Creating Engaging Training Materials

Rethinking Access: What Japan’s Mobile Study Buses Teach Us about Education in India In Japan, there is a grassroots innovation: mobile study buses that traverse neighbourhoods lacking libraries or dedicated study spaces for teens. Equipped with WiFi, books/tables/seating, and staffed by volunteer tutors, these buses offer post-school support - especially for students whose home environment may not afford quiet study or who have working parents. Meanwhile, India’s data reveals a troubling trend: according to official figures, from 2014-15 to 2023-24, the number of government schools dropped by 89,441 (an 8 % decline) while private schools increased by ~42,944. Why this matters: Schools are not just classrooms-they are access points: for mentorship, peer learning, supportive infrastructure, safe environments. A reduction in public school infrastructure can translate into lost opportunity for millions - especially in underserved zones. Claims of being a “Vishwaguru” must be matched with inclusive access and innovative outreach. What we can learn from the mobile-bus model: Deploy mobile learning hubs in areas where built infrastructure is weak. Integrate tutoring, mentoring and peer-group study into community outreach rather than rely solely on brick-and-mortar. Provide quiet spaces, connectivity and resource access to students whose home setups may not allow for focused study. Prioritise equity of access, not just numbers of institutions. For leaders in education, policy & industry: It is time to ask: Are we ensuring our youth have the spaces and resources to learn effectively? How can organisations (public/private/civic) collaborate to bring learning-on-wheels or similar outreach to underserved zones? Can we shift our metrics from “number of schools” to “effective access to learning and mentorship”? I believe: the infrastructure we build today must include mobility, flexibility, and equity. Let’s model systems not just for those who already have access-but for those who don’t. #EducationReform #SkillDevelopment #Mobility #IndiaEducation #InnovationInLearning #Leadership

Have you heard of the 5As framework for embedding accessibility and inclusion? Originally developed by the TV Access Project (TAP) to ensure Disabled talent can fully participate in television, the 5As provide a strong foundation for accessibility in any industry. They move beyond compliance, embedding inclusion into everyday practice. The 5As stand for: Anticipate – Accessibility isn’t an afterthought. We expect to work with Disabled people and proactively design inclusive environments, staying informed on best practice. Ask – We don’t assume. Everyone is regularly and sensitively invited to share their access needs, focusing on adjustments rather than conditions or impairments.   Assess – We reflect and improve. Accessibility information is easy to find, our culture is open and safe, and we regularly review and update our policies. Adjust – We take action. Adjustments are planned in advance to ensure full inclusion and wellbeing, with expert input and proper funding. Advocate – Inclusion is a long-term commitment. We champion Disabled talent, challenge discrimination, and support career progression into senior roles. The 5As help build workplaces, events, and industries where accessibility is standard. They don’t solve everything, but I do find them a useful tool for things to consider in creating accessible environments. Do you have any other frameworks like this you can recommend? Find out more: https://lnkd.in/dx7QwvBZ ID: graphic from the Creative Diversity Network highlighting key steps to drive inclusivity: Anticipate, Ask, Assess, Adjust, and Advocate. #DisabilityInclusion #Disability #DisabilityEmployment #Adjustments #DiversityAndInclusion #Content

