MAGICademy
Mission Statement Paired with evidence-based research, the MAGICademy podcast co-explores how advancements in humanized leadership, neuroarts, learning science, and bio-cultural tech are converging to empower wonder-making new heroes who heal and embrace the magic within to transcend the limitations of the past toward collective flourishing. Sign up and stay tuned: https://www.magicademy.club/
S6 E5 · Fri, April 11, 2025
Wheel of Belonging: Building a World through Deep Empathy
In this episode with Naomi, we went into a deep meditative state to explore how belonging serves as a fundamental human need with measurable impacts on well-being, productivity, and collective success. Through thoughtful research and frameworks like the "Wheel of Belonging," we discuss how intentionally designed experiences within a context/environment/culture can seek ways to foster authentic connection where everyone feels true belonging. MAGICal Insights: Belonging is not a binary state but a journey with distinct pathways that can be intentionally designed for in experiences "Belonging uncertainty" can be as harmful as outright exclusion A sense of belonging is an essential daily nutrient we need for wellbeing Read more: https://www.magicademy.club/wonder-leadership/wheel-of-belonging-building-a-world-through-deep-empathy #Belonging #EmpathicDesign #WheelOfBelonging #ExperienceDesign #CommunityBuilding #Wellbeing #OrganizationalCulture #StorytellingFramework #AuthenticSelf #BelongingJourney
S6 E4 · Fri, March 28, 2025
Do it Messy: Childlike Wonder Meets Artificial Intelligence
Story Overview In this MAGICademy podcast episode, we dive into the realm of creativity and artificial intelligence with Dr. Robin Sargent, founder of IDOL Instructional Design Academy. Dr. Sargent shares her journey from running a niche recruiting agency to establishing a full-fledged vocational school, highlighting the unexpected turns that led to her current role. She discusses her innovative approach to integrating AI into skill development, including the development of an AI chatbot to support her students' learning process. The conversation explores Dr. Sargent's unique perspective on creativity, emphasizing the importance of a calm, stress-free environment for fostering growth & development. She introduces her "do it messy" approach, encouraging students to embrace imperfection and childlike wonder in their creative endeavors. The discussion extends to the future of instructional design and creativity in the age of AI, examining how these tools can enhance human creativity. Dr. Sargent also shares personal insights on overcoming self-criticism and achieving a balance between achievement-driven motivation and inner peace, offering valuable strategies for us to apply in our own creative initiatives. Read more: https://www.magicademy.club/learning-science/do-it-messy-childlike-wonder-meets-artificial-intelligence Chapters 00:00 Highlight 02:49 The Founding Story 04:09 Love in Teaching & Student Growth 04:25 AI Chatbot Addressing Learning Challenges 07:26 Building an AI Chatbot with Explainability 09:23 Defining Creativity 10:45 Childlike Sense of Wonder 12:46 About Shame and Self Judgement 17:06 Future of AI + Creativity 21:10 Guardrails and Challenges of AI in Creativity 22:48 Protect Our Creativity with Awareness 25:49 Recap and Conclusion 27:29 Dr. Robin's Childhood Passion 29:27 Challenges that shape Robin 32:45 Dr. Robin's MAGIC
S6 E3 · Fri, March 14, 2025
The Story of Immersion: Tracing the Brain's Social-Emotional Pathways
Story Overview In this MAGICademy podcast episode, neuroscientist Dr. Paul discusses his research on "immersion" - a measurable data stream from the brain that indicates how we value social-emotional experiences. He explains how immersion happens when we're both present and emotionally engaged, revealing that our brains process immersive moments through neurochemicals like dopamine and oxytocin. The conversation explores how peak immersive experiences influence behavior, from consumer decisions to learning retention, and how they contribute to psychological well-being. Dr. Paul shares research findings from real-world applications, including restaurant experiences, training programs, and sales interactions, demonstrating how immersion is fundamentally a shared human experience. The discussion extends to the physiological aspects of persuasion, the importance of psychological safety, and how measuring immersion through wearable technology might help improve mental health in an increasingly disconnected world. Read more: https://www.magicademy.club/culturetech/the-story-of-immersion-tracing-the-brains-social-emotional-pathways 00:00 Intro 03:00 How to Measure Immersion 07:55 Dopamine + Oxytocin + Human Experience during Immersion 11:53 The Impact of Immersion on Mental Health 14:21 Peak Immersion in a business environment 17:03 Neuro-responses During Persuasion 19:58 Optimizing Information Delivery 22:36 Measuring Immersion for Emotional Well-being 24:44 Creating Psychological Safety and Trust 26:15 The Immersive Experience and Losing Track of Time 28:09 The Importance of Psychological Safety for Immersion 29:59 Setting Hard but Achievable Goals for Immersion at Work 32:24 Improving Emotional Health for a Better Future 35:06 Conversation Recap 36:03 The Magic of Curiosity and Making Mistakes 40:41 Building Strong Teams to Overcome Challenges
S6 E3 · Fri, February 28, 2025
Create a Company Anthem: Unlock Potentials through Neurosomatic Leadership
Story Overview In this episode of the MAGICademy Podcast, we welcomes Genein Letford, a national thought leader and creator of "Lyrics & Leadership." This innovative program combines music, neural somatic leadership concepts, intercultural creativity, and prismatic leadership to help us unlock our creative potential. As America's Creative Coach, Genein explores how Prince's profound lyrics contain powerful leadership lessons, explains the science behind connecting our brain, mind and body to enhance creativity, and discusses how embracing curiosity and childlike wonder can transform personal and professional growth. The conversation delves into how music and movement can unite people across different cultures and perspectives, ultimately highlighting the importance of these creative approaches in an era where adaptability, resilience, and curiosity have become essential rather than optional skills in our rapidly evolving world. Read more: https://www.magicademy.club/wonder-leadership/create-a-company-anthem-unlock-potentials-through-neurosomatic-leadership
S6 E1 · Fri, February 21, 2025
Art of Social Immersion: Transforming Digital Spaces into Social Catalysts
Welcome to S6E1 of the @MAGICademy Podcast! Today, our guest is Jasmin Jodry, an award-winning creative director based in New York, renowned for crafting transformative immersive experiences. She specializes in merging art and entertainment to create shared 'Story-living' concepts that foster participation and emotional connection, which then lead to transformative perceptual shifts. We had an amazing conversation about her work and the different types of immersive experiences she creates, how awe and playfulness play a crucial role in those experiences and our development as human beings, and the variety of impacts that these powerful activities have on leadership environments. Read article here: https://www.magicademy.club/neuroarts/art-of-social-immersion-transforming-digital-spaces-into-social-catalysts Conversation Outline 00:00 - Introduction and Jasmin talking about herself 00:58 - What makes Jasmin’s designs immersive experiences 02:30 - Case stories and examples from Jasmin’s career 06:46 - The framework that helps create these experiences 08:52 - Defining playfulness and other concepts 11:11 - Building spaces to activate playfulness 13:31 - Social and human connections 16:50 - Making people feel safe 21:45 - Creating transformative experiences 25:49 - Measuring the impact 29:01 - Challenges or risks to take into account when creating experiences 32:31 - Jiani’s recap of the episode 34:26 - Jasmin at 11 years old 42:10 - Jasmin’s magic #MAGICademy #Podcast #Participation #ImmersiveExperiences #Playfulness #Safety #JasminJodry #Storylines #Art #Entertainment #Storyliving #EmotionalConnection #EntertainmentForWellness #ProductivityBoosters
S5 E10 · Fri, February 14, 2025
Beyond Command: The Architecture of Generative Leadership
On S5E10 of the @MAGICademy Podcast, we give a warm welcome to Robert Dunham! Bob is an expert in leadership development and founder of the Institute for Generative Leadership (IGL). We had an amazing conversation about generative leadership and what it truly means, how it generates positive things in our lives, and what motivates us and connects us as humans. According to Bob, we’re in a constant state of generation, whether they may be positive or negative. In this episode, we discuss how to focus our efforts on generating good for ourselves and others, how to reframe our way of thinking and open up to new possibilities, how to foster confidence in ourselves and our teams, and much more. Read article here: https://www.magicademy.club/wonder-leadership/beyond-command-the-architecture-of-generative-leadership Conversation Outline 00:00 - Introduction and Bob talking about himself 01:19 - Exploring Generative Leadership 08:50 - External vs internal action 11:18 - Conversations and reframing ourselves 14:22 - Opening ourselves to the possibilities 19:15 - Stories and examples from Bob’s career 24:22 - How to accept different perspectives 29:02 - Referring to workers as “talents” instead of “employees” 37:00 - Measuring the impact of Generative Leadership 42:20 - How does the future of Generative Leadership look like for Bob 45:25 - The role of childlike wonder 48:42 - Bob at 11 years old 50:00 - Challenges that Bob had to overcome 52:45 - Bob’s magic #MAGICademy #Podcast #GenerativeLeadership #ConsciousLeadership #CollaborativeGrowth #MindfulProductivity #NurturingExperiences #DiversePerspectivesInLeadership #EffectiveCommunicationStrategies #OpenDialogue #FosteringConfidence #EngagingConversations #TalentEngagement #Feedback #InclusiveSpaces
S5 E8 · Fri, January 31, 2025
Space as Teacher: The Hidden Language of Authentic Connection
Welcome to S5E8 of the @MAGICademy Podcast! Today we welcome Lorenz Sell as a guest for the show. Lorenz is a notable engineer recognized for his contributions to the electrical and mechanical systems fields, and building spaces and software to advance and help human connections. The developer side of this business is not often looked at, and he drops by the show to talk long and hard about human connections, spaces, and peace. Especially what these concepts mean and how we are supposed to see and live our life experiences to find meaning in them. In this episode, we discuss the importance of spaces for heartfelt conversations and authentic human connections, the emotional quality of relationships, vulnerability and the importance of feeling seen and felt, the role of new technology in relational spaces, and much more! Conversation Outline 00:00 - Introduction and Lorenz talking about himself 02:47 - About the Burning Man experience 06:20 - Lorenz talks about Sutra 11:39 - How to build a relational space 16:45 - The importance of the quality and authenticity of the space 29:23 - Role of VR in relational spaces 32:56 - Jiani’s recap of the episode 34:41 - Lorenz at 11 years old 36:50 - Challenges that Lorenz had to overcome 39:08 - Lorenz’s magic Please read more here: https://www.magicademy.club/wonder-leadership/space-as-teacher-the-hidden-language-of-authentic-connection #MAGICademyPodcast #LorenzSell #Engineering #HumanConnections #EmotionalIntelligence #Vulnerability #Authenticity #Leadership #HeartfeltConversations #RelationalSpaces #TechnologyAndRelationships #MeaningfulConnections #ListeningSkills #TeamDynamics #EmbodiedReceptivity #VirtualReality #ConnectionInTech #PeaceBuilding #PersonalGrowth #CommunityDynamics
