Understanding the freelance instructional design market is crucial for both independent professionals and the enterprises that hire them. In this episode, Parker Grant and Andrea Dottling of IDLance pull back the curtain on the freelance L&D industry. They explore the daily challenges, unique opportunities, and business mechanics of working as an independent eLearning designer.

For L&D leaders, they provide practical advice on integrating freelance talent into corporate workflows. The conversation highlights how large organizations can build better vendor relationships, streamline project management, and achieve strong business outcomes when working with external instructional designers.

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Parker Grant spent over 21 years at a Fortune 50 company as an engineer, trainer, and training manager before going freelance. He holds a Ph.D. in Adult Learning from the University of Connecticut and co-founded IDLance with Andrea in 2020. He is also an eLearning developer, cartoonist, and someone who has genuinely thought through the business side of L&D freelancing.

Andrea Dottling holds a Master's in Education and has designed learning across corporate, higher ed, K-12, and non-profit settings. She co-founded IDLance in 2020 and helped grow its freelancer community to over 1,700 members worldwide. In 2025, she keynoted the Alabama Instructional Design Network's UnConference.

Brought to you by the dominKnow | ONE Platform - develop, manage, and distribute impactful L&D content – efficiently, at scale.

Many L&D programs build skills but fail to shift performance. Matthew Richter joins IDIODC to explore why that gap exists and what to do about it.

He breaks performance down into five factors and shows exactly where L&D can and cannot influence each one. That distinction matters. It changes how you diagnose problems, how you scope solutions, and how you talk to business leaders about what learning can realistically deliver. You will leave with a sharper lens for targeting your budget, a cleaner argument for stakeholders, and a practical framework for choosing interventions that move real business outcomes.

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Matthew Richter is President of The Thiagi Group and co-founder of The Learning Development Accelerator (LDA). He has spent two decades consulting and delivering training for organizations including Microsoft, EA, Grant Thornton, and Sony. His work sits at the intersection of performance, motivation, and learning design.

Matt is also a game designer, facilitator, and public speaker. He has presented at The Gates Foundation, ISPI, Training Magazine, and ASTD, among others. He co-authored LOLA: Live Online Learning Activities with Sivasailam Thiagarajan and teaches leadership at EMLyon Business School in France

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In the age of AI when content is a commodity, how do Learning and Development organizations actually make an impact? How can they build a learning function that is both efficient and effective, especially when scaling across an enterprise? Many L&D teams are caught between the demand for speed and the need for quality, often sacrificing one for the other. The secret isn't doing more, but designing smarter from the start.

Dr. Karl Kapp, a leading voice in learning and technology, joins IDIODC to share a new operational mindset where "smooth is fast". We'll discuss how to embed quality and thoughtful design into your processes from the start, ensuring that your L&D initiatives are not only scalable but also accessible, performance-driven, and action-focused. Discover how strategic AI integration and an action-oriented approach can transform your team from a content factory into a critical driver of business success.

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Dr. Karl Kapp is a pioneering voice in learning innovation. His book Action-First Learning is reshaping how organizations design training for real-world impact. As co-founder of Enterprise Game Stack and founder of the L&D Mentor Academy, he bridges academic rigor with practical business results. His work on gamification, engagement, and instructional design has influenced thousands of L&D professionals worldwide.

Karl is a professor of instructional technology at Commonwealth University. He brings over two decades of research-backed expertise to enterprise learning challenges. From scaling operations to integrating AI, he helps organizations turn training into a strategic driver of business success. His books, courses, and thought leadership tackle the pressing challenges facing today's L&D leaders.

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Your team is probably using AI to write learning content. But does it actually make it better? AI hallucinations and weird text patterns can be spotted by anyone paying attention. Connie Malamed joins IDIODC to share what she's learned from experimenting with AI writing tools.

We discuss the fingerprints AI leaves in your content. Overused sentence structures. Paragraphs that sound impressive but say nothing. You'll learn about specialized AI research tools that beat ChatGPT for finding credible sources, and using NotebookLM to prepare for SMEs interviews. Connie shares when to use AI and when to fight through your own messy first draft. Because sometimes the struggle is what keeps your writing sharp and your content authentic.

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Connie Malamed is a learning experience design consultant, author, and the creator of The eLearning Coach. She helps learning teams design evidence-informed, visually clear learning experiences that people actually understand and remember.

She has written two influential books on visual design for learning and runs Mastering Instructional Design, a community for learning professionals who want to deepen their craft and stay current in a changing L&D landscape.

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Christy Tucker joins IDIODC to share her journey into AI image generation for learning. With over 1,500 images created and extensive tool experimentation, she reveals why she moved beyond stock photos. We'll discuss what works, what doesn't, and how to navigate the learning curve of prompting AI tools like Midjourney, ChatGPT, and Gemini (Nano Banana).

