Writing That Sticks: Using ARCS With Ruth Douthitt

Measuring AI's Impact on the L&D Team

AI can make instructional design feel faster overnight, but speed is the easiest thing to celebrate and the easiest thing to misunderstand. When leaders ask whether AI is truly helping learning and development teams, “We used it a lot” is not an answer. In this episode, Jackie walks through how to prove AI impact with credibility using lightweight workflow metrics that tell the real story, including where AI saves time, where it adds risk, and where it quietly creates extra work. We start by naming the traps that derail AI measurement in L&D: vanity metrics that look impressive but mean little, overclaiming time savings without a fair comparison, and invisible costs like fact-checking, brand edits, stakeholder alignment, and security review. From there, I share a simple AI impact snapshot across five practical areas you can track without building a massive measurement system: time, quality, rework, consistency, and team confidence. These metrics map directly to what matters in instructional design and performance outcomes, not just tool activity. If you want practical AI governance, better QA, and clearer proof of value for your L&D team, subscribe or follow, share this with a fellow designer, and leave a review so more instructional designers can measure AI with honesty and confidence. 🔗 Episode Links Please check out the resource mentioned in the episode. Enjoy! AI Impact Compass [https://view.genially.com/6a14b0818bd88923dbffb308]  Send Jackie a Text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2146456/fan_mail/new] Join PodMatch! [https://www.joinpodmatch.com/designingwithlove] Use the link to join PodMatch, a place for hosts and guests to connect. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2146456/support] 💟 Designing with Love + allows you to support the show by keeping the mic on and the ideas flowing. Click on the link above to provide your support. ☕ Buy Me a Coffee [https://buymeacoffee.com/designingwithlove] is another way you can support the show, either as a one-time gift or through a monthly subscription.  🗣️ Want to be a guest on Designing with Love? Send Jackie Pelegrin a message on PodMatch, here: Be a guest on the show [https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/designingwithlove] 🌐 Check out the show's website here: Designing with Love [https://www.designingwithloveblog.com/] 📱 Send a text to the show by clicking the Send Jackie a Text link above.  👍🏼 Please make sure to like and share this episode with others. Here's to great learning!

Writing That Sticks: Using ARCS With Ruth Douthitt

Ever watch a promising writing class lose steam by midterm? We’ve been there, and we built this conversation to flip that script using the ARCS model—Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction—as a practical blueprint for motivated, higher-quality writing across live and online courses. With award-winning author and curriculum developer Ruth A. Douthit, we unpack what actually keeps students engaged, why “busy work” backfires, and how to design assignments that feel purposeful from the first hook to the final draft. Ruth closes with before-and-after assignment makeovers and shares where to connect with her books and A Writer’s Day podcast. If you’re ready to replace disengagement with momentum and help students produce writing they’re proud to share, this episode will give you the scripts, structures, and confidence to start. Enjoyed the conversation? Follow and share the show, leave a thoughtful review, and send this to a colleague who’s redesigning a writing course. Your support helps more educators find actionable ideas that work. 🔗 Website and Social Links: Please visit Ruth Douthitt’s website and social media links below. Ruth Douthitt’s Website [http://www.artbyruth.com/] Ruth’s Facebook Page [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063202599768] Ruth’s LinkedIn Page [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-douthitt-57641613/] Ruth’s Instagram Page [https://www.instagram.com/author_ra_douthitt/] Ruth’s X Page [https://x.com/DouthittR1683] 📢 Call-to-Action: If today’s episode helped you rethink motivation in writing instruction, try redesigning just one writing activity using ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction) and see what shifts for your learners. Send Jackie a Text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2146456/fan_mail/new] Join PodMatch! [https://www.joinpodmatch.com/designingwithlove] Use the link to join PodMatch, a place for hosts and guests to connect. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2146456/support] 💟 Designing with Love + allows you to support the show by keeping the mic on and the ideas flowing. Click on the link above to provide your support. ☕ Buy Me a Coffee [https://buymeacoffee.com/designingwithlove] is another way you can support the show, either as a one-time gift or through a monthly subscription.  🗣️ Want to be a guest on Designing with Love? Send Jackie Pelegrin a message on PodMatch, here: Be a guest on the show [https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/designingwithlove] 🌐 Check out the show's website here: Designing with Love [https://www.designingwithloveblog.com/] 📱 Send a text to the show by clicking the Send Jackie a Text link above.  👍🏼 Please make sure to like and share this episode with others. Here's to great learning!

