By Hollace S. Masino Instructional Designer Before going to graduate school for instructional design, I worked as a training facilitator for teachers in secondary and higher education. Evaluation was an important part of my job: I gave knowledge checks and surveys after trainings, and smiled at how satisfied participants…
By Dale Bethea Project Manager To many, the role of a project manager—or PM—is something of a mystery. Our omnipresent involvement in projects can give the impression that we’re subject matter experts. Over the past 10 years, I’ve been asked many times by clients to explain the rationale behind…
By Jon Madden Managing Partner President and Chief Financial Officer The practice of applying game design concepts to learning situations—commonly called gamification—will continue as one of the most influential innovations shaping adult learning. However, some people are skeptical about gamification as a learning tool. Even those who use or…
By Jim Kesslick Medical Writer For decades, cancer therapy comprised the standard triad of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Recently, however, immunotherapy―the harnessing of a patient’s own immune system to attack cancerous cells―has emerged as a potentially lifesaving option for some patients who don’t respond to standard cancer therapy. As…
By Julie M. Jones INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER You’ve been working on a project for months, developing precisely the right content and design to best impact your audience. But have you considered color? Colors do matter. Colors remind us, warn us, and protect us. They can even persuade us. We all…
By Jessica Meth Copywriter The role of a creative partner in the world of life sciences is to turn information into ideas that generate interest and capture the attention of audiences that include payers, providers, and patients. Over the past 15+ years, I’ve spent many hours reviewing data, brainstorming…
By Chapin Brinegar Senior Manager of Instructional Design In my experience, lack of reinforcement is one of the most common—and most detrimental—mistakes clients make when implementing trainings. You’d be surprised how many times I’ve seen a client spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a learning and development initiative, but…
By Marian Mostovy Copywriter When I’m editing medical content for regulatory, physician, and sales professionals, I come across practices that just don’t cut it when it comes to the abbreviations eg, ie, and etc. Here are some pitfalls and how to avoid them. 1. Inserting periods. You may have…
By Anne Rewey A recent ANA (Association of National Advertisers) and McKinsey study found that 89% of marketers feel continual training and skills development is essential for success. Even so, many corporations are unwilling to invest in the educational and training programs marketers need.1 In part, this training gap…
By Jessica Meth Copywriter In pharmaceutical writing, you must often customize your messaging platform for multiple audiences, including patients, providers, payers, and employers. Though writing for each presents unique challenges, many writers find writing for payers (eg, commercial health plans, Medicare, Medicaid) the most complex. Having spent most of…
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