Discover practical workflows for creating consistent character images for scenarios. Christy explains how to reduce bias through diverse representation and make abstract concepts tangible with custom icons. This conversation previews strategic approaches you'll want to explore before her upcoming hands-on webinar. Get ready to elevate your learning visuals from generic to genuinely tailored.

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Christy Tucker is an instructional designer and consultant specializing in scenario-based learning and AI-generated visuals. She's created thousands AI images while developing practical workflows for learning professionals. Her blog, Experiencing Elearning, features 70+ posts on storytelling and scenarios. She earned the eLearning Learning MVP Award in the Engaging Learners category.

Christy speaks regularly at conferences including DevLearn and Training Magazine events. She's known for making complex techniques accessible through hands-on workshops and detailed guides. When she's not generating AI images or designing branching scenarios, she's probably experimenting with yet another image tool.

Brought to you by the dominKnow | ONE Platform - develop, manage, and distribute impactful L&D content – efficiently, at scale.

Does your organization’s AI adoption feel scattered? All too often, teams are treating a strategic transformation like just another software rollout. Megan Torrance joins IDIODC with a better framework — one grounded in systems thinking. She maps the three zones where AI impacts learning organizations and the nature of training work itself, and the 14 conversations that organizations need to be having as we further our implementations of new tools and processes.

Drawing from her forthcoming book, Megan shares the planning dimensions most learning teams overlook. From workforce impact to governance to change management, she reveals why cross-functional collaboration matters just as much as technical prowess. This conversation previews strategic concepts your team should explore now. Her upcoming webinar dives deep into the AI Implementation Canvas framework with actionable strategies.

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Megan Torrance is the CEO and Founder of TorranceLearning, where she partners with organizations to create transformational learning experiences. A recognized thought leader in learning innovation, she created the LLAMA® methodology for instructional design and pioneered xAPI and learning analytics for L&D.

Her upcoming book, The AI Implementation Guide for L&D (June 2026), introduces the AI Implementation Canvas, a strategic framework for AI adoption. Megan developed the W.I.S.E. A.T. A.I. framework for responsible AI use and founded the LIT community. As a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator, she brings systems thinking to help L&D professionals design for change. She co-hosts the Tangents with TorranceLearning podcast and offers the AI Driver's Permit course.

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Managing learning at scale requires mastering both psychology and process. Guieswende Rouamba joins IDIODC to reveal why projects succeed or fail — rarely because of content, but because of broken human dynamics. Using Transactional Analysis, he'll explain how to move stakeholders from resistance to genuine collaboration, transforming "order taker" teams into strategic partners.

But psychology needs operational discipline to scale. Guieswende will unpack how rigorous scoping prevents "dead projects" (built but never launched), protects teams from burnout, and keeps budgets intact against scope creep. As AI accelerates production timelines, this operational spine becomes even more critical. Learn how to build repeatable processes that scale from one course to fifty — and prepare your team for an AI-enabled future where instructional designers manage portfolios, not individual courses.

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Dr. Guieswende Rouamba is an instructional designer, author, and advocate for bringing project management discipline to the learning design profession. With a PhD in Instructional Design and Technology and over a decade of experience managing large-scale course development, he has seen firsthand how poor scoping and misaligned stakeholders derail even the best-designed content.

His book, The Instructional Designer's Guide to Project Management, bridges the gap between learning theory and operational reality, emphasizing the "human side" of project success through frameworks like Transactional Analysis and the SCARF model. Currently at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois, Guieswende leads teams developing high-enrollment courses (500-1000 students) while championing the idea that instructional designers need to master both psychology and process to thrive in today's fast-paced L&D environments.

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Dr. Alaina Szlachta, founder of By Design Development Solutions and the Measurement Made Easy community, tackles a critical challenge facing L&D teams today. How do you shift from measuring learning activities to measuring actual business outcomes? Her expertise in sustainable assessment frameworks addresses the real-world struggle of proving learning impact when executive leadership demands concrete ROI evidence.

We'll discuss how to create data-enabled training programs that deliver real-time insights and transform your L&D role. Dr. Szlachta will share practical measurement strategies that align training with organizational goals and optimize program effectiveness during delivery. Learn how to evolve from a reactive service provider into a strategic partner who drives measurable performance improvements across the organization.

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Dr. Alaina Szlachta, an academic-turned-entrepreneur, founded By Design Development Solutions to help learning leaders use data strategically to drive measurable impact. Drawing on her background as a researcher and public health educator, she specializes in data strategy and systems implementation — from collection and analysis to sustainable workflows. Her approach transforms how L&D teams measure training, shifting focus from activity metrics to actual business outcomes and ROI.​

As author of the ATD Press book "Measurement and Evaluation on a Shoestring," Dr. Szlachta makes M&E accessible regardless of expertise or resources. Through her Measurement Made Easy community and speaking engagements, she equips L&D leaders with the data literacy needed to become strategic business partners. She's recognized for practical frameworks that help organizations build real-time assessment systems and prove learning impact at scale.

