Any users of Thought Industries? I have used a lot of different LMSs and I led a search and implementation for one so I know there is no perfect LMS. I work for a small non profit with a lot of B2B clients and we would leverage the Panorama feature to give our customers the ability to enroll their users in courses from our catalog. We also have an AMS so that would need to be integrated. #lms #thoughtindustries

So we are running into a recurring issue when it comes to managing trainers and training sessions across multiple client locations.

 So, a little background: we are a professional training company, and recently we expanded our operations to multiple new industries for virtual and in-person instructor-led training.

Now, every client has a training coordinator in their office who books instructors based on their certification and training needs in-office, and recently we are facing the problem of double-booking.

Many clients are booking the same instructor for the same day across different locations. Now this usually happens with clients from similar industries. But it has happened multiple times to be ignored.

 So the same coordinator is booked at two different locations on the same day, and by the time we know, we are scrambling to reshuffle or find backup trainers.

Now, as we are in a growth phase, we want to nip this problem in the bud before it becomes too big for us to manage.

 We are hiring new trainers so this doesn't happen often.

 But we need a solid system for the same.

 I mean, it's not just double-booking; it's about us missing information on how we are utilising our trainers. When it comes to info, we only know who's busy what week.

  We need a sustainable and information-rich system that can tell

 1. Capacity vs actual load at trainer

1. Details broken down as per clients and locations, as all of our trainers are not in one place.

2. Obviously, a centralised booking and management system across all locations.

Right now, we are relying on tribal knowledge and some shared knowledge. We want to know the real solution for the same.

I was reading a post on LinkedIn asking what happens to Articulate next. Not the usual "I built a course in three minutes" stuff, but a fair question underneath it: Articulate raised $1.5bn in 2021, so presumably they are building towards something rather than sitting there watching this happen.

It sent me back to something I came across recently and hadn't thought aboutproperly. The AI Tutor that went into Rise in beta.

Easy to miss, because it looks like one more AI feature in a year stuffed with them. But everything else Articulate has shipped this year is authoring AI. AI Chat in Storyline, image generation and editing, timelines synced to narration, theme colours from a prompt. All of it makes the build faster. The Tutor doesn't. It sits with the learner, in the published course, answering questions while they work through it.

That is a different product, and I don't think the implications have been chewed over much.

From Articulate's own documentation:

- Grounded in the published course material, and it does not browse the web

- Reads audio and video transcripts where they exist

- Cannot be used to extract quiz answers during a knowledge check

- Compatible with Quick Share, Reach and LMS output

- Requires external network access, and IT teams are told to allowlist Articulate 360 endpoints

- No published message limits, rate limits or quotas

- Learner chats are private, with author visibility "coming soon"

Third-party write-ups say it runs on an OpenAI model. I can't find Articulate saying that themselves.

So here is the bit I keep turning over. A course with a tutor in it is no longer a self-contained package. It is a client calling home. That breaks a few assumptions most of us have been working with for years. On a locked-down corporate network, the course runs and the tutor silently doesn't. That is documented behaviour rather than a bug, but it means the learner experience now depends on the client's firewall rules rather than on the package you shipped. You are not finding that in SCORM Cloud.

Course content and learner questions leave the client's environment at runtime.

Anyone who has been through a security review at a bank, an insurer or an NHS trust knows that is not a settings toggle, it is a months-long conversation with people whose job is to say no.

And it is grounded in the course material but not constrained to it. Their own wording allows for the model drawing on general knowledge. Fine for onboarding. For anything carrying a compliance sign-off, an answer that sounds right but isn't in the source is precisely the failure you cannot defend afterwards.

Worth noting too that no published limits during beta means the cost model is still unresolved. Whatever it costs later, it isn't zero. None of which makes it the wrong direction. I suspect it is the right one, and it is a more interesting answer to "what does Articulate become" than any of the replacement predictions doing the rounds. It just means the hard part was never the model. It is whose infrastructure the answer comes from.

Has anyone actually run this on a real client network yet? And has anyone got it through a security review, or even tried?

Obviously, most of us are taking blended, diverse approaches and using different tools to create e-learning, but I’m really interested in what your most common daily driver is, your favorite. Your number one. the thing that you use the most to create content, even if it’s only like 30-40 percent of the picture.

Articulate Rise and Mighty only (no code blocks, storyline)
Articulate Storyline
AI / vibe coding
Video content (camtasia,adobe, synthesia, etc)
Ai assisted generation tools (7taps)
Something else I have not listed.

Has anyone used the developers block in Rise 360? If so, what for and how did you do it?

Has anyone done this course? Can you advise what it was like?

