David Kelly’s Curated L&D Content for the Week of 3/30/20

David Kelly, Executive Director, The eLearning Guild

This week’s curated content includes links exploring the following:

• • Tips on how to increase your personal resilience during a crisis
  • Ideas on how to reduce the feelings of isolation when you work remotely
  • A curated list of options to take a virtual field trip to NYC
  • A fascinating look at cell phone data and what it tells us about social distancing
  • A list of board game apps that are a great source of fun, learning, and connections
  • How visual cues can help enhance learning

Coping with Fatigue, Fear, and Panic During a Crisis by Tony Schwartz and Emily Pines
The COVID-19 crisis spreads in two dangerous ways; there is the obvious danger of the virus itself spreading among the population, but there’s also the danger of the stress and anxiety it triggers spreading within ourselves, or families, and our organizations. This post by Tony Schwartz and Emily Pines places a spotlight on the latter concerns and gives tips on how we can be more resilient to the fears and fatigue that naturally emerge during a crisis like this.

Dealing with isolation as a remote worker by JD Dillon
During this crisis many people are working remotely over an extended period for the first time. While the initial focus likely goes towards productivity and the flow of work caused by the disruption, another challenge that people need to work through is the feeling of isolation that can emerge from suddenly no longer being in the same physical space as the rest of the team. This post by JD Dillon shares a number of great ideas to stay connected and engaged as you navigate this period of working from home. 

NY on the go: Here are the best ways to experience New York from the comfort of your home by K Pillai
I live a short drive from New York City; it’s stunning to see how much the city has shut down in response to the COVID-19 crisis. It’s also amazing to see how much New York has responded in staying connected as a community and culture. This post by K Pillai curates a plethora of content that enables you to engage with NYC virtually during this crisis. From Broadway, to comedy, to family-friendly activities and more, there are days’ worth of entertainment options. I also share it here as it shows multiple examples of how many organizations are taking traditionally in-person experiences and pivoting them to online environments. 

Cell phone tracking analysis shows where Florida Springbreakers and New Yorkers fleeing coronavirus went to next by Common Dreams
I share this post by Common Dreams for a few reasons. First, it’s a great example of why the current focus on “Social Distancing” is so important. Second, it’s an amazing display of data be used to provide intelligence that wasn’t available to us before. Lastly, it’s also a post that triggers questions pertaining to privacy. All three reasons are worth exploring further and reflecting on their implications.. 

8 Great Board Games Available as Apps by Michael Walsh
One of the many reasons I love games is the inspiration they provide for the activities and experiences I build. Given the current Stay at Home directives many of us find ourselves under, games are also a great way to pass time and engage with each other. This post by Michael Walsh highlights a number of great board game apps, some of which can be played with others online.

Use Visual Cues To Enhance Learning by Connie Malamed
How easy is it for users to learn from the programs you design and develop? On of the best ways to make it easier for people to learn is to remove their focus from trying to figure out what they need to pay attention to and do next. This post by Connie Malamed looks at the role visual cues play in your designs and how they can enhance learning.

Stay Home, Stay Connected

Even in this unprecedented time of crisis, our learning is important. The eLearning Guild is fully committed to continuing to be a source of community, connection, and learning during the challenging weeks ahead.

We will be increasing the frequency of our online conferences and events, many of which will be available free to our members (Membership is also free).

Our guiding principle at the Guild is “Together We Are Better”. It shapes every decision we make and has arguably never been more important than the moment we are in right now.

We’re all going to be home a lot more than usual over the next few weeks, and our team is focused on creating new resources to solve the problems we’re going to need to deal with in the short-term, while we look forward to continuing to support the professional development needs our profession will need in the long-term.

If you have any thoughts on how we can better serve the community during this difficult time, please feel free to send me an email with your thoughts.

Be well, be healthy, and wash your hands.