Session Information


2026 Session Information

Below you’ll find a list of this year’s fantastic concurrent sessions. For different registration options, discounts and pricing please visit the Registration page.  For a breakdown of what is happening when, visit our Agenda.

 or access our Conference App.

Conference registration includes morning coffee/tea, lunch, and afternoon snack/coffee/tea on May 29, 2026:

  • Registration & Coffee/Tea – 7:30am to 8:15am
  • Welcome and Keynote – 8:15am to 9:30am
  • Concurrent Sessions (including breaks, lunch, and Hot Topic Expert Panel) – 9:40am to 4:35pm.
  • Closing Remarks and Prizes – 4:45pm to 5:00

Strategy, Impact & Operationalization:


Facilitators' Bios:
Brian Williams is a Human Resources People Leader specializing in Talent & Organization Development. With over 18 years of experience across international markets and both private and public sectors, he has led impactful learning programs that strengthened leadership capabilities and improved organizational performance. Brian’s work focuses on driving employee growth and organizational success through innovative development strategies.

David Janveaux is a Specialist in Talent and Organizational Development at the Regional Municipality of Durham, with over 10 years of experience in Human Resources. A Certified Human Resources Professional with the HRPA, he has supported a range of HR functions, with a particular passion for learning, leadership, and organizational growth. David is driven by a deep belief in helping people grow into who they are meant to be at work and beyond.

Session Description:

Effective learning solutions begin with strong problem definition, yet many intake processes capture requests rather than real needs. This workshop explores how to design structured intake forms that elicit meaningful qualitative data and how to apply practical analysis techniques to interpret stakeholder responses. Participants will learn how to translate intake insights into evidence-informed design decisions, ensuring solutions are aligned with performance goals and organizational priorities. Attendees will leave with adaptable tools and frameworks to strengthen front-end analysis and improve the impact of their eLearning initiatives.

Session Objectives:

  • Develop intake forms that generate meaningful, actionable information.
  • Collect high-value qualitative data from stakeholders.
  • Analyze intake responses using structured qualitative techniques.
  • Translate insights into learning design decisions that hit the mark.

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced

Software/Platforms Used: A survey tool (Microsoft forms, survey monkey, fluid surveys)

Bring Your Own Device: No

Facilitator Bio:

Zainab Fawzul is an ID and creative tinkerer eager to push the limitations of authoring tools and L&D functions. With a background in designing practical, human-centered learning solutions, she explores emerging approaches to build relevant solutions.

Session Description:

Slick automation demos promise efficiency gains that end at deployment. But what happens at month three when your data source changes? Month six when you need to scale?
This hands-on session reveals the complete automation lifecycle—from initial build through the maintenance, troubleshooting, and scalability challenges that sales demos skip.
Through building a simple automation in make.com, attendees will experience firsthand how seemingly straightforward workflows hide complexity, require ongoing attention, and can become technical debt traps. Drawing from real experience building automations, you'll learn practical assessment frameworks for determining which tasks are worth automating, how to design for maintainability from day one, and what "scalable" actually means in practice. You'll walk away with honest guidance for navigating automation realistically—knowing what to expect, what to avoid, and when the manual process might actually be smarter.

Session Objectives:

  • How to build your first simple automation using make.com.
  • What happens after the demo ends—the complete lifecycle of an automation including what typically breaks.
  • How to decide which L&D tasks are worth automating using a simple assessment framework.
  • Practical strategies to build automations that survive.

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate

Software/Platforms Used: Make.com - Rapid automation building tool
Google Drive - access to GoogleSheets/Forms/Gmail

Bring Your Own Device: Yes


Facilitator Bio:

Rajveer Kaur is an Educational Technologist at the College of the Rockies, where she supports faculty and institutional partners in integrating and using educational technologies. She holds a Master’s degree in Instructional Technology for Educators, and her work is informed by established research in Universal Design for Learning, digital pedagogy, the science of learning, and related evidence-informed approaches.
She collaborates with faculty to support the adoption of learning technologies through workshops, consultations, and ongoing guidance, drawing on both research and her own experience teaching with technology.

Session Description:

This interactive session offers practical strategies for connecting learning objectives, instructional activities, and learning outcomes in eLearning and learning design contexts. Grounded in research-informed approaches such as Universal Design for Learning, Backward Design, and evaluation models including Kirkpatrick and the LTEM, the session focuses on making learning intentions explicit and evaluation more purposeful.
Participants will use guiding questions, a visual mapping process, and a rubric-based reflection tool to align objectives with content and learning activities and to evaluate learning experiences. Examples from eLearning courses and learning design initiatives will demonstrate how these strategies can be applied across disciplines and learning environments.
The session emphasizes practical tools and strategies that participants can adapt to their own instructional design contexts to make learning more visible and support intentional, evidence-informed evaluation.

Session Objectives:

  • Differentiate between learning objectives and learning outcomes and explain how each informs learning design decisions.
  • Employ guiding questions and visual mapping techniques to align objectives with content and learning activities.
  • Apply a rubric-based approach to evaluate whether a learning experience supports its intended outcomes.
  • Adapt alignment and evaluation strategies to participants’ own teaching, training, or instructional design contexts.

Session Audience: Novice/Intermediate

Software/Platforms Used: Articulate Rise, Microsoft 365

Bring Your Own Device: Yes


Facilitators' Bios:
Bianca Baumann is a seasoned L&D strategist with more than 15 years of experience. She is passionate about consulting on effective new solutions to serve learners’ needs. She’s developed processes, methodologies, and frameworks to help organizations meet their growth targets with the help of innovative L&D approaches. Bianca has helped dozens of organizations with their workforce transformations, as well as onboarding and reskilling programs. She has spearheaded multiple projects in the marketing, automotive, financial, and events industries, creating award-winning programs along the way. Bianca speaks at international conferences. She’s the author of “Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro – Strategies To Ignite Learning”.

