Peer Pod Coming Soon: “New to Instructional Design” — Who’s Joining Us?
We’re kicking off a brand-new Peer Pod for anyone who’s new to instructional design and you’re invited! 🎉 Peer Pods are 4-week learning groups where community members explore a topic together through weekly prompts, curated resources, and shared discussion. Whether you’re a few days or several months into your role, this is your chance to connect with peers, reflect on key topics, and build confidence together. Here’s what we’ll explore: ✨ What to focus on as you get started 📦 Intro to Articulate 360 + course design best practices 🤝 Tips for working with SMEs 💻 Best practices for incorporating AI By the end, you’ll walk away with a stronger foundation and a group of peers cheering you on. 🗓 Start Date: Monday, January 12, 2026 Participants will be added to the private Peer Pod group about a week before we begin. 👉 Want to join? Fill out the registration form. 💬 Your turn: What Peer Pod topics do you want to see next? If you could join a focused 4-week learning group, what topic would you choose? Drop your ideas below so we can build pods around what you want most. 🙌AvatarGrid (Unfolding UI) for Storyline
AI video is everywhere in learning design, but the experience hasn’t caught up. Too often, video is dropped onto a slide and left to do all the work. AvatarGrid challenges that approach. Built for Articulate Storyline, AvatarGrid is an unfolding UI system that uses purposeful motion and cinematic transitions to reveal content progressively. AI videos/images, created with Higgsfield AI, Nano Banana, and HeyGen AI, feel integrated, not pasted in, supported by layered vector UI. The result is an immersive, modern learning experience where motion has meaning. Every interaction supports the story. This is what video AI-first, motion-driven UXD looks like in practice. Watch the short tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLXJ_-K4vXIWhat’s the Difference Between Training, Education, and Learning?
Ever sat across from a client or Subject Matter Expert (SME) as they asked you to help create “training,” “education,” and “learning”—all in the same breath? While these terms might sound academic and share some DNA, they’re not interchangeable. They all have slightly different meanings. Failing to clarify and build a shared understanding of these terms with your clients can contribute to misunderstandings and rework later. So let’s unpack the meaning of each of these terms—training, education, and learning—and place them into a workplace context. Understanding them will help ensure that you and your clients are on the same page right from the start! What is training? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary gives many different definitions for the word “training,” but the most applicable is “to undergo instruction, discipline, or drilling.” And when you look up the synonyms for training, it shows “drill,” “exercise,” and “practice.” Hmm. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting a pretty clear mental picture of a runner being trained by a coach. Training a runner is the act or process of instructing them to improve their performance. It’s a form of education that’s focused on a defined goal or task—in this case, making it through a marathon and shaving a few minutes off the time. Taking an example from a workplace setting: let’s say your sales team needs to learn to use new software to process returns. This is a task-specific goal that can be easily addressed with training. What is education? If training is a form of education, what’s the difference between being trained and being educated? Turning to my trusty ol’ dictionary once again, we see that “education” is defined by Merriam-Webster as “knowledge and development resulting from the process of being educated.” Development implies a change that happens over time as you absorb knowledge. That means that, unlike training, education isn’t a task-oriented one-off experience. Another key difference between training and education is that education is more conceptual in nature. The skills and knowledge we acquire through education are often more theoretical and less practical. Again, using our new software example, most of us would agree that it’s probably not the best use of company time and resources to send learners who only need to know how to process returned merchandise on a new system to a multi-week, intensive sales education program. So, if the goal is discrete and skills-based, like learning new software to perform a task, training is a more appropriate solution than education. What is learning? If training is the act or process of formally instructing someone on how to perform a task or perform it more efficiently, and education is the long-term process of developing knowledge, what is learning? Learning is the desired outcome of training—and the path to being educated. And the best part of learning is that it happens naturally through life experience. Of course, the likelihood of learning something new can be increased by our environment, upbringing, work, and mindset, among many other factors. In a workplace setting, learning occurs when people internalize information or skills, retain it, apply it, and then make additional connections to something else they’ve learned. It’s that connection of knowledge to ideas and experiences all woven together that forms the fabric of learning. Not only do we learn all the time, people learn in different ways—through formal training or, more often, informally, through their own experiences, or through the shared experiences of others. Regardless of how people learn, the process of learning equips them to take on more complex challenges. For instance, if we use our new software