids, whose minds are too immature to separate reality from YouTube, we need to get our act together and start to prioritise critical thinking as a core competency in schools. Young people need to be taught that AI is a tool, not a substitute, for human intelligence.
As a 45-year-old man staring down the barrel of another mortgage hike, I wish my school had taught me about interest rates, credit and debt, rather than the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. Schools today need to consider swapping out some of their irrelevant subjects to educate students on how to evaluate sources, identify bias, analyse arguments and formulate their own independent conclusions, and to be able to apply this not only across academic subjects, but in everyday life.
I said that I still laugh at people who believe their horoscopes, but perhaps that’s unfair of me - like an LLM, I skimmed the “facts” provided to me by the “experts” (sorry, can’t help myself) and delivered something passable that the readers would consume. Who knows, maybe like a broken clock, my predictions were occasionally right, and I made somebody’s day.
But whether we’re talking horoscopes or AI, bring your wits, your skepticism, plus a healthy dose of critical thinking, and hopefully nobody gets hurt. The question isn’t whether AI will replace our roles. It’s whether we’ll allow it to replace our minds.
Now go buy yourself a lottery ticket, but beware of that tall, dark, handsome stranger - it might be Google in disguise.
Mark Gash Writer. Designer. AI Image Prompter. Mark is a jack of all these trades but only a master of Dirtyword. And toy collecting.
Connect wth him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markgash/
It seems that almost every tool these days has AI content generation tools built into the software. With a single click and a prompt, your text box or page is now filled with beautifully crafted words. “Write me a course on Cheese Production”, or “Write me a course on Fire Safety Training”. And, in moments, you have your course.
But with all these tools piggybacking from the same Language Models (ChatGPT, Grok, Claude), we are in danger of every course sounding the same. Even image generation is getting very samey.
Combine this with, say, Articulate Rise (which allows little to no front-end customisation), and voila, we have an army of cloned courses.
Now, the Clone Wars don’t end there. Ask for an image of an anime office worker, and yes, you will end up with multiple Ghiblification versions of virtually the same characters and a bunch of Ghibli fans knocking on your door shouting at you for disrespecting their love for art.
Instructional Designers can overcome this by spending longer with their prompts, refining the text, running it back through Grammarly, and tweaking the images back and forth. But let’s face it: AI is supposed to save time, and all this faffing about goes against the purpose of rapid course generation.
So, where does this leave us? Well, in the short term, we will have an abundance of courses, all looking and feeling the same. We will become industrial factories churning out the same shitty courses, in the same way Shein churns out shitty clothes.
In the longer term, I fear it will be the end of online courses as we know them. Why even bother creating a course when you can just give the prompt to the user? Cut out the instructional designer altogether? If standard practice is to ask AI to “create a course on cheese”, why not simply ask the learner to type “Teach me about Cheese?”
I appreciate that the Subject Matter Expert might tweak an AI course, sense check it, edit it and the like. That’s the argument for not simply giving the learner the prompt box directly. However, we are forgetting one thing: the Subject Matter Expert is also in danger of getting cut out of this process too. As AI becomes more accurate (as it’s poised to become), then it’s not a question of how; it’s a question of when.
Bongo
For too long, Learning and Development (L&D) departments have relied on vanity metrics to showcase their impact - completion rates, smile sheets, learner engagement, and satisfaction scores, to name a few.
While these provide some insight into the learner experience, they fall short of answering the bigger, more critical question executives are now asking: How does training contribute to measurable business outcomes?
If your L&D metrics fail to prove their value in terms of improved productivity, increased revenue, or reduced employee turnover, engaging executives and securing funding can feel like an uphill battle. The training landscape is evolving rapidly, and passive learning won’t cut it anymore. To stay relevant and gain executive support, learning initiatives must be directly tied to organizational goals and drive real-world application.
It’s no secret that executives are growing weary of surface-level data. A high course completion rate doesn’t mean employees are applying their knowledge to improve on-the-job performance. Stellar engagement stats may not result in measurable improvements that align with core business priorities.
Organizations are under immense pressure to do more with less, and that includes proving that every dollar spent on L&D delivers tangible results. If your learning initiatives can’t demonstrate a clear impact on business outcomes - such as increasing sales, improving customer satisfaction, or reducing operational inefficiencies - you risk losing relevance, budget, and executive trust.
To tie learning initiatives to business outcomes, organizations need a strategic, outcome-driven approach. Success is no longer determined by delivering content; it’s measured by the business value your training brings.
1. Align Learning Goals with Business Objectives
The starting point for any effective learning program is clarity on organizational goals. What are the pressing challenges your company faces? What business problems are you trying to solve?
If your goal is to reduce customer churn, your learning program should focus on equipping employees with the skills needed to improve customer service interactions and meet those expectations. Establishing this connection early ensures that the training has a clear purpose and alignment with the broader organizational mission.
2. Conduct a Skills and Needs Analysis
Once you’ve identified the overarching business goals, conduct a thorough skills gap analysis. This identifies the current skill levels in your workforce compared to where they need to be to achieve business outcomes.
Not every employee needs the same training. Determine who needs specific interventions and why. If your goal is to increase sales, focus on a program to further train sales reps rather than generalized professional development for all staff.
3. Define Specific, Measurable Objectives
To tie learning initiatives to business results, vague objectives won’t suffice. Instead of aiming for “improved customer service,” set clear targets, such as improving your Net Promoter Score (NPS) by 10% within six months. Objectives should follow the SMART framework - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
4. Focus on Real-World Application
Passive learning methods, like watching videos or static presentations, fail to produce meaningful workplace behavior changes. Training must go beyond theory and provide opportunities for employees to practice and apply what they’ve learned.
Consider incorporating these methods to drive real-world application: Practical Assessments: Replicate real-life challenges to help employees apply their new knowledge in a safe environment.
Scenario-Based Learning: Use real-world examples to make training relatable and impactful.
Role-Playing: Allow employees to practice communication, negotiation, or leadership skills in interactive roles.
Microlearning and Spaced Repetition: Reinforce knowledge over time to ensure long-term retention.
5. Measure What Matters
Without clear measures of success, it’s impossible to assess whether your learning initiatives are making a tangible difference. Move beyond traditional L&D metrics and adopt performance-driven indicators that tie directly to business outcomes.
Here are a few examples:
• Productivity improvements, such as faster onboarding or fewer errors.
• Revenue growth through higher sales close rates or increased average deal size.
• Customer satisfaction metrics like improved NPS scores or reduced complaints.
• Operational efficiencies through reduced rework or adherence to process standards.
By tracking these metrics, you’ll have evidence to demonstrate the ROI of your training programs.
6. Gain Stakeholder Buy-In Early
For learning initiatives to create lasting impact, support from leadership is crucial. Engaging stakeholders early in the design phase ensures training aligns with the company’s priorities and has the support needed for effective implementation.
Beyond executives, managerial buy-in is key to reinforcing learning on the job. Managers can create a culture of accountability by encouraging employees to apply their training regularly.
