Google Ad #1 - desktop - 728x90

Google Ad #3 - desktop - 728x90

Google Ad #1 - mobile - 300x200

Google Ad #3 - mobile - 300x200

ATD_Half_Page

Googel Ad #1 - Side Bar - Content pages

ATD Footer Logo

James Mapes

The motivational magic of values

At Colorado State University (CSU), research isn’t just an academic pursuit—it’s a driving force for innovation and real-world impact. A standout example of CSU’s commitment to innovation is the Center for the Analytics of Learning and Teaching (C-ALT). Situated within the College of Health and Human Sciences and the School of Education, C-ALT isn’t just another research center; it’s a dynamic hub where groundbreaking research is seamlessly integrated into practical applications in the classroom.The science of learning is very clear—practice behaviors play a crucial role in improving performance because they directly influence how effectively knowledge is acquired, retained, and applied. In our classroom-based research, we found that most students fail to engage in these science-backed practice behaviors. Given this fact, C-ALT faculty set out to build a method for behavior change.Behavior change, however, is notoriously difficult. Ingrained habits and routines can be hard to break without external guidance and support. Just as many people struggle to start and maintain a workout routine, they often turn to tools like a Fitbit exercise tracking device that provides the feedback needed to stay on track. Similarly, changing how one learns, such as incorporating regular self-testing or spaced practice, requires consistent effort and feedback to develop and reinforce these new habits. This is where U-BehaviorTM (see nduralearn.com for more information on U-BehaviorTM) comes in—it acts as a “Fitbit for learning behaviors,” tracking students’ practice activities and providing real-time visual feedback. By highlighting patterns in their learning behaviors, U-BehaviorTM helps students recognize and adjust their study habits, ultimately leading to more effective learning and better performance.Research at C-ALT has provided compelling evidence that U-BehaviorTM is revolutionizing how students approach their studies. By encouraging students to shift away from “cramming” and instead adopt strategies such as spaced practice and interleaving, U-BehaviorTM facilitates rapid and meaningful changes in learning behavior. The impact is striking, with 75–85 percent of students in these courses altering their study habits, yielding an effect size of 1.2 (Cohen’s d). These changes are not just statistically significant—they translate into tangible performance gains, often improving final course grades by more than one letter grade.What makes U-BehaviorTM particularly unique is its integration into the Organizational Learning Performance and Change (OLPC) master’s program at CSU. Students enrolled in the OLPC program are deeply invested in driving performance improvement through innovative training and development solutions. These students aren’t just passive recipients of knowledge about learning behavior; they are actively engaged in the research activities at C-ALT. By experiencing U-BehaviorTM firsthand in their coursework, they not only observe how the intervention affects their own behaviors, but they learn how these changes enhance the durability of their learning.This immersive approach offers OLPC students a rare opportunity to see the real-world impact of research-based methods. By participating in this process, they acquire the insights necessary to design and implement similar solutions in their own professional settings. The ability to translate research into actionable strategies is a hallmark of the OLPC program and a testament to the synergy between research and teaching at CSU.For graduate students in the field of training and development, the OLPC program at CSU offers a unique, research-based pathway to mastering the skills of innovation in the learning space. The program not only prepares students to affect performance through evidence-based interventions but also equips them with the tools to lead in the ever-evolving landscape of education and training. As one OLPC graduate put it, “It earned me a seat at the table. They’re now seeing me as a thinker, not just a doer, because of what the program provided me. That ability to think critically and help plan things out and direct the course of the company has been extremely valuable.”In the end, C-ALT and the OLPC program exemplify how research at CSU is driving innovation in learning and teaching, helping students and professionals alike make meaningful, lasting changes in their practice behaviors—changes that lead to greater success both in the classroom and beyond.

Revolutionizing Learning at CSU: How C-ALT and U-Behavior Are Transforming Study Habits and Driving Student Success 

We all know what makes a great story: an intriguing cast of characters, a moment of tension, triumph or defeat, and some sort of takeaway. Take this framework and apply it to the stories you tell yourself.

Humans Are Great Storytellers

James Bennett discusses why the advent of adaptive learning makes it an exciting time to be involved in the learning profession.

Adapt to the Future

What makes digital learning games work and how do you design one? Learning game expert Sharon Boller shares four truths that novice learning game designers frequently ignore.

Lessons from the Trenches of Digital Game Design

Paradigm Learning amplifies the business acumen and strategic alignment of leaders, managers, employees and sales teams to achieve real business results. Our award-winning business games, simulations and Discovery Maps® empower learning and development leaders to revolutionize their organizations.

