Learner engagement leads to improved, more meaningful experiences for learners, and it leads to improved outcomes for learning businesses. But effective learner engagement requires both an understanding of the necessary conditions to foster it and an understanding of how to support it before, during, and after a learning experience. In this fifth episode in our informal series on tools for learning businesses, we dive into learner engagement: why learning businesses should focus on it, a definition of what it is, and how our free Learner Engagement Loop can help you plan for it throughout an entire cycle of learning. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode323.

Dr. Ginger Malin is an award-winning professor and technology entrepreneur with almost 25 years of experience in the learning and development space. Ginger is founder and CEO of BadgeCert, which provides an enterprise-class platform for creating, issuing, storing, and sharing digital badges that verify earners’ skills, credentials, and continuing education experiences. In this episode, Leading Learning podcast co-host Celisa Steele and Ginger dive into digital badges, including how they benefit employers, earners, and issuing organizations alike. They also discuss microcredentials, stacking, and blockchain, and Ginger shares expert tips on what it takes to build or grow a successful digital badge offering. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode322.

Julian Stodd is a writer, illustrator, researcher, and explorer of the Social Age movement. He’s also founder and captain of Sea Salt Learning, where he helps organizations get fit for the social age. As the author of fifteen books and thousands of articles and blog posts, Julian is a true thought leader in the areas of social leadership, organizational change, learning design, social collaborative technology, and more. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Jeff Cobb and Julian talk about what the social age is and what living in the social age means for learning and leadership. They also discuss social collaborative learning, the concept of expertise, storytelling, failure, the curse of busyness, and the related opportunities in all of this for learning businesses. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode321.

Too often learning businesses think too much about the end product without considering all the phases in the learning product lifecycle. By focusing too much on the end result, there’s a missed opportunity in producing the best product possible. In this fourth episode in our informal series on tools for learning businesses, we highlight the MIDDLE ME learning product lifecycle. We break down the four components of MIDDLE ME—market interface (MI), design and development (DD), learning experience (LE), and measurement and evaluation (ME)—and explain how and why to use it to help you grow your learning business. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode320.

Megan Torrance is CEO—chief energy officer—at TorranceLearning, a full-stack learning services firm. TorranceLearning also provide professional development for the learning and development industry, including the free xAPI Learning Cohort, which they ran before handing the baton to the Learning Guild. Megan is an evangelist for xAPI and has over 25 years of consulting, instructional design, and project management experience. She’s also the author of Agile for Instructional Designers: Iterative Project Management to Achieve Results and Making Sense of xAPI. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Celisa Steele talks with Megan about all things xAPI: what it is, what it promises above and beyond SCORM, and real-world examples of what it looks like in action. They also talk about cmi5 and why most learning business professionals should care about it (but not too much), what can be done with data and analytics, human learning versus adult learning, and much more. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode319.

Understanding the value your learning business delivers with its range of offerings is hugely insightful. But objectively evaluating the value of your products can be a challenge. That’s why we created the Product Value Profile, a free tool that offers a way to assess and visually represent the value you currently deliver with a specific product or product line and the perception of that value in the market. In this third episode in our informal series on tools for learning businesses, we explain what the Product Value Profile is and how to use it. We also discuss how it can be used in conjunction with the Value Ramp, and to inform decisions about pricing. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode318.

Pricing plays a fundamental role in the success of all learning businesses. But determining appropriate prices can be complex. Dr. Michael Tatonetti is founder and CEO of Pricing for Associations, where he helps associations navigate these pricing complexities. As a certified association executive (CAE) and certified pricing professional (CPP), he speaks, trains, and consults on value-based pricing. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Jeff Cobb and Michael talk about value-based pricing, including approaches and tools to use; sponsorship; value propositions; pricing online offerings; addressing cannibalization concerns; and much more. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode317.

Shelley Osborne is head of learning experience at Modal, an employee education platform built with cohort-based, hands-on, and expert guidance for critical skills. She’s also the author of The Upskilling Imperative: Five Ways to Make Learning Core to the Way We Work. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Celisa Steele talks with return guest Shelley about cohort-based learning, including what it is, why it’s so valuable, how to do it well, and how to scale it. They also talk about mastery learning, psychological safety, and the future of learning. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode316.

Pricing is a perennial challenge for learning businesses. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply put, what you are able to charge for your offerings depends on the value your prospective customers place on them. And once you really understand the value of your products and services, figuring out how to price them becomes much easier. In this installment of out tool talks, an informal series on tools for learning businesses, we revisit the Tagoras Value Ramp™, a simple but powerful tool for assessing your education offerings. We explain why to use it, what it is, and how to use it. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode315.

We all know that books play a critical role in both personal and professional learning. They have the power to transform your life and help you achieve your potential in all areas of life. And when it comes to lifelong learning, there are quite a few that stand out as classics. In fact, Jerel Bonner, managing director and co-founder of Corralling Chaos, recently reached out to us to share the particular books he’s found most valuable in his work focused on creating authentic leaders and high-performing teams. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Jeff Cobb talks with return guest Jerel about four classic books he believes to be essential career resources: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport, Mindset by Carol Dweck, and Grit by Angela Duckworth. They discuss key concepts from each and how to use them to maximize their impact and value. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode314.