For L&D professionals, the future is clear - vanity metrics won’t suffice anymore. Executives and stakeholders expect more than engagement numbers; they want detailed answers on how training initiatives are moving the business forward.
By aligning learning programmes with business objectives, prioritizing real-world application, and focusing on measurable outcomes, you can position L&D as an indispensable driver of business success.
Are you ready to elevate your learning programmes to the next level? Don’t just deliver content - create training initiatives that align with your company’s goals and make a real difference. Stay ahead of the curve and ensure your learning teams are driving impact across the board.
Jennifer is Head of Marketing at Bongo Learn, a video and AI platform for practice and assessment that accelerates enterprise enablement teams’ ability to verify revenue-driving behavior at scale. Connect with Jennifer here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferebailey/ and learn more about Bongo at https://bongolearn.com
In an era where digital transformation is reshaping every aspect of our lives, the cybersecurity landscape is evolving at a rapid pace.
SonicWall’s 2025 Threat Report reveals worrying data that underscores the urgency of this evolution: over 26 new variants of never-before-seen malware are being created every single hour, daily. This alarming figure not only highlights the relentless innovation of cybercriminals but also serves as a call for enhanced cybersecurity measures, particularly in vulnerable sectors such as education.
Educational institutions have emerged as prime targets for cyber attacks, and it’s clear why. Schools and universities are powerhouses of data, housing vast repositories of sensitive information that range from personal details of students and staff, to groundbreaking research data.
This wealth of information, combined with often inadequate cybersecurity defences, makes the education sector an irresistible target for malicious actors.
The vulnerability of educational institutions is further exacerbated by several factors. Limited budgets often result in cybersecurity taking a backseat to other priorities, leading to weaker protective measures compared to other sectors. Moreover, the potential for identity theft and financial fraud using stolen educational data is significant, making these institutions even more attractive to cybercriminals.
SonicWall’s report paints a grim picture of the current cybersecurity landscape. In 2024, a staggering 210,258 ‘never-before-seen’ malware variants were detected, averaging 637 new variants per day. The Internet of Things (IoT) became an increasingly vulnerable frontier, with attacks jumping by 124%, while encrypted threats climbed by 93%.
Perhaps most alarming is the financial impact of these attacks. The average ransomware payment reached $850,700 in 2024, with total related losses often exceeding $4.91 million. For educational institutions already grappling with budget constraints, such financial blows could be catastrophic.
The education sector’s vulnerability to cyber attacks is not merely theoretical. Recent statistics from the UK government reveal that over a third of English schools and colleges experienced a cyber incident in the 2023/24 academic year. This troubling trend underscores the critical need for stronger cybersecurity measures in educational institutions.
The stakes could not be higher. Educational institutions sit at the very centre of our society, shaping the minds that will lead our future. Students, teachers, and parents need to trust that their sensitive information is being safeguarded. A breach of this trust could have far-reaching consequences, not just for individuals but for the integrity of the educational system as a whole.
Recognising the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity in education, governments and industry leaders are stepping up. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ, has extended an enhanced cyber resilience service to all schools in the country. This service aims to prevent access to known malicious websites and limit exposure to domains hosting malware, ransomware, and spyware.
However, government initiatives alone are not enough. Individual educational institutions must take proactive steps to bolster their own defenses against the rising tide of cyber threats. This includes carving out investment in robust cybersecurity measures, despite budget constraints. Regular staff training on cybersecurity best practices and the latest threats is crucial, as is the implementation of multi-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to user accounts.
Keeping systems updated and regularly patching known vulnerabilities is another critical step. Implementing regular, secure backups of critical data can mitigate the impact of potential ransomware attacks. For institutions lacking inhouse expertise, engaging with managed service providers (MSPs) or managed security service providers (MSSPs) can provide access to specialised knowledge and advanced security solutions.
The battle against cyber threats is ongoing, and there isn’t a silver bullet solution. However, by implementing stronger guardrails, investing in advanced security solutions, and fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness, schools and universities can significantly reduce their vulnerability and ensure a safer digital environment for all stakeholders.
In this age of rapid technological advancement and equally rapid threat evolution, complacency is not an option. The time for action is now. Educational institutions must rise to the challenge, embracing a proactive and comprehensive approach to cybersecurity. Only then can we ensure that our centres of learning remain bastions of knowledge and innovation, rather than becoming casualties in the ongoing cyber war.
Spencer Starkey is Executive VP of EMEA at SonicWall, delivering real-time cybersecurity breach detection and prevention solutions. Connect wth him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-starkey/
Totara’s Matt Linaker asks
“As AI rewrites the rules, which skills are still worth the ink?”
I’ve been holding out hope for a while now, clinging to this quiet, slightly stubborn belief that some skills are worth keeping. Take text editing, for example. I like it. The tiny shifts in rhythm. The word choices that land. The hours of shaping a paragraph until it finally does what it’s meant to.
Maybe that’s because I studied English Literature as an undergraduate, and then spent years working as an instructional designer, thinking about words, language, writing hooks, making sure
things land. There was an earnest honesty to that work that gave me a sense of pride. But lately, I’ve started to wonder: am I just being a Luddite?
Because this shift toward skills-based organisations, it’s real. It’s not just another trend or buzzword. It’s a genuine, structural change in how organisations think about talent, capability, and the future of work. And with it comes new challenges, new tools, and yes, new questions about which skills we still hold onto, and which ones we hand over to the machines.
I sat down recently with Cammy Bean, Account Director at Kineo, and Elton Machholz, Senior Manager, e-Learning Platform Management, Insourcing Solutions at Charles River, for an episode of Totara Talks Talent, the podcast I host. I asked them something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately: is the rise of the skills-based organisation actually something new, or is it just L&D getting back to what it’s always done? Helping people build capability, grow in their roles, and perform better at work?
There’s truth in both perspectives. But what’s changed, what really feels different now, is the pace of technological change. AI is evolving faster than most businesses can update their competency frameworks. New roles are emerging before we’ve even defined the skills they require.
That’s why the shift to a skills-based approach is so critical. It’s not just about structure, it’s about agility. When organisations can clearly see what skills they have today, and what they’ll need tomorrow, they’re far better equipped to respond to disruption, adapt with confidence, and help their people grow in meaningful ways.
And that’s not just a nice-to-have anymore. It’s becoming essential.
For most organisations, knowing you need to shift toward skills is just the start. The real challenge is figuring out how.
Elton Machholz has spent the last decade getting stuck into that question at Charles River, where he oversees the implementation of the organisation’s Learning Management System within its Insourcing Solutions (IS) business. Charles River is a global partner to the biopharmaceutical business, and IS helps provide resource management solutions for organisations across the industry. When your work involves scientific research, regulatory compliance and animal welfare, skills aren’t just nice to have, they’re make or break. There’s no room for guesswork about who knows what.