Paradigm Learning

Since the beginning of this decade, we’ve been experiencing a digital acceleration that has forced us to rethink corporate training. With the COVID-19 pandemic pushing everything online in a matter of months, the need to renew virtual formats that develop our teams’ talents has become even more apparent. As we’ve learned from the Contradictions of Corporate Training 2021 report, employees’ main complaints about online training in its current form are that it’s boring and lacks interactivity. HR and L&D professionals already know this, with more than half of those surveyed confirming that simulations of real-life cases would improve the effectiveness of their training. Game-based learning has positioned itself as the best solution to meet everyone’s needs. In the Game-Based Learning in Action whitepaper, we learn what makes game-based learning the most effective methodology for online corporate training, and we hear from some of the HR and L&D managers at companies that are already successfully implementing it.Game-Based Learning in Action: The Three Keys to SuccessTo get the most out of game-based learning, a program must include these three indispensable components:Quality content that’s directly applicable to employees’ jobsElements of gamification paired with an interesting story to keep learners engagedReal-life simulations that provide immediate and personalized feedbackQuality content is essential in any corporate training course. The content is what the employees will be learning, so it needs to be useful to them and to their jobs. In recent years, there’s been a trend toward learning soft skills. Skills such as critical thinking or emotional intelligence are becoming more important to the modern workplace. Game-based learning is particularly well-suited to teaching these skills because it provides experiential learning. An effective game-based learning course will include applicable educational content, with a solid theoretical base and practical cases that allow learners to practice the relevant skills. But once we have the right content, how can we guarantee employees stay motivated and engaged enough to finish the course? Here’s where storytelling and gamification step in.When creating a serious game for a training program, it’s essential to have an interesting story that will keep learners engaged from start to finish. Wanting to know what happens next and how the story ends ensures employees remain engaged and finish the course. And, of course, it wouldn’t be game-based learning without gamification. At the end of the day, gamification makes the course fun. Along with the story, it’s the game mechanics that keep learners motivated to finish the course. Gamification and storytelling increase completion rates and knowledge retention, guaranteeing the success of the training program. The final component of an effective game-based learning program is real-life simulations with personalized feedback. Simulations allow employees to put the knowledge they learn in the course into practice in real-life situations. From this experience, learners gain knowledge on the consequences of their actions in a safe environment, which means they can experiment with different decisions and see different outcomes, leading to a more practical understanding of the knowledge and more confidence in their skills. Being able to see the direct consequences of their decisions gives them direct and personal feedback that they can use to course correct. This ensures no bad habits are internalized and employees understand what they are learning, not simply memorizing. When all these elements work together, we get the kind of corporate training that meets everyone’s objectives and delivers tangible results.In the words of Natasa Basic, FastForward and management trainee program manager at Coca-Cola HBC, who is already implementing a successful game-based learning program, “It is the fine blend of all the elements of game-based learning that makes the Gamelearn serious games impactful, both on experience and development of the learner: quality content for each skill being developed, interwoven with an interactive storyline and gamification that makes learning more engaging and fun, as well as personalized feedback and materials that the learner can download and keep for future reference as a reminder and inspiration for further application in real day-to-day work what they have been learning and practicing in the simulated environment.”

Implementing a Successful Game-Based Learning Program for Corporate Training

Most organizations track learner satisfaction and completion rates, but does that really move the business forward? Our joint research with ATD shows that only 43 percent of organizations report strong alignment between learning and business goals. That means more than half risk investing in training that fails to translate into performance gains and measurable outcomes.What Alignment Really Means and Why It MattersAlignment isn’t a buzzword; it’s the operating system for strategic L&D. True alignment exists when L&D leaders, HR, and the C‑suite share a common definition of success and design learning experiences to advance it. In practice, this means mapping every learning objective to one or more business KPIs, whether that’s revenue growth, customer retention, safety incidents, cycle time, or quality metrics. Hence, the connection between training and value is explicit, visible, and testable.This clarity does three things: Focuses limited resources on the highest‑impact skillsIncreases executive confidence in L&D investmentEquips teams to iterate quickly because outcomes are tracked with the same rigor as any other initiativeDiagnosing MisalignmentMisalignment rarely announces itself; it shows up as familiar symptoms. There’s overreliance on activity metrics (enrollments, completions, smile sheets) without behavioral or business indicators. L&D gets kept out of strategic conversations about growth plans or capability gaps. Demonstrating ROI becomes a struggle, which slows funding decisions. Programs stagnate as content falls out of step with shifting priorities. Each symptom erodes trust and makes it harder for learning to influence performance at scale.The Four‑Step Alignment FrameworkUse this simple, repeatable framework to tighten the connection between learning and results:Discover. Start with the business problem, not the course idea. Clarify the desired outcome (for instance, increase win rate from 28 percent to 34 percent in H2) and the behaviors that would move that needle. Interview leaders and exemplary performers; mine performance dashboards to identify capability gaps.Design. Translate outcomes into skills and practice. Build learning objectives that mirror the KPI and embed practice activities that simulate real work (role‑plays, system sandboxes, decision games). Co‑create content with stakeholders to maintain relevance and ownership.Deliver. Meet learners in the flow of work. Blend short, applied learning assets with manager‑led coaching. Managers influence a large share of engagement, so equip them with conversation guides, observation checklists, and micro‑challenges to reinforce transfer on the job.Measure. Track leading and lagging indicators. Pair learning analytics (progress, proficiency, practice quality) with behavioral and business signals (pipeline hygiene, NPS shifts, first‑call resolution, defect rates, time‑to‑productivity). Review results monthly with stakeholders and adjust.What High‑Performing Organizations Do DifferentlyIn our findings, high performers consistently co‑create training with senior leaders, focus on a small set of KPIs that matter to both HR and the business, and use performance data to continuously refine programs. The key difference is philosophical: They don’t just measure activity, they measure contribution to business success. This orientation turns L&D from a service provider into a strategic partner.Manager Enablement Is NonnegotiableEven the best course fails without manager reinforcement. Provide managers with “day‑one” toolkits like talk tracks, observation rubrics, and simple dashboards so they can coach to the targeted behaviors. Recognize and reward managers who model desired behaviors and create time for practice. When managers champion the effort, adoption accelerates and results stick. Managers account for more than 70 percent of team engagement, so their role is critical.Technology as an Enabler (Not the Strategy)Modern platforms can make alignment easier to execute. AI‑powered solutions such as Learn365, embedded in Microsoft Teams, bring learning into daily workflows and surface real‑time insights through Power BI dashboards. That matters when only a minority of organizations feel confident evaluating impact; technology helps consolidate data, automate evidence collection, and free L&D to focus on coaching and design. The tools don’t create strategy; they make good strategy scalable.Start Small, Prove Value, Then ScalePick one business outcome and run a 90‑day pilot. Example: reduce customer churn by two points. Map the chain of impact: skills (active listening, needs discovery) → behaviors (probing, summarizing) → metrics (repeat contact rate, NPS, renewal). Instrument your pilot with a pre/post skills check, manager observations, and a simple dashboard that pairs learner progress with operational KPIs. Share results with leaders monthly and capture quick wins and lessons learned.This approach builds a repeatable playbook: define outcomes, design for practice, enable managers, and measure what matters. Do it once, then standardize templates, data definitions, and governance so future programs start aligned rather than retrofitting alignment after launch.Where to Go NextAlignment doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen by design. Begin with a single program and ask, “Which business outcome does this serve, and how will we know?”For deeper benchmarks and practical checklists, explore the full research report and see how peers are operationalizing alignment in the flow of work.