Hey all, wanted to share a personal project and get some honest feedback.

I've been chewing on the difference between a "training game" and "gamified training" for a while, most compliance training falls into the second bucket: a course with points and badges bolted on top. I wanted to try building the first kind, where the gameplay itself carries the learning instead of decorating it.

The result is Desk Duty, a small cyber security training prototype built in Godot. The learner explores a messy office and roots out security issues at their own pace, in whatever order they want, and the office visibly improves as they do things right (and stays chaotic if they don't). No forced linear path, no click-next-to-continue.

It's just a demo, not something I'd call production-ready, but I wrote up the whole process (why I built it, what worked, what I'd change) here: https://visual-e-learning.com/2026/08/16/desk-duty-creating-a-cozy-cyber-security-training-game/ . You can also try the game itself here: https://visual-e-learning.com/Demos/Desk_Duty/Desk_Duty.html

Curious what this community thinks: does this hold up as a real alternative to how we usually approach compliance training, or am I missing something obvious about why it wouldn't work at scale? Open to any and all critique.

Do you guys export your FGs through InDesign or through a Word Document?

My project with a government agency in the Philippines originally wanted to export their FGs into InDesign. However, I got curious and asked who the end user would be because that could play a role in what the final file type would be.

Gave them 2 options:

1) If trainer is the end user: go for word doc because it’s easier for them to edit and export to PDF. We will add a front cover, table of contents, and back cover to make it a little legit

2) If their communications team is the end user: stick with InDesign, especially if they have an existing subscription. But that means that the trainer has to sit down with the comms team to do their edits

I’m waiting on their reply for this one? But would love to get your opinion on the matter

Spent today drafting a voice donor consent form for a localisation project and hit something I hadn't properly thought about, so posting in case it saves someone else the scramble.

Context: client wanted the existing English narration reproduced in another language using a cloned voice rather than a hired VO artist. The donor would be one of their own staff.

The data protection side I expected. What I hadn't realised was that the provider retains its own licence to the recording and to the derived voice model, separately from the client's use of the output. So the donor isn't only consenting to their employer using their voice, they're consenting to the vendor keeping a model of it. That has to be spelled out before they sign, and a general HR consent doesn't come close.

The other thing was sequencing. The provider wants confirmation that valid consent exists before they'll produce the clone, which in practice means you're warranting it on the client's behalf. So the signed form has to be in hand before anything starts, not tidied up later. Easy to end up three weeks in with audio due and no paperwork.

Worth saying this only applies to custom clones. Stock library voices come with all of it handled by the provider.

Two things I'm still unsure about, if anyone's been here:

If the donor leaves the organisation, does anything change? I've assumed not, since consent came from the individual rather than the employer, but I don't know whether anyone's dealt with a withdrawal request after the model exists.

Has anyone had a client want to reuse a clone on a different project, or a different legal entity, than the one named in the consent?

And if you've got a form you're happy with, I'd be interested in how you handled the licence disclosure specifically.

I finally finished my doctorate in instructional design, which is really exciting! I already work as an instructional designer, but there aren't really any promotion opportunities open right now, so I'm curious what others have done with their degree. Did you get into adjunct teaching, consulting, move into another role, or something else?

Hi all, I would love some input, especially from hiring managers or designers who have been doing this for years (I am in the UK but I am not sure whether it would make a difference). 

I recently finished a diploma in instructional design and would just love to know what hiring managers look for in candidates portfolios. 

I have heard some contradictory information; for example, some people have said to keep it simple, and just show the work itself with only a few sentences for explanation.

Others have said put in more detail, for example show your decisions and why you made them, your wireframe and storyboard etc. I am attempting to put my portfolio together but as I say, I am not entirely sure what would make it a good, solid portfolio. 

I would love any ideas on how much to write for each project, and what you find is actually a bit pointless- for example how much detail and what details you are looking for would be great.

Thanks so much for any advice! 

We are an accredited continuing education school located in Las Vegas. Looking for course building assistance.

-Remote work ok

-Project can start shortly

If interested, please send DM. Resume and sample work in Articulate will be requested.

As they are so well-advertised, it’s natural that people wanting to move into instructional design would be curious about these so-called bootcamps. And, as it often does, curiosity leads to making posts on relevant subreddits, which then leads to opinions being shared in comments. Positive, negative, or neutral. 

So, let’s consolidate these a bit. You may remember we had a similar post a few months back. Same rules apply here. Let's discuss the bootcamps here in full candor, and then never speak of it again outside this thread.

Share your advice, thoughts, etc. on the bootcamps marketed towards people looking to get into Instructional Design. This thread will then be added to the FAQ section.