With over two decades of experience as a learning consultant, Mike Taylor has been a driving force behind transformative instructional design and organizational performance. Known for his captivating speaking style and influential newsletter, Mike is dedicated to making learning more engaging, accessible, and effective. As a faculty member in Franklin University's Graduate Instructional Design and Technology program, he bridges the gap between academic theory and real-world practice, equipping future learning professionals with the skills to excel in today's dynamic landscape. He’s the author of “Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro – Strategies To Ignite Learning”.

Session Description:
L&D teams are producing more content than ever—often without a strategy, shared system, or time to write well. This interactive session borrows proven content marketing practices to help you create high-impact learning content faster and with less chaos. First, you’ll learn about content strategy in three practical moves: audit what you already have, align content to business and learner goals, and organize it for efficient reuse. Then you’ll upgrade your instructional writing using the SURE principle (Simple, Useful, Resonant, Skimmable), with before/after examples and a repurposing matrix to scale one asset into many formats. You’ll also explore curation and crowdsourcing options, plus a lightweight tool stack and templates you can take back to your team. Leave with a repeatable workflow to reduce rework, speed delivery, and increase engagement.

Session Objectives:

  • Diagnose content quality and reuse opportunities using a fast, repeatable content audit.
  • Make clearer content decisions by aligning learning assets to both business outcomes and learner needs.
  • Reduce rework and speed up content creation by organizing learning assets with a lightweight, shared structure.
  • Write clearer, more engaging instructional content by applying the SURE principle (Simple, Useful, Resonant, Skimmable).

Session Audience: Novice

Software/Platforms Used: This session focuses on platform-agnostic frameworks that can be applied across most L&D tech stacks. Examples may reference familiar tools such as SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Google Docs, Notion, or Airtable to illustrate concepts—not to prescribe a specific solution.

Bring Your Own Device: No


Facilitator Bio:
As CEO & Chief Learning Strategist at Your CLO, Tracie Cantu connects L&D strategy to business operations. With 20 years leading talent development transformation at Meta, Atlassian, and Whole Foods Market Amazon, she helps organizations modernize L&D to match business speed through strategy, systems, and execution that scale impact.

Session Description:

You’re being asked to “prove impact” with no analyst, no dashboard, and no time. Welcome to modern L&D.

In this session, you’ll learn a practical, step-by-step way to measure learning impact using what you already have: existing business data, targeted manager input, and a few simple metrics that actually travel well in leadership conversations.

You’ll leave with an understanding of frameworks to help you define the right questions, pick defensible measures, and build evaluation into your design from day one. If you’re tired of reporting completions and praying people assume it worked, let's start building a measurement approach you can use Monday morning.

Session Objectives:

  • Understand how a training request can be translated into measurable performance questions tied to business outcomes.
  • Identify 3–5 “good enough” metrics using existing operational data (even when systems are messy).
  • Use lightweight manager feedback methods to validate behavior change.
  • Build evaluation into design up front so measurement is not a frantic afterthought.

Session Audience: Intermediate

Software/Platforms Used: Learning tracking platforms like LMS, LXP and data gathering tools Edtech tools like Kahoot that gamify engagement.

Bring Your Own Device: No

AI in Practice: Design, Implementation & Agents:


Facilitator Bio:

Garima Gupta is the Founder & CEO of Artha Learning Inc., an award-winning learning design firm, and the Creator of AIReady and the AI Accelerator Certificate. With over 20 years of experience in L&D, education, and technology, she is a recognized leader in creatively integrating AI into learning. Garima holds an MEd in Adult Ed and a CTDP designation, and regularly speaks at global conferences on AI in L&D, instructional design, and impactful digital learning.

Session Description:

This session explores the intersection of artificial intelligence and instructional design, specifically focusing on how AI can enhance adaptive storytelling in eLearning. We will provide a structured and interactive experience, demonstrating how AI-driven tools streamline the creation of engaging, personalized learning experiences.


While there is a lot of content around AI now-a-days, it is important to show real use cases of it, show how people can infact use it WITHOUT compromising quality, and show how multiple tools can be used together to create a high quality output.


A key challenge in eLearning is the development of story-rich branching scenarios, which are resource-intensive and complex to implement. This session will highlight how AI tools—such as ChatGPT for generating content, MidJourney for creating visuals, and Articulate Storyline for integrating adaptive variables—can optimize this process. Our goal is to equip learning designers with practical, AI-powered solutions that enhance storytelling efficiency without compromising creativity.

Session Objectives:

  • Explore the benefits of branching scenarios in creating personalized learning experiences
  • Learn how to leverage AI for efficient and effective story development
  • Discover strategies for incorporating AI-powered avatars and rich character design into your eLearning story
  • Learn effective prompts and AI techniques across various LLM models that can get you to create meaningful and effective learning quickly

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate

Software/Platforms Used: AI Chatbots, image & Video AI Tools, AI Coach software and more.

Bring Your Own Device: Yes

Facilitators' Bios:
Oxana Medvedeva is a Learning Experience Designer with a background in education. She currently works at BTS, where she designs custom digital learning solutions for Fortune 500 clients. She has been integrating AI tools into her workflow to support analysis, design, content development, and rapid prototyping. Oxana’s interests include the learning sciences, emerging technology, puzzle games, and instructional storytelling.

Daria Tucha is a Senior Learning Designer with 9+ years of experience creating and managing end-to-end learning solutions. She currently works at Concert Properties and previously held L&D roles at Expedia Group and Lululemon. She implements AI tools across all phases of development, combining instructional design, project management, and a passion for technology, mountains, and movies.

Session Description:

L&D teams are increasingly using AI to support analysis and content creation. These applications are valuable, but they leave open an important design question: how AI might be used to support practice-based learning, where learners make decisions and experience consequences.

This presentation walks through a two-part approach to designing an AI-powered learning simulation using a realistic client brief. In Part 1, we focus on designing and testing the simulation itself by shaping how the AI behaves. This includes defining its role, boundaries, interaction patterns, feedback logic, and failure states so the simulation consistently supports behavior change.

In Part 2, we show how a simulation with validated behavior can be developed into a custom learning product. Using vibe coding, we demonstrate how the simulation can be packaged with custom branding and interfaces, extended with interaction and gamification mechanics, and connected to data storage to capture learner insights.