To get real visibility over skills across the IS business, Elton’s team built a framework, using Totara, with their Partner Actua Solutions, that breaks everything down into four buckets:
• Core – the universal skills everyone needs, wherever they are
• Job – role-specific stuff tied to everyday performance
• Site – the localised bits: legal, regulatory, cultural
• Process – the deep, technical, “don’t-messthis-up” protocols
It’s simple, but it works. It helps them see what skills they’ve got, where they sit, who owns them, and how to keep them sharp. It’s the kind of structure that actually gets used, not filed away under ‘strategy slide deck’ and forgotten. And in a fast-moving industry like theirs, that clarity isn’t just helpful, it’s vital.
Eventually, the conversation turned, as it always does, to AI. And let’s be honest: it’s hard not to be both awed and slightly unnerved by it.
Both Cammy and Elton see it as a force multiplier. Something that helps L&D professionals do more, faster. It can support skills mapping, data analysis, personalisation, even content creation. In many ways, it’s a gift.
But it’s also a bit terrifying.
Because when you’ve spent years crafting learning experiences, agonising over phrasing, structure, tone, there’s something uncomfortable about a tool that can do it in 20 seconds.
And here’s the part where I come clean: I’m not ready to let go of that. I’m not ready to completely offload the part of my work that feels meaningful. And that’s where the Luddite in me pipes up, not to smash the machine, but to ask: what are we giving up when we give everything away? And perhaps more importantly: where do we fit now? What’s still worth learning by hand, and what should we let go, like making fire in a house warmed by central heating, or stalking wild game when there’s a supermarket just down the road?
This was one of my favourite questions to ask: Who actually owns skills in an organisation?
Elton’s answer was refreshingly human: The individual does.
Yes, L&D teams build frameworks and platforms. HR guides the journey. Leaders set the vision. But the person doing the job has to want to grow, has to know where they’re heading, and has to feel supported to get there.
Cammy made the same point: “You can’t just train me. I have to want it.”
Without that individual agency, even the most beautifully designed skills strategy will stall. And without organisational clarity, the individual has no idea which direction to run in. Skills need both alignment and autonomy.
The real challenge isn’t just identifying skills, it’s knowing which ones are actually worth investing in. And more importantly, how we measure them in a way that’s meaningful.
Elton talked about moving beyond surface-level checklists and tick-box training. What’s needed now, he said, is a more intelligent, holistic approach to skills assessment, one that combines qualitative insight with quantitative evidence. Not just whether someone’s completed the training, but whether they’ve actually grown in capability, confidence, and performance.
Cammy brought the conversation back to AI, and the risk of leaning on it too heavily. “I don’t want AI to write for me,” she said. “I enjoy writing. I enjoy the process.” And I knew exactly what she meant. Because AI can simulate skill. But it can’t simulate purpose, or voice, or judgement. It doesn’t build relationships. It doesn’t follow through. It doesn’t reflect.
Yes, skills are evolving. But the ones that matter most like critical thinking, creativity, communication, reflection are only becoming more valuable.
And maybe that’s the real job of a skills-based organisation: not just mapping what people can do, but creating the space, systems and support for them to grow into what’s next
Maybe that’s the value of the skills conversation, not a single model to follow, but a moment to pause and ask better questions. About how we help people grow. About what kind of work we’re building. About the careers we want to shape together.
The future of work is being built in real time. The tools are evolving. The frameworks are maturing. But at its core, this movement is about people. About giving them the clarity, support and motivation to grow and making sure we don’t lose ourselves along the way.
I might be a Luddite. But what I do know is this: the tools are changing, but our role in helping people grow? That matters more than ever. Because in the end, it’s not just about keeping up. It’s about helping people move forward with purpose.
Matt Linaker is Head of Advocacy and Insight at Totara, where he champions the customer voice, ensuring it drives meaningful product development and strategic decisions. Connect wth him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-linaker-3677a65b/
What if you could capture a whole classroom in one shot?
That’s the pitch of the Insta360 X4 – a compact dual-lens action cam that records everything around you in crisp 8K.
As learning designers, we’re always looking for tech to boost engagement, and the X4 promises just that.
It’s both a 360° camera and a 4K action cam, letting you film immersive VR or regular widescreen clips with ease. We took it up into the Yorkshire Dales to see if it deserves a spot in your education toolkit.
The headline feature is 8K 360° video – and it delivers. We set it in the centre of a boardroom; later, we could pan around like we were there. It lets you shoot once and choose your angles later –perfect for training sessions where you want both the presenter and the audience in focus.
FlowState stabilisation and horizon levelling keep footage buttery smooth, even when walking with a selfie stick. Bright light footage is excellent; low light, less so – with grain and softer edges creeping in.
The X4 also takes 72MP 360° photos, ideal for virtual tours. A panoramic snap of our office looked great in a VR headset, with enough clarity to read the whiteboard. For e-learning interactivity, that’s a win.
In a noisy open-plan office, audio was decent but not stand-out. Direction Focus helped isolate the speaker, while wind reduction kept outdoor sound clean. Good, but not pro-mic quality.
Despite the advanced features, it’s dead easy to use. The 2.7-inch touchscreen is responsive, and switching modes feels like using a smartphone. It’s teacher-friendly tech that won’t confuse anyone.
We got just over 2 hours of 360 recording. It does heat up at full 8K, so plan breaks. Rugged build too – shrugged off rain and puddles without drama.
In action, it shines. We filmed a 360° fire safety walkthrough of our car park and replayed it in VR – perfect for inductions. Indoors, it captured a training demo with enough quality to export standard 2D clips too.
At £499, it’s not cheap, but you’re getting two cameras in one. Compared to buying a GoPro and a 360 cam separately, the X4 actually saves money. If immersive content is your thing, this is one of the best tools out there.
Highly recommended – especially for anyone looking to level-up training content with immersive, versatile video.
BuildEmpire’s Michael Wright thinks beyond the carrot and stick for motivating employees to learn.
The modern worker, to an L&D professional at least, has become an unruly beast. Look at it this way: Deloitte revealed that workers can dedicate just 1% of their workweek to learning. In a 40hour week, that’s just 4.8 minutes per day.
That’s a tiny window of opportunity for L&D teams to get training front and centre.
And as of early 2025, 28% of Britons work remotely either full-time or part-time.
That means delivering training using a range of modalities to suit preference and locality, together with an increased reliance on technology.
But that’s not all. Learners are also plagued by distraction.
Being more connected than ever has come at a cost. It was found that 31% of workers are interrupted every fifteen minutes by digital notifications, often from work-related applications.
When L&D professionals are working with such limited time constraints, and faced with looming and large compliance targets, it’s no wonder that we resort to subversive tactics.
As Mark, Editor of Dirtyword, said when we pitched this article idea to him; “Compliance training will always be coercion.
“You’ll never subtly convince anybody that they want to learn about fire safety and the correct colour extinguisher.”
And he’s right.
So where does the boundary between guiding employees towards productive behaviours and subtly coercing them into compliance lie? And what are some better ways to promote behavioural change?
Accept the evolution of learning from organisation-led to learner-led
Compliance training has traditionally been a top-down initiative; something mandated, scheduled, and delivered from above. And that’s unlikely to change.
But what can change is how we engage learners in the process.
