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“Withdraw into yourself as far as you can, and associate with those who will make you better. Invite those whom you can make better. This benefits both sides, and men learn while they are teaching.” — Seneca
Somebody stop me if I'm talking about this too much—but I just had to share some exciting news: my book with Bianca is officially available for pre-order!
[ You can preview a free chapter on the ATD site.]
If you're heading to the ATD conference in DC next month, we'll be doing a couple of book signings while we're there. (Quick question: what do people actually write in these things? I'm drawing a blank—all suggestions are welcome!)
Drop by to say hello, grab a signed copy, or just mock my signature attempt in person. It'll be fun either way. Looking forward to seeing some familiar faces there!
Thanks for reading!
✨ Share YOUR Best Finds
Find something share-worthy. Drop it here 👇
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sponsored
In the highly regulated manufacturing industry, effective safety training is nothing short of essential. And it’s not just about staying compliant with manufacturing regulations — you need to keep workers safe, informed, and competent for effective operations.
Check this insightful guide to promoting a safer and more productive workplace through immersive online courses. It provides practical strategies and expert tips to help you build safety training that sticks.
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📰 News & Notes
Legibility, Readability, and Comprehension: Making Users Read Your Words
The Rundown: Legibility, readability, and comprehension are often lumped together — but they’re distinct, and understanding the difference is key to designing effective digital content.
The Context:
- Legibility is about how easily individual characters can be distinguished (e.g. font design, size, spacing).
- Readability is how easily the text can be understood (e.g. sentence structure, vocabulary).
- Comprehension is whether the user grasps the intended message.
- Good design supports all three — but focusing on one doesn't guarantee the others improve.
- Nielsen Norman Group’s UX research shows that optimizing these factors boosts user satisfaction, retention, and accessibility.
Why it Matters: Many designers obsess over font choices but forget that clarity and context rule. If users can read your words but don’t understand them, your message misses the mark. For L&D pros, aligning all three elements means more engaged, informed users — and better digital experiences.
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A/B Testing in L&D: Not Just for Marketers
The Rundown: A/B testing — often tied to marketing — is now gaining real traction in L&D, helping teams make smarter, data-backed training decisions.
The Context:
- A/B testing in L&D means showing two different versions of training to similar groups and comparing outcomes.
- This method helps answer questions like:
Does training A drive better performance than training B?
- Tools like HowToo and SC Training are starting to integrate A/B testing directly into learning platforms.
- Real-world examples show better engagement, higher quiz scores, and clearer ROI using this approach.
Why it Matters: L&D teams often rely on gut instinct or post-training surveys. A/B testing introduces rigor and proof — bringing L&D closer to how product or growth teams work. That means better results, stronger buy-in from stakeholders, and a legit way to show impact.
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How to Repurpose Your Content With AI
The Rundown: Moz’s Whiteboard Friday shows how marketers are using AI to multiply the impact of a single blog post — a smart strategy L&D teams can borrow to stretch learning content further and faster.
The Context:
- Marketers start with one high-quality asset and use AI to spin it into tweets, videos, emails, and more — tailored to different audiences.
- L&D teams can do the same: take a course or training doc and repurpose it into bite-sized videos, quizzes, job aids, and nudges.
- Prompt AI tools like ChatGPT to adapt tone, format, and delivery channel — just like marketers do to fit each platform.
- Bonus: Reinforcing learning through multiple formats boosts retention and engagement.
Why it Matters: Marketing has cracked the code on content reuse — and it’s time L&D did too. With AI, learning pros can deliver smarter, faster, and more personalized experiences at scale — without reinventing the wheel every time.
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sponsored
Get Better Performance, Lasting Impact, and Real Behavior Change!
Join us for this practical, insight-packed webinar to discover how to transform dry, forgettable training into compelling content that grabs attention, maintains interest, and drives meaningful learning outcomes.
This is your last chance to register and attend the webinar on Wednesday, April 23 at 12 Noon CT – don’t miss out!
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🧰 Tech Tools & Tips
If tools are your jam, check out my Work Smarter newsletter.
Publer
Free media downloading tool - great for grabbing videos from YouTube, Facebook, & social media images, etc
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Session Lab
Create training sessions in minutes (not hours). Drag, drop, and reuse content. Calculate time and collaborate easily.
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free chapter
How do you design learning experiences that truly stick?
Learning Experience Design (LXD) offers a fresh approach to creating engaging and effective training that boosts retention. In this free masterclass, aNewSpring dives into LXD with Niels Floor, the father of LXD, and shares practical tips to apply to your own courses. You’ll reflect, experiment, and get access to pre-work, exclusive materials, and a certificate to top it off.
📅 May 15, 9–10 AM (ET)
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🎧 Podcast of the Week
This is the conversation that caught my ear this week. Check out previous episodes in the Friday Finds podcast playlist.
Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning
Explore Richard Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, how generative activities boost retention, and the pitfalls of discovery-based teaching.
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🧳 Where’s Mike?
If you or your event needs a speaker or workshop that is highly interactive and super practical, we should talk.
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Friday Finds is an independent publication that I produce in my free time. You can support my work by sharing it with the world, booking an advertising spot, or buying me a coffee.
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