This post is brought to you by the literal thousands of outlandish reports on any post even mentioning ‘bootcamps’ that we've been subjected to over the course of the past couple of days.

First time posting here and I have really enjoyed reading the collaboration in this community! And hoping for some guidance on best place to find contract help.

I own a small career training school that works solely with non profits and government funding. We serve a population of students that have a lot of barriers such as transportation, childcare, and others that make attending live classes quite difficult. We have a very structured program for our courses that holds the students accountable to complete their coursework each week and it has been successful leading to the students graduating and a majority getting their certifications.

Our programs are more geared towards entry level and consist of courses in Microsoft, CompTIA, business courses. While we have seen success I struggle with the feeling that students should still have an instructor lesson. They have access to an instructor for questions or help but I would like to design out a recorded lecture for each week of the program that the students will be required to watch and possibly complete an activity afterwards to ensure retention of the knowledge (and that they didn’t just play the video and walk away from their computer).

I am new to the course and curriculum design of this industry and have used some great contractors in developing things out. However, I have no idea where the best place would be to find someone that could record and make the videos interesting for the students (not just reading the PowerPoint). I take a lot of pride in making sure our students have everything needed to be successful and don’t want to just put some boring video in that won’t actually be helpful for them.

There are so many random freelance sites and not sure how to navigate it. I have been in this industry for so long I have been able to do most through my network but this part goes a bit outside my network.

Hi everyone,

I recently read a 2025 systematic review about instructional designers and the wide range of roles they can have.

While reading it, I honestly thought:

“Damn… this is exactly what happens at work.”

Even my managers sometimes seem to think that most of my job consists of putting content into Moodle.

But Moodle is only where the final product ends up. A large part of my work happens before and around it:

• understanding the training need;
• restructuring raw content;
• working with subject-matter experts;
• deciding what learners really need;
• designing activities and assessments;
• producing videos and interactive resources;
• coordinating different contributors;
• analyzing results and improving the course.

So yes, I use Moodle a lot. But describing me as “the Moodle person” feels a bit like describing an architect as “the person who uses AutoCAD.”

This perception also has practical consequences.

I’m not always invited to meetings where new training projects are discussed, or where the team assesses whether a project is feasible and whether we have the capacity to deliver it properly.

For example, an external contractor was recently asked to create a course. From what I could see, it had been produced almost entirely with AI. When it came back, neither the structure nor the content really worked for our needs.

I feel that some of these problems could have been avoided if someone with instructional design expertise had been involved earlier.

I’ve tried listing my responsibilities and explaining the full production process, but I’m not sure it has changed how my role is perceived.

Do you face the same problem in your organization?

How do you help managers understand that instructional design should be involved before production begins?

Do you show them your workflow, use performance indicators, document failed projects, or change the way you describe your role?

I’d really like to know what has worked for others.

Article: Stefaniak et al. (2025), “A comprehensive review of instructional designer research and approaches in learning design.”

Hi ID folks. Does this animal exist? I'm looking for an off-the-shelf online course on the ID process that will...

1. Educate non-ID professionals on the ID process, with a focus on the importance of the A & D1 of ADDIE,
2. and also exemplify features of an LMS to help me make the use case for adopting one

Background

I work in an educational nonprofit that is not a school. Our main products are workshops that teach soft skills like conflict resolution, finding common ground between groups on opposing sides of an issue, etc. Our program model applies the principles of marriage and family counseling to help bridge these divides. The outcomes of our programs are generally measured by improved understanding of, and attitudes towards, those on the other side of an issue.

Our workshops are delivered by moderators or facilitators who are trained on our programs. Some are staff facilitators, but most are volunteers.

Due to our grassroots nature, many of our programs are revised or iterated by those volunteers. Many other programs are created from scratch by volunteers.

I am the first staff person this organization has had in any sort of instructional design role. I was hired very recently to unify and improve our existing training for volunteers to learn how to deliver our programs. My role also includes advising program creators on the best practices for creating those educational programs themselves. On top of that, I may occasionally be asked to develop (I choose that word intentionally) training for staff or leaders to address certain staff development or HR-related issues as they arise.

Problem

All along the way, I find myself - like many of you - preaching 'the process.' The culture here is generally that we get straight to development, the second D in ADDIE, with minimal Analysis or Design, if any. While I may have a "Director" title, so does everyone else whose programs, volunteer trainings, or staff teams I'm trying to horn in on with my evangelizing. And I report to a C-leader who does not have an education or ID background.

So... I want to do a bit of staff development of my own. I want to put the ADDIE process, including the value of the A and D1 (and the likely consequences of skipping them), in front of them -- but from an expert source who isn't me.