Instead of simply enforcing compliance, we should be working to secure genuine buy-in. That starts with shifting the focus from what the organisation wants to what the learner needs. Compliance training shouldn’t exist in isolation; it should be woven into a broader learning strategy that delivers real value.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
Respecting learners’ time –Make content as concise as it needs to be while keeping it effective.
Breaking up content thoughtfully –Not as a gimmick, but as a way to make learning digestible and meaningful.
Encouraging learner-driven content –Give learners space to curate and even create their own training within an LMS.
Fostering engagement –Provide opportunities for learners to connect, ask questions, and share insights with others.
When compliance training is designed with this in mind, it means it contributes to a broader learning culture and it shifts training from being just a requirement to an opportunity for growth. It can be tempting to chase engagement by turning every piece of training into microlearning or gamified content.
But staying true to your L&D goals means prioritising long-term impact over quick wins.
Embed learning within the flow of work
We already know that time is a major constraint for learners.
That’s why, as L&D professionals, we need to be getting smarter with how we implement training.
Traditionally, learning involved taking employees outside of their work environment to training sessions.
This not only disrupted productivity but also made it harder for employees to retain and apply what they learned.
A more effective approach is to embed learning directly into the flow of work.
Here’s how:
Microlearning – Deliver short, focused sessions at the point of need, ensuring learners can immediately apply new skills.
Smart learning nudges – Use in-platform prompts to encourage training, such as a reminder to complete product training within a CRM.
Peer learning – Foster an organic learning culture where employees share knowledge and learn from one another.
Learning-driven performance goals –Integrate training with performance management by setting goals that include specific learning milestones.
By embedding learning into employees’ daily workflows, training shifts from being a separate event to an ongoing, seamless part of their work.
Gamification is a trend in the learning space, and for good reason. Here at BuildEmpire, we use it in our own platform.
But it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. If the focus shifts from “What will improve my learners’ knowledge?” to “What will get this training completed?”, you risk sacrificing depth for engagement.
Training should be meaningful, not just a box-ticking exercise.
Learning isn’t a game.
But, in the pursuit of better completion rates and engagement metrics, it’s tempting to overuse gamified elements in ways that don’t actually enhance knowledge retention.
Our advice? Use gamification and other behavioural design strategies as part of a broader learning approach:
Layer learning experiences – Create a full course on a topic, then use microlearning to reinforce key concepts and test understanding.
Leverage microlearning for timely impact – Microlearning works well as an immediate response to change. For example, launching a new policy? A short micro-course can build quick awareness, which can later be reinforced through deeper training.
Use gamification strategically –Elements like points and rewards can spark engagement, but their real value comes in encouraging repetition and reinforcing retention.
Make mobile learning purposeful – Training on the go is valuable, but don’t let it become a distraction. Utilise it for just-in-time support e.g. a learner struggling with a task should be able to quickly find a relevant answer on their phone.
The key takeaway? Technology should enhance learning, not replace it. Stay focused on knowledge, retention, and applicationnot just engagement for engagement’s sake.
Our goal isn’t just to ensure employees complete training, it’s to help them learn, retain, and apply knowledge in a meaningful way.
But as we leverage microlearning and behaviour change techniques, we must also tread carefully. Where does guidance end and coercion begin? Are we empowering learners or just nudging them toward compliance?
Creating ethical L&D means prioritising learner autonomy, transparency, and real-world impact over surface-level engagement metrics.
It’s about designing training that respects employees’ time, fosters genuine skill development, and integrates seamlessly into their daily work.
By striking the right balance, we can create learning experiences that drive both compliance and meaningful behaviour change without compromising ethics.
Because at the end of the day, the most effective training isn’t just what gets completed, it’s also what makes a difference.
Michael Wright has over 15 years in the EdTech space. In his current role as COO at BuildEmpire, he oversees the development & test analyst teams, ensuring products solve customer problems in a resilient, cost-effective and scalable way. He is involved from sales through to go-live at all stages, including the requirements gathering, architecting of solutions and infrastructure build. Connect wth him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael--wright
Mark Gash aims a 360° crossbow at H5P as he tests out 3DVista
A good few years ago, I received a free Samsung Gear VR headset with my latest S7 Galaxy phone (oooooo…). It was a clever marketing ploy to try and rush the general public to adopt virtual reality tech but it didn’t really take off, mainly because in 2017 nobody could make a good use case for it.
Fast forward 8 years, and despite a pandemic forcing more of our daily lives online, and the best efforts of Meta and Apple, I would argue that the common man/woman/non-binary remains apathetic to the idea of strapping on a headset, beyond the amusement factor of watching your gran ride a dinosaur-themed rollercoaster after a couple of Christmas brandies.
Despite all that, and because I work in e-learning, curiosity got the better of me and I began experimenting with creating VR content just as H5P brought out the Virtual Tour content type. As a browser-based tool it was ace - suddenly I could overlay 360° images with questions, text, video pop-ups and audio. But beyond these basics, there was nothing to really hook you in to the virtual experience. H5P content types have always carried a whiff of unfinished student project about them and the Virtual Tour was no different. My interest in VR waned.
Recently however, we won a tender that called for learners to explore huge swathes of British forests, clicking things, scoring points, collecting items and branching out (get it?) into different areas. We specced it up based on H5P plus layers of additional CSS whizz-bang to fill any gaps that the software couldn’t cover. But before I dusted off my old H5P password, I decided to see if there was anything else that could do what we wanted out of the box. And that’s when I discovered 3DVista.
Initially developed for real estate agents to easily create slick tours of properties they had on the market, 3DVista was an actual machineinstalled bit of kit. Their website showed demos of sniper shooting games and hospital learning environments that blew away the point-and-click auto repair shop on H5P’s showreel. Whereas I was always making excuses and workarounds for H5P’s lack of features, with 3DVista, there seemed to be an enormous leap in the possibilities for creating engaging e-learning.
Before I threw a client project at it, I decided to test it, as any decent e-learning creative does, by creating an interactive monster-hunting game. And this is what I found…
If you’re used to the H5P way of creating 360° tours then I’m afraid you’re in for a shock - switching to 3DVista drops you into an entirely new creative space, giving you better control over how your virtual world looks, feels, and behaves. H5P allows you to add pop-up audio, video and text boxes, which is great for quick and dirty jobs, but it doesn’t provide a full suite of tools. With 3DVista I can create triggered events and chainlink actions together to create cause and effect branching. And whilst these were all initially developed for tours of houses and real-world locations, 3DVista has recently invested a lot into creating dedicated e-learning tools, making the software a proper contender for content authoring. Many of the features even work in VR headsets. Take that, H5P.
H5P only really supports one-track navigation - if you’ve ever moved from one 360° scene to the next, then moved back again, it always felt, for want of a better word, janky. It’s linear, predictable, and not particularly inspiring for branching scenarios. 3DVista, on the other hand, lets learners choose their own route and be rewarded with new interactions. So in my monster game, you have to find different items across different scenes to unlock new areas. Learner curiosity drives progress and every decision can lead somewhere different. It means I can create stories that deliver experiences, not just courses that deliver static content.