Working With IT, Security, and Procurement: The New Collaboration Trio

AI tools can make learning design faster and more creative, but the moment a tool touches prompts, uploads, learner responses, employee information, or system integrations, approvals can feel like a hard stop. We talk through the real shift many instructional designers are living right now: AI tool selection is no longer only a learning design decision. It’s also a technology decision, a security and data privacy decision, and a procurement decision tied to contracts, licensing, and long-term support. We walk step-by-step through what IT, security, and procurement actually care about, and how to stop showing up late to the conversation with vague requests. You’ll hear four common traps that turn approvals into frustration, plus a simple reframe that makes collaboration easier: bring clarity before you bring urgency. We also keep the instructional designer’s core responsibility front and center, connecting any AI tool to learning purpose, performance, practice, feedback, and transfer so “shiny” doesn’t outrank “useful.” To make it practical, we share a one-page AI approval brief you can use before you recommend, request, or pilot a tool. It covers five essentials: the use case, the audience, the data involved, the risk tier with guardrails, and the value with a clear evaluation plan. We also point you to the AI Approval Compass companion resource and end with a checkpoint challenge you can complete in minutes. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review if you want more AI-ready workflows that stay human and responsible. 🔗 Episode Links Please check out the resource mentioned in the episode. Enjoy! AI Approval Compass [https://view.genially.com/6a1495239c1c766624e4afb1]  Send Jackie a Text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2146456/fan_mail/new] Join PodMatch! [https://www.joinpodmatch.com/designingwithlove] Use the link to join PodMatch, a place for hosts and guests to connect. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2146456/support] 💟 Designing with Love + allows you to support the show by keeping the mic on and the ideas flowing. Click on the link above to provide your support. ☕ Buy Me a Coffee [https://buymeacoffee.com/designingwithlove] is another way you can support the show, either as a one-time gift or through a monthly subscription.  🗣️ Want to be a guest on Designing with Love? Send Jackie Pelegrin a message on PodMatch, here: Be a guest on the show [https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/designingwithlove] 🌐 Check out the show's website here: Designing with Love [https://www.designingwithloveblog.com/] 📱 Send a text to the show by clicking the Send Jackie a Text link above.  👍🏼 Please make sure to like and share this episode with others. Here's to great learning!