Session Objectives:

  • Identify when a performance challenge should be addressed through a learning simulation.
  • Define how an AI-driven simulation should behave to support behavior change.
  • Outline how validated simulation behavior can be extended into a custom learning product.
  • Apply vibe coding as a rapid prototyping approach by following a structured development process.

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced

Software/Platforms Used: ChatGPT Plus, Gemini, Claude, Lovable

Bring Your Own Device: Yes


Facilitator Bio:

Josh Cavalier is the founder and CEO of JoshCavalier.ai, helping L&D professionals harness AI to transform human-machine performance. With 30+ years in education technology, he makes AI practical through training, speaking, and his live show, Brainpower. His book, Applying AI in Learning and Development: From Platforms to Performance, provides a roadmap for integrating AI into L&D drawing on real-world platforms, tools, workflows, and ethical considerations.

Session Description:

AI agents are showing up everywhere in L&D—from content ops assistants to coaching copilots to workflow automations. But most teams are building them with “prompt vibes,” not specifications—and then wondering why results are inconsistent, unsafe, or impossible to evaluate. In this hands-on, one-day workshop, you’ll learn an L&D-friendly way to specify an AI agent like a real product: purpose, users, tasks, boundaries, inputs/outputs, guardrails, escalation rules, and success criteria. You’ll also build an evaluation plan that goes beyond “looks good to me,” including rubric-based scoring, test cases, red-team scenarios, and acceptance thresholds. You’ll leave with reusable templates and a completed “Agent Spec + Eval Pack” you can apply to real projects immediately—without needing to be a programmer.

Session Objectives:

  • How to translate an L&D use case into a clear AI Agent Specification (purpose, users, scope, workflows, boundaries, and guardrails).
  • How to define agent inputs/outputs, tool access, and escalation paths (what the agent can do, what it must not do, and when humans step in).
  • How to create a realistic evaluation plan using rubrics, test cases, and acceptance thresholds (quality, accuracy, tone, safety, and usefulness).
  • How to run a lightweight evaluation sprint in one day and produce an “approval-ready” evidence packet for stakeholders.

Session Audience: Intermediate, Advanced

Software/Platforms Used:

ChatGPT (or comparable LLM interface) for drafting specs and evaluation artifacts

A rubric + test case template (Google Docs/Sheets or Microsoft Word/Excel)

Optional: Copilot, Gemini, Claude (brief comparison of how specs/evals transfer across tools)

Optional: simple no-code automation examples (Zapier / Make / Power Automate) to illustrate “agent + tools” boundaries

Basic file handling: PDFs, SOPs, policy docs, and style guides as reference inputs

Bring Your Own Device: Yes

A laptop with access to one LLM tool (ChatGPT preferred; any equivalent is acceptabl

Ability to open/edit Google Docs/Sheets or Microsoft Word/Excel

Access to at least one sample L&D artifact (SOP, policy, course outline, or job aid) to use as a real-world input

 


Facilitator Bio:
David Kelly constantly explores the convergence of learning and technology, demonstrating a profound commitment to transforming workplaces and enriching lives through innovative learning strategies. With over two decades of experience in learning and performance leadership and consulting, he brings his passion to life in his daily work as a dynamic strategist, speaker, & writer, inspiring others to view their work through a fresh, technology-enhanced lens. He is the SVP of Strategy & Transformation for Bluewater Learning and the former Chairman & CEO of the Learning Guild.

Session Description:

The learning technology landscape is evolving fast, and AI is just the latest wave of disruption. But navigating this change isn’t just about tracking tools—it’s about shifting how we think. In this interactive session, we’ll explore the latest trends in AI and digital learning, and introduce a framework to help learning leaders evaluate tools through a strategic, human-first lens. You’ll leave with a set of practical questions to guide how you assess new technologies, align them with your organizational goals, and lead through disruption. This session offers clarity, not hype—designed for professionals who want to make intentional decisions in a rapidly shifting world.

Session Objectives:

  • How to identify key trends in AI and digital learning that are shaping the future of workplace learning
  • How to apply a strategic, human-first framework to evaluate new learning technologies.
  • How to ask the right questions to assess whether a tool aligns with your organization’s goals and culture.
  • How to lead your organization through technological disruption with clarity and intention—not hype.

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced

Software/Platforms Used: While there will be a focus on emerging technologies, this session does not specifically focus on or demo specific technologies. It’s more about the ecosystem.

Bring Your Own Device: No


Facilitator Bio:
Danielle Wallace and her team at Beyond the Sky Custom Learning and Beyond Role Plays specialize in truly effective learning solutions using technology. As the chief learning strategist, Danielle brings strategic marketing principles she from her previous leadership roles at P&G and PepsiCo into learning and development. Danielle is a sought-after speaker at global conferences, and her thought leadership is featured in industry publications. She’s passionate about elevating L&D through her podcast, "You in 2042: The Future of Work" and her AI+L&D Community of Practice at www.beyondthesky.ca.

Session Description:

Too much training ends with knowledge, not behaviour change. But real skill development happens when people take action, receive feedback, and reflect on what they’d do differently—that’s how they move from knowing to doing.

In this highly experiential session, you’ll explore how to create learning experiences that go beyond transferring knowledge to build real skills that lead to behaviour change. Through interactive examples—including eLearning scenarios, AI-enabled practice, structured feedback, and safe, realistic rehearsal with AI—you’ll experience first-hand what effective skills practice looks like.

You’ll discover how AI can help scale and support these methods, enabling learners to build skills faster and more effectively. You’ll leave with practical strategies to help people not just know what to do, but actually do it.

Session Objectives:

  • To apply the principle of “designing the doing first” to shift away from content-heavy training.
  • To recognize the role of feedback and reflection in accelerating soft skill development.
  • To identify opportunities to integrate realistic, risk-free practice into digital learning.
  • To assess how AI tools can support scale and personalization without compromising design quality.

