Author: Irene Stern Frielich

Don’t Forget the Roadmap Before You Start Your Trip – the Value of the Needs Assessment

Before starting to design a learning solution, which tool can help guide your work? Just like embarking upon an unfamiliar road trip, starting a learning project requires a blueprint, a guide. To ensure you don’t get lost along the way, a map is essential (assuming this scenario takes place in the pre-GPS era). The map […]

A Shoreline Ride in New York City

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”  – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Whether creating a learning solution or completing a challenging athletic endeavor, a plan provides the necessary blueprint. Though in my work life I am very much a planner, I was recently reminded of how crucial preparation is in all aspects of life…when […]

Educating Boston about Emergencies: the DelValle Institute Teams Up with EnVision

April 15, 2013. 2:49 p.m. Boylston Street in Boston. For the citizens and guests of Boston, the events that occurred on this date will forever be memorialized.  Since that day, we are only too aware of the need to prepare for and respond to emergencies, an understanding most of us didn’t have before. The professionals […]

Lessons from a Cozy Igloo

Now that we are deep in the midst of a sweltering summer, it may be the perfect time to reminisce about my vacation last March to chilly Quebec, and more specifically, to a night spent in its world-famous Hôtel de Glace, or Ice Hotel. This was a unique experience, and I appreciated both the hotel’s […]

When the Project Isn’t Perfect: How to Prevent Client Misunderstandings

As an instructional designer at Big Corporation, Jessica enjoys her work and interacts successfully with many internal clients. However, she recently experienced a disagreement with Joe, Director of Quality Assurance at Big Corporation. While Jessica originally hoped to rectify the misunderstanding, it has continued. Because of this, Joe has become frustrated with the training team, […]

To Teach, Learn: How Instructional Design Professionals Take Time for Their Own Learning

Though instructional designers create courses that facilitate learning, we also must prioritize our own education, like everyone else. So, which learning methods work best for us? How do we make time for learning when confronted with looming work deadlines? And what tips do we have for fitting in learning time? To answer these questions, we […]

How is Your Organization Implementing Blended Learning?

Not all that long ago, employees received nearly all of their training in a classroom, listening to lectures delivered by an experienced manager or subject matter expert. While some companies still rely exclusively on this traditional model, most organizations have implemented blended learning. (Skillsoft, March 2010). A blended learning environment includes multiple learning methods, such […]

Every Entrepreneur Needs a Big Onion

Achieving an ambitious goal takes an exceptional focus. Becoming a doctor, or a university professor, for example, requires years of schooling, sacrifice, and commitment. When someone follows such a dream, she may relinquish other potential opportunities that are attractive. She hopes that professional and even financial success will be the reward for her choice. Sometimes, […]

Revitalize Your Training With a Course Audit

Suppose you want to make home improvements, but are not sure exactly where to start. You could hire a contractor and interior decorator to completely overhaul a family room or great room, with new room structure, colors, wall coverings, and furniture. Yet, is a completely new room more than what you need? Maybe the room […]

For Whom Are You Grateful in Your Work?

A successful training program propels a company forward, engaging its employees and positively impacting its bottom line. It is the role of the learning and development (L&D) specialist or consultant to successfully design and deliver the learning material. In the process of determining a company’s training needs, creating the curriculum, and launching the course, the […]

Maximize Your Success with a Focus Group

Leading a focus group–and managing the participants–is never dull work. Recently, EnVision consultants moderated five focus groups, all part of a strategic training needs assessment for a client. The two EnVision moderators wanted to learn more about the company’s current capabilities and training needs in the areas of management, technical, and professional skills. For each […]

Don’t Just Check Your Training Off

This summer, I traveled with my family to Europe, visiting Paris and the Louvre. We had the opportunity to see many artistic works at the Louvre, including Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, and the Mona Lisa. Seeing both Venus de Milo and Winged Victory was wonderful. I could stand in front of each […]

Why Take a Risk?

Risk. For some, the word alone elicits heart palpitations and visions of scary maneuvers. Why risk—why bother? It would certainly be easier to maintain the status quo in our lives, both personally and professionally. We would get some satisfaction from our lives and have nothing to lose. Yet, by playing it safe, are we really […]

What’s in a Game?

Margie and Alex are each leading a classroom-based course on coaching employees. They use quotations to help the learners process the attributes and benefits of effective coaching. The course is delivered to two different groups comprised of similar learners. In the first session Margie posts flip charts around the room. Each chart contains a quote […]

Evaluation Enhances Blended and Online Learning

EnVision Performance Solutions and our elearning collaborator, Illumina Interactive, recently competed in the LINGOs (Learning in Non-Government Organizations) Global Giveback 2 Competition. Having developed dozens of online/elearning courses in the past few years, we jumped on this opportunity to “push the envelope” and integrate a variety of approaches. For the competition we worked with Management [...]

Learner Feedback On-the-Go: Formative Level 1 Evaluation

Blank stares? Smiles? Droopy eyelids? How is your class going? In this e-letter we’ll explore methods to better evaluate learner reaction throughout a class (formative evaluation), rather than relying solely on physical symptoms (which may not be sending the intended message) or waiting until the end to have learners complete a (summative) course evaluation. Why […]

10 Tips for Subject Matter Experts Who Deliver Training

Are you, or is someone you know, a subject matter expert who delivers training? As companies continue to streamline their expenses, they are calling upon subject matter experts more and more to prepare and deliver training. If that describes you, read on for useful tips before, during, and after the training event. Before the Class […]

Does Your Training Support the Business Needs?

Imagine this: Your department manager, division VP, or training director asks you to develop training on effective communications. What do you do? Jump to action and create the course? Or ask questions to identify the business drivers, operational gaps, and performance gaps to ensure the course you create delivers results to the business? I ask […]

Sam: An SME Story

For the past two months you’ve been working with Sam, your Quality Assurance expert. He’s provided you content you need for a course you’re developing although it’s been challenging to get his time and commitment. Now you are in the final review phase and must have Sam’s input. You’ve sent two e-mails and received no […]

Making Instructional Design REAL

Have you ever sat through a course that was not engaging and had minimal activities? How much information did you retain? Worse yet, have you ever delivered a course, and the participants seemed bored and uninterested? Here is a model for making instructional design REAL. R is for reality-based This is critical. Be sure your […]