training example once again, a team member who’s been successfully trained to use the new software to process returns is a training win. But even better is the employee who’s learned how to marry their knowledge of the new software with their understanding of the latest changes to your company’s 30-day return policy and uses their customer service skills to do what’s right. That kind of layered, dynamic thinking and problem-solving is where training, education, and learning all intersect. Wrap-up If it feels like the devil is in the details, you’re not wrong! These terms are similar and related but with slightly different meanings that might escape all but the nerdiest of instructional design pros. Understanding these nuances can be helpful for navigating tricky client conversations with ease and confidence. What other common threads do you see with these terms? Would you define them differently? Let me know with a comment below, or strike up a new conversation in the Building Better Courses forum and hear from all our resident e-learning pros! Like what you read here? Be sure to follow us on Twitter and come back to E-Learning Heroes regularly for more helpful advice on everything related to e-learning.In Case You Missed It: November 2025 in ELH
Here’s a brief highlight reel of the conversations, builds, and resources that shaped the community’s discussions in November. 🧳 Join the E-Learning Heroes Passport Challenge! From now through January 5, you can earn passport “stamps” (aka badges!) just for participating in the community—posting discussions, sharing examples, cheering on peers, and more. Every badge marks progress in your own learning journey and gets you closer to fun rewards like swag, shout-outs, and even a chance to win a Fujifilm Instax camera. 💬 What Everyone’s Talking About Looking for a spark of inspiration? Here are some conversations fueling creativity across the community. Instant Publishing with Quick Share Members are excited about Quick Share’s one-click publishing for everyday Rise content. See how others are using it for job aids, previews, and vendor training, and share your own quick-use ideas. Share Your AI Assistant Makeover Creators are posting fun before-and-after examples of how they used AI Assistant to level up drafts, build scenarios, or refine lessons. Check out their transformations and add your own. A Handy Storyline Notepad JoeDey's persistent notepad for Storyline is getting lots of love. If you’ve been looking for a simple way for learners to save notes, explore the demo and join the discussion. 🌟 Standout Challenge Entries November’s challenges surfaced lots of gems! A few standouts: Using Interactive Video for Scenarios & Quizzes in E-Learning Push vs Pull E-Learning By Jayashree_Ravi A side-by-side look at how the same topic can feel totally different: passive slide vs. active video journey. The branching version turns a basic onboarding moment into an experience you are excited to explore. Train Smart: Technique Quiz By ElenaZhuravleva This first-time challenge entry uses short workout clips as quiz questions to test whether you can spot proper form. Simple, practical, and a great example of how video can make quick checks feel interactive. Designing Office Exploration Interactions for E-Learning Welcome to the Office By Kate_Golomshtok This creative virtual tour guides you through an office space, offering a way to explore rooms, teammates, and key info. A fun, game-like approach with lots of potential for expansion. You're Hired! By ded2 This demo brings an interactive approach to onboarding with AI-powered characters who respond in real time. Airport Security for Travelers The Zero-Drama Security Shuffle By GabrielleBradle See how AI Assistant took an outline and shaped the result into a clean Air Travel Security module. A great example of AI speeding up real course development. TSA Dishes on Thanksgiving Food By GolfPrincess This demo experiments with AI-generated visuals, narration, and custom interactions to build a playful learner experience. 🎤 Members Took the Mic (Guest Webinars) From beginner tips to polished animations, these guest-led sessions offer hands-on tips you can put to work in your next Storyline build. Top 10 Tips for New Storyline Users with Judy Nollet New to Storyline? Learn ten essential tips to help you skip the rookie mistakes and start building with confidence. Creating Animations and Interactions in Storyline with Simple CSS and JavaScript (No Coding Required) with Natalia Vostretsova Learn how to give your Storyline projects a modern, animated feel using a simple framework and copy-ready code. 🎓 Trending Training Webinar November’s training focused on improving visuals with tools you already have. Edit AI Images Using Free Windows Tools Discover simple, free ways to edit AI images on your Windows PC, from removing backgrounds to polishing photos and refining illustrations. 📚 Member-Powered Articles Looking for inspiration? These member-powered reads offer hands-on techniques, career insights, and behind-the-scenes workflows you can adapt to your own projects. Made By Members: Rise Code Blocks See how community members are transforming Rise 360’s Code Block into full-on games, tools, and simulations. Community Insights: What You Can Learn from Career Pivot Discover practical career lessons from David Tait’s journey—from leveraging your existing strengths to turning setbacks into opportunities you can use in your own development. How I Built This: How I Vibe-Coded a People Manager Simulation by Daniel-Benton. A practical walkthrough showing how a story-driven simulation was created in Rise, and how you can adapt the same codebase to build your own interactive experiences. 💎 Hidden Gems Sometimes the best tips are hidden in plain sight. Here are a couple worth exploring: Articuland 2026 is Coming! Join the Articuland 2026 VIP list for early updates and pricing, then share the topics and ideas you want featured as we design next year’s experience together. Come Say Hello in the Welcome Center New members are introducing themselves every day, and a quick hello goes a long way. Jump in, say hi, and help someone feel at home. (Bonus: replying earns you a Passport Challenge badge through January 5!) ✨ That’s a wrap for November! What’s one thing you discovered—or created—recently that we should feature in the next roundup? Share it below!Passport Challenge: Badge Updates, Highlights & Upcoming Events
