Instructional Design Tips Podcast

This month, Tom and Heidi broadcast live across YouTube, Substack, and LinkedIn for the first time, covering two main threads: how to get value out of the conference and event circuit, and a tech chat unpacking the latest acronym making the rounds in the L&D vendor space.Part one: conferences and eventsWith conference season running roughly May through November, both hosts share how they now navigate the schedule. The core observation is that cramming in every session rarely pays off; the conversations outside the sessions, the fringe events, and the smaller niche gatherings often deliver more than the headline acts. Tom and Heidi cover the differences between US, UK, and mainland European event cultures; the commercial pressures that shape speaker line-ups; and why the phrase “conference junk food” captures something important about how our attendance patterns end up shaping future programming.The second half turns to the question that always comes up: how do I get onto a conference stage? Tom lays out the three things he looks for when selecting speakers, including why public speaking is a distinct skill from training or facilitation, and why a video or podcast track record matters more than a strong CV when someone is making a speaker selection call.Part two: MCP and the language of L&D techFollowing Docebo’s recent announcement, Heidi noticed the acronym MCP, Model Context Protocol, appearing in multiple vendor pitches within a single week. Tom explains what MCP is, where it came from (Anthropic, 2024), and why its status as an open standard mattered. The broader thread is about how L&D vendors dress up table-stakes technology in impressive-sounding language, and the hosts close on why human judgement remains essential for testing whether your ideas are any good; AI tools, helpful as they are for many things, will not look you in the eye and tell you you are wrong.Chapter markers* (01:30) Welcome; first time live across three platforms* (02:48) This month’s topics: events and tech jargon* (04:35) Why three days of back-to-back direct instruction misses the point* (06:17) Being selective with the schedule and using the gaps well* (08:44) The conversations outside the sessions* (09:22) Fringe events, and why Tom is skipping Learning Technologies this year* (10:28) Lauren’s point on the cost of attending* (11:38) Small, niche events: Andrew Jacobs’s podcasting-for-learning day* (13:58) LearnTech Karlsruhe and the European take on environment and learning* (19:49) Behind the curtain: speaker selection, gender mix, and committee politics* (24:49) Conference junk food: the gap between what people say and where they sit down* (28:27) Speaking at events, part one: you are unlikely to be paid* (32:19) Topic is almost irrelevant; teach what you know, and have a story* (35:14) Public speaking as a distinct skill; The Art of Stage Presence* (40:32) How selectors look for evidence of presentation ability* (44:52) Vanilla vs opinionated speakers, and choosing the right stage* (48:52) When the answer is to build your own stage* (49:24) Perspective: nobody outside the L&D bubble knows who any of us are* (52:28) Tech chat: what is MCP, and why is everyone suddenly saying it?* (56:23) MCP as marketing language and the AI-in-disguise problem* (58:43) Why human challenge beats AI validation every time* (1:01:09) Sign-off; no May episodeMentioned on the show* Lauren Waldman’s comment on the cost of attending conferences* Andrew Jacobs’s podcasting-for-learning event (London, early 2026)* LN Connect, London* LearnTech, Karlsruhe, Germany (IKEA and Herman Miller on environment and outcomes)* Learning Technologies, World of Learning, DevLearn, and ATD (referenced)* The Business of Training Conference (UK)* The Art of Stage Presence (YouTube) — Tom’s go-to recommendation for anyone wanting to present* Docebo’s recent LMS, HR, and AI integration announcement* Model Context Protocol (MCP), released by AnthropicComing upNo May episode; the ID Update returns in June. Tom will be at IDTX on 29th May 2026 at Eastside Rooms, Birmingham, the inaugural in-person Evidence Informed Practice conference. Heidi will be on LinkedIn and Substack throughout May. Get full access to Instructional Design Tips at idtips.substack.com/subscribe

In this month's live broadcast, Tom and Heidi discuss:the recent changes to Articulate 360's pricing in line with its suite of AI featureswhat Tom learned from attending the Learning Technologies Award Winners Showcase hosted by the Learning Networkan overview of this year's global sentiment survey findings What's a problem and what does it mean for us? Get full access to Instructional Design Tips at idtips.substack.com/subscribe

We’ve all heard it: “Everyone can find 5 minutes a day to learn.” But in most real-world workplaces, that’s just not true.This episode explores why the “5-minute learning” mantra is out of touch with how performance actually works. From environmental barriers to broken systems, we look at the real reasons training often fails, and what L&D professionals can do instead.Drawing on the research of Thomas Gilbert and Cal Newport, I argue that if we want real performance improvement, we have to stop blaming individuals and start fixing environments.Topics covered* Why most workers can’t “just find time”* The myth of motivation and learning culture* What Gilbert taught us about performance decades ago* Why systems beat training every time* What L&D should really be focusing onMentioned in this video🔗 Human Competence by Thomas Gilbert🔗 A World Without Email by Cal NewportLet me know in the comments:What environmental barrier have you seen block good performance? Get full access to Instructional Design Tips at idtips.substack.com/subscribe