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced

Tools/Platforms Used:Generative AI with Gemini, Claude, Chat GPT

Bring Your Own Device: No

Professional Growth & Instructional Identity:


Facilitator Bios:

Koreen Pagano, CEO of Talent Rewire and co-founder at Rising Tide Cooperative, leverages deep expertise in skills strategy, AI transformation, analytics, learning technology, and immersive experiences to lead organizations into the AI era. Koreen previously founded Tandem Learning, where she pioneered immersive learning solutions for skill development. Koreen has held product leadership and strategy roles at Lynda.com, LinkedIn, D2L, Degreed, and Wiley. In her current roles at Talent Rewire and Rising Tide Cooperative, she supports organizations focused on people-centric and skills-informed AI transformation. Koreen is a seasoned international speaker and author of two books: Immersive Learning and Building the Skills-Based Organization.

Session Description:

Many organizations now understand the value of skill data, but struggle to see business value quickly. This session provides guidance on selecting the right skills use case for your organization to set your skills journey up for success. Is your organization struggling with skills already? This session will give you the tools and perspective to get back on track.

Session Objectives:

  • How to identify the best use case for starting your skills journey.
  • What metrics are important for your use case.
  • How to approach skill data to build trust and mitigate risk.
  • The most common missteps of starting your skills journey and how to avoid them.

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced

Software/Platforms Used: Publicly available ontologies

Bring Your Own Device: Yes


Facilitator Bio:
Ariane Lusk is a learning designer based in Ottawa, Ontario. She works closely with physicians and clinical experts through her work with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada to design thoughtful learning experiences that uphold the high standards of quality and relevance required in medical education. Her work spans multiple domains, including Quality Improvement, Indigenous Health, and Planetary Health. Before joining the Royal College, Ariane worked at leading organizations such as Procter & Gamble, Amazon, and Shopify.

Session Description:
As learning designers, we are often expected to create training for expert audiences while quietly performing a level of subject-matter expertise we do not actually have. In high-stakes fields like healthcare, this expectation can undermine trust and learning outcomes. This session examines what it means to design learning when you are not the expert (and shouldn’t pretend to be). Drawing on work with physicians and clinical experts, the talk explores practical strategies for designing effective learning without claiming content authority.

Session Objectives:

  • Differentiate between subject-matter expertise and learning design expertise
  • Clearly articulate the learning designer’s role when working with expert audiences
  • Identify common risks and pitfalls that arise when learning designers feel pressure to “perform” expertise
  • Apply practical strategies for partnering with subject matter experts to design credible, ethical learning experiences

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate

Software/Platforms Used: Docebo, Articulate Rise

Bring your own device: No


Facilitator Bio:
Cammy Bean started in the L&D field by accident in the 1990s and has since collaborated with hundreds of organizations to design and deliver training. In 2009, she helped start up US operations for Mindtools Kineo, a global provider of learning solutions. She currently works with a portfolio of US clients, supporting them through the sales and discovery process, while enabling organizations to build capability at scale and empowering employees to thrive. She’s the author of The Accidental Instructional Designer: Learning Design for the Digital Age – second edition (ATD Press, 2023).

Session Description:

Many of us end up in the L&D field quite by accident, finding our way onto a training team because of our deep subject matter expertise, our writing or facilitation skills, our technical chops, or some other creative talent that was needed to support training content development. So now that you’re here, working in this space, what top areas should you focus on? And where can you go next? Hint: the opportunities are almost endless. We’ll consider the four pieces of Cammy’s “Learning Pie”, and get you thinking about where your skills shine and the directions in which you want to grow. We’ll consider all the places training happens – the types of organizations, departments, and projects. Whether you are exploring your own career path in L&D or leading a team of L&D practitioners with an eye to their future development, together we'll create a clearer vision on direction and heading for what’s next as we chart a course into the vast and unknown future of talent development.

Session Objectives:

  • That "instructional design" is often used subjectively to describe a wide variety of roles.
  • How to describe the four pieces of the "learning pie" to help you think about the broad skills we may be expected to "own" in our roles.
  • A tool to identify where your strengths and weaknesses are.
  • Core principles in learning theory and instructional design to deepen your practice

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate

Platform/Software: Platform agnostic

Bring Your Own Device: No


Facilitator Bio:
Hello! My name is Dr. Jaymati Kulkarni, an Instructional Designer at CSA Group. For almost eight years, I’ve designed evidence‑informed learning across a wide range of domains, including ESL, aviation software, warehouse management, banking, cybersecurity, health and workplace safety, and accreditations. That cross‑sector experience has taught me how to translate complex systems into training that is accessible, inclusive, and measurable—without losing the real‑world context learners need to do their jobs well.

Session Description:

Instructional designers often face the challenge of creating content in areas where they are not subject matter experts. This session introduces a practical approach to identifying underlying patterns in unfamiliar domains, enabling designers to build effective, engaging eLearning experiences. Through real-world examples and interactive exercises, participants will learn how to uncover conceptual structures, leverage analogies, and apply pattern recognition techniques to simplify complexity. By the end of the session, attendees will have a toolkit for transforming uncertainty into clarity and confidence.

Session Objectives:

  • Recognize patterns and conceptual structures in unfamiliar subject matter to guide your design process
  • Apply a practical framework for analyzing new content areas without relying heavily on subject matter experts
  • Use analogies and conceptual mapping to simplify complex topics and make them more accessible for learners
  • Design eLearning experiences that leverage patterns for better engagement and retention

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate

Software/Platforms Used: n/a

Bring Your Own Device: Yes


Facilitator Bio:
Ashley Chiasson is an award-winning Instructional Designer and eLearning Developer, with over 15 years of experience. She holds a Masters of Education (Post-Secondary Studies) and a Bachelor of Arts (Linguistics and Psychology).

Session Description:
In a competitive learning and development market, having strong skills isn’t always enough—how you show your work matters just as much as the work itself. In this session, we will explore how instructional designers and eLearning developers can create purposeful, compelling portfolios that attract opportunities rather than simply listing past projects.

