Super Sessions

Our main stage will be split in three and will feature our super sessions. These concurrent sessions without walls will give you the opportunity to choose between three speakers by tuning in via a headset and tuner pack.

Wednesday, February 5 - 9:15-10 a.m.

Wired to Grow 2.0: Critical Updates in the Brain Science of Learning
Britt Andreatta

Research on the neuroscience of learning continues to evolve, adding new understanding to how the brain learns, builds memories, processes failure, and shifts behavior. At the same time, technology has completely transformed what's possible in learning, making it not only faster but more realistic and effective . . . if it's used correctly. All learning occurs in the brain, regardless of the media through which it's consumed. And learning has to ultimately drive sustained behavior change to create valued ROI. Join this session to update your understanding of the brain science of learning and practice. You'll become more effective in your role, no matter which element of the learning cycle you touch.

After participating in this session, you will:

• Learn about recent development in the neuroscience of learning.
• Explore how technology can best augment the learning process.
• Discover new brain-based strategies you can apply to your work today.

Digital Presentation Skills for the Modern Workplace
Cindy Huggett

Are your presentation skills up-to-date in today's modern workplace? Is your message clearly getting across when you meet, communicate, and present virtually? You will learn how to clearly and professionally present yourself in a digital environment and engage with a remote audience to keep their attention when you're speaking. Discover practical tips such as how to present on webcam and how to make your audio sound crystal clear. You will leave with a list of ready-to-use action items that can be immediately applied in your next virtual meeting or presentation.

After participating in this session, you will be able to:

• Assess your current "digital literacy" skills in today's modern workplace.
• Use common virtual platform tools to connect with remote audiences.
• Use digital storytelling skills with modern graphics to get your message across.

The Single-Platform Fallacy: Architecting a Modern Learning Technology Ecosystem
JD Dillon

The LMS isn't enough. Traditional learning technology has failed to keep pace with the modern workplace. L&D continues to get distracted by the latest trends while failing to deliver clear business value. To remain relevant, L&D must quickly evolve its technological mentality. In this session, you'll explore the potential for modern technology to foster continuous employee learning. You'll learn tactics for transitioning everyday problem-solving behaviors into the workplace and listen to stories about familiar performance challenges using a new framework for learning technology. You'll walk away with tactical steps for building a modern learning technology ecosystem within your organization.

After participating in this session, you will be able to:

• Recognize the limitations of traditional learning technology.
• Explore a new framework for applying familiar problem-solving behaviors within the workplace.
• Align a range of workplace technology options to desired employee learning behaviors.

Thursday, February 6 - 1:00-1:45 p.m.

Strategies for Complex Skill Development
Julie Dirksen

Training has a satisfactory set of options if your goal is information delivery or procedural training, but what about creating meaningful training for complex skill development or for the not-so-procedural problems that are showing up more and more often in the workplace? What about creating learning where your SME can't tell you what good performance looks like except for, 'You'll know it when you see it' or similar learning situations? Frameworks from complexity science and the science of expertise development can help you diagnose these kinds of complex learning problems and can help point you toward e-learning design strategies that can address and support complex skill development. You will learn how variables like frequency of use, explicitness or tacit behavior, and level of automaticity affect skill development.

After participating in this session, you will be able to:

• Diagnose a complex skill problem.
• Apply complexity models such as the Cynefin framework to learning.
• Use an alternative assessment and feedback strategies for complex learning environments.
• Employ a learner self-assessment for complex learning.

The Short and Sweet of Microlearning
Karl Kapp

Microlearning is hot in L&D circles but what exactly is it? Is it smaller than a breadbox? Bigger than a molecule? How does microlearning lead to increased performance and knowledge? How can small pieces of instruction be valuable to overall employee and organizational performance? In this session, learn the definition of microlearning and its permutations and describe how small, focused microlearning pieces can be used as part of a L&D strategy by matching the right type of microlearning to the right learning need.

After participating in this session, you will be able to:

• Understand the six different types of microlearning.
• Match the right learning need to the right type of microlearning.
• Learn how microlearning can support employee performance.

Driving Curiosity and an Enhanced Learner Experience at Novartis: Creating Learnatics!
Steven Sitek

In 2019, Novartis declared a shift to unleash the power of its people. The challenge: to help people become 'Learnatics' by accelerating their curiosity, growth, and impact through access to great learning opportunities. To meet this challenge, the learning team took a close look at the learner experience and expanded opportunities at scale. In a matter of months, associates were exposed to a new experience platform, self-driven learning resources, and access to hundreds of curiosity events. Insights gained from 2019 set the foundation for a new strategy to evolve the future learner experience.

After participating in this session, you will be able to:

• Discover how to build a culture of curiosity and a community of 'Learnatics.'
• Develop guiding principles and future experience journeys.

Friday, February 7 - 10:15-11 a.m.

Why Most E-Learning Fails and How to Fix It
Tim Slade

Let's admit it: most e-learning just plain sucks! The sad reality is that most e-learning courses require learners to sit through a disappointing experience where information is poorly organized, the content isn't relevant, and the interactions seem contrived and without purpose. This is compounded even more when the slideshow-like presentation is interrupted with several poorly written quiz questions and cheesy animations to make it all seem 'fun.' In this session, you will explore many of the reasons why most e-learning fails and the components that contribute to bad e-learning design.

After participating in this session, you will be able to:

• Identify when e-learning is (and isn't) the answer.
• Make meaningful interactions beyond just clicking.
• Discover why knowledge and behavior aren’t mutually exclusive.

Becoming a Virtual Trainer Is a Hero’s Journey
Kassy Laborie

The path to becoming a virtual trainer is a hero’s journey, one filled with adventure, challenges, disappointments, excitement, determination, and great success and achievement. Those who have forged ahead know the journey is often fraught with fears, foes, and failing audio connections. With challenges like confusing links and logins, participants unable to connect, and unexpected technical issues, it’s no easy feat to become a respected virtual trainer. Learn how to confidently step up to this call to adventure, armed with the tools, techniques, and ideas you need to defeat your worries and fears. Gain the knowledge to begin to build the virtual training skills needed for success and pick up a dose of courage and bravery along the way.

After participating in this session, you will be able to:

• Accept the call to adventure and identify what to do about whatever is holding you back.
• Face the most common trials and tribulations every virtual trainer must overcome.
• Create a plan for the successful preparation, delivery, and production of your next virtual training and become a virtual training hero.

Radical L&D: Reimagining Corporate Learning in the Digital Age
Brandon Carson

The digital age has created a massive increase in the speed and complexity of business, fundamentally disrupting the workplace. As new technology is integrated, workers at all levels need to reskill much faster and navigate more complex systems and processes. The corporate learning function is in a unique position to lead the transformation required in workplace learning, but first it must transform how it operates. In this session, you’ll learn how and why the corporate learning organization needs to reorient itself to the digital age and take a more proactive leadership role in driving the business transformation from a performance perspective.