eLearning Leadership Blog

Passive Content Is Hard To Learn. Simulations Make Learning Easy

callen@alleni.com (Christopher Allen) — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 14:27:07 GMT

Overview: Simulation-based training is far more effective than passive learning methods like slide-heavy eLearning, videos, and webinars. Instead of encouraging learners to simply click through content or multitask, simulations immerse them in realistic situations where they must make decisions, solve problems, and experience the consequences of their actions. By following the CCAF framework (Context, Challenge, Activity, and Feedback), simulations create meaningful practice that boosts engagement, strengthens retention, builds confidence, and drives real behavior change. Authentic, hands-on practice is the most effective way to prepare learners for success on the job.

Rethinking eLearning After ATD26: What We Saw, Heard, and Believe Comes Next

callen@alleni.com (Christopher Allen) — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:31:47 GMT

More than 10,000 talent development professionals gathered in Los Angeles for ATD26, and one thing was clear from the start: this is a field in transition.

A Practical Guide to the Cost of eLearning

michael.w.allen@alleni.com (Michael Allen) — Tue, 26 May 2026 15:19:28 GMT

All organizations depend on performance excellence. Effective ongoing training and motivation are essential to performance excellence. Unfortunately, it’s easy to think that good training isn’t a difficult initiative and therefore should claim a minimal budget. Becoming just another box to check and provided only halfhearted support, the resulting training is not only ineffective but, ironically, incredibly expensive.

Harnessing AI for Super High ROI eLearning

callen@alleni.com (Christopher Allen) — Tue, 05 May 2026 15:04:15 GMT

Unlocking Learner Potential: Why Relevance and Empathy Are the Missing Keys in eLearning

michael.w.allen@alleni.com (Michael Allen) — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 15:32:29 GMT

Picture this: You're scrolling through your feed on a Tuesday morning, coffee in hand, and you stumble upon a training module that's supposed to "upskill" you. But five minutes in, your mind wanders to lunch plans. Sound familiar? In the fast-paced world of 2026, where remote work and hybrid learning are the norm, eLearning has become ubiquitous. Yet, despite all the tech bells and whistles, too many courses feel like they're shouting into the void. What if the secret to breaking through isn't more interactivity or gamification, but something simpler—making it matter to the learner and tuning into their emotional pulse?

Every Word Counts

callen@alleni.com (Christopher Allen) — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:42:33 GMT

Learners have tuned out of text-heavy training content (even when it's in chunks)

Stop writing. Employees have stopped reading. Not only have they stopped reading, but—as APM Research Lab reports—most US adults lack literacy proficiency in understanding, interpreting, and synthesizing information to draw conclusions. Further, 54 percent of adults in the US (or 130 million) read below a sixth-grade level.

Learner Empathy Can Save Your Course Design

aiverson@alleni.com (Ann Iverson) — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 20:24:25 GMT

Where do you start with instructional design? Sifting through folders of content? Meeting with SMEs to capture what they think is essential to the training? Maybe you turn to Google to get the latest information about the training topic? If this is your approach, you may want to refocus. Information-sharing is not training. Since all learning is designed in some way to change learner behavior, it makes sense to think about the expected change from the start of the design process. Proactively using a learner-centric approach, one that puts learners at the heart of the design, motivates and engages learners, and ultimately delivers successful outcomes for your organization.

Make a Learning Love Connection: 5 FACTS for Better e-Learning Courses

aiverson@alleni.com (Ann Iverson) — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 14:40:00 GMT

What is love, really? (Sorry in advance for any earworms!) We can love our cars, homes, and flat-screen TVs, but purists will tell you, “You can’t love things, dummy. You can only love people.” Hmmm, are you sure about that?

5 Questions You Need to Consider for High-Impact Learning

eedwards@alleni.com (Ethan Edwards) — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 20:03:01 GMT

The standard accepted methodology for designing instruction, including e-learning, is still centered solidly on the ADDIE process…a time-honored methodology composed of five steps--Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. I’m a strong proponent of the idea that the inherent linearity of this process creates huge obstacles to coming up with highly engaging interactivity in e-learning.

It isn’t that these tasks are necessarily wrong; rather, it’s that design for e-learning needs to be more exploratory and experimental in approach instead of prescriptive. At Allen Interactions, we design using an iterative, rapid-prototyping approach to creating effective instruction. Many training groups are beginning to modify ADDIE to include some flexibility, but generally it doesn’t seem to me that it’s far enough to effectively design engaging interactions.

3 Easy Ways to Get Started With the Successive Approximations Model

info@alleni.com (Allen Interactions) — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 06:00:00 GMT

Over the years, we have taught many workshops on SAM (Successive Approximation Model) and have given even more talks on the subject. In these workshops and talks, we often see the same basic questions. But, the one question we can guarantee we will be asked is, “How do I implement SAM in my organization?”

While we are always happy to be asked this question, this is tough to answer! Since we encounter this question so frequently, we can focus our answer on a few key factors that increase the likelihood of success.

Our team often uses the phrase “moving the needle” to describe the efforts when implementing SAM in an organization. By “moving the needle”, someone is making incremental changes that produce noticeable results. Our three tips will help ensure that you can start incorporating the Successive Approximations Model in your organization - and start to see results.

Start at the Start

There is no better way to build excitement for the power of an iterative design than to kick off with an active brainstorming and sketching session, which is called the Savvy Start in SAM.

Sure, we recognize that you might face resistance when asking for the time required of a Savvy Start (as described in the book). Still, perhaps you can facilitate a one-hour brainstorming session on a single performance event or objective. The energy and excitement generated from a robust brainstorming/sketching/prototyping event go a long way to building credibility within the organization for a new instructional design approach.