Oliver Schinkten

PDFs are one of the biggest accessibility challenges in higher ed—and fixing them is critical for Title II readiness. Anthology Ally’s new PDF Quick Fixes make remediation easy, directly in the LMS, with no extra tools or training. See how simple fixes lead to big impacts. Read more: https://ow.ly/tjkZ50X1Qqz #DigitalAccessibility #HigherEd #Ally #TitleIICompliance

42

What a week this has been for AI for instructional designers. Sora 2 is out so that we can quickly create high-quality AI videos (has anyone had a chance to dive deep with it yet?) Open AI just released their agent builder to make automating tasks with AI decision-making even easier. Seedream 4.0 is the latest image generation model, and it is REALLY good at creating consistent characters for eLearning. I personally have been creating an MCP server for my business to serve as our "AI Operating System" and I haven't been this excited about what AI is capable of in a while. Oh, and last week I created a voice-powered, real-time AI experience in Storyline (just a prototype, nothing fancy yet). The next generation of AI-powered eLearning roleplaying experiences is coming soon... Did I miss anything? What has AI been doing for you or your team lately? What are you most excited about? #LinkedInWithDevlin #InstructionalDesign #ArtificialIntelligence #AIforLearning #eLearning

186

44 Comments

If you’re an educator or curriculum designer looking to integrate creativity into your courses, this is worth bookmarking. Adobe Express Learning Kits offer practical, ready-to-use templates and lesson plans designed to make creative projects accessible across disciplines. Whether it’s visual storytelling, digital literacy, or engaging students in new ways, these kits provide a starting point that saves time and sparks ideas. Explore the resource here: 👉 Adobe Express Learning Kits https://lnkd.in/d2eYEDuN #HigherEd #CreativeLearning #AdobeExpress #DigitalSkills #EducationInnovation

20

🎮 #Storytime from the eLearning world I’m on a call with a potential client. They say it’s a “small request.” Spoiler alert: It’s a 220-slide PowerPoint deck—charts, text-heavy slides, stock photos, the works. 😅 …and this is how it went.. Them: We want this turned into a 30-minute gamified eLearning module. Me: Great! Let’s trim the fluff, focus on learner goals, and add some sparkle.✨ Them: No, we want everything included—stories, case studies, quizzes, games. Also, keep it short, what do they say these days? Ah microlearning! You know… attention spans these days. 🙄 Me: How do we fit all of that in without overwhelming the learner? 👀 🤔 Them: You’re the eLearning expert—you’ll figure it out. 🤷🏽‍♀️ Four meetings, endless emails later… we’re still not aligned. 🎯 Takeaway: ✅ Understand your learners’ needs. ❌ Microlearning ≠ 30 minutes of nonstop info overload. We eLearning developers are magicians—but we do appreciate a little ✨realism✨ with the abracadabra. 🪄😉 #eLearning #Instructionaldesign #Learningexperiencedesign #Gamifiedlearning #Microlearning #Clientdiaries #Traininganddevelopment #LXD

58

16 Comments

When you design eLearning scenarios, remember that real-world decisions aren’t always “right” or “wrong.” Instead, try to present options that are okay, good, better, and best. This approach will help your learners understand the differences and potential outcomes between the decision choices. Let them explore a bit. The learning will get better.

16

3 Comments

What do you like the most about authoring tool?🚀 👉 A standout authoring tool excels when it blends powerful multimedia support with flexible, brand-aligned design—allowing instructional designers to embed engaging videos, craft visually rich long pages, and maintain consistent branding through customizable layouts and styles. 👌 The best platforms also offer rapid update capabilities, enabling course content to evolve in tune with new product launches or regulatory changes. 👍 When paired with automatic translation or localization workflows, such tools empower brands to deliver dynamic, high-quality training globally and with zero compromise on aesthetics or intuitiveness.

20

8 Comments

We’re proud to share how Talent Together, a coalition of over 40 Michigan districts and ISDs, is revolutionizing teacher preparation through registered apprenticeships. Utilizing Craft Education System, they’ve built a scalable system to manage 80+ partners, track 250+ apprentices, and simplify reporting across a statewide initiative—all while reducing admin burden and keeping equity at the center. ➡️ Read the full case study: https://lnkd.in/gRfcQT35 #Apprenticeship #TeacherTraining #EdTech #WorkforceDevelopment #K12 #TalentTogether #CraftEducation

16

If you’re only learning about instructional design through the lens of building a portfolio, using an eLearning authoring tool, or updating your resume…I’ve got some tough news: You’re not really learning instructional design. You’re learning how to market yourself, use a tool, and translate your experience. Those things matter if you’re job hunting…but they are not instructional design. I see a lot of people doing impressive things with portfolios, tools, and resumes that don’t translate to the day-to-day work of being an instructional designer. And this is where people get tripped up. Career development ≠ skills development. Are they connected? Absolutely. Are they the same thing? Not even close. Too often, career-focused efforts take priority over building real, tangible skills. You end up with a polished website, but no substance that shows how you think or solve problems. You build a slick eLearning project, but can’t perform many of the other core instructional design tasks. You stack keywords on a resume, but struggle to explain what any of it actually means in practice. When that happens, you create the illusion of a professional instructional designer…without the skills or judgment required to succeed in the real world. That’s why, in 2026, I’m drawing very clear lines between what I offer for career development and what I offer for skills development. My philosophy for The eLearning Designer’s Academy hasn’t changed…and won’t change: Grow your career by focusing on skills first. Because when you focus on skills first, everything else gets easier. Portfolios get easier to build. Resumes get easier to write. Interviews get easier to navigate. You’re no longer trying to convince someone you’re an instructional designer—you’re simply showing the work. That’s the difference. Skills first. Stay tuned for what’s to come. 😉 —Tim #eLearning #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment

135

27 Comments

You can’t bridge learning and work with systems that can’t talk to each other. To make education-to-employment pathways real, higher ed needs more than vision. They need the right technology partners that can extend their capacity to modernize, integrate, and scale learning experiences built for learners. Catch Tom in #Memphis this week to learn how Magic helps institutions scale faster by outsourcing the technical lift, so they can stay focused on designing programs that thrive. #EdTech #Tennesse #HigherEd #CaelConf #LifelongLearning #Conference #WorkforceDevelopment CAEL

16

📊 Explore how Kiddom’s assessments and reporting help teachers take the right next step without hesitation or overload. Standards-based reports with AI-powered and auto grading, embedded assessments, and real-time instructional supports give teachers actionable insights and more time to help students thrive. Read more on the blog: https://hubs.li/Q03QPnLX0

19

Teachers are experts in time management—but the system isn’t set up to support them. In our latest report, we outline research-backed recommendations to make teaching more sustainable and impactful: ✅ Reimagine staffing structures to allow collaboration ✅ Adopt high-quality instructional materials ✅ Reduce unnecessary admin tasks ✅ Build systems that prioritize instructional time ✅ Respect boundaries around teachers’ time and energy If we want students to thrive, we need to start by protecting the time of the people who teach them. 📘 Download the executive summary: https://ow.ly/ReBO50WChCA #TimeToTeach #SupportTeachers #BackToSchool

31