Interactive Learning Methods

🧠 “How We Brainstorm And Choose UX Ideas” (+ Miro template) (https://lnkd.in/eN32hH2x), a practical guide by Booking.com on how to run a rapid UX ideation session with silent brainstorming and “How Might We” (HMW) statements — by clustering data points into themes, reframing each theme and then prioritizing impactful ideas. Shared by Evan Karageorgos, Tori Holmes, Alexandre Benitah. 👏🏼👏🏽👏🏾 Booking.com UX Ideation Template (Miro) https://lnkd.in/eipdgPuC (password: bookingcom) 🚫 Ideas shouldn’t come from assumptions but UX research. ✅ Study past research and conduct a new study if needed. ✅ Cluster data in user needs, business goals, competitive insights. ✅ Best ideas emerge at the intersections of these 3 pillars. ✅ Cluster all data points into themes, prioritize with colors. ✅ Reframe each theme as a “How Might We” (HMW) statement. ✅ Start with the problems (or insights) you’ve uncovered. ✅ Focus on the desired outcomes, rather than symptoms. ✅ Collect and group ideas by relevance for every theme. ✅ Prioritize and visualize ideas with visuals and storytelling. Many brainstorming sessions are an avalanche of unstructured ideas, based on hunches and assumptions. Just like in design work we need constraints to be intentional in our decisions, we need at least some structure to mold realistic and viable ideas. I absolutely love the idea of frame the perspective through the lens of ideation clusters: user needs, business problems and insights. Reframing emerging themes as “How-Might-We”-statements is a neat way to help teams focus on a specific problem at hand and a desired outcome. A simple but very helpful approach — without too much rigidity but just enough structure to generate, prioritize and eventually visualize effective ideas with the entire team. Invite non-designers in the sessions as well, and I wouldn’t be surprised how much value a 2h session might deliver. Useful resources: The Rules of Productive Brainstorming, by Slava Shestopalov https://lnkd.in/eyYZjAz3 On “How Might We” Questions, by Maria Rosala, NN/g https://lnkd.in/ejDnmsRr Ideation for Everyday Design Challenges, by Aurora Harley, NN/g https://lnkd.in/emGtnMyy Brainstorming Exercises for Introverts, by Allison Press https://lnkd.in/eta6YsFJ How To Run Successful Product Design Workshops, by Gustavs Cirulis, Cindy Chang https://lnkd.in/eMtX-xwD Useful Miro Templates For UX Designers, by yours truly https://lnkd.in/eQVxM_Nq #ux #design

Stop wasting meetings! Too many meetings leave people unheard, disengaged, or overwhelmed. The best teams know that inclusion isn’t accidental—it’s designed. 🔹 Here are 6 simple but powerful practices to transform your meetings: 💡 Silent Brainstorm Before discussion begins, have participants write down their ideas privately (on sticky notes, a shared document, or an online board). This prevents groupthink, ensures introverted team members have space to contribute, and brings out more original ideas. 💡 Perspective Swap Assign participants a different stakeholder’s viewpoint (e.g., a customer, a frontline employee, or an opposing team). Challenge them to argue from that perspective, helping teams step outside their biases and build empathy-driven solutions. 💡 Pause and Reflect Instead of jumping into responses, introduce intentional pauses in the discussion. Give people 30-60 seconds of silence before answering a question or making a decision. This allows for deeper thinking, more thoughtful contributions, and space for those who need time to process. 💡 Step Up/Step Back Before starting, set an expectation: those who usually talk a lot should "step back," and quieter voices should "step up." You can track participation or invite people directly, helping create a more balanced conversation. 💡 What’s Missing? At the end of the discussion, ask: "Whose perspective have we not considered?" This simple question challenges blind spots, uncovers overlooked insights, and reinforces the importance of diverse viewpoints in decision-making. 💡 Constructive Dissent Voting Instead of just asking for agreement, give participants colored cards or digital indicators to show their stance: 🟢 Green – I fully agree 🟡 Yellow – I have concerns/questions 🔴 Red – I disagree Focus discussion on yellow and red responses, ensuring that dissenting voices are explored rather than silenced. This builds a culture where challenging ideas is seen as valuable, not risky. Which one would you like to try in your next meeting?  Let me know in the comments! 🔔 Follow me to learn more about building inclusive, high-performing teams. __________________________ 🌟 Hi there! I’m Susanna, an accredited Fearless Organization Scan Practitioner with 10+ years of experience in workplace inclusion. I help companies build inclusive cultures where diverse, high-performing teams thrive with psychological safety. Let’s unlock your team’s full potential together!

