“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ― Meister Eckhart
I hope you're enjoying some holiday cheer and recharging your batteries before we dive headfirst into the new year! You might notice a few more layout design updates here. Speaking of which, my New Year's wish (let's call it a wish, not a resolution!) is that all the tech involved in getting this newsletter to you plays nice with your inbox. I'm looking at you, Outlook! 🤞 Let's hope for a smooth and glitch-free 2025! (Please reply and let me know if you see any issues at all.)
Looking for an LMS? Start with a Clear Request for Proposal
When searching for a learning platform for your project, there’s nothing more critical than clearly defining your LMS requirements. Download this free RFP template to effectively communicate your business needs to potential vendors and make the selection process more efficient and stress-free.
Rundown: Dr. Philippa Hardman has released "The 12 Prompts of Xmas," a guide offering 12 AI power prompts tailored for instructional designers.
The Context:
After a year of integrating AI into instructional design, Dr. Hardman shares practical prompts to streamline content creation.
The guide is available for free, encouraging widespread adoption among educators and designers.
It reflects a growing trend of utilizing AI to improve educational materials and methodologies.
Why it Matters: As AI continues to influence instructional design, resources like these empower professionals to effectively incorporate AI tools into their workflows, enhancing educational experiences and outcomes.
Does ChatGPT enhance student learning? Meta-study surprises!
The Rundown: A recent meta-study reveals that ChatGPT positively impacts various aspects of learning.
The Context:
Academic Performance: Students using ChatGPT showed significant improvements, though it's unclear if this is due to the AI's assistance or the quality of its content.
Motivation and Engagement: The AI tool positively affected students' motivation and emotional engagement.
Higher-Order Thinking: There was a notable enhancement in students' self-reported critical thinking abilities.
Cognitive Load: ChatGPT use led to a significant reduction in mental effort, indicating less cognitive strain.
Why it Matters: This study suggests that ChatGPT can be a valuable educational tool, improving student performance and engagement without overwhelming them. While it shows promise, further research is needed to determine how it affects students' confidence in their own abilities.
Zapier AI Tutorial for Beginners: Automation Made Simple
The Rundown: If you haven’t explored AI-powered automation tools like Zapier, you’re missing a golden opportunity to improve and simplify your workflows. Kevin Stratvert breaks down how Zapier connects apps like Gmail, Google Forms, and Slack to automate repetitive tasks.
The Context:
Zapier's AI feature lets you describe workflows in plain language, automatically generating the necessary automation—no coding required.
The tutorial offers clear, step-by-step guidance, making it perfect for beginners.
By integrating everyday apps, Zapier helps you boost productivity and efficiency with minimal effort.
Why it Matters: AI tools like Zapier are revolutionizing how we manage tasks, putting advanced automation within reach for everyone. This tutorial is your key to unlocking time-saving processes, letting you focus on what really matters.
Creating a fantastic eLearning course starts with the right tools!
If your 2025 training plans include creating new courses, you may want a new eLearning authoring tool to help you reach your goals. Evaluate your options like a pro and find the ideal alignment with these tips!
Pitch's new 'Rooms' feature allows you to centralize and share decks, links, documents, videos, and more in a single location with valuable analytics to track engagement, etc.
Titles and headlines are crucial factors in driving the readership of your content. This tool helps you write better headlines by analyzing and providing suggestions for improvement.
The skills super-communicators use (& how you can learn them)
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Charles Duhigg explores the concept of "supercommunicators"— people adept at forging deep connections through conversation. He asserts that these skills can be cultivated by anyone willing to practice specific techniques.
If you or your event needs a speaker or workshop that is highly interactive and super practical, we should talk.
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