Enspire Learning Blog -

Meet Us at ASTD 2010!

Thu, 13 May 2010 12:03:59 -0500

Enspire Learning is proud to once again participate in ASTD International Conference and Expo.

CEO Bjorn Billhardt will deliver "Creating the Blended Classroom of the Future" on Monday, May 17 at 2:15 p.m. In this session, he’ll discuss the best ways to combine simulations, games, and social networking in a blended learning environment.

Looking for business acumen simulations or curricula? Stop by Booth #224 to learn more about our products and programs.

Need a custom e-learning solution, serious game, or simulation? Check out demonstrations of work and learn about our capabilities at Booth #639.

We look forward to seeing you in Chicago!

e-Learning for Kids Gala ASTD Fundraising Dinner

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:49:23 -0500

ASTD 2010 boasts a dynamic schedule with ample opportunities for networking, learning, professional development, and one very unique way to give back to the community through e-Learning. The Chicagoland Learning & Talent Leaders are excited to present ASTD conference attendees with the chance to promote philanthropic e-Learning initiatives through donating netbooks to children in need of a stable learning environment.

On Tuesday, May 18, the Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield and RightStart4Kids are hosting the e-Learning for Kids Gala ASTD Fundraising Dinner. The goal of this gala is to raise funds to provide netbooks to aid in learning initiatives for children at Children's Memorial Hospital. This event brings together Children's Memorial Hospital, the e-Learning for Kids Foundation, and ASTD ICE 2010 conference attendees to rally in support of e-Learning as a tool for community growth. The gala will begin at 6:00 p.m. in Cathedral Hall at the University Club of Chicago, and individual dinner tickets are $300 per person. Click here to register for the event.

Recognizing the potential for mobile learning technology is an integral step towards achieving widespread high-quality learning experiences. Visit www.childrensmemorial.org to learn more about the gala and steps that you can take to make a lasting impact on the life of a child.

ARGs in Museums

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:01:18 -0600

The Texas Association of Museums is hosting its annual meeting March 16 - 19 at the Hilton College Station. Enspirees Vu Le and Robert Bell will present a session about using Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) in museums.

Experiential Learning in the Museum: Using New Media to Create Multi-User Alternate Reality Game
Tuesday, March 16. 3 - 4:15 p.m.
Museum visitors are searching for an active experience. They want to learn while having fun. Learning games allow museum-goers to learn by doing and create their own experience. This session will explain several different types of learning games including Alternate Reality Games (ARGs). ARGs allow participants to have an experience using many types of media. ARGs help learners to think about information at hand and consequently remember it. Panelists will not simply tell the audience what an ARG is and how to set one up. They will let the audience experience an ARG through mini-mysteries interspersed in the session.

Special thanks to Guiniviere Webb at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum for inviting Enspire to be a part of this event.

Enspiree Speaks at ASTD Austin

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 14:04:47 -0600

Enspire's Director of Production Planning Julia Preston will speak at this month's ASTD Austin meeting.

"Are Games the Same? Update the Blueprint of Your E-learning Process to Leverage Game Development"
Friday, March 12. 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

E-learning professionals such as you have figured out that games are useful tools for training people on a wide variety of topics. The problem is that many development teams are trying to use the same development process for new e-learning games as they used to create courseware with a linear experience. How many project timelines have fallen through? How many game projects have gone over budget? Sometimes, the final product doesn't even meet the original need. E-learning development teams need to customize their processes to address the specific needs of creating games. In our session, we will explore the problems and pitfalls of applying normal e-learning processes to game development through an interactive discussion. After discussing the best practices of the game industry and how these should be applied to learning games, we will facilitate a process design game. This game will allow participants to develop their skills by applying the development process to a case study game project.

Webinar: Resuscitate Your Online Medical Education: 4 Vital Signs

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:56:19 -0600

Join us for a webinar on January 19.

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/878482041

Medical practitioners often dread taking online training because they view the courses as uninteresting, ineffective, and a waste of time. So how do you create medical training courses that these professionals will actually want to take? In this webinar, we will discuss six best practices to create effective, engaging, and, dare we say, fun e-learning experiences. We will also look at a case study from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) and their 2009 Gold Brandon Hall award-winning course, "Promoting Excellence in Palliative and End-of-Life Care." While the examples given in this webinar are health care focused, session content is applicable to learning managers and designers interested in creating high quality, effective e-learning.

In this webinar, you will learn:
• Instructional design principles geared towards a medical audience
• Best practices for engaging audiences with stories, interactivities, and media
• How AACN developed a highly interactive continuing nursing education course

Enspire Wins Gold Brandon Hall Award

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:47:26 -0600

Enspire Learning is pleased to announce that it is the winner of a Gold Brandon Hall Award for Excellence in Custom Content. The winning course was created for the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses to train nurses on end-of-life and palliative care. You may view the course at http://demos.enspire.com/.

The Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Awards are presented annually by Brandon Hall Research, one of the leading research firms in training and development. Now in its fifteenth year, the Awards program showcases exceptional work in the use of learning technology.