Participants learn what hiring managers, clients, and stakeholders actually look for in eLearning portfolios, common mistakes that weaken otherwise strong work, and how to present projects in a way that clearly communicates design thinking, problem-solving, and impact. The session emphasizes quality over quantity and encourages attendees to think strategically about how their work tells a story.

Attendees leave with practical guidance for curating portfolio samples, articulating design decisions, and positioning themselves confidently—whether they are seeking new roles, freelance work, or career advancement.

Session Objectives:

  • Identify what hiring managers and clients look for when reviewing eLearning portfolios
  • Overcome common obstacles related to portfolio-building
  • Select and curate portfolio samples that demonstrate instructional thinking and impact
  • Clearly articulate design decisions, constraints, and outcomes for portfolio projects

Session Audience: Novice

Software/Platforms Used: WordPress, Articulate Storyline 360

Tools, Tech, & Production Mastery:


Facilitator Bio:
Richard Goring is a Director at BrightCarbon, a presentation and eLearning agency. He enjoys helping people create engaging content and communicate effectively using visuals, diagrams, and animated sequences that explain and reinforce the key points, which is supported by plenty of resources and tips at www.brightcarbon.com.

Session Description:
PowerPoint has a bad reputation for being stuck in the 90s with walls of text and terrible clipart. And yet it can be so much more than that, without much extra work. In this practical, live demo-led session, we’ll explore how you can repurpose your existing content to create a wealth of tools and resources.

Session Objectives:

  • Use PowerPoint as a core for creating a wide range of content types.
  • Support multi-tool learning experiences quickly and easily.
  • Repurpose existing materials for consistency across all content.
  • Incorporate dynamic, visual storytelling for efficient and effective learning materials.

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced

Software/Platforms Used: PowerPoint

Bring Your Own Device: No

Facilitator Bio:
A proud graduate from Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!), Brooke Schepker began her career in training as a Technical Writer for a software development company. That role quickly morphed into designing and programming Computer-Based Training modules, which she continued for the next 10 years. Her next venture took her passions for learning and project management to the next level as she tackled administering and managing the enterprise-wide Learning Management System for the Commonwealth of Virginia. At Yukon Learning, she has found her true home and oversees the design team.

Session Description:

Rise 360 is an amazing and versatile tool for e-Learning! And Storyline 360 is a jaw-dropping tool for screen recordings (well...and more, of course). So, how can we take the best of both tools and combine them? Today, we'll learn how to incorporate the powerful View and Try modes of a software simulation built in Storyline 360 and add them into our Rise 360 course.

Session Objectives:

  • How to create a short screen recording in Storyline 360.
  • How to identify some of the best practices for incorporating your Storyline 360 project into Rise 360.
  • How to publish your course to Review 360.
  • How to insert your Storyline 360 project into Rise 360.

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced

Software/Platforms Used: Articulate Rise, Articulate Storyline, Articulate Review

Bring Your Own Device: Yes

Facilitators' Bios:

Rachel Weiss is an instructional designer and founder of E.M. Designs. She helps individuals and organizations increase eLearning engagement by turning learning experiences into interactive games and Portable Web Objects (PWOs) for Articulate Storyline and Rise. Her work blends vibe coding, animated videos, and scenario-based design to create training that feels clear, modern, and hands-on. She consults on building reusable, scalable PWOs that teams can drop into courses quickly, then update through simple content edits without rebuilding the experience.

Alyssa Pinti is an instructional designer with a focus on project management and adult learning. She specializes in translating information into training that feels relevant, practical, and easy for learners to apply on the job.

Session Description:

This session teaches you how to create Portable Web Objects (PWOs) with a practical vibe coding workflow and use them to boost engagement in Articulate Storyline and Rise. You will learn how to build one interactive experience, package it as a portable dist folder with relative paths, and reuse it across multiple courses without breaking links. You will also learn how to separate game logic from learning content by storing questions, answers, and feedback in an editable CSV, so updates happen without touching code. By the end, you will have a repeatable process for creating scalable, high engagement interactions that you can drop into Storyline and deliver in Rise using a Storyline block.

Session Objectives:

After this session you will be able to:

  • Learn how to vibe code a simple learning game in Figma Make.
  • Learn how to package your game as a portable dist folder with relative paths so it works no matter where it is placed.
  • Learn how to separate the game logic from the learning content by storing questions, answers, and feedback in an editable CSV file.
  • Learn how to deliver the same PWO in Rise by publishing it through Storyline and placing it into a Rise Storyline block.

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced

Software/Platforms Used: I will demonstrate Figma, a browser-based IDE such as Replit, and Articulate Storyline 360, and I will discuss delivering the PWO in Articulate Rise 360 and using desktop IDEs such as VS Code or Cursor.

Bring Your Own Device: Yes


Facilitator Bio:
Matt Pierce is a video creator and instructional designer focused on practical, effective visual communication. As Growth and Content Marketing Manager at TechSmith, he hosts The Visual Lounge podcast, formerly led customer education, and helps create content across video, social media, web, and PR. He has helped develop professional development coursework for the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications and speaks at learning, customer education, and marketing events.

Session Description:

Instructional video is widely used in learning, yet many videos fail to engage learners or support performance effectively. Recent research challenges common assumptions about video length, structure, and delivery—including growing questions about AI voices and avatars in training.

This session synthesizes findings from learning science (Mayer, Merrill, Guo) with emerging research on how learners respond to AI-generated voices and avatars in training contexts to provide evidence-based guidance for designing effective learning videos. Participants will explore how pacing, visuals, narration, context, and AI-driven media influence engagement and learning outcomes.

Through real-world examples and interactive discussion, attendees will gain a practical framework for making research-informed decisions about when and how to use video in instructional design.

Session Objectives:

  • Apply research-based principles from learning science to instructional video design decisions.
  • Analyze how video pacing, visuals, narration, and context influence learner engagement and learning outcomes.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of AI-generated voices and avatars for different learning contexts and audiences.
  • Use an evidence-based framework to guide instructional video design decisions.