Yes, H5P does hotspots. But 3DVista goes deeper. I can create conditional interactions, lock or unlock areas based on progress, and embed multiple scored quizzes directly into the tour. For my monster game, this meant I could record items found, run a negative score which counted down health and an additional timer. In e-learning terms, this means I can add checkpoints or measure engagement without bolting on another system.
This is where 3DVista really shines. 360° video, ambient audio, 3D objects, background narration - it’s all supported. I can build mood and tone into the experience in a way that just wasn’t possible in H5P. It’s no longer just about what the learner sees,
it’s about what they feel as they move through the environment. That extra layer of sensory detail pulls people in and keeps them there. Compared to that, H5P feels like a slideshow with good intentions.
Now, I’m not going to pretend it’s all smooth sailing. 3DVista has a steeper learning curve than H5P. It takes more time, more planning, and more trial-and-error in the early stages. But if you’re serious about designing layered, immersive learning experiences, the payoff is absolutely worth it. Once you’ve cracked the basics, it becomes second nature and the creative options open up in ways H5P just doesn’t allow for.
Honestly, it’s not as plug-and-play as H5P when it comes to LMS integration. H5P wins for simplicity here. But 3DVista can still export to HTML5 or SCORM, which covers most bases. It just needs a little extra testing to make sure everything behaves as expected. Once it’s embedded, though, it runs beautifully, on both desktop and headsets.
Pricing is good - a one-off payment for lifetime access. And when I’m already forking out £££ every month on various tool subs, that’s a decent deal.
If you’ve got a bit of time and fancy learning a new tool that will genuinely transform your learning, 3DVista gets my recommendation.
Joseph Thibault helps us tend to our learning crop.
I have a friend up in northern Vermont, where I grew up, who is an avid gardener. Beans, berries, tomatoes, carrots, beets, peas, even a few grape and hop vines. He’s got more of a green thumb than I do, but we both always loved playing in the dirt.
Over the last few years, I’ve seen an evolution of his garden moving from just a simple shovel-turned patch to a lush jungle of vegetables supported and defended by raised beds, a gate, a scarecrow, tin-pans, hanging shards of mirror, and wire. I asked him recently if he had added anything this year and he said “my uncle.” Upon clarification, I learned that said uncle was armed, scoped, and had a clear line of sight to the garden.
It’s the garden equivalent of Fort Knox (a US military base notorious for its security).
Now, it’s important to understand why his garden looks like this: deer and bears. The deer and bears are munch-machines. They’re after the fresh ready-to-eat smorgasbord. A veritable cornucopia of whole foods. Thankfully, he’s taking these precautions and cultivated quite the Walled Garden of vegetable production that I get to enjoy each summer on holiday.
But not all Walled Gardens produce fruits and veggies. For a long time the term has applied to “closed systems” describing an acronym soup of enterprise software (AI, CRM, CMS, HRM, SIS, etc.) highlighting the secure and private aspects of these platforms for their users.
In the 2000s, the phrase was applied to learning management systems (LMS) - the earliest online reference I found dates to 2006. This metaphor provides a useful mental model and framework for understanding how the LMS structures content delivery, interactions, and assessment across a range of applications, from schools to corporate learning to life-long learning.
There’s no single technical guide for setting up your LMS as a walled garden, but the components and tactics are not dissimilar to my friend’s approach. As Joseph Ugoretz, an early user of the phrase notes, “Walled means closed, but it can also mean protected.”
Over time, as needs, policies, and culture have changed, the notion of a walled garden has changed and evolved as well. At a minimum, a walled garden LMS is a repository of resources and materials that may or may not require login to access. Moving across the spectrum it may include a conduit for submitting artifacts, grading or assessing, including feedback, connections to other walled gardens (extensions and integrations), or a complete ecosystem for online interaction and learning in an online course.
In many cases, you probably rely on an IT person responsible for keeping the LMS up and available. My hat goes off to those single operators - who I’ve always found to be helpful, responsive, intelligent, and capable–who manage all technical aspects of the infrastructure supporting delivery for your courses (when they’re doing their job well, you don’t even know they’re there). In other cases, there may be a complete team of developers, sysadmins, devops professionals, and instructional designers who collectively run enterprise grade software for you and your constituents. Gardens, like an LMS, can be large and small.
Gardens don’t tend or weed themselves: Teachers contribute through the curation and pruning of the resources as they’re offered through activities and materials. Often, teachers decide the read, write, create, delete, and update tools that might be part of a class or course.
Helpful contributions also come from the committees and decision makers contributing to the tools available to tend the garden and policies that dictate how accessible, vibrant, open, or protected the garden is.
The Gate
First, as ever, there’s the entryway to your Walled Garden. Authentication systems set access restrictions and rights for each user, and might include sign on, multifactor authentication, course rostering, guest access, enrollment policies, or custom roles and privileges.
The Rows
Each student enrollment and classroom creates order within the Walled Garden. This organizational layer gets students where they need to go in order to grow and thrive. Their presence in class gives them the sunlight (hopefully), water (yes, please), and nutrients (school lunch?) that they need to meet their full potential.
The Fence
Your walled garden may have IP restrictions, firewalls, or paywalls. There may also be rules about concurrent account access. At the minimum, for an LMS to be walled, some activities or resources require a user to be authenticated with an account granted the appropriate roles and permissions (otherwise you don’t have a Walled Garden, you just have a website).
The Scarecrow
In addition to the authentication process, the Walled Garden LMS is protected through stated policies, tools, norms, and culture. The academic integrity or honor code is a deterrent as is the end user license agreement, code of student conduct, and staff/HR handbook. If students know what integrity tools are in use, those become strong deterrents as well.
While a watchful eye can help keep real deer and bears at bay, let me break the fourth wall and clarify that vigilance - not aggression - is the key to a secure and protected LMS. There’s an increasing presence of surveillance capabilities in the modern LMS, whether that’s proactive proctoring and invigilation, use of latent log data, or other means. The role of the Uncle is to remain vigilant and watchful for new ways of breaching the walled garden (from hacking to steal user data, infiltration to spam users, or impersonation for the purpose of collusion). The Uncle has some view into the system with the ability to take some action (alerting IT of a necessary patch, investigating a compromised exam, or simply taking notes on where to invest for next year).
Of course, without students, the walled garden LMS is essentially purposeless. All this effort and organization are to facilitate student growth. The goal is to get the mix of experience, learning, collaboration, communication, and opportunity just right to help students reach their full potential every year.
This year in Vermont my friend’s garden hasn’t been planted yet. It’s buried under snow.
My friend says that they’re still working through all the canned veggies and fruit from last year’s harvest. He, his wife, and kids are already picking out all of their favorite fruits and veggies to plant once the ground is thawed and spring is sprung. The first daffodils are just starting to poke through and the trees are starting to bud. He says he’s looking forward to tending “the best crop ever” and I believe him.
Whether your Walled Garden is for veggies or for learners: the best are tended by gardeners who care.
Joseph Thibault is a student for life and the founder of Cursive Inc.