Enspire at ASTD San Antonio

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 14:04:25 -0600

Today Enspire CEO Bjorn Billhardt and content developer Adam Avramescu will address ASTD San Antonio during the organization's day-long professional development event. The pair will discuss Developing Leaders with Next-Generation Blended Learning. For more information, visit ASTD San Antonio's website.

Webinar: Using Branching Conversation Simulations to Improve Communication

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:01:03 -0500

Join us for a webinar Tuesday, Nov. 3 at noon CDT. Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/704236840

Simulations are among the most effective types of learning experiences, driving real and lasting behavior change. To be effective, a simulation must allow learners to practice behavior resembling their real-world actions and must have meaningful consequences resembling those of the workplace. Branching simulations – where learners' decisions direct them down different paths -- can be highly effective in teaching soft skills for many situations. When a simulation closely models a real-life situation, it can help employees make better business decisions, help sales people close more deals, and even help improve communication between doctors and patients.

In this webinar, industry experts will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of custom branching simulations and best practices for developing them. In this webinar you will learn:
* The business case for custom branching simulations
* When to use and when not to use branching simulations for training
* How Physicians’ Reciprocal Insurers, an organization providing professional liability insurance to physicians and facilities, is using custom simulations for their training needs

EVP Shon Bayer Speaks at Online Learning Conference

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:07:00 -0500

Enspire's Executive Vice President Shon Bayer will speak on a panel titled "Optimizing Learning Through Simulations and Games" at Training Magazine's Online Learning Conference in New York City. The panel will take place Thursday, Sept. 24 from 9 a.m. to noon. Other panelists are Bryan Chapman of the Chapman Alliance, David Metcalf of University of Central Florida, and Barbara Sealund of Sealund eLearning. For more information on the Online Learning Conference, please visit the conference website.

Free Access to Blended Learning Webinar

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:41:09 -0500

Bjorn's webinar today with TrainingIndustry was a great success! Thank you to all who turned out to hear "Developing Leaders with Next-Generation Blended Learning."

We had a great discussion about how new technologies can be blended into an effective leadership and business acumen training program. Through the use of simulations, games, and social media tools, you can create programs that truly resonate with your team, bringing about real results for your organization.

If you were unable to attend, you can access a free online version of the webinar by registering here.

Enspiree Nominated for Tech Innovations Award

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:14:55 -0500

Congratulations to Enspire's VP of Technology, Brandon Hudgeons, who has just been nominated for the Austin Business Journal's 2009 Tech Innovation Awards! These awards recognize the accomplishments of the top Tech Innovators in Central Texas, and it's a privilege for us to have one on board with us here at Enspire.

If you want to meet Brandon yourself, or if you're interested in attending the awards luncheon to network with the nominees, click here to register. Individual tickets are $65 apiece, table tickets are $650, and corporate tables are $1300.

Tech Innovations Awards & Networking Luncheon
Wednesday, October 14
11:00 am - 1:30 pm
Hilton Austin Hotel
500 East Fourth Street

Congratulations, Brandon!

Free Webinar: Developing Leaders with Next-Generation Blended Learning

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:21:36 -0500

Join us for a free webinar through Training Industry, Inc. next Thursday, September 17th.

Reserve your seat now at TrainingIndustry.com.

New technologies like simulations, serious games, and social networks are strengthening the power of blended learning programs. Join Enspire's CEO, Bjorn Billhardt, as he leads a webinar that addresses how these next-generation learning experiences can be used in your organization to train your managers in leadership and business acumen.

"Developing Leaders with Next-Generation Blended Learning"
Thursday, September 17th, 1:00 pm ET.

For more information or to register, visit
TrainingIndustry.com.

Humor in E-Learning

Tue, 8 Sep 2009 11:13:01 -0500

We’ve all sat through a class or training session where we’d prefer to examine our fingernails or doodle in our notes rather than listen to the teacher. Boredom in the classroom inhibits the learning process, drastically decreasing the likelihood that we’ll retain information given to us during the class. On the other hand, we’ve also all had teachers who were engaging, effective, and, importantly, genuinely funny. There is a correlation between comedy and successful teaching; humor is often used to combat boredom in the classroom and ensure that learners stay engaged.

Just as humor is an effective tool in the classroom, it can be applied with great results in an e-learning environment. Internal research at Enspire has discovered four key facts about using humor in e-learning effectively.

1) Humor is necessary. When tasked with learning a particularly difficult or unexciting concept, learners may disengage from the activity. Humor keeps them interested.
2) Research your audience. When designing a course, it’s important to note who you’re teaching. Some audiences may expect “just the facts, ma’am,” while others may be open to a more light-hearted course.

Developing Leaders with Next-Generation Blended Learning

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 14:43:53 -0500

Wondering how simulations, Web 2.0 technologies, games, and other learning tools can be used to improve your leadership development program? Then register now for the Training Industry, Inc. Webinar on September 17, 2009: Developing Leaders with Next-Generation Blended Learning. Enspire's CEO, Bjorn Billhardt, will be presenting.

Registration is free, and seats are filling up fast, so get in while you can!

Have 5 Minutes? Please Help us with the Following Survey.

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 14:12:19 -0500

Enspire is currently in the process of developing a new management training curriculum. We're looking for feedback from training professionals about the design and packaging of our new products. Please help us by filling out the following survey:

Click Here to take survey