S5 E7 · Fri, January 24, 2025
Scent of Serenity: Mastering the Stress Olympics through Multisensory Healing
On S5E7 of the @MAGICademy Podcast, we give a warm welcome to Sarah Hill! She is the founder and CEO of Healium, a company specializing in interactive media and mental fitness solutions. Aside from that, Sarah is an accomplished journalist with 12 Emmy awards under her hat, having dedicated over 25 years to storytelling and media innovation, and a background working with major news networks, including NBC, ABC, and CBS. She joins us today to talk about self-awareness and the power of immersive content for us to properly get to know about ourselves, our feelings, and how to behave in a corporate environment. Sarah describes herself as a storyteller, using biometric inputs such as brain patterns and heart rate to tell her stories. We talk deeply about the different inputs the body gets, immersive stories and the effect they have on people, mental fitness as a relatively new concept, and how to leverage new technologies to have an effective and productive state of mind. Article link: https://www.magicademy.club/culturetech/scent-of-serenity-mastering-the-stress-olympics-through-multisensory-healing Conversation Outline 00:00 - Introduction and Sarah talking about herself 01:07 - Background behind Healium 02:48 - What happens in our brains when we watch immersive videos 05:36 - The process of designing a successful immersive story 09:33 - Visual representations of what Healium does 15:17 - The importance of scent 18:07 - Indicators for different brain patterns 20:28 - How can leaders leverage these tools for mental fitness 23:30 - Impact stories 32:12 - The best possible future for immersive stories and mental fitness 37:50 - Jiani’s recap of the episode 39:53 - Sarah at 11 years old 43:22 - Challenges that Sarah had to overcome 47:17 - Sarah’s magic #MAGICademy #Podcast #SarahHill #Healium #InteractiveMedia #ImmersiveExperiences #MentalFitness #EmotionalRegulation #EntrepreneurMentalHealth #MentalWellness #StressManagement #VirtualRealityTherapy #Mindfulness #EmotionalIntelligence #MentalHealthAwareness #ImmersiveTechnology #ResilienceTraining #OlfactoryVR #AnxietyRelief #MentalHealthMatter #Entrepreneurship
S5 E6 · Fri, January 17, 2025
Building a Sustainable Company Culture through the Magic of Awe
Welcome to S5E6 of the @MAGICademy Podcast! Our guest today is Megan Powell Cuzzolino, who is a prominent educational researcher and a project director at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She studies the role of awe in learning and development, and how emotional experiences can enhance educational outcomes in different fields, but particularly in science education. We had a very interesting conversation about awe as a worker in different fields and how is essential for every type of talent to feel a certain level of awe when serving in a company or organization. One thing we know for certain is that money or benefits alone don’t make people happy at work, some sense of belonging or motivation is needed. And that’s where awe and fulfillment come in. Megan shares some insights on childlike wonder and adult wonder; we deep dive into the concepts of gratitude and awe; we go over the role of cultural and individual differences in organizations when trying to boost awe; and much more! Conversation Outline 00:00 - Introduction and Megan introducing herself 02:12 - Why focus on awe? 05:23 - What happens in the brain when we experience awe 07:40 - Megan’s research findings 11:52 - Awe and motivation in other industries besides science 17:30 - About the Prisoner’s Dilemma 23:38 - Separating gratitude and the sense of awe 28:38 - Awe in children and adults 33:35 - The role of culture 38:38 - Influence of the fast-emerging technologies in our sense of awe 43:06 - Jiani’s recap of the episode 45:02 - Megan at 11 years old 48:15 - Challenges that Megan had to overcome 51:51 - Megan’s magic Read more on our blog: https://www.magicademy.club/neuroarts/building-a-sustainable-company-culture-through-the-magic-of-awe #MAGICademy #Podcast #MeganPowellCuzzolino #Education #Research #Harvard #Science #EmotionalExperiences #Emotions #Fulfillment #Awe #Learning #Development #Gratitude #Culture
S5 E5 · Thu, January 09, 2025
Radical Emotional Intelligence: The Cornerstone Intelligence of Future Leaders
On S5E5 of the @MAGICademy Podcast we welcome Dr. Britt Andreata to the show! She is a thought leader and expert in brain science, leadership, and education, with experience developing brain science-based training programs for organizational effectiveness and personal growth. We had a great conversation about emotional intelligence, neuroscience, and how those concepts positively influence the workplace environment, as emotionally skilled leaders can empower themselves and talents more efficiently and magically. Dr Britt is the CEO of Brain Aware Training, which focuses on applying neuroscience to improve workplace learning and development. In this episode, we dive deeper into empathy and psychological safety, what happens in the brain while emotional intelligence works, and the huge impact it can have on organizations to train their workforce to be emotionally skilled. Conversation Outline 00:00 - Introduction and Dr Britt introducing herself 01:53 - Emotional intelligence and wellness as today’s priorities 03:23 - E.I. in the workplace and why not everyone has it 05:17 - Britt defines Emotional Intelligence 06:17 - Stories about leaders with high E.I. and the impact on the organization 10:41 - Key components of E.I. 14:53 - The role of childlike wonder for emotionally intelligent leaders 16:21 - Psychological safety and its importance in the workplace 17:17 - Tips for talents to give guidance or feedback to their leaders 19:36 - What goes on in the brain when we use emotional intelligence 23:40 - About Dr Britt’s book and courses 25:05 - The best possible future for E.I. for Dr Britt 28:28 - Thought leaders that Dr Britt recommends following 30:24 - Jiani’s recap of the episode 33:20 - Dr. Britt at 11 years old 34:42 - The role of childlike wonder in Britt’s life 35:30 - Challenges that Dr Britt had to overcome 39:29 - Dr Britt’s magic #MAGICademy #Podcast #BrittAndreata #Neuroscience #EmotionalIntelligence #Leadership #WorkEnvironment #WorkCulture #PsychologicalSafety #Feedback #Empathy #ChildlikeWonder #ThoughtLeader #Psychology
S5 E4 · Fri, January 03, 2025
Mindful Desk Warriors: Wellness Movement to Boost Focus & Resilience
Welcome to a new episode of the @MAGICademy podcast! Today on S5E4, our guest is Lisa Cannata, a leadership development expert currently associated with The Blanchard Companies, with over 27 years of diverse experience under her hat in developing new and interesting learning strategies. We talk a lot about mindfulness and the relation between a good state of mind and a good skill set to be a well-balanced and empathetic leader. As the work environment continues to evolve, the role of the leader needs to evolve as well, and Lisa shares a lot of valuable insights on this matter. Currently based in Orlando, Florida, Lisa has focused on visionary learning and talent engagement, leveraging her extensive background in management and healthcare to enhance organizational effectiveness. In this episode, we delve into her pivot to Blanchard, multiculturalism and diversity in the workplace, and how to enter a focused state and concentrate to keep working when we don’t feel like it. Conversation Outline 00:00 - Introduction 00:42 - Lisa introduces herself 02:03 - Why did Lisa join The Blanchard Companies 04:00 - About mindfulness at work and how it’s much more accepted now 05:20 - How to dive deeper into the breath work and the heart space 11:35 - Connection between our mindfulness and how we perform at work 15:30 - Leadership framework developed by Blanchard 21:00 - Multiculturalism and diversity in situational leadership 23:10 - Importance of childlike wonder and playfulness in the workplace 27:30 - The future according to Lisa 30:13 - Possible risks or challenges that come with technology 32:58 - Thought leaders that Lisa recommends following 34:50 - Jiani’s recap of the episode 37:02 - Lisa at 11 years old 39:50 - Challenges Lisa had to overcome 42:09 - Lisa’s magic #MAGICademy #LeadershipDevelopment #Leadership #MindfulLeadership #SituationalLeadership #EmployeeEngagement #DiversityAndInclusion #LeadershipSkills #WorkLifeBalance #MentalWellbeing #EmployeeWellbeing #LeadershipTraining #PersonalGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #LeadershipExcellence
S5 E3 · Fri, December 27, 2024
Confetti Consciousness: The New Playfulness Paradigm
Welcome once again to the @MAGICademy Podcast! On S5E3 we give a warm welcome to Jelena Aleksich to the show. She is a creative entrepreneur, visual storyteller, and founder of The Confetti Project, which began as a photography challenge in her bedroom and now has evolved into a global mental health storytelling platform. We talk about our playfulness and how it’s often something that we ignore but it ends up being vital for us to have a healthy and balanced adult life. Like many entrepreneurs, Jelena had a completely different background from what she ended up doing, starting as a psychology student and then pivoting to follow a more creative path. In this episode, we explore this pivot and the motivations behind it, the playful mindset and how to cultivate it, mental health and Jelena’s answer to the issue, and much more! Conversation Outline 00:00 - Introduction 00:17 - Jelena talks about her background and founding The Confetti Project 06:20 - Success stories in Jelena’s career 13:33 - About the playful mindset and the “play print” 19:03 - Our way of thinking as a society and how we’re learning to live differently 20:50 - Lack of answers to the mental health issues after the pandemic 25:52 - The role of playfulness and childlike wonder in teams and companies 30:32 - Practicing our playfulness 35:25 - Jelena at 11 years old 42:10 - Jelena’s magic #MAGICademy #Podcast #JelenaAleksich #ConfettiProject #Confetti #MentalHealth #Photography #Storytelling #Entrepreneurship #Playfulness #ChildlikeWonder #Startup #Creativity
S5 E2 · Fri, December 20, 2024
The Empathy Engine: How Virtual Reality Simulations Cultivate Inclusive Mindsets
