Six Red Marbles

The syllabus should be considered part of the student experience. “I recognize that students bring a wide range of experiences, identities, and responsibilities to this course. If there’s anything I can do to make this learning environment more inclusive or accessible for you, I invite you to let me know." I read this in a syllabus for a course I was reviewing and wow. That single sentence in a syllabus can do more than outline expectations. It can make a student feel seen. I felt seen and I'm not even taking the course. Too often, syllabi are treated as legal disclaimers. I remember the ones I had in undergrad and grad school, twelve pages of policies, grading rubrics, deadlines, and institutional language, written to protect the course and faculty, not welcome me, the learner. The syllabus is really the first moment of trust built in a course between student and faculty/instructor. It sets the tone before any lecture, discussion post, or assignment. And it tells students what kind of space they’re stepping into. A syllabus should help students get oriented. It should help them feel capable of navigating the experience ahead. And it should send a clear message: Your experience, your motivation, and curiosity are welcomed here. The next semester is around the corner...maybe take a look at your syllabus and see if there are opportunities to make it more inviting for your students? Of course if ever you need help or know a college that does, ping me. #HigherEd Six Red Marbles

Beyond the Billable Hour: Leading a Culture of Continuous Growth in ID 🚀 As leaders in instructional design, especially client-facing, we face a unique challenge: balancing urgent deliverables with our teams' crucial need to keep learning. It's easy for professional development to slide when billable hours loom. But I've found that prioritizing continuous growth isn't a luxury; it's essential for sustained team excellence. Here’s how I build a thriving development culture, even in high-demand environments: Advocate for Dedicated Learning Time & Resources ⏱️ I actively push for allocated time and budget for professional development. This means: * Protecting Calendars: Encouraging "learning sprints" or specific non-billable hours. * Investing in Access: Ensuring easy access to courses, workshops, and online learning. Implement Internal Learning Initiatives ✔️ The best knowledge often lives within your team. We leverage this by: * Biweekly Meeting Skills Build: Dedicated sessions for sharing insights from new tools or projects. * Mentorship & Peer Coaching: Pairing experienced designers to foster organic knowledge transfer. * Knowledge Hubs: Accessible internal resources for best practices and lessons learned. Model Continuous Learning Yourself ❤️🩹 As leaders, we set the tone. I make a point to visibly engage in my own development, sharing what I'm learning and asking questions. This makes learning a normal, celebrated part of our professional identity. Integrate Growth into Performance & Recognition 📈 Development shouldn't be an add-on. We: * Set Growth Goals: Incorporate learning objectives into individual plans. * Recognize & Celebrate: Publicly acknowledge team learning achievements. This shows their growth is genuinely valued. Cultivating continuous growth transforms an ID team from responsive to proactive and innovative. It’s an investment that boosts skills, morale, resilience, and ultimately, client success. How do you ensure your instructional design team keeps learning amidst client demands? Share your strategies below! #InstructionalDesign #LXDLeadership #ProfessionalDevelopment #TeamGrowth #ContinuousLearning #TalentDevelopment #LearningCulture #ClientServices #Leadership #IDCommunity #Upskilling #WorkforceDevelopment

Demystifying Complex Content: Leading IDs to Simplify and Engage 🧠💡 As leaders, we face an exciting challenge daily: transforming complex information into clear, impactful learning. It's an art, making sure learners grasp tricky concepts without feeling overwhelmed. Here's how I guide my team: Always Start with the Learner 🥇 My core rule: the learner always comes first. We dig into who they are and their challenges, stripping away unnecessary info. Empathy drives every design choice. Embrace Visuals and Stories 🖼️ Walls of text are out. We champion compelling visuals, infographics, and relatable stories to make complex ideas digestible and memorable. It's about making content stick. Collaborate Deeply with SMEs 👥 Our SMEs are goldmines, and effective simplification is a team sport. We train IDs to engage them as genuine partners, not just content providers. This means: * Asking the "Why" behind the "What." * Guiding content prioritization. * Translating jargon. * Iterative review for accuracy and clarity. Champion Clarity and Conciseness 🔚 Less is almost always more. I push my team to be ruthless editors, asking: "Can this be said more simply? Is every word necessary?" Precision, not just brevity, is key. Leverage Iterative Prototyping ♻️ We don't wait for "perfect." We use rapid prototyping and gather feedback early and often from diverse audiences. This helps us quickly spot complexity and refine our approach before major development. Leading a team that shines at demystifying complex content is incredibly rewarding. It’s about building a bridge between intricate knowledge and true understanding, empowering learners and delivering genuine value. What are your biggest headaches simplifying complex learning topics, and how do you get past them? ⁉️ #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment #LXD #Leadership #ContentStrategy #Simplification #SMECollaboration #LearningDesign #TrainingAndDevelopment #Elearning #CorporateLearning

Years ago, I worked with a team of faculty and academic leaders to launch an online social work degree. The commitment to create an impactful degree for working professionals was palpable. The program launched on schedule and enrollment exceeded initial projections. But then a trickle started to surface. A few students dropped out- “ok, that is to be expected.” Others cut back to one course- “hmm.” Some took unexpected leaves after their first or second semester- “uh-oh, something is wrong here.” Retention took a dip—and no one could quite explain why- yikes! Student surveys didn’t help. The comments were vague. General frustrations, but nothing specific enough to act on. So we dug deeper. We mapped every course, every assignment, reading, discussion post, and study session. What we found was eye-opening. The workload for the first-year courses required two to three times more than the on-ground program. For working professionals, it was too much. The workload didn’t match the needs of the students the program was designed for. We made targeted changes. Shortened readings. Replaced some with video summaries. Used synchronous time for reflection instead of static discussion boards. The results were immediate. Retention improved. Students re-engaged. Course feedback became more thoughtful and direct. That experience taught me something I carry into every project: Students don’t always tell you what’s wrong. But they show you through their actions. The lesson: If your program serves adult learners, set aside time every term to audit the actual workload. Not just the syllabus—but what students experience in real time. Also, I highly recommend investing in a seat time calculator, which we (Six Red Marbles) can create for you. It’s one of the simplest ways to prevent small cracks from becoming big retention problems. #onlinelearning