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬: 𝐀 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 More than a decade ago, as an active theatre artist, I stepped into the shoes of a British Officer, bringing a character to life on stage. That experience was more than just a role; it was a masterclass in communication, presence, and emotional intelligence. Now, as a 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫, I often reflect on how my time in theatre has shaped my approach to training. Here are some key takeaways from my theatrical journey that continue to inform my work: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Just as I had to project my voice and embody emotions for an audience, effective workplace communication demands clarity and confidence. 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: Portraying diverse characters helped me appreciate different perspectives—a vital skill for fostering interpersonal relationships in any setting. 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: Live performances are full of surprises! Learning to think on my feet has proven invaluable in navigating the dynamic landscape of professional training. 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤: Theatre is all about collaboration. The synergy with fellow actors mirrors the teamwork essential in any organization. As I share this snapshot from my past, I encourage you to embrace your own experiences—whether on stage or off—as powerful tools for personal and professional growth. Let’s continue to learn from every role we play! #Theatre #SoftSkills #PersonalDevelopment #Communication #Leadership #GrowthMindset

I love this. This is rmy real focus: not just Humans + AI as AI augmenting human capabilities in tasks, but designing interactions to give humans greater skills and capabilities that endure and grow over time. The outcome is smarter people. "We introduce a novel conceptual framework for human-AI interaction: extraheric AI. We define “extraherics” as a mechanism that fosters users’ higher-order thinking skills during the course of task completion. Extraheric is based on the Latin word “extraho” (to draw forth or pull out), and we use this term to suggest that AI can draw forth people’s higher order thinking skills and thus promote their cognitive potential. Rather than replacing or augmenting human cognitive abilities, extraheric AI encourages users to engage in higher-order thinkingduring task completion." The interaction strategies to evoke higher-order thinking skills suggested in the paper include: 💡 Suggesting & Recommending: The AI proposes ideas, viewpoints, or solutions, prompting users to evaluate and choose from multiple suggestions. 📝 Explaining: The AI provides detailed explanations, focusing on the 'why' and 'how' to help users deepen their understanding of the task, rather than providing direct solutions. 🎯 Nudging: The AI subtly influences user behavior by presenting additional information or perspectives indirectly, encouraging exploration without overtly recommending a specific path. 🗣️ Debating & Discussing: Users engage in debates or discussions with AI agents, which present different opinions and arguments, encouraging users to explore diverse perspectives and think critically. ❓ Questioning: The AI asks open-ended, thought-provoking questions to stimulate cognitive engagement, expanding users’ thinking by challenging their assumptions or viewpoints. 🛠️ Scaffolding: The AI offers temporary support or guidance through complex tasks, allowing users to focus on specific aspects while gradually removing the assistance as users become more competent. 🎮 Simulating: The AI simulates different scenarios or perspectives, helping users practice skills or experience situations from a different point of view, such as role-playing or rehearsing responses. 👀 Demonstrating: The AI acts as a model, showcasing behavior or task completion, allowing users to observe and learn implicitly through vicarious learning by watching the AI perform. I look forward to many others building on this work and integrating these concepts into enterprise software.

New Role Play on "How to Emotionally Connect with an Interviewer"! I’m excited to announce I’ve built my first role-play scenario with LinkedIn Learning’s AI-powered coaching, specifically for people currently in the process of interviewing! Role play allows you to practice real-world conversations, using AI, to help you develop critical human skills through realistic conversations. In this scenario, you’re being interviewed for a job in the industry you’ve been trying to break into. You really want to make a good impression, and know how important it is to emotionally connect with an interviewer. Here's the link to the practice scenario: https://lnkd.in/ggM4Pp9a What to Expect: You can practice role-play scenarios using text or voice. After each conversation, you will receive instant, actionable feedback. Why I Recommend It: Like many other professionals seeking a job, if you’ve ever struggled with nailing an interview in a way that really makes you stand out, then this safe and realistic conversation experience will help you practice emotionally connecting with the interviewer. I can tell you from my own experience in interviewing thousands of candidates as a team lead recruiter for Procter & Gamble, connecting emotionally comes down to showing up as authentic, confident, and enthusiastic. This scenario helps you practice all this! It’s live now—and completely FREE for you to try it. After you’ve practiced the scenario I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below  . #AIRolePlay #LinkedInLearning #LinkedInLearningInstructor #AICoaching

