Pre-Conference Workshop Option 1
Unlocking AI for Talent Development Success: A Hands-On Workshop
with Stan Skrabut, Ed.D
Generative AI is transforming the way organizations develop talent, enhance learning experiences, and drive professional growth. This interactive, hands-on workshop is designed for talent development professionals who want to go beyond theory and actively apply AI to their work.
We’ll explore four key areas — Advanced Prompt Design, Customizing Images, GPT Creation, and Data Analysis — through guided exercises and real-world applications to help you optimize AI tools for instructional design, leadership development, coaching, and workforce learning.
- Advanced Prompt Design: Learn how to use AI Priming Documents to structure prompts for consistent, high-quality AI-generated content that supports training initiatives.
- Customizing Images: Generate compelling visuals to enhance learning materials and increase engagement.
- GPT Creation: Develop custom AI models tailored to your organization’s learning and development needs.
- Data Analysis: Leverage AI to analyze learning trends, assess skills gaps, and refine talent strategies.
This hands-on experience will ensure you walk away with practical, immediately applicable AI skills to integrate into your L&D programs, enhance creativity, and drive measurable impact in today’s rapidly evolving workplace.
Stan Skrabut is a card carrying lifelong learner who has spent his career helping people and organizations achieve improved performance. He is a scholar, teacher, author, veteran, martial artist, and avid reader. Throughout his working life, he has changed roles and responsibilities countless times. He worked as a guard, organizational trainer, instructional technologist, webmaster, systems programmer, lecturer, and director. He uses informal learning, especially reading, as a way to improve himself and subsequently his teams. His interest in informal learning inspired his dissertation topic, Study of Informal Learning Among University of Wyoming Extension Educators. He lives with his wife and dog in Rhode Island. Nomadic in nature, he loves to travel and has lived in Germany, Belgium, Holland, Turkey, and various locations across the United States. His number one passion is helping others achieve their goals. He has been a member of ATD for over ten years and this is his third chapter.
Pre-Conference Workshop Option 2
Instructional Design Survival Kit (aka Order Takers Anonymous)
with Wendy Picard, CPTD
Instructional design can feel like the wild, wild, west. If you're lucky enough to complete a needs assessment, your team might pester you about how long design is taking. For many designers (or multiple hat wearers) you may not have any control over the work, or your company thinks they can use AI to churn out content. If any of those scenarios sound familiar, this is the session for you!
The work is valuable and often messy. This workshop will help you sharpen your skills to get the answers you need from SMEs, give you the confidence to ask the right questions and handle situations where a needs assessment won't occur no matter how persistent you are.
Participants will be engaged through large and small group work, hands-on activities, and discussion. Come practice interviewing stakeholders, leadership, and the target audience to complete a needs assessment; participants will get the chance to create initial findings, and work through an instructional design plan complete with a training project plan to navigate SME and stakeholder "orders." Participants will play Myth or Science to discuss common learning myths then practice researching and advocating for evidence-based solutions.
Participants will:
- Create a tiered needs assessment
- Share the initial findings of the needs assessment
- Recognize the key elements of an instructional design plan
- Recognize the key elements of a training initiative's project plan
- Pair content with the appropriate modality
- Practice advocating for evidence-based solutions
Wendy Picard is a learning and organizational development consultant. She has been transforming woes to 'whoas' in L&D for over 15 years. Most of her time is spent in instructional design, but she loves finding innovative solutions for organizations, even if it’s outside the instruction box. She earned her master's degree in training and development from Roosevelt University. As a lifelong learner, she has earned her D&I certification from Cornell University, positive psychology certification through Coursera, and the prestigious Certified Professional of Talent Development (CPTD) credential from the Association of Talent Development. Wendy has honed her skills as a leader, mentor, and coach volunteering with ATD. She is currently a National Advisor to Chapters (NAC), supporting 5 chapters and chairing one of four NAC committees. Aside from combating learning myths, Wendy enjoys board games, letting her geek flag fly, and being with her family