Most researchers focus on writing. But the most persuasive part of your paper might not be in the words. I spend 30% of my paper preparation time on the core. The core of every paper is the results. It’s in the visuals, images, tables, graphs, and schemes. The results section isn’t just data. It’s your story engine. Here is a list of tools you can use to bring your story to life: ► Scientific illustration libraries & stock resources: The Noun Project: A Wide variety of icons, some suitable for simplified scientific representations. https://lnkd.in/eJyxwdh7 Bioicons: Specifically designed biological and medical icons. https://bioicons.com/ Freepik: Large collection of vectors and illustrations, including some scientific and medical content. https://www.freepik.com/ Simplify Sciences Publishing: Scientific illustrations and templates. https://lnkd.in/ebM5a4rg Servier Medical Art by Servier: Free, high-quality medical and biological illustrations. https://smart.servier.com/ ►Web-based tools (with illustration capabilities): Canva: A user-friendly design platform with vector elements and templates that are suitable for simpler scientific diagrams. https://www.canva.com Google Slides: Basic drawing tools for creating simple diagrams within presentations. https://lnkd.in/enPvsS6A Miro: A collaborative whiteboard platform with shapes and connectors is useful for creating conceptual diagrams and flowcharts. https://miro.com/ Biorender: A Specialized web-based tool with a large library of biological icons and templates for creating professional life science illustrations. https://www.biorender.com/ draw.io (now diagrams.net): Free, open-source diagramming tool for flowcharts and schematics. https://app.diagrams.net/ ► Installed software (advanced illustration): Adobe Illustrator: Industry-standard vector graphics software. https://lnkd.in/e9KY6KuE INKSCAPE: Free and open-source vector graphics editor, a powerful alternative to Adobe Illustrator. https://inkscape.org/ CorelDRAW Graphics Suite: Professional vector illustration suite (subscription and one-time purchase options). https://lnkd.in/ecPyAZmN ImageJ: Primarily for image processing and analysis in life sciences, but has basic annotation and drawing tools. https://imagej.net/ij/ Affinity Designer: Professional vector graphics software, a one-time purchase alternative to Adobe Illustrator. https://lnkd.in/epg2cDfh ► Specialized Installed Software: ChemDraw: For drawing chemical structures and pathways. https://lnkd.in/eqhhViW8 PyMOL: For 3D molecular visualization. https://www.pymol.org/ UCSF ChimeraX: Advanced molecular visualization. https://lnkd.in/eydbWgWF CellDesigner: For drawing biochemical networks and pathways. https://lnkd.in/e_QE9jsX ________ 📌 If what you need is proven strategy, support, and a community to grow in your academic journey, 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆: https://lnkd.in/e-HnrCQW

Are we realising the potential of our networks to make change happen? Most innovation emerges from collaborative projects where teams openly “borrow” & adapt each other’s (often small but powerful) ideas. Many networks & communities of practice could achieve so much more by experimenting together around collective priorities to generate & share new solutions. This is beyond spreading known “best” or “good” practices. It is about innovating to design new solutions collectively. So I appreciated this piece from Ed Morrison about three different kinds of networks: - Advocacy networks are communities that seek to mobilise people, creating pressure to shift policies, priorities or messages in a particular direction. Their aim is to connect & influence rather than to change how they themselves work. - Learning networks are communities of practice. They share knowledge, compare practice & build shared capability. Learning networks often excel at spread & improvement of existing practice, but only sometimes move into structured innovation work. - Innovating (or transforming) networks are communities that combine their assets - ideas, relationships, data, capabilities - to create new value that none could produce alone. They manage collaboration as a process of experimentation: agreeing a shared outcome, running multiple connected tests of change, learning by doing & amplifying what works across the network. https://lnkd.in/edbbexiG. Every learning network has the potential to become an innovating/transforming network. Some actions to enable this: 1. Build a foundation of strong, trusting relationships within the network, understanding each member’s starting point & motivation for change 2. Focus on helping each other to succeed; listen to each others’ stories & plans, co-coach, give advice to each other & build shared inquiry 3. Move from “sharing” or “raising awareness” to some concrete outcomes the network want to change together through collective experimentation 4. Agree some simple norms for the network so that members help each other to make progress, make it safe to try things, fail fast & share incomplete work 5. Encourage multiple, parallel tests of change around similar outcome so projects can “steal with pride” from one another & quickly refine promising ideas 6. Put simple routines in place for noticing patterns (what is shifting where & why), capturing these insights & amplifying them across the network 7. Add additional success metrics including innovations tested, adapted & adopted in multiple places Graphic by Ed Morrison. Content with added inspiration from June Holley.

