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The Ding-O-Meter

The Ding-O-Meter

By Ding Learning

Welcome to the Ding-O-Meter, where we talk with people to uncover the factors that produce awesome learning experiences Want to find out more? Join Tony, Phil and the Ding-O-Meter on a voyage of discovery...
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Alice Brazil-Burns: How human-centred storytelling can lead to better experience design

The Ding-O-MeterFeb 02, 2022

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24:52
Learning sprints and the power of making

Learning sprints and the power of making

Duration plays a key role in learning design. If a learning experience is too long, learners will get bored. But if it’s too short, it can produce anxiety and strategic learning. In this episode, Phil and I examine how designing short, purposeful learning ‘sprints’ can help learners overcome procrastination by making something quickly. We'll also discuss the Kick About, a fortnightly sprint-based creative challenge that has been running for nearly four years.

Jan 17, 202430:50
Learning design trends for 2024

Learning design trends for 2024

January is the season for trends. In this episode Phil and Tony confront the issue of trends head on and question the extent to which learning design should be influenced by trends. We’ll be looking at how the trend of personalised learning paths might actually be working against the need to professionalise learners. We’ll also be talking about microlearning, slow learning, and the value of detoxing from technology altogether.

Jan 05, 202432:35
Marisa Knowles: Designing learning to fit a company's culture and values

Marisa Knowles: Designing learning to fit a company's culture and values

In corporate training, a learning experience is much more likely to work if it aligns with the existing culture of the business. But how do you do this? Marisa Knowles from the People Untapped agency has done this a lot, and in this episode she shares her top tips and advice for designing into a company's culture and values.

Nov 17, 202322:12
Thinking Tools: Cognitive Load Theory

Thinking Tools: Cognitive Load Theory

We're proud to introduce our new Thinking Tools series - a collection of bite-sized deep dives into learning theories. In this episode, we're looking at Cognitive Load Theory and why it's such a useful tool for learning designers.

Nov 01, 202306:20
Penelope Bellegarde: Data, strategy and learning design

Penelope Bellegarde: Data, strategy and learning design

The strategic value of learning design is not yet widely recognised. In this episode, data specialist Penelope Bellegarde explains how learning design can help businesses make better use of their data. We examine what good looks like in terms of data-driven learning, and what kind of training programmes can help businesses use their data more effectively to learn and adapt.

Jul 26, 202334:22
Ellie Soccorsy: Onboarding and learning design

Ellie Soccorsy: Onboarding and learning design

It's easy to overlook what happens before learners embark on a learning experience. But failing to 'onboard' learners effectively can have a significant impact on their success. In this episode, Ellie Soccorsy explains how she onboards new hires into the company culture at Edyn, a hotel and hospitality business, and discusses the implications of onboarding for learning design.

Jul 04, 202331:11
Amy Whitehead: Recruiting learning designers

Amy Whitehead: Recruiting learning designers

Amy Whitehead is the Director of Red Stag Recruitment, and a learning design recruitment specialist. Amy helps businesses businesses of all sizes find quality learning designers, from startups to edtech giants, and has a wealth of experience at placing candidates in learning-related roles.

In this episode, Amy explains what hiring managers want from learning designers, the differences between university and more corporate learning design roles, the core skills that learning designers need, and why the ability to work with and manage stakeholders is a core skill.

Jun 12, 202330:32
Heather McClean: Inclusive learning design strategies

Heather McClean: Inclusive learning design strategies

Heather Maclean is an Education and Recognition advisor at Queen Mary university, London, and is a Specialist in Inclusive learning strategies. Heather has extensive experience in working with both tutors and students to identify and remove barriers to learning. In this episode, Heather shares a wealth of practical tips and advice for designing more inclusive learning experiences.

Jun 07, 202333:44
Rob Hamblen: How design sprints can guide learning design

Rob Hamblen: How design sprints can guide learning design

In this episode, we talk with Rob Hamblen, founder of the LEAP design agency where he helps companies build better digital products and experiences. Rob provides an insight into the relationship between UX design and learning design, and explains how design sprints can guide the learning design process. He also shares his views about the value of learning designers working alongside other design disciplines in organisations.

Sep 14, 202225:33
Geraldine Murphy: Andragogy, motivation, and how learning designers add value to businesses

Geraldine Murphy: Andragogy, motivation, and how learning designers add value to businesses

Geraldine Murphy was a learning designer before learning design was invented. She's worked with universities, startups and large organisations to design and deliver engaging learning experiences. In this episode, Geraldine explains how using principles of andragogy can help learning designers harness intrinsic motivation in learners, and shares her views on how learning designers can work alongside UX and UI specialists to add value to businesses.