Welcome to a new episode of the @MAGICademy Podcast! In S5E2 we are joined by Evan Sitler-Bates who drops by to have a great conversation about VR. Evan is the CEO and co-founder of XpertVR, a consulting firm that specializes in e-learning and virtual reality solutions, providing companies and skill development initiatives with new ways to deliver their content innovatively and interestingly. In this episode, we go through the founding and establishment of XpertVR from a passion project to a viable business; what motivates people to learn through VR and the advances in the industry; some pros, cons, and room for improvement in VR-aided skill development techniques; and much more. Conversation Outline 00:00 - Introduction and Evan’s introduction of himself 01:43 - Story and motivations behind XpertVR 04:35 - Interesting stories from Evan’s career 09:35 - Reasons behind people connecting with VR training than other forms of training 12:00 - Pros and cons of the VR world 13:25 - Finding the right balance between VR and actual reality 16:20 - Choosing the right framework to guide ourselves 20:00 - VR training is not meant to replace real-life training 21:35 - The future of VR 28:40 - Potential challenges and risks 32:38 - Jiani’s recap of the episode 34:15 - Evan in his childhood 37:08 - The role of childlike wonder in Evan’s past 39:56 - Challenges in Evan’s life 41:55 - Evan’s magic #VRTraining #VirtualReality #ElearningSolutions #FutureOfLearning #SkillDevelopment #LearningInnovation #ImmersiveLearning #VRInEducation #FutureOfWork #EdTech #VRForTraining #DigitalLearning #InnovativeTraining #TechInEducation #WorkplaceTraining
S5 E1 · Fri, December 13, 2024
AI Literacy Framework: Cultivating Future-Ready Leaders
On S5E1 of the @MAGICademy Podcast we’re happy to welcome Stella Lee to the show. She is the Director of Paradox Learning, a consulting firm that specializes in developing innovative learning solutions across various sectors, and she has been working on digital learning strategy, design, and implementation for over 20 years, becoming a known figure in the e-learning and AI fields. We talk about her AI literacy framework, its importance within organizations, and the diverse uses of AI and other tools in education. One of Stella’s key messages is that while AI can enhance learning experiences, it still requires significant human oversight to ensure accuracy and relevance, creating a necessity for L&D professionals to continuously evaluate AI-generated outputs. In this episode, we explore the need to improve the assessment part of the framework, the importance of feedback mechanisms, and how different tools can be used to improve the digital learning experience for different organizations. Conversation Outline 00:00 - Introduction 01:03 - Philosophy behind Paradox Learning 03:33 - Stella describes herself in one phrase 04:55 - Why AI Literacy Framework? 07:42 - Defining AI Literacy and AI Pedagogy 14:41 - Room for improvement on Stella’s AI framework 18:04 - Discussing Assessments and case studies 20:52 - Defining Formative Feedback 25:07 - The ideal future for Stella 29:20 - Stella’s ideas at 11 years old 31:52 - Stella’s magic #MAGICademy #Podcast #PodcastEpisode #StellaLee #AI #Learning #Frameworks #AILiteracyFramework #Business #Technology #ParadoxLearning #DigitalLearning #AIPedagogy #TalentDevelopment
Fri, December 06, 2024
Physiological Diversity: An Inclusive Dimension to Manage Stress & Productivity
💕 Story Overview Welcome to S4E12 of the @MAGICademy Podcast, where we’re joined by Kirill Krasnogir as our guest this week. Kirill is an entrepreneur and the founder of CleverPoint, a company specializing in neurotechnology and virtual reality applications for mental health assessment. We talk a lot about CleverPoint; stress, burnout, how these concepts influence our professional and personal lives; and how productivity can be improved through the power of will and hard work. Kirill´s vision is to leverage technology to improve mental health outcomes, making significant strides in how psychological well-being can be assessed and supported by using advanced tools. In this episode we also talk about these advanced tools, analyze some of his stories about mental health and managing stress in the workplace, and how stress doesn’t affect us all the same, but we can still find ways to manage it. Conversation Outline 00:33 - Kirill introduces himself 01:40 - About CleverPoint and its foundation 03:44 - Measuring stress, calmness and productivity 10:53 - The healthy dose of stress to spark productivity 14:10 - Early signs of burnout 16:53 - First hand stories about stress from Kirill 20:28 - Evolving the way in which we manage and handle stress 23:54 - Advices for leaders 26:50 - Accuracy of the data 30:40 - Vision on the future by Kirill 32:29 - Potential risks for physiological studies 33:41 - Thought leaders to follow 34:56 - Jiani’s recap of the episode 37:16 - Kirill at 11 years old 39:23 - Particular challenges for Kirill 40:07 - Kirill’s magic #MAGICademy #Podcast #PodcastEpisode #KirillKrasnogir #VR #Learning #Stress #Burnout #Patience #DealingWithStress #Healthcare #MentalHealth #Productivity #Physiology #Technology #Workplace
S4 E10 · Fri, November 29, 2024
Sports Coach Inspired: AI Coach in the Work-Verse
Welcome to a new episode of the @MAGICademy Podcast! Our guest for S4E10 is Dr. Alexander Young, who is very well-known in the fields of education technology and health. Dr. Alex is mostly recognized as the founder and CEO of Virti, an innovative platform aimed at transforming how individuals learn and perform in professional settings. We talk about AI and coaching, how these two concepts intertwine, and how they can be harnessed to develop talents and form excellent professionals. Dr. Alex graduated with a degree in Medicine from the University of Bristol in 2009 and subsequently trained as a trauma and orthopedic surgeon until 2018 when he decided to fully dedicate himself to Virti and focus on enhancing training and performance in business environments by leveraging advanced technologies. In this episode, he also shares some insights about AI-powered avatars, recognizing AI from real people, and some stories on how AI + coaching have improved talent development. Conversation Outline 00:57 - Dr. Alex introduces himself 03:24 - The story behind Virti and its foundation 08:42 - Creating micro-scenarios 11:11 - Staying within the learning objectives 14:31 - Defining effective coaching inspired by sports 19:04 - Stories about overcoming challenges in Dr. Alex’s life 23:21 - Best skills for coaches to have 27:57 - Developing empathy 31:14 - Role of childlike wonder in performance and coaching 33:31 - The landscape for AI one-on-one coaching 36:42 - Room for improvement and benefits of AI-powered avatars 40:14 - Recognizing human voices and AI voices 42:40 - Fighting inaccuracy or AI hallucination 45:25 - Virti impact stories 47:46 - Thought leaders to keep in mind 47:27 - Jiani’s recap of the episode 50:12 - Dr. Alex at 11 years old 51:28 - Particular challenges in Dr. Alex’s life 53:52 - Dr. Alex’s magic #MAGICademy #podcast #surgery #surgeon #innovation #Virti #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #coaching #talents #workplace #workenvironment #professional #childlikewonder #AIavatars #coaches #virtualscenarios #leadershipdevelopment
S4 E9 · Fri, November 22, 2024
Fun as a Catalyst: Activating Childlike Curiosity in Work Culture
On S4E9 of the @MAGICademy Podcast, we’re joined by Michael Rucker to talk about something we often forget to prioritize: having fun! Michael is an organizational psychologist, behavioral scientist, and author of “The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life”. We talked about fun and happiness in organizations and in our personal lives, the different types of fun and how they have different effects on us, and how we react and process fun internally. Michael's journey into the realm of fun began after a series of personal challenges in 2016, including the loss of his younger brother. This prompted him to reassess conventional approaches to happiness and led to the realization that chasing happiness often results in feelings of inadequacy. Michael talks about this and also shares some vital insights on fun and mental health while providing some tips on how to improve it by ourselves. Conversation Outline 00:40 - Michael introduces himself and talks about positive psychology 05:29 - Focusing on fun while avoiding toxic positivity 11:50 - Different types of fun 15:24 - Stories on organization pivoting towards fun environments 24:18 - Role of childlike wonder in fun and mindfulness 27:59 - Tips on fostering type-2 fun 33:52 - Michael’s vision of organizational fun in the future 36:43 - Jiani’s recap of the episode 37:55 - Michael’s background and childhood 40:04 - Major challenges in Michael’s life
S4 E8 · Fri, November 15, 2024
Code of Curiosity: How AI Can Unlock Human Wonder
Welcome to S4E8 of the @MAGICademy Podcast, where we give a warm welcome to Barbara Oakley. She is a professor and the master brain behind the course “Learning How to Learn”, available in Coursera, which has been took by more than a million people making it one of the more successful open learning courses on the platform. We talked about the curiosity in all of us, and how it’s necessary for everyone who wishes to learn a new concept, language or anything they need to know. Barbara tells us how she developed the course after seeing the disconnection between what was being taught and what actual, modern students need to be taught. She found out that the most important part was to focus on the way of learning before diving into the subject per se, so we can use our curiosity to interest ourselves more on what we need to learn. Barbara also shares some insights on the neurological process behind learning and curiosity, and gives some advice on how to use tools at hand to prepare us to learn something new. Conversation Outline 02:30 - Barbara introduces herself 03:28 - About “Learning How to Learn” and Barbara’s background 08:02 - The neurological process behind curiosity 12:35 - Different types of curiosity 17:18 - Activating the closure-driven curiosity in learning 19:59 - Harnessing curiosity to learn faster 23:36 - The future for Barbara 35:44 - Jiani’s recap of the episode 37:52 - Barbara’s passion when growing up 38:44 - The role of childlike wonder in Barbara’s life #LearningHowToLearn #CuriosityDrivenLearning #NeuroscienceOfLearning #EffectiveLearningTechniques #BoostYourCuriosity #LearningStrategies #BrainBasedLearning #UnlockLearningPotential #ScienceOfLearning #CuriosityInEducation #MindsetForLearning #MemoryAndLearning #CognitiveSkills #NeuroscienceForGrowth #CuriosityAndKnowledge
S4 E7 · Fri, November 08, 2024
Awakening Wonder: A Multi-Sensory Narrative to Reignite Childlike Curiosity