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate

Software/Platforms Used: Video, AI Voices, AI Avatars

Bring Your Own Device: No


Facilitator Bio:
Bianca Woods is a Content Manager at ATD, covering all things learning and development. Her past roles include guiding community and content initiatives at Articulate, working on community and event programming at the Learning Guild, piloting e-learning and classroom projects as an instructional designer at BMO Financial Group, and teaching K-12 art. Bianca is passionate about how visual design and multimedia can help people learn, loves test-driving new technology, and collects photos of bizarre warning signs.

Session Description:

It can be tempting to dive straight into your eLearning development tool and start building the final product right away (especially when you’re crunched for time). But a bit of preplanning up front can end up saving you loads of design and development time in the long run.

Thumbnails, rough sketches, mockups, and prototypes: they may not be pretty, but they’re amazing for quickly testing out ideas, figuring out what does and doesn’t work, and iterating until you land on just the right solution. 

Session Objectives:

  • Why going straight to the final development tool actually costs you time in the long run and leads to less effective results.
  • Why sloppy and messy is better than pretty and polished in the early stages of a project.
  • How to strategically use those simple test designs in different eLearning situations.
  • List the appropriate graphic formats to export to for eLearning projects.

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate

Software/Platforms Used: This session is technology-agnostic.

Bring your own device: No

Scenarios, Simulations & Applied Learning Design:


Facilitator Bio:
Graham Herrick is a Global Training Manager at SCIEX, a Danaher operating company, where he drives global learning and enablement initiatives across the commercial organization. His work focuses on designing practical, human-centred learning experiences that improve decision-making and on-the-job performance. Graham specializes in workplace learning, digital transformation, and the responsible use of AI to support productivity, thinking, and continuous improvement. He holds a Master of Educational Technology from the University of British Columbia and works at the intersection of learning, technology, and organizational capability.

Session Description:
Informal learning at work has traditionally been social. People learned by asking colleagues, observing others, and solving problems together. Enterprise AI tools now allow employees to get answers privately, instantly, and without social interaction. This session explores how that shift affects learning, relationships, trust, and visibility within organizations. Drawing on adult learning theory and real workplace scenarios, the session examines what is lost when informal learning becomes invisible, what is gained, and why many traditional L&D interventions no longer work as intended. Rather than trying to force sharing or collaboration that no longer reflects how work happens, participants will learn how to design for knowledge circulation in AI-mediated environments. The session offers practical frameworks L&D professionals can apply immediately to rethink learning culture in an AI-enabled workplace.

Session Objectives:

  • Learn how informal workplace learning traditionally functioned and why it was socially visible
  • Learn how AI changes informal learning by making it private, faster, and harder to observe
  • Learn how invisible learning affects trust, relationships, and perceptions of expertise
  • Learn how to shift from designing for interaction to designing for knowledge circulation.

Session Audience: Intermediate, Advanced

Software/Platforms Used: Enterprise AI assistants
Generative AI tools used in workplace settings

Bring Your Own Device: No


Facilitator Bio:
Jacqueline Hutchinson, President of e-Learning Pros (ELP), doesn’t just build courses; she builds connections. Holding a BEdAE from Brock University and a BA from the University of Waterloo, she has spent the last two decades refining a design philosophy that marries adult learning theory with modern accessibility. She doesn’t just build courses; she builds connections, blending an accessibility-first mindset with a mobile-responsive technical approach, to achieve inclusive, engaging and memorable learning. Jacqueline adds an authentic voice into complex curriculum. She is a firm believer that no topic is too "dry" to be meaningful. Outside of the office, she enjoys the rhythm of knitting and the linguistic challenge of learning Korean.

Paul Schneider is Head of Product Marketing at dominKnow, where he leads go-to-market strategy, positioning, and growth for enterprise learning and content solutions. With over 25 years of experience in distance communication technologies across academic and corporate environments, Paul has led teams and initiatives spanning instructional design, training delivery, professional services, and product management. His work focuses on helping organizations scale high-quality, accessible learning and knowledge content. Paul holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Session Description:

Responsive eLearning is often equated with rigid templates, limited interactivity, and “one-size-fits-all” design. This session challenges that assumption. Drawing from real-world project experience, we explore how teams can design responsive learning that remains engaging, flexible, and effective, all without duplicating content or increasing maintenance effort.

Attendees will examine common constraints of template-driven tools and learn how to recognize when simplicity begins to limit instructional intent. Through practical examples, we’ll demonstrate design approaches that go beyond stacked layouts, support multiple learner audiences within a single course, and maintain accessibility and consistency at scale.

This session is ideal for teams managing growing course libraries and instructional designers looking to balance speed, quality, and long-term sustainability in responsive eLearning design. 

Session Objectives:

  • Challenge and debunk the myth that responsive eLearning must be basic or template-driven, and recognize what’s possible beyond stacked layouts
  • Practical design approaches for creating engaging, responsive layouts that support interaction, reflection, and learner choice
  • How to identify when a tool’s simplicity begins to limit instructional intent, engagement, and long-term sustainability
  • Design patterns for supporting multiple learner audiences within a single course, without duplicating content or increasing maintenance effort

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced

Software/Platforms: Articulate Rise
dominKnow | ONE

Bring your own device: No


Facilitator Bios:

Jill Stanton has more than 26 years of learning and development experience and a B.A. in Education, Theatre, English and Psychology. She loves the learning industry and the constant sharing and curiosity learning professionals foster. Her career has included designing and managing many different and award-winning learning projects, including: video, interactive video, eLearning, curriculum design, HR strategy, IT system development, performance support, learning strategy and design consulting, classroom training, and translation projects for clients across all industries.

Session Description:

What if your next breakthrough in eLearning design came from seeing your course through your learners’ eyes—and strengthening your personal brand at the same time? In this interactive session, you’ll explore how AI can accelerate learner persona creation and elevate your personal brand in the process. Using a practical 4-step workflow—gather information, analyze insights, write the persona, and use the persona—you’ll learn how to turn real-world data (surveys, interviews, transcripts, and observations) into design decisions that improve relevance and engagement. You’ll also learn how to use AI to create persona agents that represent learners’ perspectives, helping you test messaging, refine scenarios, and stress-check content before launch. Finally, you’ll see how an AI agent can efficiently generate content in your voice, aligned with your personal brand—so your brand stays consistent across all professional communications.

