Obsidian Blog
News and updates from our team of learning and technology professionals. Topics range from elearning tools and resources, to instructional design and the science of learning.
Customize New Hire Training: 5 Reasons to Partner Up With a Vendor for Your Onboarding Program
Posted Mar 17, 2021 by Amanda Costa
Your employees might not have the time or specialized skills to convert an existing inperson onboarding program to a virtual one, or to create such a program from scratch. Partnering with a talented vendor might be your best bet for designing a customized program that reflects the culture and values of your organization.
Skilling Up Virtual Team Managers and Supervisors: 3 Essential Upboarding Tips
Posted Mar 10, 2021 by Shelly Immel
New managers and supervisors have more than ever to learn if they are stepping up to manage a virtual team. Great upboarding can have a tremendous impact on their success, and on the productivity and satisfaction of the virtual teams they lead.
Back to the Workplace: 5 Things to Consider When Reboarding Returning Employees
Posted Mar 3, 2021 by Amanda Costa
Though times are uncertain, it seems likely that organizations will be seeking to rehire former employees as the economic climate stabilizes. Reboarding—bringing former employees back up to speed—is different from onboarding and should be designed as such.
5 Ways Social Learning Can Lead to an Effective Remote Onboarding Process
Posted Feb 24, 2021 by Monica Savage
Social learning is key to the integration of new employees. Focusing on social learning elements during a remote onboarding process will ensure that new hires more quickly transform into fully functional employees.
How to Develop a Sustainable Remote Onboarding Program for Your Virtual Teams
Posted Feb 17, 2021 by Lubos Janoska
Virtual onboarding of new talent in your organization should achieve all the objectives of classic in-person onboarding. However, purely remote, digital, or fully virtual onboarding does add an interesting layer of complexity.
Make Onboarding Remote Employees a Success With These Blended Learning Strategies
Posted Feb 10, 2021 by Shannon Hart
What do you need to consider when onboarding remote employees? Read on to learn about 6 blended learning strategies that will support your exceptional onboarding program.
3 Benefits a Blended Virtual Onboarding Plan Brings to Your In-House and Remote Workers
Posted Feb 3, 2021 by Lubos Janoska
Blended learning is a highly effective instructional strategy. In the past, virtual learning assets (microlearning, video, etc.) were embedded as one aspect of a broader blended learning program. As we look forward, such assets will be the essential pillars of blended virtual onboarding. How will your in-house and remote workers benefit from this shift?
5 Onboarding Training Challenges and 5 Opportunities Today’s Workforce Faces
Posted Jan 27, 2021 by Shannon Hart
Virtual onboarding, though not without challenges, provides many exciting opportunities that benefit your learners as well as your organization.
How To Train Remote Employees In A Virtual Learning Environment
Posted Oct 7, 2020 by Lubos Janoska
Through the prism of the 10 Principles of Customer Strategy, this article examines the question of how to train remote employees in a virtual learning environment.
8 Innovative Virtual Learning Design Tips To Engage Your Remote Teams
Posted Sep 25, 2020 by Shannon Hart
Virtual learning is an essential component in the learning and development toolkit, and it is widely used for training and educational purposes. It is not, however, always high quality or effective. Here are some design tips from the instructional and visual perspectives to give your virtual learning a real boost.
5 Implicit Signs That Your Virtual Classroom Is Set Up To Fail
Posted Sep 15, 2020 by Amanda Costa
Is your organization prepared to make the leap to virtual training? This article highlights the warning signs that can indicate your virtual training is headed for less than successful outcomes. Know what to look for so you can get your virtual learning back on track!
4 Virtual Learning Needs To Consider In A Remote Working Environment
Posted Aug 27, 2020 by Amanda Costa
Functional performance support, focused learning, effective means of training delivery, and organizational support are key to ensuring employee engagement. How can organizations support these learning needs in remote working environments?
Why Virtual Learning Is More Than Just VILT: Myths And Truths
Posted Aug 21, 2020 by Shannon Hart
Virtual learning includes any form of learning that occurs with the assistance of computer technology. Although in this context we often think of virtual classrooms with a live instructor teaching somewhere at a distance, virtual learning is much more than that. It is synonymous with eLearning.