Your Slides Won’t Save You. Your Ability to Adapt Will. Most trainers make the same mistake. They overprepare. Then they step into the room… and realise their plan isn’t enough. That’s exactly what happened to me. I tore up my slides the night before. Not because I wanted to. Because I had to. Let me explain. I was in a week long leadership program. On Day 2 of a leadership program, I ran a finance workshop. To make it more engaging, I framed it as financial storytelling. On Day 4, I was scheduled to lead a full-day session—one on communication, another on strategy. But on Day 3, the program managers pulled me aside: 📌 They’re sharp. 📌 They’re engaged. 📌 And they still remember exactly what you taught them yesterday. Translation? The session I originally designed? Too easy. I needed to push them. So the night before, I threw out my plan. I gave them Werewolf. The ultimate game of strategy, deception, and high-stakes decision-making. 36 players. 90 minutes. No slides. No structure. Just chaos, persuasion, and pressure. Here’s why it worked: 🖥️ Online? Easy. Everyone stays in neat little Zoom boxes. 👥 In-person? Pure chaos. Whispers. Side conversations. Unfiltered alliances. But that’s the point. 🔹 You need to read the room. 🔹 You need to adapt under pressure. 🔹 You need to take risks before it’s too late. Some hesitated—and lost. Some took bold moves—and won. Some realised their Werewolf strategy mirrored how they make decisions at work. And that’s the lesson. Great Facilitators Do This: 🚫 They don’t worship their slides. If the room needs something different, they adapt. 🎭 They make learning experiential. Because people don’t just want to learn. They want to feel. 🎯 They don’t just teach—they challenge. Because real impact happens when people struggle, think, and grow. At the end of the session, the participants gifted me a pen as a thank-you. 🖊️ Not a standing ovation. Not applause. A gift. From people who actually learned something. And that meant more than any claps ever could. Have you ever had to throw out your plan and pivot in real time? Tell me your story. I want to hear it. ⬇️ Heading back to Singapore with a full heart. 💖 I love what I do—and I feel so lucky to teach what I love. #Facilitation #Storytelling #Leadership #StrategicThinking #DecisionMaking #WerewolfGame

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

The ultimate guide to creating transformational workshop experiences (Even if you're not a natural facilitator) Ever had that gut-punch moment after a workshop where you just know it didn’t land? I’ve been there. Back then, I thought great workshops were all about cramming in as much content as possible. You know what I mean: - Slides with inspirational quotes. - The theory behind the frameworks. - More activities than a summer camp schedule… Subconsciously I believed that: The more I shared, the more people would see me as an expert. The more I shared, the more valuable the workshop. And participants would surely walk away transformed. Spoiler: they didn’t. They were hit-and-miss. But then on a leadership retreat in 2016, I stumbled onto something that changed everything. Something so obvious it's almost easy to miss. But when you intentionally use them, it took my workshops from "meh" to "mind-blowing": Three simple principles: 1️⃣ Context-based Learning People don't show up as blank slates. They bring their own experiences, challenges, and goals. When I started anchoring my content in their reality, things clicked. Suddenly, what I was sharing felt relevant and useful — like I was talking with them instead of at them. 2️⃣ Experiential Learning Turns out, people don’t learn by being told. They learn by doing (duh). When I shifted to creating experiences, the room came alive. And participants actually remembered what they’d learned. Experiences like roleplays, discussions, real-world scenarios, the odd game... 3️⃣ Evocative Facilitation This one was a game-changer. The best workshops aren’t just informative — they’re emotional. The experiences we run spark thoughts and reactions. And it's our job to ask powerful questions to invite reflection. Guiding participants to their own "aha!" moments to use in the real world. (yup, workshops aren't the real world) ... When I started being intentional with these three principles, something clicked. Participants started coming up to me after sessions, saying things like: "That’s exactly what I needed." "I feel like you were speaking directly to me." "I’ve never felt so seen in a workshop before." And best of all? Those workshops led to repeat bookings, referrals, and clients who couldn’t wait to work with me again. Is this the missing piece to your expertise? - If so, design experiences around context. •Facilitate experiences that evoke reactions •Unpack reactions to land the learning ♻️ Share if you found this useful ✍️ Do you use any principles to design your workshops?