May 23, 202230:06
Agnese Spona: Exploring the intersection of customer, service and learning design

Agnese Spona: Exploring the intersection of customer, service and learning design

In this episode, our guest is Agnese Spona, Founder of Women in Customer Experience and Managing Director of Made For Customer Experience. Agnese works at the intersection of Service, User and Customer Experience design to help businesses design and deliver market-leading experiences. During the podcast, Agnese helps us examine the intersection of UX, CX, service and learning design to consider how each discipline can benefit from the others.

Mar 22, 202232:18
Alice Brazil-Burns: How human-centred storytelling can lead to better experience design

Alice Brazil-Burns: How human-centred storytelling can lead to better experience design

Alice Brazil-Burns is an award-winning producer, human-centred storyteller and researcher in User Experience design. In this episode, Alice explains how listening to stories from across an organisation is integral to designing effective learning experiences and systems. Alice has a background in theatre, and she uses the knowledge and skills from her theatrical training to help learning designers and user experience designers pay more attention to the value of storytelling when designing experiences.

Feb 02, 202224:52
Tomer Garzberg: AI, blockchain, and why we need more technology translators

Tomer Garzberg: AI, blockchain, and why we need more technology translators

The world needs more translators and fewer innovators, says Tomer Garzberg. Tomer is the founder and CEO of GRONADE, an enterprise optimisation and blockchain growth-hacking company in Sydney. He's an IBM Global Entrepreneur, TED speaker and innovation advisor, and he believes we should be thinking differently about education if we're going to prepare graduates for the real future of work. Listen to his persuasive argument and see if he can convince you...

Oct 19, 202139:32
Jeremy Hunsinger: how to avoid the creepy treehouse of learning design
Sep 30, 202130:01
Adity Saxena: intercultural learning design for the Covid era

Adity Saxena: intercultural learning design for the Covid era

What has the pandemic taught us about the diverse needs of learners? How should we be designing learning in response to a digital-first higher education environment? In this episode, our guest is Dr. Adity Saxena, an associate professor of Media Education based in New Delhi, India. Adity is a creative educator who has done lots of work in the area of intercultural communication, and in this episode she sets out the key principles she believes should underpin learning design in response to the pandemic.

Jun 03, 202147:32
Acrobat Global: Helping people communicate more effectively

Acrobat Global: Helping people communicate more effectively

To what extent are we mindful of how we communicate? How could we communicate better? And what about when we're communicating online? Our guests in this episode are Zanne Gaynor and Kathryn Alevizos from Acrobat Global, who are experts in helping people communicate more effectively. Zanne and Kathryn are language specialists and authors who provide practical advice and guidance to overcome the challenges of everyday language use. Their recent book has been shortlisted for the Business Book Awards, and in this episode they share top tips and advice for communicating effectively.

Apr 06, 202136:04
Meg Bisineer: insights from a year of teaching animation remotely

Meg Bisineer: insights from a year of teaching animation remotely

How do you teach animation when you’re stranded on the other side of the world? Meg Bisineer had no choice but to find out after she was stranded in London during the first wave of the pandemic. In this episode, we catch up with Meg to find out how she’s managed to successfully teach her students online despite an 8-hour time difference.

Mar 15, 202146:22
Tom Whitford: practical advice for designing effective online learning environments

Tom Whitford: practical advice for designing effective online learning environments

Tom Whitford is Head of Learning Design at Curio, a global learning consultancy, and he has a research background in designing social online learning experiences and communities. He also has a lot of experience of working with clients to solve problems arising from poor learning design. In this episode, Tom shares his advice and tips for ensuring that online learning design is not only student-centred, but also meets the needs of tutors too.

Dec 03, 202037:39
Constance Steinkuehler: What games design can teach learning design

Constance Steinkuehler: What games design can teach learning design

For nearly 20 years, Professor Constance Steinkuehler has undertaken research into video and online games. She's worked as a policy advisor to the Obama presidency, and she's a leading light in the quest for greater diversity and inclusion in the world of e-sports. In this episode, Professor Steinkuehler shares some key insights into the transformative potential of online gaming, and shows how learning design could benefit from the inclusion of more game mechanics.