Training is Critical to Implementing Successful Safety Response Plans.
Posted Jun 29, 2020 by Shelly Immel
Training and communication form the bridge between a company’s safety plan and its execution. That bridge can make the difference between effective behavior change and a nice idea that doesn’t go anywhere, or worse, is implemented badly and results in injury and increased liability.
OSHA Guidance: Reopening for Business – How Do You Identify and Isolate Sick People?
Posted Jun 23, 2020 by Monica Savage
The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us many things but has also introduced a lot of uncertainty to our work environments. It is clear that we need to make changes to our policies and processes, and ultimately shift our behavior.
Turning OSHA Guidance into Learning Deliverables: A Case Study in Effective Communication
Posted Jun 9, 2020 by Shannon Hart
As businesses navigate the uncertainty of re-opening during a global pandemic, effective communication and training around key infection prevention measures are crucial. Preview some examples of impactful deliverables and learn about things to consider when teaching your employees some important new ways of working.
Adapting Learning to the New Normal
Posted Jun 4, 2020 by Amanda Costa
Faced with the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations are having to pivot quickly to educate their employees in many previously unaddressed domains. The need for enhanced communication and education is heightened, as is the need for speed. As a learning and development organization, Obsidian Learning is uniquely positioned to help businesses quickly transform their messaging and learning assets into high-impact deliverables.
Reopening Your Business? Obsidian Learning’s Free eLearning Course Can Help.
Posted Jun 3, 2020 by Lubos Janoska
The responsibility to keep people safe while reopening all or part of a business location can feel daunting in these pandemic times. There’s so much to think about, layered with the financial pressure to make every dollar count.
The New Normal
Posted Apr 13, 2020 by Monica Savage
The Coronavirus crisis is not even close to be over. If and when businesses will get “back to normal”, it will to a “new normal” many of us have not expected. Here are the top five things we will be focusing on.
Communicating During Crisis
Posted Apr 8, 2020 by Monica Savage
In this time of global crisis, communication is more important than ever. Crisis communication should be part of all emergency preparedness and business continuity plans. Here, we are sharing a few tips your organization can use.
Stay Home, Work Safe - COVID-19 Houston, Week 1
Posted Apr 7, 2020 by Monica Savage
'Stay Home. Work Safe' order has been issued for Houston area. At the end of the first week, we are checking in and sharing a bit of our experience.
Measuring the Impact of Video Learning on Your Corporate Training ROI
Posted Mar 31, 2020 by Amanda Costa
Return on investment, applied to learning, can be a tricky concept. Theoretically, we know how to do it, but all too often, we just…don’t. Which is really too bad, because how can you know if the learning deliverables you’re creating are effective, if there’s no system in place for measurement?
Family and household management
Posted Mar 26, 2020 by Adam Lowry
As part of our series of blogs on working from home, Obsidian Learning employees are sharing their personal experiences to provide insight on the challenges they are facing and how they are addressing them. Program Manager Adam Lowry, father to two small children, gives us a window into how he and his wife are managing to balance family and work commitments.
Working from Home: Obsidian Learning’s Guide to Thrive
Posted Mar 25, 2020 by Amanda Costa
In an effort to comply with CDC and WHO recommendations regarding social distancing and, more recently, local authorities’ stay at home orders, all Obsidian Learning employees are currently working from home, and we thought it might be useful to share our experience in this domain with those of you facing this as a new reality.
Essential Criteria for Choosing the Right Video-Based Learning Model
Posted Mar 24, 2020 by Monica Savage
Video-based learning is a powerful learning tool. The medium is endowed with unique features that make it an effective learning method, able to enhance traditional instructor-led learning approaches and change the way we learn and the way we teach.
7 Dos and Don’ts to Design and Deliver Successful Video-Based Learning
Posted Mar 17, 2020 by Tom Stell
In Steven Presfield’s classic on writing Do the Work he recommends you put a post-it note on your computer that reads “What’s the theme?”. As we look to create compelling training videos, what would you put on your trusty laptop to keep you on track and heading for success?
Schools Face Rapid Transition to Virtual Learning, But There is Help Experts Say. A Press Release.