In S4E7 of the @MAGICademy Podcast, we welcome Leigh Sachwitz from Berlin, Germany. She has been dedicated to creating immersive experiences for over 25 years, finding new ways for people to learn and explore different concepts and challenging traditional educational environments. We have a great conversation about these types of experiences and how they manage to provoke an emotional response in people by creating stories that touch them in emotional ways they might not have thought about. Leigh shares some of her background studying architecture in Scotland and pivoting to the music business, where she started experimenting with immersive experiences and had a chance to analyze the deep emotional response they spark in people. She also shares some insights on what makes these experiences unique and tells some anecdotes about past successful events and their outcomes. Magical Insights: Multi-Sensory Experiences: According to Leigh, multi-sensory experiences have a greater effect on our bodies and minds since they’re felt from within and involve several stimuli on our bodies. It’s worth exploring the potential of introducing these types of practices into talent development, to guarantee the person feels connected and comfortable on the situation in front of them. An immersive experience on a particular subject will have a more positive impact on the talent than simply another course or conference delivered in a traditional way. Releasing our Inner Child on Immersive Experiences: The way to ignite a reaction from a participant is through an immersive experience that they can relate to, and spark that childlike wonder into them wanting to learn more. To achieve that, a good story is necessary. It’s not just about putting any type of knowledge into an immersive experience format, it’s about getting people interested in the subject matter by creating stories that touch them in emotional ways. The bulk of the information must be there, but it must be told attractively. Simple Versions of an Idea: It’s the simpler versions of a thought the ones that get deep into our subconscious and provoke an emotional response on our end. When developing immersive experiences for learning or sharing knowledge, it’s important to make people feel like they’re not learning something but instead, it’s just an experience for them. So concepts and hard knowledge must be kept simple and suggestive and look for the subject to get carried away. Starting Young: Immersive learning captivates learners by providing dynamic, interactive experiences that engage multiple senses. This approach transforms traditional lectures into engaging virtual scenarios, which significantly increases motivation and participation among students. Translating these experiences into classrooms can
S4 E5 · Fri, November 01, 2024
Building Deep Trust: Transform Business with Proactive & Value-Driven Talent
In S4E6, Dr. Keith Heating joins us at the @MAGICademy Podcast. He is an author and a learning advisor who’s passionate about encouraging and empowering people to take control of their futures by truly learning how to learn. We talk about his recent book, “The Trusted Learning Advisor” and his views on formal education, which require a change since they don’t provide the right tools for talents to fully develop their potential and be the figure the business needs them to be. Dr. Keith shares some insight into business strategy; the pivoting from its business without a clear goal to what the Innovation Lab is now; and some other stories about learning and analyzing the potential and gaps in businesses, which invite reflection on how we, as professionals in the modern business environment, need to properly develop our talents and our company culture . Conversation Outline 00:50 - Dr. Keith introduces himself 02:29 - What prompted Dr. Keith to write his book 06:33 - Dr. Keith’s view on business strategy 10:04 - What is the Innovation Lab 14:45 - How to build trust 23:30 - Steps to level up the learning development 29:41 - Defining curiosity 37:35 - Learning Development in the future 43:25 - About Dr. Keith’s background and motivations 45:45 - Struggles for Dr. Keith to become the man he is today 48:45 - Dr. Keith’s magic #MAGICademyPodcast #podcast #education #keithkeiting #learning #trust #companyculture #author #formaleducation #thetrustedlearningadvisor #learningdevelopment #talentdevelopment #businesspartners #development
S4 E5 · Fri, October 25, 2024
Magic of Programmed Index Cards: Motivational Learning Over the Forgetting Curve
In S4E5 of the @MAGICademy Podcast, my guest is Andrew Cohen. He is the founder of Brainscape, which is a programmed and adaptive flashcard app to learn and practice new skills and keep information fresh. We talk about his adventure and exploration of optimizing memorization, from learning a new language to optimizing skill and performance development; as well as how new technologies can support this optimization by helping us overcome the forgetting curve. Andrew shares his views on the newest educational models presenting a more holistic approach, challenging their effectiveness, and advocating for a more traditional way of learning while still leaning on new technologies, algorithms, and feedback. He sees a way in which these new techniques can impact how we digest knowledge and how we can apply it to our personal and professional lives. Conversation Outline 00:40 Andrew introduces himself 01:41 Brainscape and the reason behind it 03:05 Andrew’s background and personal motivations 06:25 The algorithm to help people remember things 12:45 Feedback mechanisms 15:05 Ways to understand when we’re wrong 18:30 Handling cognitive dissonance and keeping things realistic 19:20 Andrew’s own learning experiences 22:10 Different motivational strategies 24:52 Points and leaderboards 27:20 The role of childlike wonder in Brainscape and for Andrew 30:15 Andrew’s view on the future 33:40 Challenges and struggles when looking into the future 34:40 Corporate uses for Brainscape 37:15 Andrew’s magic #MAGICademyPodcast #education #brainscape #andrewcohen #flashcards #learning #skills #educationalmodels #spacedrepetition #activerecall #study #talent #technology #feedback #algorithms
S4 E4 · Fri, October 18, 2024
Critical Wisdom: Shaping the Next Generation of Thinkers
In S4E4 of the @MAGICademy Podcast, we are joined by Ben Nelson, the founder of Minerva University and a visionary educator and innovator. In this episode, Ben discusses the critical importance of wisdom in learning and its application in real-world contexts, emphasizing that critical wisdom goes beyond rote memorization; it involves applying practical knowledge in novel situations. Ben also shares his insights on how traditional learning models often fail to cultivate this essential skill, leading to a generation that is less-than-well-equipped for the complexities of modern life. He advocates for a shift towards nurturing critical wisdom (for both leaders and talents) , which he defines as the appropriate application of knowledge in unfamiliar contexts. He highlights the need for lifelong learning as a means to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing world. Conversation Outline 00:00 Introduction 02:03 Ben Nelson’s Background 14:28 The Process of Nurturing Wisdom 20:43 Impact of AI on Learning and Development 24:24 Application of Wisdom in Real-World Contexts 27:25 Curiosity and Childlike Wonder in Cultivating Critical Wisdom 27:54 The Fallacy of Pre-Puberty Brain 32:42 Developing Critical Wisdom 36:11 Using Technology to Cultivate Wisdom 41:33 Technology as a Tool for Gaining Wisdom 45:15 Ben’s Magic 51:08 Conclusion #criticalwisdom #education #learning #knowledge #context #development #childhood #students #globalization #wisdom #criticalthinking #universities #MAGICademyPodcast #mindfulLearning
S4 E3 · Fri, October 11, 2024
The Play Factor: How Fun Transcends the Modern Workplace
In this episode of the MAGICademy Podcast, Brendan, founder of IDEO Play Lab and a fruitable toy inventor discusses how integrating play into learning and work can lead to greater engagement and creativity. IDEO Play Lab is a global design consultancy helping the world’s most audacious dreamers create braver tomorrows. Through his iconic toys like Fisher-Price Jumperoo, Barbie Products, Pictionary Air, and Twister Air Brendan illustrates how maintaining a playful mindset can significantly improve both the design process and the end-user experience. Conversation Outline 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:37 Brandon’s Toy Invention career 08:30 The Role of Play in Work 21:30 Creating a Playful Workplace Culture 32:00 How Play Enhances Leadership 38:41 Tools for Making Environments More Playful 47:13 Brendan’s Magic Explore More: https://www.magicademy.club/wonder-leadership/the-play-factor-how-fun-transcends-the-modern-workplace #PlayfulLearning #ToyInvention #CreativityUnleashed #DesignThinking #EngagementMatters #LifelongLearning #UserCenteredDesign #InnovativePlay #WorkplaceCulture #MindsetShift #HandsOnLearning #PlayPosture #CreativeRituals #ExperienceDesign #BoostingEngagement
S4 E2 · Wed, October 09, 2024
Reality Remixed: The VR + AI Frontier for Radical Skill Development
In S4E02 of @MAGICademy Podcast, Dr. Chris Dede discusses the transformative potential of immersive technologies and artificial intelligence in human development. He explores how we can create engaging learning environments to enhance skill development and foster a deeper understanding of complex subjects. Dede argues that by combining the strengths of human learners with AI capabilities, we can achieve a new level of effectiveness that was previously unattainable. Conversation Outline 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Chris Dede 01:52 The Importance of Immersive Technologies and AI 06:57 Exploring Virtual Environments for Learning 08:12 Case Study: EcoMod and Student Engagement 16:21 Balancing the Limitations of AI with Human Presence 20:45 The Role of AI Avatars in Immersive Environments 27:29 What are the Potential Concerns of AI 36:39 The Role of Childlike Wonder 39:28 Dr. Chris Dede's Magic #IntelligenceAugmentation #ImmersiveLearning #ArtificialIntelligence #EdTechInnovation #VirtualReality #DataDrivenEducation #EmpathyInEducation #XRTechnology #EcoModProject #FutureOfLearning #MAGICademyPodcast
S4 E1 · Fri, October 04, 2024
The New Age of Immersive Learning: Igniting Curiosity in Digital Realms
💕 Story Overview In S4E01 of @MAGICademy Podcast, we dive deep into digital storytelling with @Michael Owen and @Robin White Owen from MediaCombo . With over 40 years of experience, they share insights on leveraging emerging technologies to create engaging experiences for museums and cultural institutions. Learn about their innovative approach to digital storytelling, the power of visual thinking strategies , and how they're using virtual reality to enhance empathy and communication skills in healthcare education. Discover the magic behind creating engaging digital experiences and the potential of VR in transforming learning . Key Takeaways Importance of Emotional Hooks: Creating engaging digital experiences relies heavily on finding emotional hooks that draw users into the content, making it more memorable and impactful. Importance of VTS Application: Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) are a powerful tool for developing critical thinking, communication, and empathy skills, particularly in medical education. Impact of VR Training: Studies show VR training offers significant benefits, including improved confidence, faster learning, and stronger emotional connections to content compared to traditional methods. AI Potential: The future may see AI playing a role in simulating group discussions and facilitators in VR learning experiences, though current limitations need to be addressed. Balancing Guidance and Freedom: Effective user experience design in immersive environments should provide a balance between guiding participants and allowing them the freedom to explore, enhancing their learning journey. Democratizing Learning Through Art: Innovative projects like VITALS use art to foster empathy and communication skills among students, allowing diverse perspectives to emerge without the constraints of traditional art education. What is Michael’s Magic? ✨ Michael's magic is "creation"—the ability to combine various elements to craft compelling audiovisual communications. What is Robin’s Magic? ✨ Robin's magic is generosity - sharing knowledge and experienc
