Week 1 Welcome & Introductions

Hi everyone! I'm Yaa Larbi, and I'm based in the Chicago area. I work for ComEd as a Senior Instructional Designer, where I partner with subject matter experts to create training and learning resources for employees.

I joined the AI Assistant Certification Cohort because I'm excited to learn more advanced AI skills and discover new ways to apply them in my work. So far, I've primarily used AI Assistant in Articulate Rise to support course development, and I've done a little with Storyline, mainly using its text-to-speech capabilities for audio narration.

I'm looking forward to learning from others and expanding how I use AI to improve efficiency and creativity in instructional design.

Hi everyone, I'm Kellie and I lead a team of Instructional Designers at a mortgage company just outside Philadelphia. We develop everything from job aids and infographics to eLearnings and training videos for both the onboarding and day-to-day tasks for all our mortgage teams.

I joined this AI Assistant Certification Cohort because my company is moving toward implementing more AI tools and I want to be able to support my team's design processes.

Here are Mason and Fredo!

Hello! Scott from Atlanta. Senior Instructional Designer. I joined to explore how Articulate AI can improve our courses, save us development time, and catch silly mistakes we all make after a full day of design! I see potential for AI to enhance the design skills my team uses, so I'm ready to find our next edge for growth. No animals, but I grew up with two dogs, two cats, and two birds!

Hi everyone! I’m Nikky Piber, and I’m based in St. Petersburg, Florida. I’m an instructional designer currently exploring my next opportunity and working on professional development and portfolio projects through Piber Learning Studio. I enjoy taking complex information and turning it into practical, engaging learning, especially through scenarios, eLearning, and performance-support tools.

I joined the AI Assistant Certification Cohort to become more intentional and efficient in how I use AI for brainstorming, analysis, writing, and content development. I’m hoping to strengthen my prompting skills, build repeatable workflows, and learn from how others are using AI in their work. And this is Barnie, my very sweet rescue cat and emotional support pal. 

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Hello! I’m Charlotte, joining from New Orleans. I work for the American Rental Association (ARA), the world's largest trade association representing equipment and event rental businesses, along with manufacturers and suppliers of rental equipment. My work spans a wide range of topics; from safe tenting and defensive driving to leadership development and even imposter syndrome.

I've been fully remote for eight years, which has given me the opportunity to live in Illinois, Japan, North Carolina, and now Louisiana. These days, my commute is about 20 steps, one cup of tea, and occasionally remembering where I left my headset.

As a Curriculum Design Manager, I spend my days turning expert knowledge into training that people will actually complete (and hopefully enjoy). I manage eLearning projects, collaborate with subject matter experts, oversee course development, troubleshoot learning technologies, and keep multiple projects moving forward at the same time.

I joined the AI Assistant Certification Cohort because AI is becoming an increasingly important part of how we work. I'm excited to learn how to use it more strategically to improve efficiency, enhance learning experiences, and support the work I do every day.

I don’t have any pets, but I’ve definitely mastered the art of herding cats; otherwise known as coordinating stakeholders, SMEs, reviewers, consultants, and project timelines. If you've ever tried to get approval from five people with six different opinions, you know exactly what I mean.

Hello! I'm Taryn Richardson, joining from Saint Louis, Missouri. I am a L&OD Consultant at Equifax - my day-to-day consists of designing training programs and curriculums, facilitating workshops, and partnering with HR and leadership to help employees grow and develop. 

I joined this cohort because I want to stay ahead of the technological curve in the L&D space. I'm really hoping to learn how to use AI to speed up my design process, gain some hands-on practice with the Articulate AI tools, and create more engaging content for our teams! Excited to connect with you all!

Sharing a photo of my snuggly pups, Dior (French Bulldog) and Caesar (Cavapoo)! 🐾

Hi Everyone! 

I'm Kirsty and I am based in Yorkshire, UK.

I work as a Learning Content Creator for a large Financial Company and work with my team to create all the digital learning. 

I am hoping to get some good tools from this course to support me going forward and get more familiar with AI usage.

Also here is a picture of my Mia Cat, she is 15 this year and her safe place is inside a plastic bag under the bed (cause why not?). I particularly enjoy her little crossed paws in this pic! 😂

within Articulate in general.

Hi everyone from Forest Park, Illinois. I work for ComEd (electric utility company for Northern Illinois) in Oak Brook and am a Sr. Instructional Designer. I am on the Engineering & Projects Training team and mostly design training for our engineers. 

I'm looking forward to learning more about AI Assistant so I can leverage its capabilities to create more interactive and engaging content in less time.

Here's my work from home buddy, Toby. He'll be 10 in September and is a combo of at least 10 different breeds! 💞

Hi everyone! I'm Becky, a Senior Instructional Designer for the past 20 years for West Virginia United Health System, a healthcare system headquartered in Morgantown, WV (home of WVU), but I call sunny New Port Richey, FL home. 

My role focuses on creating engaging, learner-centered training experiences that help healthcare employees build knowledge and skills while supporting organizational goals.

I am excited to join the AI Assistant Certification Cohort to expand my understanding of AI and discover new ways to enhance learning and performance.

Outside of work, I love spending time with my baby girl, Elly Mae (right), and my baby boy, Giles (left), my two gentle giant English Mastiffs. I look forward to learning and collaborating with all of you! 😊

Hi everyone! I'm Alana Monson, and I'm a Senior Professional Development Specialist in the legal industry. I wear a lot of hats in my role, including designing and facilitating learning programs, managing our learning management system, creating instructional content, and finding ways to help employees grow and succeed. No two days are exactly the same, which is one of the things I enjoy most about my work.

I joined this AI Assistant Certification Cohort because I'm excited about AI's potential to enhance learning and development. How many of us have spent hours trying to come up with new practice scenarios/stories? I'm already familiar with Rise and Storyline, and I'm looking forward to exploring new ways AI can help me create even more engaging learning experiences and improve existing content. Ultimately, I'm hoping to gain fresh ideas and inspiration to bring back to the programs I support.