Posted Mar 15, 2020 by Monica Savage
More than 150 K-12 schools in the Houston Metro area are shuttered because of worries about spreading the coronavirus, affecting at least a million students, most of whom will be asked to shift to online learning.
6 Tips for Helping Learners Stay Engaged Remotely
Posted Mar 14, 2020 by Shannon Hart
Whether you are an educator in a school, an office worker, or a keynote speaker at next month’s conference, you are likely currently feeling the pressure of shifting to working remotely. How will you have the same impact teaching/learning/working from a distance?
5 Vital Steps to Create Appealing Corporate Training Videos
Posted Mar 10, 2020 by Timothy Spencer
When creating corporate training videos, sparking real interest instead of the usual jaw-breaking yawns is a challenge. In this chapter we’re going to provide you with some general tips for drawing your learners in and getting them not only to pay attention to your corporate training videos…but to want to pay attention.
5 Integral Elements of Emotionally and Socially Engaging Learning Videos
Posted Mar 3, 2020 by Timothy Spencer
Video can be an extremely efficient and impactful tool to convey important messages and learn new skills. Not all videos are created equally, however. If you’re looking for videos that engage employees both emotionally and socially, you need to put in place the right strategies to provoke the specific reaction, behavior change, or skill acquisition/enhancement.
4 Applications of Corporate Training Videos That Can Transform Your Workforce
Posted Feb 25, 2020 by Lubos Janoska
At Obsidian Learning we’ve created hundreds of animations, instructional videos, infomercials, explainer videos, and eClips. Based on our experience, here are four specific examples of applications of corporate training videos that led to workforce transformation.
3 Key Benefits of Video-Based Learning You Should Not Ignore
Posted Feb 18, 2020 by Shannon Hart
Video-based learning is an important tool in the learning arsenal. Whether as part of an instructor-led offering, embedded in an online course, or as a stand-alone learning asset, videos can be leveraged in many ways and with great impact.
How Video-Based Learning Impacts the Future of Corporate Training
Posted Feb 13, 2020 by Shelly Immel
Outside the firewall, the future of video-based learning is already here. How will the future arrive in your company? Here’s what you need to know to chart a successful path forward with video-based learning.
4 Secrets No One Will Tell You When Choosing Your Microlearning Platform
Posted Dec 31, 2019 by Shelly Immel
When trying to determine what’s most important and where to start, you might look first at your microlearning platform. These four secrets can shed light on your best path forward.
4 Essential Employee Satisfaction KPIs To Evaluate Your Microlearning Strategy
Posted Dec 24, 2019 by Monica Savage
Using KPIs to measure the success of learning programs means continually evaluating job goals, employee performance, and the organization overall.
5 Ways Microlearning Can Boost Your Corporate Training ROI
Posted Dec 17, 2019 by Amanda Costa
In lean times, corporate training is often the first area where budgets are trimmed. Organizations cut down on travel, lodging, and per diem costs, and often put the brakes on developing new training.
8 Benefits of Creating Microlearning Videos Based on Social Learning Elements
Posted Dec 10, 2019 by Shannon Hart
Social learning is powerful. We learn by watching others. Short learning videos, known as microlearning videos, can be a great addition to your blended learning solutions, especially when they have social learning elements.
How to Adapt Your Microcontent to Your Employees’ Social Needs
Posted Dec 3, 2019 by Shannon Hart
We intentionally address social needs in the hopes of fostering employee loyalty, increasing productivity, reducing turnover, and even increasing innovation.
5 Vital Elements of Engaging Microcontent
Posted Nov 26, 2019 by Shelly Immel
Microcontent has been lauded as a quick cure-all, and its potential is indeed vast. But like any other training, there’s good microcontent and then there’s the rest.
5 Ways Microlearning Increases Employee Satisfaction And Knowledge Retention
Posted Nov 19, 2019 by Lubos Janoska
At Obsidian Learning, we completely reject this model. The learning experiences we strive to create for our clients include couple of simple, non-negotiable criteria.
What is Microlearning and How Does it Drive Employee Engagement?
Posted Nov 11, 2019 by Lubos Janoska
Though most contemporary microlearnings are in digital form, there is more than enough evidence from our experience that microlearnings come in all different shapes and small sizes.