Driving Business Impact: Aligning Training With Strategic Goals

“Gamification engages people at an emotional level, which is far more powerful than typical transactional engagement strategies.”—Brian Burke, Gamify: How Gamification Motivates People to Do Extraordinary ThingsGovernment training has never been more critical or more complex. From active shooter preparedness to cybersecurity readiness, public servants are increasingly called to navigate high-stakes scenarios where decisions have life-or-death consequences. Traditional training—static presentations, dense manuals, or infrequent workshops—often fails to prepare participants for the challenges they face.Enter gamification: the application of game design principles to nongame contexts. In government training, gamification is more than a buzzword; it’s a proven approach that enhances engagement, boosts knowledge retention, and builds real-world readiness. Whether it’s creating serious games for disaster response or immersing teams in high-risk attack scenarios, government agencies are embracing gamified learning to transform training into a hands-on, high-impact experience.Let’s explore how two prominent examples—the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s serious games and the International Telecommunication Union’s Cyber Ranges—demonstrate the power and potential of gamification in the public sector. FEMA: Serious Games for Disaster ResponseFEMA uses serious games—interactive, scenario-based simulations—to prepare public officials for natural disasters and complex emergencies. One example is FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute’s Virtual Tabletop Exercises (VTTX), which allow participants to role-play disaster scenarios in a digital environment. Whether coordinating a hurricane evacuation or responding to a chemical spill, players make decisions, allocate resources, and adapt to changing conditions.Why it works: Serious games reinforce systems thinking, allowing participants to see how their decisions affect others in real time. They also foster cross-agency collaboration, since players must work as teams to address multifaceted challenges. With built-in scoring, time constraints, and post-game feedback, these simulations create a compelling learning experience that reflects the complexity of real-life crisis management.FEMA’s use of gamification supports not only readiness but also critical reflection, enabling leaders to test their protocols and improve them before a disaster ever strikes.ITU: Cyber Ranges and International Threat ResponseThe ITU—a UN agency—uses Cyber Ranges to train national, regional, and global cyber response teams on how to confront digital threats like ransomware, DDoS attacks, and critical infrastructure hacks. These gamified simulations place participants in a virtual environment where they must defend networks, identify vulnerabilities, and contain attacks under time pressure.Why it works: Cybersecurity threats evolve rapidly, and traditional “checklist” training is insufficient. Cyber Ranges create high-fidelity simulations that mimic the complexity of modern cyber warfare. Gamification elements—scoring systems, simulated adversaries, real-time incident escalations—drive engagement and build the skills needed for modern digital defense.What makes ITU’s approach especially powerful is its collaborative global focus. Teams from different countries can engage in shared simulations, promoting shared standards, rapid skill-building, and international cybersecurity resilience.Gamification isn’t just fun—it’s functional. In high-stakes settings, it boosts:Engagement through interactivityRetention via multisensory learningFeedback with real-time insightsAdaptability to evolving threatsCollaboration across teamsFrom disaster response games to cyber warfare simulations, gamification is no longer a future trend—it’s a current imperative. For agencies looking to build resilient, prepared, and agile teams, it’s time to level up with game-based learning. 

Search results for 'James Mapes'

Categories

Refine By