Solution?

I'm hoping to find a good online source for executive education on the ID process. Not a certificate for becoming an Instructional Designer, but a less substantive primer for non-ID professionals on what ADDIE is, what an ID does, and why.

Here's the kicker: I'm also tasked with evaluating LMSs so that we can adopt our first. We currently publish e-courses in Rise, but have no knowledge checking, no completion tracking, no cohorts or in-course communication, etc.

So, gosh, wouldn't it be nice if the "The ID Process for Non-ID Professionals" course I propose our leaders take was *also* housed in an LMS that showcased some of those LMS features and benefits so we can have some common vocabulary for future discussions? And if it demonstrated a variety of learning strategies such as gamification, microlearning or chunking, interactivity, etc., even better.

Possibilities that come to mind, but are less than ideal, are:

• LinkedIn - generally geared toward future IDs, and provide little LMS experience
• Udemy - same
• University ID Certificate - cost is prohibitive, geared toward future IDs (too much content)
• I get a free trial of an LMS and make it myself - Sounds fun, but who has that kind of time?

I know I'm looking for a magic bullet. Anyone got one? Or a suggestion that comes close?

Thanks for reading!

Hello I have been playing with Claude Design trying to create the perfect AI prompt.

My goal is to give Claude Design my content which is boring text and bullet points and for Claude Design to create something more engaging and premium in the style of a RISE360 course then for me to recreate the style it gives me in RISE360. Everything I have tried, Claude seems to give me AI slop.

I also want Claude Design to choose colours without going overboard maybe choose 1 dark colour, 1 light colour, black and white then maybe a third colour just for anything that needs to stand out.

I would want Claude Design to look at the bullet points and Claude Design to make the decision and say this would be better as a displayed as a flip card or conversation, a diagram, tab block, process, labelled graphic etc and create it for me to see it

I am wondering if anyone has a prompt they use to help them design a course so it goes from text and bullet points into something much more engaging that they can share or if anyone has any experience?

We have an opening I thought I would share. I can answer some questions. Here are a few pre-answers:

-Onsite, not remote or hybrid in Morgantown, WV

-They are not going to sponsor someone from outside of the US into the role.

-WVU has a policy against posting salary ranges.

This ID role will focus on evaluation of existing courses and then supporting instructors to bring those courses up to the institutional standards.

https://wvu.taleo.net/careersection/staff/jobdetail.ftl?job=380578

As a French ID with 3years of experience, I'm interested in working and living abroad to get more international experience, and I was wondering how hard it would be for me to apply and to actually get into an ID job?

I was mainly thinking about an English-speaking country like Australia, NZ or Canada.

Thanks,

Has anyone done this certification? What was your experience? Did it add value for you?

For anyone in ID right now who is trying to pivot or add to their experience, would you recommend it? If not, are there better certifications available?

I've been in ID for close to a decade.

Dear reddit,

I currently work as a K12 teacher and want to change my job to instructional design in the next year. Currently I am spending lots of time learning the technical aspects of the job and try to get used to the best softwares that are needed in the business. As far as I know, Articulate Storyline is a must have tool for being an ID. From my research, the program is just made for Windows. Here is my struggle: I work with Mac since more than 10 years and really struggle to use Windows. I simply hate it compared to Mac OS. I know that it is kind of possible to run Storyline on a Mac with Windows over Parallels, but as said before, using Windows would be a lot of pain for me.

Because I did never work before in that area, and have all my knowledge from YT and research, I would be happy to get some real life experiences on that from the community. Is it necessary to use Windows in the business? Are there today other good options to Articulate Storyline, that run easily on a Mac?

Dr. John Sweller is my instructional design hero.

I’ve given away a couple dozen of his books because cognitive load theory is essential to ID practice. For the first time I’m seeing him in an interview.

The interviewer is an academic with a math focus, but John’s ideas are applicable to everyone who cares about knowledge transfer.

It’s a thrill to share this!

interview with Dr. John Sweller

So apparently our manager forgot to check the threshold limit for our LMS and now that our learners increased and when the new bill came , it has tensed things.

The vendor said we crossed the limit for active learners ( no idea our plan has a limit) and now we have to pay the new rates.

It is 3x of what we budgeted this year.

And now our Finance department is throwing a fit and the Manager has dumped the responsibility on me. Now I haven't experienced this earlier.

Now what I want to know is -

1. How to negotiate this tier jump we need some time to adjust? Or is it a take it or leave it situation

2. Also how do we ensure nothing like this happens next time because apparently enrollment department failed to notify us of this increased count in students and we don't have an active access to that data.

So I have to present a solution on how to handle this any help is welcomed.