Effective Learning Design Lab

Every year, organisations invest significant resources in training, development programmes and other learning solutions. However, they often start from the wrong end. A well-recommended trainer is selected, a programme is planned or an e-course is created before it is clear: what change is actually desired; what has so far prevented people from putting the desired behaviour into practice; whether training is the right solution for the need at all; and what needs to be done in addition to, or instead of, training to achieve the result.

The Effective Learning Design Lab is a practical workshop for those responsible for learning, development and implementing change in organisations. During the day, we will work through the main stages of designing effective learning and development activities, from understanding the need to selecting a suitable solution. Participants can use various tools and models to analyse challenges currently on their desks and design solutions.

🧩 What will we discuss in the lab?

The learning design lab for practitioners in learning and people development is based on evidence-based and practice-proven approaches, including:

• the COM-B behaviour change model;
• principles for designing participant engagement and motivation;
• blended learning design;
• the B-D-A model for learning and development (Before – During – After);
• systematic needs analysis and impact planning.

The focus is on the question: How can we design a system or intervention that genuinely helps the desired change to occur?

🎒 What will participants take away?

• A clearer understanding of whether training or something else is the solution to an organisational need
• Tools for mapping needs, barriers and enablers
• A framework for planning learning and development activities
• Feedback on their idea or project
• A network of other HR, L&D and learning design practitioners
• First steps for implementation in their own organisation

👥 Who is the lab for?

The learning design lab is suitable for everyone whose work involves planning, designing and conducting learning and development activities, including:

• HR managers
• training and development managers
• L&D specialists
• learning designers
• trainers
• organisational development and project managers
• everyone else responsible for people’s learning, development activities or implementing change

🧭 Key questions of the day

🎯 Are we solving the right problem?
What change is desired through learning? What behaviour do we want to change? What is preventing it today? Is training the right solution at all?

🛠️ How can we design a functioning solution?
When is learning the right intervention? When do we need to change the system, processes or management? How can different interventions be combined?

🚀 How can we ensure impact?
What needs to happen before learning? What needs to happen during learning? What needs to happen after learning? How can the application of what has been learned be supported?

👋 Facilitators

The day will be led by Helena Heidemann (co-founder and learning designer at MindShifters OÜ) and Jaan Aps (CEO and senior analyst at Stories For Impact OÜ).

Helena Heidemann is a learning designer and co-founder of MindShifters.ee who helps organisations design learning experiences that genuinely support the desired behavioural and organisational change. Over the past ten years, she has designed hundreds of learning solutions for both the public and private sectors – from development programmes and e-courses to comprehensive learning ecosystems. Helena combines the principles of adult learning, behaviour change and practical learning design to help organisations make more informed decisions about when training is the right solution and when it is necessary to intervene at the level of the system, management or work organisation instead.

Jaan Aps leads Stories For Impact, whose mission is to increase organisations’ positive impact on people’s well-being and development. Over 20 years, in various roles, Jaan has advised and trained organisations and conducted applied research related to setting, evaluating and consciously managing organisational impact goals. As a highly regarded trainer himself, a significant part of his work in recent years has involved creating evaluation instruments for training and development programmes, conducting impact studies and supporting clients in applying the results.

In recent years, Helena and Jaan have jointly developed an effective learning design framework that combines the principles of learning design, behaviour change, systems thinking and conscious impact management. The framework was created in the international Erasmus+ project "Shift for Change", whose aim is to help organisations create learning solutions that genuinely lead to the desired change. Read more here.

✅ Is this lab for you?

If you answer yes to at least one of the following questions, you will certainly benefit from this day.

✔ You want training to create the desired change in reality.
✔ You are looking for a more systematic way to plan learning and development activities.
✔ You are currently working on a training, development programme or change management project.
✔ You want to exchange ideas with other learning and development practitioners and managers.

Come with your real challenge – you will leave with a clearer understanding, practical tools and first steps towards solving it. The number of places is limited so that the workshop can be practical and engaging for participants.

🎟️ Tickets

🎯 Standard ticket: €149 + VAT
⏳ Last-minute ticket (from 31 October until the event) – €199 + VAT

The participation fee includes training materials and coffee breaks.

Important to know: The Effective Learning Design Lab will take place once at least 10 participants have registered. If the minimum number of participants is not reached, we will let you know well in advance, and you can choose whether to attend at a new time or have the amount paid for the ticket refunded.

Looking forward to an exciting meeting!