Session Objectives:

  • The benefits of learner personas in creating targeted, inclusive learning experiences
  • How to create inclusive, data-based learner personas in four steps, using AI to make the process more efficient
  • How to apply best practices from creating personas to create your personal brand persona
  • Develop strategies to communicate training value and demonstrate ROI to key stakeholders.
  • How to create and apply persona agents using AI

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced

Software/Platforms Used: Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, CoPilot, etc.


Facilitator Bio:

Megan Torrance is the CEO and founder of TorranceLearning, where she leads a team of learning experience designers & engineers in reimagining workplace learning. Her firm has served Fortune 1000 companies, major research universities, global professional associations, and federal agencies for over two decades. Megan brings a strategic vision that helps TorranceLearning bridge vision with execution—delivering innovative, data-informed, and learner-centered solutions.

Megan is the author of Agile for Instructional Designers, Data & Analytics for Instructional Designers, Making Sense of xAPI and the upcoming book, The AI Implementation Guide for L&D. 

Session Description:

Let's explore how Learning and Development professionals can lead meaningful, human-centered AI adoption across their organizations. Participants will be introduced to three practical tools: the AI Impact Zones, the W.I.S.E. A.T. A.I. framework for responsible implementation, and the AI Implementation Canvas—a strategic planning tool with fourteen dimensions to help teams navigate complexity with clarity. Through case studies and discussion, participants will engage with the Canvas to explore key implementation questions and build confidence in their role as AI change agents. Attendees will leave with a copy of the Canvas and a clearer sense of how L&D can lead, not just support, this transformation.

Session Objectives:

  • Navigate AI implementation efforts across the 3 AI Impact Zones for L&D
  • Use the AI Implementation Canvas tool to ask the right questions cross-functionally throughout the organization
  • Apply W.I.S.E. A.T. A.I. framework when using native GenAI use, AI power-ups in work tools, and when designing AI products and experiences for others
  • Confidently support their organization’s AI implementation efforts with collaboration, connection and confidence

Session Audience: Intermediate, Advanced

Software/Platforms Used: AI broadly, not specifically

Bring your own device: No


Facilitator Bio:
Tristia Hennessey is an instructional designer and tech strategist with 10+ years of experience designing and developing training. She specializes in designing large-scale blended curricula, simulations and games for learning, emerging and immersive modalities, generative AI, and pushing the limits of e-learning development tools. She currently consults on tech strategy for learning and leads project teams at Evolve Solutions Group.

Session Description:

Branching scenarios don’t have to be complicated to drive behavior change. In this session, we’ll show how simple, strategic branching can create meaningful learning experiences.

We’ll explore three utility examples drawn from real client challenges - regulatory compliance and safety reporting, operational process changes, and stakeholder communication. You’ll see how different approaches (consequence-based feedback, decision-tree processes, and perception of choice) can all be built from a single adaptable Storyline template.

We’ll then guide you in applying the framework to your own content, showing how it scales across training needs from simple to complex. You’ll receive a reusable template to experiment with after the session and leave with the design strategy and technical know-how to build effective scenario-based learning - without unnecessary complexity.

Session Objectives:

  • How to design simple branching scenarios with 3–5 decision points that drive behavior change
  • How the same branching framework can support different use cases, from compliance to communication
  • How consequence-based feedback, decision-tree logic, and perceived choice influence training outcomes
  • How intentional design choices—not complexity—create effective, scalable scenario-based learning

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced

Software/Platforms Used: Articulate Storyline, Figma, Twine, Office 365, ChatGPT/Claude/GenAI

Bring your own device: No

Accessibility, Inclusion & Human-Centred Learning:


Facilitator Bio:

Jane Bozarth is a veteran classroom trainer, eLearning designer, eLearning program manager, and author. The bulk of her long career was spent in North Carolina, USA, state government; she more recently served for 8 years as Director of Research for The Learning Guild.

Session Description:

AI-powered tools can help create tightly targeted personalized and adapted learning approaches to better suit individual differences spanning physical, cognitive, economic, behavioral, and geographical arenas. In this research-supported session Learning Guild Director of Research Jane Bozarth explores uses of these tools to better provide accessibility and access to all learners, and help remedy nagging problems with traditional instructional approaches –such as flexibility, true personalization, and scalability. Note: This session is less about web content (fonts and tabs and such) and more about AI-powered tools and apps for supporting learning and inclusion.

Session Objectives:

  • Articulate the challenges of varied populations AI-powered tools can help to serve
  • Identify solutions relevant to their own audiences
  • Discuss ethical concerns related to personalizing and adapting material, including ownership of data
  • Provide rationale for making use of AI-powered tools in organizational learning endeavors

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced

Software/Platforms Used: This could change by the end of May, but the session provides overviews of things like text-to-Braille generators, AI-enabled exoskeletons, adaptive lighting and seating, etc.

Bring your own device: No


Facilitator Bio:
Karen has been using technology to teach about technology since 1991 when she delivered instructor-led software applications classes. Later, as director of trainer development, she helped trainers improve skills and earn certifications. In 2004, Karen launched The eLearning Guild Online Forums, a series of conferences for eLearning professionals. She continues to support Best of DemoFest. Karen has hosted all Hearing First LLC sessions for those who support children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Karen contributed to “Design for All Learners: Create Accessible and Inclusive Learning Experiences” offering solutions and tools for effective webinars . This year, Karen lead the Virtual Engagement Lab at Training 2026 Conference & Expo.

Session Description:

Creating inclusive engagement in virtual and hybrid learning experiences requires intentional design and facilitation. How can we move beyond generic engagement strategies to ensure every learner—regardless of ability—can fully participate and connect?

Session Objectives:

  • Identify key accessibility barriers that impact engagement in virtual and hybrid learning environments.
  • Explore effective solutions, including captioning, alternative content formats, and intuitive navigation, to enhance accessibility.
  • Gain practical tools and examples to immediately implement in your own sessions.