S3 E11 · Fri, September 27, 2024
The Future of Coaching: The Role of AI in Redefining Coaching Dynamics
In S3 E11 of @MAGICademy Podcast, we discuss leveraging the power of AI and emerging technologies to redefine and enhance the coaching experience, while addressing the important considerations and challenges involved in integrating intelligent systems into the deeply human-centric practice of coaching with @Vince Han, Founder of Mobile Coach. Vince shares his journey and insights on the evolving landscape of AI-powered coaching . He also addresses important considerations around privacy, bias , and the complementary roles of human and AI coaches . Key Takeaways Effective Coaching Requires Balance and Awareness: Effective coaching involves balancing long-term goals with short-term actionable steps. At the same time, the coach maintains a keen awareness of the client's context and dynamics, akin to a conductor guiding an orchestra. AI Provides a Safe Space for Vulnerability : AI-powered coaching can offer people safety and anonymity, encouraging them to be more open and honest, especially in sensitive or performance-focused situations. The Future of Coaching Tech: Holograms and Blockchain : The future of coaching technologies may involve advanced AI systems with reasoning and planning capabilities, combined with holographic interfaces and sensor-rich environments to deliver highly personalized, interactive coaching experiences, with blockchain potentially playing a role in secure data management. Humans and AI as Complementary Coaching Partners: Human coaches can leverage AI as a valuable tool, allowing them to focus on the relational and motivational aspects of coaching while AI handles tasks like information retrieval, progress tracking, and personalized content generation. Role of Childlike Wonder in Coaching: Childlike wonder plays a pivotal role in coaching by fostering an environment of openness and creativity for both coaches and clients. It enhances user experience design for coaches by broadening perspectives, challenging biases, and inspiring innovative approaches that make coaching sessions more engaging and enjoyable. For clients, this sense of wonder encourages a non-dogmatic approach to learning, promotes mindfulness regarding personal blind spots, and increases receptivity to new ideas and feedback. ⭐ What’s Vince’s Magic? Ability and willingness to go deep - deeply engaging with his relationships, problems, and tasks, rather than staying at a surface level. Conversation Outline 00:00 Introduction and Background 04:16 What Makes a Good Coach? 06:36 Case Studies of AI Coaching Success 09:37 Integration of AI in Coaching 14:18 Dynamic Prompting in AI Coaching 2
S3 E10 · Fri, September 20, 2024
Power of Attention: Neuroscience for Transformation
In S3E10 of @MAGICademy Podcast, we delve into the fascinating world of neuroscience and learning with @Lauren Waldman , founder of @Learning Pirate . Lauren shares her expertise on how our brains process information , form memories and adapt to change . She explains the crucial role of attention in learning, the concept of schemas , and how novelty stimulates our brains. The conversation explores the importance of rest and sleep in memory consolidation , the challenges of changing established neural networks, and the potential impact of new technologies on learning. Key Takeaways The Complexity of Attention : Attention is not a single process but involves multiple networks in the brain. It's a complex cognitive function that allocates our resources to specific stimuli or tasks, processing various aspects like color, motion, sound, texture, and shape simultaneously. Understanding these mechanisms can help us design more effective learning experiences. Schemas and Learning: Our brains organize information into schemas, which are patterns of thought or behavior. When learning something new, we filter information through existing schemas. This can be beneficial when building on existing knowledge but can also hinder change initiatives as the brain tends to revert to familiar patterns. Recognizing this can help in developing strategies for more effective learning and organizational change. The Physiology of Memory Formation: Forming a new memory involves creating and strengthening connections between brain cells in specific patterns. This process takes time and requires practice and rehearsal. It's not instantaneous, which explains why learning new skills or changing behaviors can be challenging and time-consuming. This understanding should inform how we approach learning and skill development. The Power of Novelty in Learning: The brain responds more strongly to novel experiences, with neuroimaging studies showing up to 3-5 times stronger cellular responses to new stimuli. This insight can be leveraged in learning design by incorporating novel elements to capture attention and enhance engagement. However, it's important to balance novelty with the need for repetition and practice in forming lasting memories and skills. Lauren’s Magic: Curiosity about people and her ability to connect with them, allowing her to participate in and guide
S3 E9 · Wed, September 18, 2024
The Quiet Powerhouses: Building Inclusive Organizational Structures
Dive into the world of organizational dynamics and talent management with @MAGICademy S3E9 featuring @Alex Furman, CEO of @performica as we discuss a range of topics from organizational psychology, the need to move away from traditional hierarchical models to focus on mapping collaboration networks within companies to the potential impact of AI and emerging technologies on work. Show Takeaways Data-Driven Talent Identification: Alex Furman introduces the concept of using metadata from various communication and collaboration tools to map out talent networks without invading privacy. This method helps identify "stealth performers" (high performers who don't self-promote) and "overhyped" talents (those who are good at self-promotion but may be underperforming), allowing for more effective talent management and resource allocation. Rethinking Organizational Structure : Moving beyond traditional organizational charts and viewing organizations as dynamic networks of collaboration allows for a more accurate representation of how work gets done and helps identify key contributors who might be overlooked in traditional hierarchies. Fostering Innovation through Psychological Safety: Creating an environment that encourages childlike wonder, playfulness, and psychological safety is crucial for fostering creativity and innovation in the workplace, allowing talent to experiment and take risks without fear of punishment. Diversity and Inclusion as a Natural Outcome: Using a data-driven approach to understand organizational dynamics naturally leads to more diverse and inclusive workplaces. By identifying and empowering talented individuals who might be overlooked in traditional systems, companies can achieve greater diversity at all levels without resorting to quotas or artificial measures. Alex’s Magic : Caring deeply and passionately about making a meaningful difference for people around him, his community, and more broadly. #OrganizationalDynamics #WorkplaceInnovation #DataDrivenHR #LeadershipInsights #TalentManagement #DiversityAndInclusion #EmployeeEmpowerment #FutureOfWork #AIInWorkplace #StartupJourney #CollaborationNetworks #OrganizationalPsychology #PerformanceManagement #WorkplaceCulture #TechEntrepreneurship Conversation Outline 00:00 Introduction to Alex Furman 12:08 The Problem with Traditional Organizational Models 22:17 The Four Quadrants of Talent Performance 29:37 Promoting Diversity and Inclusion with Performica's Approach 35:52 The Importance of Childlike Wonder and Creativity 48:05 Alex Furman’s Magic Connect with Our Guest here: Alex Furman is the founder and CEO of Performica, a technology company revolutionizing how organizations understand and manage tal
S3 E8 · Wed, September 11, 2024
Neurodiversity Decoded: Harnessing the Superpower of ADHD
💕Dive into the world of ADHD with @MAGICademy S3E8, featuring @ Rawi Nanakul (He/Him) , an experienced ADHD coach and tech industry product management expert. Discover the hidden potentials of ADHD talents and practical strategies for managing its challenges, including optimizing sleep, exercise, and meditation techniques. Whether you're diagnosed with it, suspect you might have it, or lead a neurodiverse team, this episode offers valuable insights and actionable advice toward a collaborative environment with overall well-being. Show Takeaways Individuals with ADHD often possess hidden talents that can lead to exceptional achievements. Their creative thinking allows for innovative problem-solving, while resilience developed through overcoming challenges fosters persistence. The ability to hyperfocus on engaging tasks can result in expertise, and their high energy and spontaneity are advantageous in fast-paced environments. Coupled with heightened empathy and strong interpersonal skills, these traits make individuals with ADHD valuable assets in various professional and creative fields. Leaders should focus on leveraging the unique strengths of individuals with ADHD, such as creativity, hyperfocus, and innovative thinking. By matching these talents to appropriate roles, providing flexible work arrangements, and fostering a neurodiversity-friendly culture, leaders can enable talents with ADHD to excel and support their well-being. Managing ADHD effectively involves prioritizing sleep, exercising regularly, and practicing meditation. Quality sleep enhances mood and cognitive function, while regular exercise boosts concentration and reduces anxiety. Meditation fosters mindfulness and emotional regulation, helping individuals manage distractions and impulsivity. These strategies create a supportive framework for improved attention and overall well-being. Rawi's magic lies in his ability to see people's hidden potential and connect with them deeply, helping individuals recognize and embrace their strengths even when they struggle to see them themselves. #ADHD #AttentionControl #Selfconcept #hiddenemotions #inclusiveleadership #microlearning #inclusivelearning #microinclusivelearning #upskill #reskill #leadershipdevelopement #learninganddevelopment #generativeai #magicademy YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/LwkfmgGxp-o Conversation Outline 00:00 Introduction and Overview 02:27 Rawi's Introduction and ADHD Coaching 09:57 The Impact of ADHD on Psychology and Emotions 16:21 Core Strategies for Managing ADHD 29:18 Leadership and ADHD in the Workplace 30:34 Creating an Empathetic Environment for ADHD 39:02 Unleash