I grew Jubilee Media to 14M subs on YouTube with $2k video budgets. 90% of brands can’t do the same with $200k budgets. Here’s how to build TV quality production on a tiny budget: Most brands overspend to make these videos because they're used to working with large-scale TV productions. But times have changed. Creating Netflix-quality content has a much lower barrier to entry. You really only need 3 basics: 1. Good audio 2. Good lighting 3. Good composition There’s a caveat to the budget of course: talent costs more than $2K. BUT… All you need to start making REALLY beautiful stuff is 1 producer (~$9k / mo) and 1 editor ~$8k / mo). That's it. They can get you 1 high-quality long-form episode every 2-3 weeks. We helped Proton scale to 100K subscribers in just 7 videos - from zero - with only a producer and editor. Cost of production is $3-5K per month… - Peerspace studio (7 hrs @ $150/hr) = $1050 - Talent (expert) = $500 - Table/Chairs (FB Marketplace) = $250 - 2x light rental (Aputure 300d) = $250 - Softbox + diffusion = $100 - C-stands rental (4) = $100 - Wireless lav system (4-channel rental) = $200 - Lunch (4 people @ $15/head) = $60 - Travel = $500 TOTAL = $3,010. You can shoot a couple episodes in one day and have a nice backlog to start. I promise you don’t need to make it complicated. I remember one time at Jubilee, we wanted to test the antithesis to this… We kept asking “what if we had a bigger budget” and eventually we tried it out. Turns out, the more we spent, the worse the content performed. You see there’s actually a tipping point with content - when things look too polished it actually hurts you because the YouTube platform and audience is built on authenticity. So beyond a certain budget, every dollar you spend on production actually makes it LESS likely to work. Now obviously, there are exceptions... Mr. Beast running trains into holes isn't cheap. But, for what most brands are trying to do... You don't need much. At the end of the day, winning with brand content isn’t about “expensive”. - You win subscribers by understanding the platform. - You gain traction by showing up consistently. - You retain viewers with quality content. This is what separates brands that grow REAL audiences, from brands that burn money on unenjoyable content. So if you have budget fears right now, reach out. I’d love to help you execute organic brand content the lean and effective way.

Regardless of how great your ideas are in your virtual sales pitch, webinar, or team meeting… People are most likely checking their email, browsing social media, or working on other things while you present. How can you prevent that and actually get your audience to pay attention? Here are 4 of the most powerful techniques we use for our own virtual training courses: 1. Win the first five seconds According to research from the University of Toronto, people need only five seconds to gauge your charisma and leadership as a speaker. In virtual environments, this first impression is even more critical. To establish instant rapport: - Keep your posture open and inviting (avoid fidgeting, crossed arms, and closed-off postures) - Use open gestures that welcome the audience into your space - Gesture with your palms showing at a 45-degree angle - Speak with clear articulation and energy from the very first word The quickest way to lose your audience? Starting with tentative body language that signals you’re unsure or unprepared. 2. Design your presentation for virtual viewing When designing slides, assume varied viewing conditions. Design for the smallest likely device and the slowest likely Internet speed. Make your slides accessible by: - Using larger fonts (24-32pt) - Applying higher contrast colors - Limiting each slide to ONE clear idea - Adding more space between lines when using smaller text - Stripping excess content (you can provide additional information in a separate document) 3. Vary your delivery Our research shows the optimal length for linear presentations is just 16-30 minutes, while interactive ones can maintain engagement for 30-45 minutes. People’s attention will go through peaks and valleys during that time, so try these techniques to keep their attention: - Vary your speaking pace (faster to convey urgency, slower to express gravity) - Use intentional pauses to let key points land - Adjust your vocal tone (lower pitch for authority, higher for approachability) - Shift between slides, stories, and data at regular intervals Each change helps reset your audience’s attention and signals importance. 4. Build in structured interaction Don’t make your audience wait until the end of your presentation to interact. According to our research, presentations that incorporate audience engagement through polls, chat responses, or breakout discussions maintain attention longer. For the highest engagement: - Use a variety of interaction types throughout your presentation - Incorporate breakout rooms for small-group discussions - Switch modalities regularly to keep it interesting Remember: In virtual environments, you need to recreate the natural engagement that happens in person. Your virtual presentation success isn’t measured by perfection…it’s measured by action. Master these techniques and your audience won’t just pay attention, they’ll respond. #VirtualPresentations #CorporateTraining #WorkplaceLearning