This week, I facilitated a manager workshop on how to grow and develop people and teams. One question sparked a great conversation: “How do you develop your people outside of formal programs?” It’s a great question. IMO, one of the highest leverage actions a leader can take is making small, but consistent actions to develop their people. While formal learning experiences absolutely a role, there are far more opportunities for growth outside of structured settings from an hours in the day perspective. Helping leaders recognize and embrace this is a major opportunity. I introduced the idea of Practices of Development (PODs) aka small, intentional activities integrated into everyday work that help employees build skills, flex new muscles, and increase their impact. Here are a few examples we discussed: 🌟 Paired Programming: Borrowed from software engineering, this involves pairing an employee with a peer to take on a new task—helping them ramp up quickly, cross-train, or learn by doing. 🌟 Learning Logs: Have team members track what they’re working on, learning, and questioning to encourage reflection. 🌟 Bullpen Sessions: Bring similar roles together for feedback, idea sharing, and collaborative problem-solving, where everyone both A) shares a deliverable they are working on, and B) gets feedback and suggestions for improvement 🌟 Each 1 Teach 1:  Give everyone a chance to teach one work-related skill or insight to the team. 🌟 I Do, We Do, You Do:Adapted from education, this scaffolding approach lets you model a task, then do it together, then hand it off. A simple and effective way to build confidence and skill. 🌟 Back Pocket Ideas:  During strategy/scoping work sessions, ask employees to submit ideas for initiatives tied to a customer problem or personal interest. Select the strongest ones and incorporate them into their role. These are a few examples that have worked well. If you’ve found creative ways to build development opportunities into your employees day to day work, I’d love to hear what’s worked for you!

Immersive learning isn’t the future—it’s happening now at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah. Over the past term at AURAK, my students and I embarked on a journey to transform traditional teaching materials into interactive, immersive learning modules using ThingLink. Across five departments—from AI and Chemistry to Biotechnology and Media Production—we’ve built something special: a scalable model for faculty-led, student-powered e-learning innovation. In this article, I reflect on our process, share real student projects, and explore the learning theories that guide this work. I also talk about why empowering faculty to design their own immersive content is more sustainable than outsourcing. I’d love for you to read, share, and join the conversation on how we can rethink education together. A big thank you to all the innovators and leaders from AURAK Cijo Vazhappilly Khouloud Salameh Prof. Irshad Ahmad Dr. Sara Faiz Mohamed Sharul #EdTech #ImmersiveLearning #InstructionalDesign #HigherEducation #ThingLink #FacultyDevelopment #VRinEducation #DigitalPedagogy

Founders, role playing feels awkward. But so does losing a deal your team could’ve won. Role playing is probably the single most effective exercise you can do as a salesperson. It feels a bit awkward at first, but that disappears quickly as your teammates join in and you start to see the results. Sales role playing is like a baseball player taking batting practice, an actor going through dress rehearsal or a winner practicing their acceptance speech. Role playing gives you the opportunity to make (and eliminate) mistakes before the “live event.” You never want to be in front of, or on the telephone with, a prospect or customer and not be prepared. You can role play any sales situation. Role playing is particularly effective when going through select deals with your peers and/or your sales manager. Pick an account you want to close or where you want to help move the buying process along. Discuss the strategy and then have someone else play the role of your prospect. Go through the meeting just like you would with your prospect. If you stumble just keep going. One of the benefits of role playing in a group is that you can have multiple prospects firing questions at you from multiple points of view. It always amazes me how two people can be presented with the same information and come up with different interpretations and/or questions. Take advantage of that phenomenon. Another benefit (mostly for the sales manager) of role playing in groups is that it keeps your sales presentations consistent. You may have multi-call deals where the prospect ends up talking to multiple people in the sales organization. It always gives the prospect confidence when they hear a consistent message. At the end of the role play discuss how the “call” went, make any corrections as needed and do it again. You will be amazed how this simple exercise will give you additional insight into your deal, put you more at ease and fill you with confidence. 📌Tip: Record your role-playing sessions. Reviewing these really helps accelerate the learning and acceptance process. 📍Role playing is just one step in building a great sales team. If you're ready to discuss strategy on building your dream team, schedule an introductory call. My scheduling link is in my About section.