S3 E7 · Wed, September 04, 2024
Curiosity Sparked: How AI Tutor is Igniting Wonder in Skill Development
💕 #MAGICademy S3E7, we had the great pleasure of meeting @Kristen DiCerbo, chief learning officer @Khan Academy to discuss basic principles for designing AI-powered tutors to power up the skill development process for learners across age groups. She emphasizes the importance of curiosity and wonder in the learning process. She also highlights the need for a balance between AI tutors and human teachers, as human relationships and motivation are crucial for student success. Story Takeaways 1️⃣ Curiosity is a potent intrinsic motivator in learning, surpassing external rewards. It drives deeper engagement, broader exploration, and better retention. Curious learners ask more questions, make connections across subjects, and think more critically, making learning an exciting journey rather than a chore. 2️⃣ The human element in education is irreplaceable. Human teachers or coaches excel at providing emotional support, adapting to individual needs, and serving as inspirational role models. While AI tutors/coaches can provide targeted practice and feedback, it is difficult for them to replicate the nuanced understanding of human emotions or form meaningful relationships crucial for skill development success. 3️⃣ Redefining accessibility in the context of artificial intelligence (AI) involves shifting the focus from merely accommodating disabilities to meeting each learner where they are, particularly during challenging moments in their learning journey. By leveraging AI technologies, educators and developers can potentially design systems that identify and respond to learners' specific challenges in real time, providing tailored support and resources to facilitate understanding and engagement. 4️⃣ Kristen’s MAGIC: Translating and implementing research into product design to develop skills. #AITutor, #AICoach, #LearningScience, #Curiosity, #Wonder, #AILiteracy, #AIProductDesign 🌼 Conversation Outline 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Kristen DiCerbo and Khanmigo 02:06 The role of AI in guiding learner practice 04:59 The importance of a healthy dose of productive struggle 06:21 Identify the strength of a human tutor 07:57 Engineer the prompt to leverage existing large language models 11:31 The collaboration between AI and human instructors 13:10 Activate a childlike sense of wonder to enhance skill development 17:50 The future of AI in skill development 22:15 Practical strategies to mitigate AI hallucination 24:27 Interesting thought leaders and builders to follow 26:57 Dr. Kristen DiCerbo's Magic: Translating Research into Learning Products ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here Dr. Kristen DiCerbo is the Chief Learning Officer at Khan Academy, where she leads the content, design, product management, and community
S3 E6 · Wed, August 28, 2024
Playful Wisdom: Zen, Childhood, and the Creative Spirit
💕 #MAGICademy S3E6, we had the great pleasure of meeting @Kouji Miki, founder of @Zen 2.0 to discover how Zenful meditation helps clear mental clutter to foster deep awareness, creativity, and true innovation by encouraging focused non-judgmental thinking. We'll also dive into how revisiting childhood memories helps uncover our innate passions and talents, guiding us toward a more authentic purpose, or Ikigai. Story Takeaways 1️⃣ The Zen approach emphasizes complete awareness of one's environment, which allows for both intuitive and analytical insights crucial for idea creation. The non-duality principle of Zen encourages withholding premature judgment, creating a learning space where new ideas can be explored without immediate acceptance or rejection. 2️⃣ In meditation, our minds initially resemble a glass of muddy water, with thoughts and distractions clouding our awareness. As we focus on our breath and remain present, the mental agitation begins to settle, enabling the "mud" of our thoughts to fall away and revealing the clear water of calmness and insight. 3️⃣ Exploring childhood memories has the potential to rediscover our Ikigai by revealing passions, natural talents, and core values that shaped our early experiences. Reflecting on joyful activities and sources of happiness can align our current life with what we love, guiding us toward a more fulfilling and authentic purpose. 4️⃣ Kouji’s MAGIC: Deep dive into people’s minds to find their “hidden treasure” #Zen, #Innovation, #Mindfulness, #Meditation, #Calmness, #Inclusivity, #ChildlikeWonder, #Curiosity, #Ikigai, #TeamDynamics 🌼 Conversation Outline 00:00 Introduction and Sense of Calmness 01:12 How to manage a busy mind during meditation? 04:50 Finding Innovation Within Searching Inside Yourself 04:57 Spreading the wisdom of Zen to the world 09:16 How does Zen support the process of innovation? 09:43 The ideas are always inside of us 12:19 Data Driven Innovation and True Innovation 13:54 Zen & Ikigai 15:29 The "Outsider" view gives us strength and inclusive perspectives 21:23 Zen meditation promotes deep team connections 23:25 The magic of childlike wonder on innovation 27:44 Kouji's childlike wonder: deep dive into the ocean ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here Kouji Miki is a Zen-based coach specializing in mindfulness for executives and CEOs, with a Master's degree in Media and Governance from Keio University. After experiencing personal challenges that led him to Zen meditation, he founded the Zen2.0 conference in 2017, which has become the world's largest international gathering on Zen and mindfulness for over 6 years, attracting mindful speakers and participants globally. Kouji's mission is to integrate traditional Zen philosophi
S3 E5 · Fri, August 16, 2024
Tiny Lessons Shift Cultures: Microlearning's Organizational Impact
💕 #MAGICademy S3E5, @Ryan Laverty, co-founder of @Arist, discusses the transformative impact of micro-learning on culture shifts and behavior change in organizations. By emphasizing bite-sized learning experiences, micro-learning fosters rapid engagement and ongoing reinforcement of new skills, making it an effective strategy for embedding learning into daily workflows. He also highlights the importance of nurturing curiosity and childlike wonder in the skill development process. Story Takeaways 1️⃣Microlearning activates curiosity in skill development by employing engaging open-ended "odd" questions and interactive gamified quizzes. Appropriately unusual questions capture attention, stimulate interest, and encourage critical thinking by prompting learners to make connections with prior knowledge to integrate the new. 2️⃣ Microlearning can accelerate skill acquisition. Focused learning modules target specific skills for quicker mastery and immediate application, while reduced cognitive load and on-demand access enhance retention. This efficiency gives organizations a competitive advantage by enabling rapid upskilling in response to market changes. 3️⃣ Microlearning in the flow of work is a powerful tool to generate subtle culture change as it integrates learning into daily routines, providing continuous reinforcement of desired mindsets & behaviors through bite-sized content to address skill gaps and foster engagement, ownership, and culture shifts. 4️⃣ Ryan’s MAGIC: being a perpetual student and enjoying the process.” #FlowOfWork, #MicroLearning, #SkillDevelopment, #CultureShift, #AdaptiveLearning, #EquitableLearningAccess, #RapidEngagement, #SalesEnablement, #LeadershipTraining, #BehaviorChange,#Curiosity, #ChildlikeWonder, #Entrepreneurship 🌼 Conversation Outline 00:00 Introduction to Ryan Laverty and Arist 01:34 The Genesis of Arist and the Mission 05:38 The Power of Micro-Learning: Rapid Skill Development 11:03 Measuring Impact: Courses Taken and Learner Outcomes 13:29 Creating Sustainable Culture Change through Micro-Learning 18:49 Micro-learning enhances practice of skills in the flow of work 23:05 Embedding Learning into the Flow of Work 26:53 Curiosity and Childlike Wonder in Learning 31:34 Interesting resources to explore on micro-learning 37:40 Entrepreneurship and the Perpetual Student Mindset ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here Ryan Laverty is the Co-Founder and President of Arist. Named a must-have by CLO magazine, Arist's innovative learning platform is used by many of the world’s largest organizations to train employees where they spend their time: all over SMS, WhatsApp, Slack, and MS Teams. Arist is one of the fastest-growing learning companies, backed by leading investors and having ra
S3 E1 · Wed, August 14, 2024
AI Learning Companions: Enhancing Complex Skill Development
💕 #MAGICademy S3E4, we had the pleasure to meet @ Samreid Manez, founder of Valearnis . Integrating AI learning companions and non-player characters (NPCs) in gamified learning experience has the potential to enhance complex skill development. Story Takeaways 1️⃣AI learning companions and Non-Player characters (NPCs) has the potential to identify player strengths and weaknesses, provid targeted context-rich environments that simulate real-life scenarios, helping players develop specific complex skills through dynamic interactions. 2️⃣Progress is essential for engaging players in games, as it creates a sense of achievement and motivation. Effective progression systems offer clear goals and rewards, preventing players from feeling their time is wasted, and fostering a rewarding cycle that sustains engagement and satisfaction. 3️⃣ AI can foster a more egalitarian world by democratizing skill development and leadership through AI companions and gamified learning. This reduces reliance on traditional hierarchies, promoting a diverse form of leadership based on knowledge and skills, and empowering everyone to contribute meaningfully to their communities. 4️⃣ Samreid’s MAGIC: Perseverance #AIAvatar, #AINPC, #AILearningCompanion, #PersonalizedLearning, #GamifiedSkillDevelopment 🌼 Conversation Outline 00:00 Introduction to Valearnis 03:25 The possibility of skill development without tutors? 07:44 The RPG Elements and the Importance of NPCs 13:13 Progression is an important element of engagement 15:39 Making Interactions More Dynamic with AI 19:22 AI's Potential for a more Inclusive and Diverse Society 24:42 Samreid's MAGIC ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here Samreid Manez is the CEO and Founder of Valearnis, an educational platform that integrates AI with traditional learning for a global, student-centric Education-As-A-Service. He bootstrapped Valearnis using technologies like GPT-4 for a virtual coach and learning companion. He was the youngest Councillor in the Shire of Boddington, advocating for sustainability. Born in Perth to Malaysian immigrants, Manez holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Geology from Curtin University and qualifications from Waseda University and the University of Illinois. ceo@manezco.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/samreid-manez/ https://valearnis.com/ 📚 Reference: Pérez-Ortiz, M., Novak, E., Bulathwela, S., & Shawe-Taylor, J. (2021). An AI-based Learning Companion Promoting Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All. ArXiv, abs/2112.01242 .