Accessibility Is a Competitive Edge With Maxwell Ivey

Accessibility isn’t a box to tick at launch; it’s the backbone of products people actually trust. Jackie sat down with Maxwell “The Blind Blogger” Ivey—founder of The Accessibility Advantage and longtime advocate for inclusive digital experiences—to unpack how small, thoughtful changes can eliminate friction, reduce support costs, and open doors to more learners and customers. Max shares four moves you can make this week: highlight the main tasks, simplify design, cut clutter, and build keyboard-first. Along the way, we talk about turning complaints into collaboration, testing with real users, and creating advisory loops with customer service to catch issues early. If you’re leading an organization or building courses, websites, or services, this conversation gives you a roadmap to reduce friction, meet real needs, and unlock accessibility as a competitive edge. Enjoyed the conversation? Follow and share the show, leave a review to help others find it, and send this to a teammate who can champion accessibility with you. 🔗 Website and Social Links: Please visit Maxwell Ivey’s website and social media links below. Maxwell Ivey’s Website [https://www.theaccessibilityadvantage.com/home] Maxwell’s Facebook Page [https://www.facebook.com/maxwellivey] Maxwell’s LinkedIn Page [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxwellivey/] Maxwell’s Instagram Page [https://www.instagram.com/TheBlindBlogger] Maxwell’s X Page [https://www.x.com/maxwellivey] Maxwell’s Pinterest Page [https://www.pinterest.com/maxwellivey] Maxwell’s YouTube Channel [https://www.youtube.com/maxwellivey] 📢 Call-to-Action: Want to learn more or work with Maxwell? Visit The Accessibility Advantage [https://www.theaccessibilityadvantage.com/home] to explore his latest accessibility content and reach out about consulting, training, or support. 🎧 Next Episode: Part 2: Practical ways to make websites and learning materials accessible for everyone (tools, workflow, and quick wins). Send Jackie a Text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2146456/fan_mail/new] Join PodMatch! [https://www.joinpodmatch.com/designingwithlove] Use the link to join PodMatch, a place for hosts and guests to connect. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2146456/support] 💟 Designing with Love + allows you to support the show by keeping the mic on and the ideas flowing. Click on the link above to provide your support. ☕ Buy Me a Coffee [https://buymeacoffee.com/designingwithlove] is another way you can support the show, either as a one-time gift or through a monthly subscription.  🗣️ Want to be a guest on Designing with Love? Send Jackie Pelegrin a message on PodMatch, here: Be a guest on the show [https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/designingwithlove] 🌐 Check out the show's website here: Designing with Love [https://www.designingwithloveblog.com/] 📱 Send a text to the show by clicking the Send Jackie a Text link above.  👍🏼 Please make sure to like and share this episode with others. Here's to great learning!

AI Tutors, Coaches, and Practice Bots: When They Help and When They Don't

A bot can sound warm, responsive, and confident, and still teach the wrong thing. That’s the tension we dig into as we explore AI tutors, AI coaches, and practice bots through the lens that matters most to instructional designers: practice design that improves real performance, not just chat transcripts. Jackie walks through why AI can absolutely help us scale practice, create interactions faster, and give learners more chances to rehearse, reflect, and try again. But Jackie also draws a hard line: a conversation is not automatically learning, and “AI tutor” does not automatically mean “good feedback.” We break down what never changes in learning design, including clear goals, realistic scenarios, feedback tied to a standard, and a safe path back to real-world application. Then we get practical with four predictable risk areas (inaccurate feedback, generic responses, overtrust, and sensitive use cases like HR, legal, medical, mental health, or private data). From there, I share where AI is usually a best fit, plus five design requirements you can use to build better guardrails, including human escalation. You’ll also get a simple decision framework I call the Help Fit test: Helpful, Evidence-based, Low risk, Protected, along with a concrete customer service role play example to show what “good architecture” looks like. If you want to use AI in training responsibly, this is your roadmap. Subscribe, share the episode with a fellow designer, and leave a review if the framework helps you design smarter practice. 🔗 Episode Links Please check out the resource mentioned in the episode. Enjoy! AI Practice Compass [https://view.genially.com/6a00fe3251627ed38f182507]  Send Jackie a Text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2146456/fan_mail/new] Join PodMatch! [https://www.joinpodmatch.com/designingwithlove] Use the link to join PodMatch, a place for hosts and guests to connect. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2146456/support] 💟 Designing with Love + allows you to support the show by keeping the mic on and the ideas flowing. Click on the link above to provide your support. ☕ Buy Me a Coffee [https://buymeacoffee.com/designingwithlove] is another way you can support the show, either as a one-time gift or through a monthly subscription.  🗣️ Want to be a guest on Designing with Love? Send Jackie Pelegrin a message on PodMatch, here: Be a guest on the show [https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/designingwithlove] 🌐 Check out the show's website here: Designing with Love [https://www.designingwithloveblog.com/] 📱 Send a text to the show by clicking the Send Jackie a Text link above.  👍🏼 Please make sure to like and share this episode with others. Here's to great learning!