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate

Software/Platforms Used: Zoom, LMSs generically, and Miro

Bring your own device: No


Facilitator Bio:

Ketki Yennemadi is a Senior Talent Development Partner with deep expertise in design thinking, organizational transformation, and AI‑driven capability building. She has led enterprise‑wide AI fluency initiatives, developed agentic AI solutions, and delivered large‑scale showcases that bring real‑world AI use cases to life. With advanced training in AI solution design and a strong foundation in change management and learning experience design, Ketki brings a human‑centered, future‑focused approach to accelerating digital transformation in healthcare.

Session Description:

This session explores how Design Thinking can serve as a practical, inclusive, and human‑centered framework to build AI fluency across diverse learner groups. By shifting the focus from tools to empathy, experimentation, and problem‑solving, participants learn how to reduce fear, increase confidence, and drive meaningful AI adoption. Through real organizational examples, the session demonstrates how Design Thinking enables teams to identify high‑value use cases, prototype AI‑supported workflows, and build readiness for emerging technologies. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to help learners move from awareness to confident, responsible AI use.

Session Objectives:

  • How to apply the stages of Design Thinking to build AI fluency in a way that centers user needs, reduces resistance, and supports meaningful adoption
  • Practical methods for identifying high‑value AI use cases by engaging learners, leaders, and stakeholders through empathy‑driven discovery
  • How to design and prototype AI‑enabled workflows that help teams move from conceptual understanding to confident, real‑world application
  • Strategies to create psychologically safe, inclusive learning experiences that empower learners to explore and responsibly use AI solutions

Session Audience: Novice

Software/Platforms Used: None

Bring your own device: No


Facilitator Bio:
Rabih Elkhodr is a keynote speaker and burnout recovery expert who helps organizations design learning experiences that support self-regulated performance. His work sits at the intersection of adult learning, organizational behavior, and burnout research, with a focus on reducing cognitive overload and improving knowledge transfer. Rabih advises L&D teams and leaders on how learning design choices influence attention, energy, and engagement in high-pressure environments. He is the author of The Way Out of Burnout (Manuscripts Press, coming 2026) and works with organizations to build learning that strengthens autonomy, retention, and sustained performance.

Session Description:

Self-regulation is often cited as a critical learner skill, yet many learning environments are designed in ways that actively undermine it. Burnout research offers valuable insights into how cognitive overload, prolonged effort, and poorly sequenced learning experiences erode learners’ capacity to regulate attention, energy, and performance.

This session bridges burnout research and learning design to help L&D professionals build learning experiences that support self-regulated learners rather than exhaust them. Participants will explore how common eLearning practices unintentionally impair learning transfer and engagement; and how small, intentional design shifts can dramatically improve outcomes.

Grounded in adult learning theory and real-world organizational examples, this session provides practical, tool-agnostic strategies to design learning that enhances autonomy, recovery, and sustained performance without increasing content or seat time.

Session Objectives:

  • How learning design decisions influence learners’ ability to self-regulate attention, effort, and pacing
  • How burnout research explains common patterns of disengagement, overload, and poor learning transfer in L&D programs
  • How to apply burnout-informed design principles to improve retention and on-the-job application without adding content
  • How to identify self-regulation breakdowns in existing learning experiences and redesign them for sustained performance

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced

Software/Platforms Used: Learning management systems, self-paced and blended eLearning experiences, virtual instructor-led training environments

Bring Your Own Device: No


Facilitator Bio:
Stephanie Hubka, CPTD wants to live in a world where learning is human at its core, anchored by experiences that celebrate joy, curiosity, and genuine connection. As the managing partner of Protos Learning, LLC, she provides strategic leadership on training and organizational performance solutions. She is a passionate contributor to the talent development field. She is a past Metro DC ATD Chapter president and served two terms as an ATD National Advisor for Chapters. She is a sought-after facilitator and speaker, particularly on storytelling and fostering connection within training environments. Her passion for training is equaled only by her love of travel; she has visited all 7 continents, more than 70 countries, and all 50 US states.

Session Description:

AI is transforming talent development—and storytelling is what keeps us relevant.

As AI continues to storm into the world of work, it’s clear that how we design and develop eLearning is changing at a rapid pace. AI is a valuable resource, but it can’t create experiences that truly resonate or drive meaningful business outcomes alone. eLearning comes alive through human connection, and storytelling remains our most powerful tool for building it. Stories build trust, activate the brain, and make learning more engaging and memorable. Content needs context, and that’s where instructional designers shine. When storytelling is embedded into training, learners connect more deeply with both the material and each other.

This hands-on session explores how AI can support eLearning design and delivery while storytelling humanizes AI-generated content. We’ll examine storytelling techniques that promote learning transfer and connection and learn how to leverage AI without sacrificing impact!

Session Objectives:

  • How AI can support eLearning design and delivery
  • How to apply a storytelling framework to select the right stories for a course
  • Which storytelling techniques increase learner engagement, connection, and knowledge retention
  • How to incorporate storytelling during the design process

Session Audience: Novice, Intermediate

Tools/Platforms Used: ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, eLearning platforms including Storyline

Bring your own device: No

Hot Topic Expert Panel (12:30-1:15)

Building on the morning keynote, this expert panel will take a deeper dive into what it means to lead in a skills-first world. We’ll examine how skills-based strategies differ from legacy competency models, what’s driving the shift, and the practical implications for organizations and learners. From questions of data ownership to the role of technology and inclusivity, this session offers real-world insights for L&D leaders navigating the changing landscape of work.

Panelists:


  1. Dr. Cindy Plunkett, Director of Talent Development & HR Technologies at PointClickCare (Keynote Speaker)
  2. Amanda Douglas-Young, CEO and Co-Founder of eClarity Learning Design System (Platinum Sponsor)
  3. Docebo, speaker name TBA (Platinum Sponsor)
  4. Absorb, speaker name TBA (Mixer Sponsor and Silver Sponsor)
  5. Dr. Jane Bozarth, Director of Research at The Learning Guild
Host:
Tracy Parish, CeLC Administrative Director, Chari