S3 E3 · Fri, August 02, 2024
The Immersive Pulse: How VR and Biometrics Reshape Leadership Development
💕 #MAGICademy S3E3, we had the pleasure to meet @Thomas De Bruyne, an explorer in the emerging space between leadership development, virtual realities, and biometrics. He discuss how virtual reality & biometrics can radically shift and expand perspectives while biometrics measure such transformation through data of heart, mind, and body, enabling us to develop a deep sense of inner-connection and resilience. Thomas also emphasizes the importance of psychological safety in creating a supportive and inclusive work environment. Thomas also highlights the role of curiosity and childlike wonder in fostering creativity and innovation. Story Takeaways 1️⃣ Transformative leadership embraces uncertainty and disruption while adopting a systems-thinking approach. It requires leaders to expand their perspective, viewing organizations as complex, interconnected ecosystems rather than isolated entities. This holistic, adaptive style aims to navigate modern challenges more effectively, fostering resilience and innovation in rapidly changing environments. 2️⃣ Virtual reality cultivates transformative leadership through immersive simulations that engage the "magic" of suspended disbelief. This unique ability to make the unreal feel real allows leaders to fully inhabit complex scenarios and diverse perspectives. By tapping into imagination and emotional engagement, VR accelerates the development of adaptive thinking, systems understanding, and empathy. 3️⃣ Biometrics offer a data-driven approach to measure and cultivate transformative leadership by tracking heart, mind, and body responses. Monitoring biomarkers like heart rate variability, EEG patterns, and physiological stress indicators during VR simulations and daily activities fosters deep inner connection and real-time self-awareness. This enables leaders to identify stress triggers, enhance resilience, and improve emotional regulation. 4️⃣ Thomas’ MAGIC: Retain a childlike sense of wonder while being a connector for innovation. #TransformativeLeadership, #VirtualReality, #Biometrics, #PsychologicalSafety, #Curiosity, #ChildlikeWonder, #StressManagement,#Resilience 🌼 Conversation Outline 00:00 Meet Thomas the explorer in leadership development 04:31 What is transformative leadership 10:30 How can virtual reality power transformative leadership 13:11 What role does psychological safety play? 16:11 How safety (non-judgement) welcomes curiosity and wonder 22:31 Biometrics and transformative leadership 26:55 Harmonizing transformative leadership with non-negotiable outcomes 32:26 The MAGIC of Thomas De Bruyne ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here Thomas De Bruyne, whose fascination with human complexity and living systems has shaped his path. From delving into organizatio
S3 E2 · Fri, July 26, 2024
Digital Charisma: Artflow on AI-Amplified Storytelling & Branding
#MAGICademy S3E2 💓The Story Imagine a world where anyone can conjure vivid visual stories at will for skill development or for creative branding, where AI becomes the paintbrush of the masses. This is the vision @Tim Zhang, the mastermind behind @Artflow AI, brings to life in this captivating conversation. 🎯Key Takeaways 1️⃣ Visual storytelling hinges on three core elements: characters, locations, and actions. Characters drive emotional connection, locations provide context and atmosphere, and actions propel the narrative. By leveraging these elements, AI has the potential to empower users to create rich visual stories across various mediums, democratizing digital storytelling and opening new avenues for creative expression. 2️⃣ To better control AI creative output, systems need to develop the ability to ask follow-up questions, enabling a more nuanced understanding of user intentions. This interactive approach would allow AI to clarify ambiguities, explore alternatives, and gather crucial context, ultimately leading to more accurate and satisfying results that align closely with the user's vision. 3️⃣ AI will never fully replace human creative expression because it lacks the lived experiences, emotions, and cultural context that drive true innovation. It cannot replicate the intuition, personal struggles, and emotional depth that fuel authentic human creativity. AI remains a tool to augment human expression, but the soul and unpredictability of human-created art will always be irreplaceable. 4️⃣ Tim’s MAGIC? #ArtflowAI, #VisualStorytelling, #PersonalBranding, #ScenarioBasedSkillDevelopment, #AIMovieMaking, #DemocratizingCreativity, #Imagination, #Creativity, #AIDirectedMovies, #FutureOfStorytelling 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 The Inception of Artflow AI 04:11 Democratizing Creativity with Artflow AI 08:27 The Three Elements of Visual Storytelling 11:25 Use Cases of Artflow AI 20:56 AI in Scenario-Based Learning 25:57 The Future of AI in Movie Making 29:46 Controlling AI Output and Prompt Engineering 35:57 The Future of Content Creation and Storytelling 44:54 The Magic of Imagination and Creativity ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here Tim Zhang, founder of Artflow.ai, is empowering individuals to enhance their personal branding through AI-assisted visual content creation. His platform enables users to easily produce professional-quality visuals, allowing them to stand out in the digital landscape. By democratizing design capabilities, Tim's work helps people become "super individuals" who can effectively showcase their unique identities and skills across various online platforms. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuxuan-tim-zhang/ <a href="
S3 E1 · Fri, July 19, 2024
Shift Shapers: Cultivating Organizational Environments for Passionate Plays
💓#MAGICademy S3E1, we had the great pleasure of meeting @Remy Meraz and @julian Lewis, founders of Zella Life, a cultural shift engine with a mission to democratize coaching for underserved middle managers and create a paradigm shift within existing organizational systems. Our discussion revolves around creating psychological safety, fostering curiosity and childlike wonder, and promoting a culture of “playaholics” (trust me it is much more fun than workaholics). 🪄 🎯Story Takeaways 1️⃣ Incorporating elements of childlike play can transform disagreements into opportunities for creative problem-solving and deeper understanding. By approaching conflicts with curiosity, compassion, grace, and resilience of a child, we can reduce tension, encourage innovative solutions, and make the resolution process more engaging and enjoyable. 2️⃣ Sustainable culture shifts start with champions who are influential talents who embody desired cultural values to drive positive change within an organization. These champions act as role models, communicators, and catalysts, bridging the gap between leadership vision and talent adoption of new cultural norms. 3️⃣ Perceiving the challenges to deal with obstacles as a game where we can keep playing to level up is a powerful reframing strategy to tackle difficult situations and potentially transform organizational cultures. 4️⃣ Remy & Julian’s MAGIC? 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 Democratizing Coaching and Paradigm Shift 04:40 Seeking Champions for Culture Shift 06:56 Zella's Impact Story 09:49 Criteria for champion selections 11:41 Build a psychologically safe space to spark childlike wonder in adults 18:11 Shift perceptions to face challenges and shift cultures 22:11 Envisioning the Future of Technology and Human Connections 26:32 The Integration of AI and Extended Reality in Coaching and Personal Development 30:41 The Magic of Meeting Like-Minded Individuals 37:57 Embracing Curiosity, Compassion, and Grace for Growth ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here Remy Meraz and Julian Lewis, the dynamic co-founders of Zella Life, bring over four decades of collective expertise in building, developing, and leading high-performance teams across the globe. At the heart of their coaching platform lies a unique methodology steeped in emotional intelligence (EQ), relationship science, and behavioral psychology. This powerful blend of disciplines guides their approach, setting Zella Life apart in the realm of professional development. https://www.zellalife.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/remy-meraz/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ttoinc/ 📚Reference: Nguyen, N. (2021). The Fearless Organization: C
S2 E11 · Fri, July 12, 2024
The Neuroscience of Wonder: How Awe Lights Up Your Brain
💗In #MAGICademy S2E11, we will dive into the fascinating world of brain waves with Dr. Jeff Tarrant, a counseling psychologist and expert in psychophysiology. He unravels the mysteries of our brain's electrical activity, from the slow, dreamy delta waves to the lightning-fast gamma frequencies during the flow state, where creativity and productivity soar. Story Takeaways 1️⃣Brain waves range from slow (delta, theta, alpha) to fast (beta, high beta, gamma). The distribution and balance of these waves directly impact our mental functioning. For instance, the "flow state" - characterized by high integration and effortless focus - is associated with gamma waves. 2️⃣ADHD is typically associated with an excess of slow brainwaves (theta) in relation to fast brainwaves (beta), particularly in the frontal lobes. This imbalance can lead to difficulties with executive functioning and attention. Interestingly, people with fast brainwave activity can also mimic ADHD symptoms, potentially indicating an overstimulated or anxious brain. Getting into movement or a quick walk for example can be an easy way to tackle both types. 3️⃣Chronic stress is often associated with prolonged narrow focus.The open-focus brain wave state is characterized by diffuse attention, synchronous alpha brain waves, and an awareness of space, resulting in a relaxed and inclusive mental state. Open focused state can be achieved through specific exercises and biofeedback training. 4️⃣Jeff’s MAGIC? #Attention, #BrainWaves, #Well-Being, #FlowState, #Awe, #Mindfulness, #Biofeedback, #SelfLeadership 🍀Conversation Outline 1:23 Basic insights about common brain wave types 6:40 Brainwave when we are in awe (Gamma) 10:39 High level skills maximize the joy of flow state 13:20 The open focused brain state 20:23 Brainwaves for fast(anxious) and slow(ADHD) brains 26:18 Brainwave training using biofeedback 34:43 Jeff’s MAGIC ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here Dr. Tarrant is a unique blend of spiritual seeker and neuroscience innovator. With a background spanning diverse traditions from Buddhism to Native American practices, he applies this wisdom to cutting-edge clinical work. At the NeuroMeditation Institute, he combines ancient contemplative techniques with modern technology like EEG and neurofeedback. This innovative approach aims to enhance nervous system flexibility and guide the brain toward optimal meditative states, bridging the gap between timeless spiritual insights and contemporary neuroscience. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtarrant/ Website: www.NeuroMeditationInstitute.Com Program: www.PsychicMindScience.Com 📚Reference: Elk, M.V., Arciniegas Gom