Connect wth him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephthibault/
We talk to Joanna Gibbs, founder of SENsational Tutors, about the changing Special Educational Needs landscape, and how gaming is opening new paths for SEND students to become the superheroes of tomorrow.
Given your mission to ensure all neurodiverse young people receive the best possible educational support, what inspired you to focus on this particular cause, and what were some of your early experiences that shaped your dedication?
For me, being neurodiverse provided a unique perspective on education. Growing up, although my parents did everything they could to support me, I often felt that more specialised, tailored support was needed. My experiences highlighted that, while support was available, it wasn’t always the right kind of support to allow me to thrive.
This led to a growing awareness of the gap that existed in educational systems for neurodiverse individuals. As a teacher, I found that many educators, despite their best intentions, didn’t have the tools or time to provide the one-to-one, specialist support that neurodiverse children require. I felt a strong desire to bridge that gap and create an environment where teachers could make a genuine difference again.
When I was working in classrooms, I noticed that many teachers were struggling. They were trying to manage large classrooms with diverse needs, yet the system didn’t offer them the flexibility or resources to address the individual challenges neurodiverse children face. I wanted to ensure these children were given every opportunity to reach their full potential. This led me to create SENsational Tutors, where I could provide both educators and students with the space to thrive.
You’ve volunteered in slum schools in India and served as Head of Learning Support in South Korea. What did you take away from these experiences that influenced your approach to special education and your understanding of the needs of neurodiverse children?
My time in India opened my eyes to how integral education is to overcoming life’s challenges. In the slum schools, I witnessed firsthand the difference that access to education could make. The children there didn’t necessarily aspire to be ‘successful’ in the conventional sense, but they wanted to achieve their personal goals. Education became their stepping stone to opportunity. That shaped my view that education isn’t just about academic achievement; it’s about providing young people with the tools and opportunities to succeed in life on their terms.
Working in South Korea as Head of Learning Support was equally transformative. Although many of the students we worked with were from privileged backgrounds, with American passports and access to resources, they still faced significant barriers when it came to neurodiverse support. This made me realise that neurodiversity is not about socioeconomic status; it’s about having the right support in place. In Korea, I was able to develop a learning environment that celebrated neurodiversity and emphasised support and understanding. This shaped my philosophy that all children, no matter their background or neurodiverse needs, deserve an education that helps them flourish.
You founded SENsational Tutors in 2017. What was the catalyst for this?
SENsational Tutors was born out of my frustration with the limitations of the UK’s National Curriculum and the broader educational environment. My training in the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, which is studentled, innovative, and based on young people’s interests, gave me a vision for what education could be. When I returned to the UK after working abroad, I found it difficult to reconcile the flexibility of the IB with the rigid structure of the National Curriculum. The UK system felt constrained, and it was clear to me that the focus on ticking boxes left little room for creativity, engagement, and tailored support.
I wanted to create an environment where students felt heard, understood, and supported. By founding SENsational Tutors, I envisioned a place where students could receive one-to-one, bespoke tutoring from highly trained specialist teachers who were as committed to the emotional well-being of the students as to their academic progress.
The idea was to build trusting relationships where students could thrive without feeling constrained by the formalities of a more traditional school system.
SENsational Tutors was voted the best tutoring company in the UK in 2022 and 2023. What do you believe are the key factors that have contributed to this success and recognition?
The recognition we’ve received is a testament to the quality of the tutors we employ and the ethos we’ve built at SENsational Tutors. We’re not just about tutors; we hire qualified, specialist teachers who are experts in neurodiversity. The key to our success lies in the fact that these teachers are not only knowledgeable about their subjects but also compassionate, patient, and committed to making a genuine difference in the lives of the children they teach.
It’s also about our holistic approach. We go beyond exam preparation and support students in developing social, emotional, and practical skills that are often overlooked in traditional education settings. It’s not just about getting the grades - it’s about developing the whole child. Our teachers understand that, for many neurodiverse students, it’s about much more than passing a test. It’s about creating a sense of trust, providing the support they need, and helping them build confidence so that they can move forward in their education and life.
At Bett this year, you hosted a panel about how gaming is shaping the future of education for children with SEND. The panel consisted of experts from various fields, including gaming, education, and occupational therapy. During the panel, Dan Clark of MindJam discussed the positives of gaming, such as expanding grey matter and enhancing problem-solving skills. How can educators effectively leverage these benefits?
Gaming offers a wealth of cognitive benefits, and problem-solving skills are especially valuable. In today’s workplace, problem-solving is no longer considered a soft skill, but a power skill - one that’s essential in almost every career. The educational system is beginning to catch on to this shift, with subjects like maths now incorporating real-world problem-solving scenarios from an early age. However, the question remains: do we have the space within the current National Curriculum to fully embrace these benefits?
As educators, we need to understand how gaming can develop these skills in students, and then bring those lessons into the classroom. If gaming is a child’s special interest, teachers can use that interest to engage them in lessons, making connections between their gaming experience and real-world problem-solving scenarios. By recognising the
transferable skills that gaming promotes, teachers can incorporate elements of gaming into their teaching to foster problem-solving and critical thinking in the classroom.
The panel also addressed the challenges of implementing gaming into education, such as mindset and motivation, not from students, but within institutions. What strategies can be used to overcome these challenges and foster greater acceptance of gaming in schools?
One of the main challenges lies in the mindset of school leaders, teachers, and policy makers. The National Curriculum has created a rigid framework that doesn’t always accommodate new teaching methods, such as gaming. While I believe the National Curriculum is necessary as a guiding structure, it needs to evolve to better support modern learning techniques. Gaming, for example, can complement the curriculum if we allow it to be viewed as a tool to enhance skills, rather than something that takes away from core academic learning.
A good place to start is by showing how gaming can directly align with the curriculum. For instance, if the curriculum teaches numeracy, gaming can be used to make learning more engaging and relevant. Teachers should be encouraged to use innovative tools like gaming to enhance the learning experience, making the curriculum feel more relevant to students’ lives.
Zaina Minhas from the National Autistic Society shared insights about UCL’s collaboration with her school to develop games designed for students with high support needs. What cost-effective solutions and resources can schools utilise to integrate gaming into their curriculum without straining their budgets?
A lot of exciting projects, such as the ones developed by UCL, have shown that integrating gaming into the classroom doesn’t have to be expensive. Often, the technology required - like basic webcams - can be easily adapted to existing classroom resources. One of the challenges schools face is staying informed about these low-cost, innovative solutions due to time constraints and a lack of awareness.
Raising awareness about available opportunities is crucial. Schools could explore partnerships with universities or organisations that offer free or subsidised resources. In addition, there could be a role for education leaders to oversee multiple schools, researching and sharing information about cost-effective solutions. By taking a proactive approach, schools can ensure they are using the latest tools and strategies to support their students, even when budgets are tight.
James Fraser-Murison, Director of Fraser Esports, discussed the creation of the first esports BTech. Do you see this as the start of a shift towards the acceptance of gaming as an educational tool, specifically in relation to SEND students, or is there more work to do to build upon this momentum?