Nov 02, 202028:41
Paul Hoskins: Opportunities for universities in a challenging environment

Paul Hoskins: Opportunities for universities in a challenging environment

Paul Hoskins is Principal at Curio, a global higher education consultancy. Paul has been at the forefront of digital transformation in Higher Education for over 30 years, during which he grew Precedent, his digital agency, into a global education consulting business. The reason were so chuffed to plug Paul into the Ding-O-Meter is that, as Principal of Curio, he has a privileged insight into the challenges and opportunities currently facing Higher Education at a global level. In this episode, Paul highlights key opportunities for universities to help them weather the challenging conditions currently facing the sector.

Oct 21, 202028:27
Jo Nolan: Why conversation is the key to creative learning

Jo Nolan: Why conversation is the key to creative learning

Jo Nolan is the managing director of cultural development agency Screen South, who connect artists, film-makers and digital creatives with funding opportunities to bring awesome projects and ideas to life. Jo brings people together from across the arts, heritage, leisure, tourism and education to form partnerships that create opportunities for the next generation of digital creatives. In this episode, Jo explains some of the challenges of managing creative teams and projects remotely, and highlights just how important a good conversation is in order for projects and people to evolve and grow. 

Oct 09, 202031:24
Jordan Buckner: The value of teaching where your learners are

Jordan Buckner: The value of teaching where your learners are

Jordan Buckner is a film-maker, artist and lecturer in animation. In response to lockdown, he moved his teaching into online spaces that his students were already using - particularly Twitch and Discord. The result was not only minimal disruption to students' learning experience, but also the opportunity to give them a window into Jordan's professional life as a creative professional. In this episode, Jordan discusses the benefits and challenges of moving his teaching into his students' online world, and considers how less formal online activities can help to build meaningful learning relationships between tutors and students.

Sep 23, 202040:20
Allan Atlee: How creative higher education is responding to COVID

Allan Atlee: How creative higher education is responding to COVID

Allan Atlee is Deputy Director at the Glasgow School of Art, and the former Dean of Academic Strategy at Central Saint Martins in London. Through his teaching work, management roles and creative practice, Allan has developed a valuable perspective on the challenges and opportunities currently facing creative education.  In this episode, Allan shares his experiences of how creative disciplines in higher education are responding and adapting to the COVID situation. 

Sep 17, 202040:15
Emma Henry: Why gamification often fails

Emma Henry: Why gamification often fails

Emma Henry is a learning designer who helps businesses develop products and apps that have a positive impact on learning. She's also a gamification ninja, and regularly helps companies align their products more clearly with learners' needs. In this episode, Emma reveals why gamification in online learning often fails, and explains what you can do about it.

Sep 03, 202027:17
Dr. Emi Garzitto: Managing conflict in remote learning and working

Dr. Emi Garzitto: Managing conflict in remote learning and working

Dr Emi Garzitto is a conflict coach and workplace climate specialist. For years, Emi has been doing awesome work in schools to help kids deal with conflict, and she’s now helping people and businesses adopt conflict resolution strategies to improve outcomes. In this episode, Emi explains how we need to be more aware of how to read our own and others’ body language as we all work increasingly online in order to mitigate conflict.

Aug 27, 202036:34
Meg Bisineer: Teaching from the other side of the world

Meg Bisineer: Teaching from the other side of the world

Meg Bisineer is an animator, visual artist and associate professor at the California College of the Arts. Meg was supposed to be having a year's sabbatical to focus on her research, but instead found herself stranded in London unable to return to the United States. In this episode, Meg tells the story of her journey and of how she's planning to teach online from the other side of the world.

Aug 25, 202034:50
David James: How data and experiments can save L&D

David James: How data and experiments can save L&D

David James is Chief Learning Officer at Looop, where he helps businesses use a data-driven approach to solving business problems with Learning and Development. In this episode, David argues how using data and a resource-based approach to supporting employees can help the traditional L&D function evolve in response to the demands of the digital age.

Aug 16, 202035:35
Helen Curston: The need for social rituals in online learning

Helen Curston: The need for social rituals in online learning

Helen Curston is a former broadcast journalist and BBC TV producer who now runs the TV Production courses at the University for the Creative Arts. In this episode, Helen shares her experiences of teaching online during lockdown, and offers practical suggestions for getting the best out of people while working remotely.

Aug 11, 202030:60
Francesca Maxwell: The benefits of teaching remotely

Francesca Maxwell: The benefits of teaching remotely

Francesca Maxwell is an award-winning artist who has worked with Wes Anderson, Tim Burton and Aardman Animations. She also happens to be an awesome educator who regards online learning as an essential skill for anyone wanting to work in the film industry. In this episode, Francesca reveals some of her secrets for providing awesome online learning.

Aug 04, 202035:29