UX Your Staff Training

UX Your Staff Training

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
The more I learn about UX (User Experience) research, the more I love it and feel the pull to change careers. This got me thinking; I can apply UX principles to training and instructional design and enjoy the best of both worlds.  UX Defined  If UX research is new to you, it is the systematic study of target users and their needs to add realistic parameters to design processes. UX researchers center the user’s experience early on in the design process, and researchers use various methods to uncover problems and design opportunities. Good UX research is done by carefully selecting the best methods to obtain the necessary information you need to collect from possible users of your product. UX research categorizes these research design methods in two ways: attitudinal, you listen to what users say—e.g., in interviews, and behavioral – you see what users do through observational studies. Data can be collected both quantitatively and qualitatively. It is also most effective when...
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Using Kahoot

Using Kahoot

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
Think about the last time you played a game. How did it make you feel? Games and polls are a great way to engage teams during virtual meetings. Kahoot allows you to gamify your organization’s training and onboarding. This intuitive online platform is free for all educators and relatively inexpensive for paid memberships. You can easily create quizzes, games, and polls that can be shared during team meetings or even go so far as to create versatile blended learning solutions, including self-paced courses. Seamlessly host Kahoots via any video conferencing platform, including Google Hangouts, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams.  One of my favorite ways to use Kahoot! Is as an icebreaker to build motivation and facilitate a strong group learning dynamic. You will want to prep your quiz or poll in advance and then get a shared link to drop into the chat box of your video conferencing tool of choice. Once participants click on that link they will be asked to...
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Using Padlet

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
What's a Padlet? In its purest form, a Padlet is a digital pinboard. You can dress it up or dress it down. These pinboards have received significant attention and usage in the education world with the rise of digital learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But they also have great potential to help increase collaboration in the workplace.  Collaboration is what makes Padlet special. One of the strengths of this platform is that each contributor has an equal voice.  What are ways you can use Padlet to Increase Virtual Collaboration? You might consider using Padlet for the following:   Icebreaker board to connect pre-meeting. Voting board to aid in deciding which topic should discuss at an upcoming meeting or which training they feel they might need. Resource board, one that could be for HR resources or project-specific collections. Pre-training exercise board to introduce employees a topic and track growth. Interactive exercises during a digital meeting Q and A board during a meeting. (Also sometimes called a parking lot.) Company feedback form.Exit ticket,...
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Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Outlook

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
Microsoft Outlook is used in many companies. Although much of Outlook is intuitive, many people have never received training on this platform and therefore are unaware of many of its helpful collaboration features. In this continuing series on virtual tools to enhance collaboration, I will share three cool features in Microsoft Outlook to boost virtual cooperation in your team.  @Mentions: Have you ever needed to send an email to a dozen coworkers but only needed an answer from two of them? In the past, you might have bolded, underline or highlight to draw attention to who you need feedback or input from, but this can be missed or overlooked by team members who do not read the email carefully. With Outlook, you have another option. Type @ followed by their name, and several things happen. First, their name is automatically added to the "To" line of the email message. Members of the team mentioned using the @ symbols will see their name...
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Google Jamboard

Google Jamboard

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
In my continuing series on tools for remote collaboration, I will be focusing on Google’s Jamboard. Not to be confused with Google's Jamboard display, the Jamboard is a virtual whiteboard simulator. Like other Google products, its strength lies in the fact that it is free and available for all operating systems and that it is incredibly intuitive to use. My favorite way to utilize Jamboard is during a virtual meeting, workshop or training. This tool allows for incredible user collaboration and engagement. In advance of the collaboration, you will want to access this google app through Google Workspace or by going to jamboard.google.com and prepare your set of boards in advance. This process is relatively swift and easy but essential to do before your meeting so that you are not asking people to wait as you set up the necessary boards. Within the board, you will set up a series of sub-boards that all participants can easily access. Participants can then...
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Google Docs

Google Docs

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
Over the next few posts, I will share a few of my favorite tools for collaboration in a virtual environment. Helping to promote collaboration in your organization is hard enough in person. When you add the dynamics and challenges of doing it in a virtual environment, it sometimes seems nearly impossible. The good news is that you can foster collaboration within a remote team with the proper training and support.  The first tool that I want to feature is Google Docs. Many students know the power of this tool for collaboration because it is free and easy to use. An often overlooked application, Google Docs can empower a team and foster collaboration. During a video or conference call, multiple people can view and edit a Google Docs file simultaneously. With Google Docs, everyone working on a project can make changes to the same master document. The work saves almost immediately, and team members can brainstorm or work on a shared proposal...
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