Great news, travelers! ✈️ All badges earned so far (except Voyager — those will be added at the end) should now appear on your profiles. If anything looks off, just let me know, and I’ll get it sorted. Remember, the Passport Challenge runs through January 5th, so there’s still plenty of time to level up and earn those badges! 🎉 This Week’s Highlights A huge shout-out to our badge earners so far! Tier 1 Members who’ve earned 3+ badges: JudyNollet Nedim Silverfire Seb_Daubert elizabeth ThierryEMMANUEL JHauglie HillaSchlegel jveedubs SandyMyers LeeMillardButlr Kate_Golomshtok KayleneWance ClaireBogue-155 Stephanie BarryHollembeak SMcNicol FelixFranke DanThornton ChelseaYoung-6f samxuan Caitlin_B jeremykelley78 Emily02 BorgCube RonPrice JodiSansone larryvanwave-ff HoneyTurner JenniferThom012 BenjiLukas Mb06 hannahrad22 DaisyWoods-2947 RamonTalavera-0 CydWalker_mwh RehanTT JulieBaker-ad32 RhondaRolf-1090 TamaraCraft-62f RomanieRoach-e9 SyedAmjad-Ali Tier 2 Members who’ve earned 5+ badges: Emmanuel_Kegler Lori_Morgan GolfPrincess AbigailVettese PaSchl Jonathan_Hill Michelle_Brooks MrugeshJani Marie-Pierre701 DanBoylandUK Ekaterina_V MeeraLynn-UK VickyAttridge 🌟 Most Badges Earned (so far!) Emmanuel_Kegler is leading the way with 7 badges — just one more to reach Globetrotter status! 🎁 Prize Reminder Tier 2 = Entry into our Articulate swag drawing Tier 3 (Globetrotter) = A chance to win our Grand Prize: a Fujifilm Instant Film Camera! 🚀 Keep the Momentum Going Here are a few ways to earn more badges this week: Weekly Challenge: Share Your 2025 E-Learning Challenge Highlights Upcoming Webinars: Overview of AI Assistant in Rise - Dec 16 Edit AI Images Using Free Windows Tools - Dec 16 Quick Tips & Tricks: Episode 120 - Dec 18 Join the Conversation - Jump into these recent discussions and share your insights: How does your organization support different ways of thinking and working? by smous Help with multiple packages that make up one course by RachelDavis-7dd Welcome Center: Say hi to a new member! Share Examples Hub: Post a project — and remember, sharing your challenge submissions is a great way to earn badges and contribute to the community! 💡 Weekly Pro Tip: Check out the latest Made by Members featuring portfolio examples. Participating in the Passport Challenge is a great way to sharpen your portfolio and showcase your skills! 💬 Join the Conversation What’s one badge you haven’t earned yet but plan to tackle this week?need help with multiple packages that make up one course
Where I work, we are creating training courses that are multiple modules long, anywhere between four modules to ten modules. We create each module as a separate .story file and publish that .story file from Storyline. This is because some of the .story files are reused across different courses. Then we have multiple published packages from Storyline that need to be combined to create the final course. The ways I know how to do this are two-fold 1 - use the features of an LMS to build a curriculum using the published packages 2 - create a multi-sco https://support.scorm.com/hc/en-us/articles/360051563253-Combining-Multiple-SCOs-Into-One-SCORM-Course What we want to do is take our Storyline files and publish them such that we can have one cmi5 package at the end of publishing. For example, if I have the course called Course 101 which consists of the following Introduction.story module-1.story module-2.story conclusion.story I want to publish all these .story files such that I get one Course 101 cmi 5 file which will contain all four pieces of the course. For those of you who are creating separate Storyline files that make up a course, how are you combining these files? Is anyone managing to use Storyline to take separate files and merge them into one final published file?Screen focus
I’m curious how others approach screen focus during reviews. Lately, when I’m looking at Rise courses, I keep coming back to one question: What is the learner supposed to do differently after this screen? When that’s hard to answer, I usually find the screen is: trying to cover more than one idea mixing purposes (teaching + explaining + assessing) or using an interaction that doesn’t really support an action I’ve started using a simple constraint to guide decisions: one screen supports one outcome one interaction supports one decision or action It’s helped me simplify reviews more than tweaking layouts or adding features. How do you decide when a screen is “doing too much”? Would love to spark a conversation on how other learning professionals check for screen focus during review.Exact source content
We have our source documents validated and an agreement that explains we will keep the content exactly as it is given. We want to create a course that will have the exact information our source document has ie table of contents, module intent, course outline...however, Rise 360 seems to be taking the liberty to provide its own spin on things. Is there a way to have it create a course that is closer to the exact resource we uploaded?