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Training that doesn't transfer is training that wastes budget. Katrina Kennedy joins IDIODC with a solution that addresses every L&D leader's biggest challenge: proving learning works. Her systematic reflection methodology turns ineffective training into measurable business impact through strategic design choices.

Kennedy's "Learning That Lasts" framework provides the quality assurance system L&D operations need. We'll discuss how reflection activities strengthen memory consolidation and skill application across virtual and in-person environments. Discover practical tools for building reflection into content production workflows while tracking the performance outcomes that matter to executives.

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Katrina Kennedy is known as the "trainer's trainer" with over 27 years of experience helping organizations create learning that actually works. She's empowered more than 46,000 learners across state agencies, universities, healthcare systems, and Fortune 500 companies through evidence-based training methods that drive real results. Kennedy holds a Master's in Human Resource Management and Development from Chapman University and specializes in training design, virtual engagement, and reflection strategies that ensure learning transfers to job performance.

Kennedy is the author of "Learning That Lasts: Reflection Activities for Trainers and Designers," featuring over 45 research-backed activities organized around eight strategic outcomes. She's a regular ATD Conference speaker and contributor to TD Mag, sharing practical insights that help L&D professionals design engaging experiences that create lasting behavioral change. Kennedy also founded the Let's Learn Together L&D Community and shares resources at katrinakennedy.com.

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The gap between skills aspirations and reality is costing enterprises millions in learning inefficiency. Koreen Pagano, renowned skills transformation expert and Chief Product Officer at Build Capable, joins IDIODC to discuss how L&D leaders can bridge this divide through strategic data architecture and operational excellence.

From content tagging methodologies that actually work to building cross-functional governance structures, Koreen will share actionable insights for scaling skills initiatives. Discover why traditional competency approaches fail, how to establish trust in skills data, and the practical steps to transform learning operations into a strategic business asset.

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Koreen Pagano is a product executive and skills transformation expert with 25+ years driving organizational change at companies ranging from startups to global enterprises. As Chief Product Officer at Build Capable and co-founder of Rising Tide Cooperative, she specializes in AI integration, skills strategy, and enterprise learning transformation. Her career includes product leadership roles at LinkedIn Learning, Degreed, Wiley, and D2L, where she pioneered innovative approaches to corporate learning and skills development.

Koreen is the author of "Building the Skills-Based Organization: A Blueprint for Transformation" (September 2025) and "Immersive Learning". She holds a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Penn State University and is a frequent speaker and advisor on skills-based organizational change.

Brought to you by the dominKnow | ONE Platform - develop, manage, and distribute impactful L&D content – efficiently, at scale.

Traditional assessments are often rigid, resource-heavy, and fail to fully capture on-the-job impact. In this session, Garima Gupta, founder of Artha Learning and creator of AIReady, shares a practical blueprint for modernizing assessments without losing scientific rigor.

Drawing from her experience designing AI-enabled assessment systems for enterprise clients, Garima demonstrates how to keep the bedrock principles of validity, reliability, and fairness at the forefront, while using AI to scale assessment quality across thousands of learners.

She breaks down:

- Defining "Good": How L&D leaders can design assessments that measure and support learners. 
- Augmenting the Expert: Practical ways to use Generative AI as a drafting and refinement partner while keeping human oversight central.
- The Future of Feedback: How adaptive AI-powered assessments can provide personalized, real-time feedback that accelerates skill development at scale.

Garima’s message is clear: science comes first, and AI is the multiplier. This session will equip learning leaders with both the strategic lens and tactical playbook to transform assessments into a reliable driver of workforce capability and business impact.

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Garima Gupta is the Founder and CEO of Artha Learning Inc., an award-winning learning design firm based in Toronto, and creator of AIReady, an AI-powered platform that transforms traditional assessments into personalized evaluation systems. With over 20 years of experience in L&D, software engineering, and education, she holds an MEd in Adult Education and is a Certified Training and Development Professional (CTDP).

Garima is a sought-after keynote speaker at major conferences including ATD and DevLearn, sharing insights on AI integration in enterprise L&D and innovative assessment strategies. Her company has earned numerous international awards including Brandon Hall Awards and the Stevie Award for Canadian Small Business of the Year 2022. Beyond her business achievements, she serves on educational advisory committees and supports education initiatives, including sponsoring ten primary schools in rural India.

Brought to you by the dominKnow | ONE Platform - develop, manage, and distribute impactful L&D content – efficiently, at scale.