The creation of the esports BTech is certainly a significant step forward in recognising gaming as a legitimate educational tool. It highlights the potential of gaming to engage students in a way that traditional methods may not. However, while this is a positive step, it’s important to remember that gaming should never be seen as a substitute for face-to-face interaction or social development. We need to balance the benefits of online learning with opportunities for students to develop in-person communication and interpersonal skills.
For SEND students, gaming can be a valuable entry point for engagement, particularly for those who may feel disconnected from traditional education. However, we need to consider how these gaming experiences can lead to broader life skills, preparing students for community integration and real-world challenges.
What would you like the main takeaway to be when thinking about gaming as a viable educational tool for SEND students?
The main takeaway is that educators should approach gaming with an open mind. While it’s not about replacing traditional learning methods, gaming can be a valuable tool for building relationships, enhancing engagement, and developing problem-solving skills. It’s important to give gaming a chance, not only for the students but for educators to see the positive impact it can have on learning.
Is there anything new and exciting in the pipeline from SENsational Tutors we should be looking out for in 2025?
In 2025, we’ll be focusing on supporting more disengaged students, particularly those with autism and Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). We’ve found that gaming is particularly effective in building trust and relationships with these students. We’ll be expanding our work with local authorities and parents using personal budgets, providing specialised, compassionate support tailored to each individual’s needs. We’re also continuing to develop mentoring opportunities for students, helping them to become excited about learning and life again.
Learn more about SENsational Tutors at www.sensationaltutors.co.uk
To learn more about UCL and their innovations in SEND gaming/technology visit www.motioninputgames.com
Going live on a new e-learning programme is hugely exciting for everyone involved. This is the moment when you get to revel in the finished product and reflect on the journey you’ve been on. Invariably there will have been bumps in the road, the occasional pothole, detours and diversions, but you got there in the end and feel justifiably proud of all that’s been achieved!
Fast forward a bit and the mood has dipped. Why isn’t everyone talking about your fantastic new course? Where are all those e-learners – and why haven’t they signed up?
Could it be down to a lack of PR and marketing?
More often than not, this is just an oversight. Let’s face it, most e-learning programmes are conceived by educators and HR practitioners, and developed in partnership with technical wizards and authors, who don’t usually have to think about PR and marketing as part of their day jobs.
Unfortunately, there is no way around it if you want to raise awareness, generate interest, and get people to register.
The Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) is the Royal Chartered body for tree professionals in the UK. They worked closely with AdaptiVLE to create a dedicated online educational platform, called Silvestor, for foresters and arboriculturists looking to develop their skills and achieve qualifications as part of their continuing professional development.
With this in place, the ICF then worked with AdaptiVLE, sector specialists and technical authors to turn the lengthy, text-based UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) into a highly interactive e-learning programme. They wanted it to be visually appealing and engaging, with graphics, quizzes and virtual reality elements designed to bring the latest edition of the Standard to life while providing tree professionals with an alternative way to assimilate the best practice principles and guidelines.
The ICF grasped the importance of PR and marketing at an early stage and engaged Empica to work alongside their in-house marketing team to generate awareness of the new UKFS e-learning programme, highlight its benefits, and encourage foresters and arboriculturists to sign-up.
There were three stages to the strategy:
The first step was to get ‘under the bonnet’ of the project, to understand how and why the e-learning programme was conceived and the problems it set out to solve.
Once we had a grasp of the context, we moved on to the target audiences – who they were, where they were based, and the types of roles they were working in. This led to a segmentation of these audiences and an exploration of the reasons why they might be interested in the UKFS e-learning programme and which elements were most likely to appeal to them.
These insights enabled us to develop the core narrative, clearly setting out what we wanted to communicate, the key messages to emphasise, and the actions we wanted people to take.
The UKFS is the technical standard for managing forests throughout the UK and the Governmentowned forestry bodies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland had given their input and backing for the programme. There was a real opportunity to collaborate and get them involved in promoting the project.
With the help of the ICF’s project coordinator, we developed links with the communications teams at all partner organisations and discussed our plans for promoting the new e-learning programme at an early stage. This enabled them to help shape the strategy and ensured their buyin from the start.
We also forged links with Lantra, which specialises in training and qualifications to enhance careers in the land-based and environmental sectors across the UK, as they were providing the accreditation.
Developing these relationships and a strong communications network was fundamental to the PR strategy.
In the build up to the launch, we worked with all partners and stakeholders to agree what might be possible. This included open conversations about their roles in helping to communicate and market the e-learning programme to their staff and members, using their own internal and external communications channels, such as e-newsletters, magazines, website, intranet and social media. We also looked at forthcoming conferences, seminars and other events to identify additional opportunities to promote the programme.
With these arrangements in place, we set about developing a communications toolkit with all the assets and resources needed to ensure clear
and consistent messaging and calls to action. The toolkit included logos and brand guidelines, a launch press release, key communication messages, a list of benefits, screengrabs, photos and video clips, as well as endorsement quotes from various partners and stakeholders.
While we handled the core launch activities, using the forestry trade media in print and online, and the ICF’s social media, e-newsletter, membership magazine and website – the partners used their own communication channels to spread the word even further, providing endorsement and credibility to the e-learning programme.
This collaborative approach led to widespread coverage, driving thousands of people to the home page and resulting in hundreds of registrations over the weeks and months that followed.
Once the launch was over, we knew we had to continue to promote the UKFS e-learning programme and encourage as many tree professionals as possible to engage with the Standard and grow the number of registrations.
The key was to find new ways of getting the messages out there and that meant looking for different things to talk about. We began by exploring various milestones and the people who had enrolled on the programme so far. How many people had signed up?
What feedback had they given? Who could be approached for testimonials or case studies?
We wanted to showcase the diversity of people and roles that were benefitting from the e-learning programme, allowing them to explain in their own words what they were getting out of it. We also wanted to emphasise the most enjoyable or novel elements of the programme, recognising that people learn in different ways. Some would want to find out more about the
PR and marketing have an important role to play in the development and launch of any e-learning programme. Here are a few useful pointers:
• Get your PR or marketing specialist involved at an early stage as they will ask interesting and thought-provoking questions that you may not have thought of, which may influence some of the development decisions.
• Consider what data would be useful and make sure you capture it as part of the registration process; you will almost certainly want to analyse e-learner personas at a later date and you may even want to incorporate permissions so that you can contact them afterwards.
• Consider in advance how you might want to evaluate the success of your marketing and make sure the right metrics are in place to allow you to analyse visitor numbers and registrations in a useful way.
VR capabilities while others would be more impressed by the breakdown of information into bite-size chunks and the ease with which they would be able to access the guidance remotely.
We also used quiz questions from the course as teasers and to give them a greater insight.
We continued to work closely with our partners, using their communication channels as much as possible, to amplify our efforts.
• Make sure the narrative on the e-learning home page reflects the descriptions and messaging in any press releases and marketing to provide reassurance and credibility; all branding and communications need to be consistent.