What if we designed professional master’s courses the way Netflix writes its seasons? There’s growing interest in using story arcs to structure professional master’s programmes—borrowing narrative techniques to make learning more cohesive, engaging, and authentic. I’ve been experimenting with this in BUSDEV 722, our course on product management. Rather than treating each module as a standalone topic, I’ve been exploring ways to cast the student in the role of a decision-maker navigating the messy, ambiguous world of product innovation. Each module becomes a new chapter in that journey. This creates an integrated, experiential learning arc that mimics the real challenges of building and managing products. BUSDEV 722 is being migrated to a new degree platform—one designed to serve a more diverse cohort, including recent graduates and career changers who may have limited or no experience in product roles. In that context, a strong narrative arc helps learners make sense of unfamiliar concepts by placing them in a story where they can inhabit a role, build confidence through practice, and connect the dots between theory and action. What are the benefits? ✔️ Authenticity: Story arcs create vivid scenarios where students face trade-offs, conflicting priorities, and imperfect data—just like real-world product managers. ✔️Cohesion and confidence: For students without industry experience, a well-designed arc provides a clear path through unfamiliar terrain—scaffolded to support progressive skill development. ✔️Assessment with meaning: Instead of bolted-on tasks, assessments can become pivotal moments in the story. They feel like decisions with consequences, not hoops to jump through. ✔️AI-enabled customisation: With generative AI, it’s now possible to scaffold narrative arcs around individual learner contexts, create branching scenarios, or personalise storylines to match different sectors or goals. Of course, there are trade-offs. ✔️Story arc design is resource-intensive and unfamiliar territory for most educators. ✔️Too rigid an arc can crowd out spontaneous, emergent learning moments. ✔️Not all learners respond to narrative structures in the same way—they must feel real, not artificial. Story arcs are a powerful tool in the reinvention of professional education. In BUSDEV 722, I’m learning that when the arc is strong, the decisions matter, and the learner sees themselves in the story, transformation happens. And thanks to AI, we now have the tools to make this kind of learning design scalable and personalised without sacrificing quality. Have you experimented with narrative design in your teaching? What worked—and what didn’t? #LearningDesign #StoryArc #ProfessionalMasters #HighEducation #LearningJourney

Research shows that practicing public speaking in virtual reality can greatly reduce speaking anxiety. Here are 3 ways VR trainers like Ovation help. The references for this findings are at the end of the post. 1️⃣ Reduces speaking anxiety. - Participants in studies feel a significant decrease in their anxiety about real-life public speaking. VR works like exposure therapy. - They felt less anxious before AND during their speeches. 2️⃣ Builds confidence. Speakers came across as more confident to external evaluators during their real-life speeches after practicing a mere 4x in virtual reality. 3️⃣ Improves skills. Practicing in virtual reality enhances actual public speaking skills: dynamic voice, a more conversational approach, better gestures, etc. In contrast, research shows that practicing alone in a room in real life did not result in as many improvements and participants' progress eroded over multiple practice sessions when compared to the positive progress made when practicing in VR. Take a look at Ovation on LinkedIn: - https://lnkd.in/gufZFKa8 - Visit Ovation's Site: https://www.ovationvr.com/ References Used to Prepare This Video: Brandi N. Frisby, B. N., Kaufmann, R., Vallade, J. I., Frey, T. K., & Martin, J. C. (2020). Using Virtual Reality for Speech Rehearsals: An Innovative Instructor Approach to Enhance Student Public Speaking Efficacy. Basic Communication Course Annual, 32. Kroczek, L. O. H. & Mühlberger, A. (2023). Public speaking training in front of a supportive audience in Virtual Reality improves performance in real‐life. Scientific Reports, 13. https://lnkd.in/gzqbDDcK Niebuhr, O., & Michalsky, J. (2018). Virtual reality simulations as a new tool for practicing presentations and refining public-speaking skills. In Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Speech Prosody 2018 (pp. 309-313). International Speech Communication Association (ISCA). Speech Prosody https://lnkd.in/gCME7Gc8 Lindner, P., Dagöö, J., Hamilton, W., Miloff, A., Andersson, G., Schill, A., & Carlbring, P. (2020): Virtual Reality exposure therapy for public speaking anxiety in routine care: a single-subject effectiveness trial, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, DOI: 10.1080/16506073.2020.1795240 Valls-Ratés, I., Niebuhr, O. & Prieto, P. (2022). Unguided virtual-reality training can enhance the oral presentation skills of high-school students. Frontiers in Communication. DOI 10.3389/fcomm.2022.910952 Jeff Marshall