5 Tips to Vet a Content Provider When Outsourcing Blended Learning
Posted Dec 17, 2018 by Monica Savage
A learning vendor is a critical partner for your business, so choosing the right provider needs smart, focused effort. There are many factors you need to consider when deciding who should you invest in when outsourcing blended learning.
Measuring The Effectiveness of Your Blended Learning Program
Posted Dec 4, 2018 by Shannon Hart
Effectively evaluating your blended learning program is a crucial part of the learning process. It helps us justify the cost and demonstrate added value while giving us much-needed information to improve for next time. Evaluation is not easy, however. Read on to learn a few tips.
How To Write Effective Learning Objectives to Support Your Blended Learning Strategy
Posted Nov 27, 2018 by Shannon Hart
Writing strong learning objectives is key to the success of your blended learning program. They serve as the basis for evaluating the success of your learning offering. Here is a simple 4-step guide to writing effective objectives to best support your blended learning strategy.
11 Solutions to Blended Learning Challenges Where Clients Get Stuck
Posted Nov 26, 2018 by Shelly Immel
Are you stuck in the blended learning development or deployment process? You’re not alone. Here are five common “sticky” complaints we hear from customers, along with solutions to get you and your organization moving forward.
8 Tips to Build a Blended Learning Solution on a Budget
Posted Nov 13, 2018 by Shelly Immel
Apply these 8 tips to build blended learning solutions on a budget, starting with smart fundamental decisions at the program level and driving through to clever course development time and budget savers.
9 Blended Learning Best Practices for the Corporate Environment
Posted Nov 6, 2018 by Monica Savage
In this article, we will address some of the best practices we believe are critical for developing successful blended learning programs.
Effective Blended Learning Activities to Incorporate in your Corporate Training
Posted Nov 1, 2018 by Shannon Hart
Ready to move to blended learning but not sure where to start? Read some suggestions for blended learning activities that are really effective ways to transfer learning.
Blended Learning in the Workplace: What Works and What Doesn’t
Posted Oct 29, 2018 by Monica Savage
Blended learning has been the topic of conversation for a while now. Despite the frequency of use, blended learning can still be confusing. Here, we attempt to share some of the lessons we learned when implementing blended learning programs.
How to use Blended Learning Solutions to Boost Employee Performance
Posted Oct 15, 2018 by Shannon Hart
We know that for positive behavior change to take place at work, we need support when it comes to applying the new skills or information at work. So how can blended learning help?
4 Blended Learning Strategies that Boost Corporate Training ROI
Posted Oct 9, 2018 by Shelly Immel
Boosting ROI requires either lowering costs or improving return. This article covers 4 key blended learning strategies that can do both.
How to Choose the Right Blended Learning Model for your Corporate Training
Posted Oct 8, 2018 by Monica Savage
There are thousands of blended learning combinations. Choosing the right one for each application takes design skill and accepting the flexibility of blended learning models.
The IDEA Model: Cognition, Emotion, and Social Learning in Learning Design
Posted Oct 4, 2018 by Monica Savage
In this webinar, you will learn how to design learning programs for the “whole learner,” addressing learners’ cognitive, emotional, and social characteristics.
Reducing Corporate Learning Costs with a Blended Learning Approach
Posted Sep 25, 2018 by Shelly Immel
CLOs and learning directors from all industries have achieved tremendous savings with blended learning. Understand when and how a blended learning approach works best, and you can, too.
5 Pitfalls to Avoid Before Switching to Blended Learning
Posted Sep 17, 2018 by Monica Savage
Blended learning is becoming ever more firmly entrenched in today's corporate learning landscape. For companies just on the cusp of developing these programs, here are some pitfalls to avoid when moving to a blended learning approach.
Blended and Distributed Learning Case Study
Posted Aug 30, 2016 by Shannon Hart
We were approached by a global Fortune 500 construction company seeking to revamp some key leadership training. The audience of senior project managers is accountable for the success of very large-scale construction efforts.
Distributed Learning: A Flexible Learning Model for a Global Economy
Posted Feb 8, 2016 by Stephen Victor
At Obsidian Learning, we believe learning should be ongoing, occur when needed, and make use of inexpensive technologies. We use a unique, research-based model of distributed learning to develop rich instructional environments that pack a big bang for the buck.