• Identify stakeholders and partners who may be willing to help amplify and enhance your promotional campaign.
• Explore all relevant communication channels –owned, earned, bought and shared – and use a variety of tactics to help you achieve your goals.
• Give careful thought to the timing of your launch and any external factors that may limit its success.
• Put resources and processes in place to support the PR and marketing effort.
• Incorporate a realistic marketing budget into your overall project costs at the start so there isn’t a last minute scramble for funds.
Natalie Birrell
is managing director at Empica – a PR and content creation agency with a 35-year track record of helping organisations to enhance their reputations and build trust, promote their products and services in a credible and compelling way, and communicate more effectively. Connect wth her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-birrell-41808411/
A core part of remaining innovative in this fast-paced technological world is keeping your eye peeled for any opportunity for insight or creativity.
It is said that every story has already been told. While this statement may be a little hyperbolic, it does point to an important reality. When it comes to innovation, it is often far more important how you use your tools than it is in making new ones. As such, the most common form of innovation can come from taking inspiration from something that already works, and in trying to understand how its components function, using them to produce something new.
Working in the digital space, games make an obvious candidate for such introspection. Throughout all my time, creating games or publishing learning packages, a common trend has set the two decidedly apart.
A game rarely bases its primary purpose on the player’s outcome. Games are designed to cater to a wide audience of varying abilities and tastes, so it is far more important to focus on nailing a game’s distinct experience and ensuring that no matter the player’s ability, that experience is maintained.
This prioritisation of a specific experience is similar to our goals as learning designers. However, we differ from our industry cousins in that we prioritise the user’s outcomes far more. The outcome is that all learners, regardless of ability, end with the same awareness of a given subject.
Interestingly, whilst games did not prioritise this outcome nearly as heavily, they still excel at producing their audience of satisfied and competent players. How is it able to achieve this, irrespective of its focus on such an outcome?
Fun and play are core aspects of learning for animals across the world. How we learn how to run, hunt or hide is reinforced by play and mirroring our peers. You see this when your cats tussle, or your dogs jump for a tossed ball.
This is no different for humans. Games originate from our desire to participate in learning through experience. When this is successful, we simply don’t call it learning. We call it games.
Learning and Play go hand in hand.
The process of play and of learning, go hand in hand. The difference between the two resides in our motivation. They share the same core loop. The success of this loop is dependent on our willingness to engage with it. We can not force a want to know. No different from a developer forcing a game upon a captive audience.
But we can maximise the value of that experience, for those who see its value, by ensuring that we retain the value of a core and complete learning loop.
We can only maintain one’s participation in the loop if we can maintain that user’s focus. When one is engaged and determined, they learn and enjoy that process when they can see improvements and gains. If one instead is made to feel unengaged or apathetic, unable to see the relevancy or increase in their control, they are left to feel dissatisfied.
This is where learning can get a bad reputation. If we want to avoid this stigma, how do we ensure our users remain satisfied in those prior respects?
The industry’s fixation on achieving its desired outcome, achieving sufficient excellence on a subject in the earliest possible time, we are ensuring that our users are prevented from ever being engaged to the required levels. We break the learning loop wide open and deny them the experience of the natural ups and downs, wins and losses, of that loop.
Whatever a learner may do will ultimately lead to the desired result, with every avenue working to narrow down the possibility of deviance. This is the breeding ground for apathy. How can one be motivated to engage further when mere participation is sufficient for the best result?
The structure of play requires loss. The capacity to lose confirms to a user the existence of this cycle, experiencing loss and gain drives users towards higher standards of excellence and bestows them all the benefits a loss can provide. After all, losing can be fun!
Losing allows you to identify what you were doing incorrectly and highlights your areas for improvement, providing an organic incentive for participation.
When we do all we can to avoid this possibility, we deny learners this ability to reflect, on top of disengaging them, and safeguarding them from this important aspect of the natural cycle of learning. Yet, we act perplexed at the dirty word connotations of our learning…
Learning makes up part of a continuous living cycle. Satisfaction follows whenever we are able to improve our lives. This is the nature of happiness. To increase our sense of power and accomplishment and to overcome our limits.
This happiness is what transforms our learning into acts of fun. The process of engagement and satisfaction is the only real difference between the two.
As a continuous process, you must find your highs and your lows. You can only learn something if it was something you did not know before. You can only feel achievement when you know the required effort.
Losing allows us to identify our faults, motivates us to pursue excellence, and is necessary to provide some challenge and a bit of fun.
To be motivated, you must be allowed to lose. If you have no ability to lose, what could you possibly gain?
Sam Harold is an Instructional Designer and Moodle Developer.
Skillpod’s Lee Turner injects some New Zealand vocabulary into our day as she balances values against the impact of e-learning.
Kia ora, I’m Lee. A middle-aged over-committed woman whose best friend is a rodog (dog the size of a rodent). I spend my days trying to navigate the learning and development landscape, often with conflicting ideas and a head full of random ideas that swirl into a vortex of doom.
As a child, my favourite book was ‘Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day’. It told the tale of a poor boy who has a series of unfortunate events ruin his day and a very wise mother who provides sound advice that some days are just like that.
At the moment, this is what the learning and development landscapes looks and feels like for the majority of us peeps who work in it. It feels like the last few years have been a series of unfortunate events which have resulted in deprioritising learning to save funds and there is nothing we can do about it other than be ready for when the new day begins.
So the question then is what will this new day look like and how do we prepare for it? Here’s my take. It all starts with values, your values, your team’s values and your organisational values. If we really want learning, particularly e-learning, to have a meaningful impact, we need to show how it aligns with what we value and set our intentions based on this. For example, if our organisation values whanaungatanga (relationships and connection) then we need to unpack that to identify what our intentions are. It might be that our intention is to put relationships at the centre of our mahi (work) and foster a culture where relationships and collective wellbeing are at the heart of our decision making. But how do we actually do this?
Hello capability framework and behavioural statements! This is where we put in the effort and co-design with our teams. We ask the question “what do we want this to look like in our place?” so that we can all get on the same page about the actions required to ensure collective wellbeing and mana-enhancing relationships. Mana-enhancing is a Māori term that embodies a way of engaging with others that is respectful of their spiritual, emotional, physical and intellectual being.
Once we have Miro’d the hell out of our ideas and refined them into behavioural statements, we can start to think about how we are supporting growth of the skills, knowledge, and attributes identified. Ideally, this is a blend of in-house training, e-learning, and external learning opportunities to provide a mixture of content and context to meet learner needs. The key is that all of these things should connect back to the behavioural statements which clarify expectations.
What I find interesting when I run workshops and ask the participants to share their organisational values is that most people don’t know them. Nothing to be ashamed about as it’s the reality, we hear the values in our induction and then tick them off as done. By bringing values to the front of the line, we embed them in culture, we do what we say, and we bring our teams on the journey.
The new day for learning and development is people centred, it is embedded in culture, and it is collective in nature. It’s about the right learning for the right reason, at the right time and for the right person.
Well, that’s what I think anyway.
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 wth Lee here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/-lee-turner/