S2 E1 · Fri, July 05, 2024
The Phygital Frontier:Harnessing Curiosity to Thrive in an AR-Enriched World
💓 In the #MAGICademy S2E10 story, we are having a conversation with Anna Belova, founder and CEO of DEVAR (Canva for Augmented Reality). Anna explores the concept of "Phygital" (physical + digital) experiences that fuse the tangible and the virtual, creating an immersive 360-degree multi-sensory playground for audiences, customers, and learners alike. As we navigate this new frontier, we're not just entertaining or educating; we're unlocking a deeper understanding of each other, peeling back layers of interaction to build more authentic connections. We also explored the power of curiosity & imagination by asking the question “What If…?” daily to help our brain get comfortable with always expanding its perceptions and open to new possibilities. #Phygital #ImmersiveTechnology #DemocratizedCreativity #Imagination #Curiosity #OpenOurMind #WhatIf #BrandEngagement #AR 🎯Story Takeaways 1️⃣ “Phygital” experiences blend physical and digital elements to create a whole new level of multi-sensory engagement between audiences/learners and digital content, enhancing accessibility and fostering active collaboration. It also creates an abundance of intimate interaction data to power design and decision-making. 2️⃣Ask "What if" questions daily, we can condition our minds to constantly explore possibilities and accelerate learning by stimulating creativity, critical thinking, and cognitive flexibility. This approach challenges assumptions, fosters curiosity, and promotes innovation, enabling individuals to expand their perceptions and adapt quickly to new ideas and situations. 3️⃣ In the age of AI, the ability to “imagine” and articulate ideas has become more crucial than technical skills. Understanding AI's capabilities, iteratively refining descriptions, and creatively problem-solving with AI-generated outputs are key to bring human creativity into reality and democratize the creative process. 4️⃣ Anna’s MAGIC? Falling in love with what we do every day. 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 Anna's Journey in Augmented Reality 05:12 Examples of AR in Marketing and Education 13:33 Phygital’s Power in Digital Marketing to Close the Emotional Gap 16:43 AR in Skill Development and Communication 19:17 The Role of Curiosity in AR and the Future 28:57 Envisioning a Future with AR and Imagination 33:33 Challenges and Risks of AR 39:56 Anna's MAGIC ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here Anna Belova, the CEO of DEVAR, a pioneering augmented reality (AR) company. Recognized as a Forbes U30 entrepreneur, Anna leads a team creating immersive experiences for businesses and brands. Her journey began with AR children's books, selling over 15 million copies across 75 countries. She later launched a no-code XR platform, attracting major clients like Google and McDonald's. DEVAR is one of only five companies with a full in-h
S2 E9 · Fri, June 28, 2024
AI Governance: Charting the Course for Responsible Innovation
💓The Story In this conversation with @Josh Cavalier, who highlights the role of AI policies and governance in organizations and shares examples of AI policies in different companies. He also emphasizes the importance of data and compute power in AI and the considerations for uploading intellectual property (IP) to AI models. #AIPolicy #AILearningDevelopment #PromptEngineering #IPProtection #AIPolicy #AIGovernance 🎯Story Takeaways 1️⃣Leaders must implement AI policies that align with organizational goals, collaborating with teams to maximize benefits and minimize risks. This process requires ongoing review and adaptation to evolving technologies and ethical considerations. Effective leadership in AI governance ensures responsible adoption while supporting business objectives. 2️⃣ Human-in-the-loop (HITL) systems keep humans actively engaged in AI-driven decision processes, allowing for oversight, intervention, and final judgment. This approach improves accuracy, reduces errors, and incorporates human intuition and ethics, particularly in high-stakes fields like healthcare and finance. 3️⃣ Prompt engineering remains valuable for optimizing AI performance, adapting as models become more sophisticated. While AI interactions are increasingly user-friendly, advanced prompting skills are crucial for specialized tasks and maximizing AI potential. The art of effectively guiding AI systems continues to evolve, maintaining its importance in the field. 4️⃣ Josh’s MAGIC? p.s. Make sure to check out Josh’s amazing robot instructor made out of mower parts ~ 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 Josh's Interesting Starting Story 04:18 Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Learning and Development 12:17 The Role of AI Policies and Governance 20:45 The Future of AI and Human Interaction 24:39 The Limitations of Artificial General Intelligence 27:59 The Importance of Prompt Engineering in AI 35:08 Advice for Leaders in Implementing AI 42:00 Josh’s MAGIC ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here Josh has been creating learning solutions for corporations, government agencies, and secondary education institutions for thirty years. He is an expert in the field of Learning & Development and has applied his industry experience to the application of ChatGPT and other Generative AI frameworks for performance improvement. Josh is passionate about sharing his knowledge and has a popular YouTube channel that shares tips and tricks on Generative AI. He is a seasoned speaker presenting at conferences like DevLearn, Learning Solutions, ATD ICE, TechKnowledge, NAB, and Adobe MAX. Get 250+ Prompts for Learning & Development: https://www.joshcavalier.com/150Prompts Website: https://www.joshcavalier.com/ YouTub
S2 E8 · Fri, June 21, 2024
From Curiosity to Mastery: Navigating the Future of L&D with Neuroscience and AI
💓The Story It was such a great honor to meet up with Stella Collins , co-founder and chief learning officer of Stella Labs, and author of “Neuroscience for Learning and Development: How to Apply Neuroscience and Psychology for Improved Learning and Training.” In this conversation, Stella explores how AI & neuroscience can empower talent upskilling, transferring learning into behavioral change and performance improvement to align with business objectives and outcomes. 🎯Story Takeaways 1️⃣ The GEAR framework (Guide, Experiment, Apply, Retain) enhances learning transfer from theory to practice. It creates a comprehensive learning cycle that bridges the gap between concepts and real-world applications, promoting active engagement, critical thinking, and long-term retention of skills and knowledge. 2️⃣ Effective transfer of learning depends on learner motivation, training quality, and organizational support. Well-designed programs with practical applications enhance skill transfer, but require a supportive organizational culture that encourages experimentation, practice, and application of new skills. 3️⃣ Curiosity drives talent development and fosters continuous improvement. Organizations that nurture curiosity create an environment where employees seek new skills, stay updated on trends, and solve complex problems, enhancing individual performance and company competitiveness. 4️⃣ Stella’s MAGIC? 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 Introduction of Stella and Stella Labs 01:17 Mission and Vision of Stella Labs 03:21 Transfer of Learning and Performance Improvement 07:23 The GEAR Framework 13:12 Aligning Learning Development with Business Objectives 17:53 AI speeds up the design process 19:14 Data tracking on Stella Labs 24:55 The Future of AI and Technology in Learning 31:11 Some interesting learning scientist Stella recommend to follow 33:10 Stella's Childhood Passion for Fashion Design ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here Stella Collins is co-founder and Chief Learning Officer at Stellar Labs and an evangelist for effective evidence-based learning. She and her team deliver world-class learning solutions with impact, including a Skills Transfer platform built with neuroscience and fuelled by AI. Stella is an acknowledged expert on the practical application of science-based learning to business performance and has trained thousands of professionals in more than 25 years. Her sell-out book ‘Neuroscience for Learning and Development’ is translated into 4 languages and in its 3rd edition. Her Linkedin Learning course has more than 30,000 participants. Stella engages and inspires audiences at international conferences, round table discussions, webinars, podcasts and blogs. She’s host of
S2 E7 · Thu, June 13, 2024
Visual Metaphors: Exploring the Empathy Power of AI Image Generation
💓The Story In this #MAGICademy conversation, Danyang (Delia) Wu , co-founder of Huhu AI, discusses innovative ways to leverage AI to help us visualize internal/hidden emotions and feelings to enhance self-awareness and leadership…She also touches on the challenges around cost and accessibility. She also touches on the challenges around cost and accessibility. 🎯Story Takeaways 1️⃣ AI image generation tools allow users to express emotions and feelings through natural language descriptions, which the AI interprets and translates into visual representations. These generated images serve as powerful visual metaphors, depicting abstract concepts and inner states. By sharing these AI-created images, individuals can foster deeper understanding and empathy among others who view them. 2️⃣ Chat-based image editors combine natural language processing (NLP) and computer vision techniques, allowing users to modify images through text commands. The system interprets the instructions using NLP, identifies and isolates relevant image elements using computer vision models, and applies editing techniques like inpainting or style transfer. The result is a seamlessly modified image based on the user's instructions. 3️⃣ AI image generation models often lack diversity and inclusivity, producing biased outputs that fail to represent the full spectrum of human diversity. These models are also extremely computationally intensive, requiring huge resources to train and run, making them inaccessible to many. Overcoming these challenges will require ongoing research into dataset curation, bias mitigation, model efficiency, and proactive consideration of ethical issues. 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 Introduction and Background 00:20 Inspiration for Chat-Based Editing Tool 04:28 Challenges in AI Image Generation 10:46 Use Cases in Learning and Development 16:09 Challenges of Cost and Efficiency 22:10 Trends in AI Image Generation 26:50 The Role of Artists in a World of AI Tools 31:16 Believing in Yourself and Embracing Imagination ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here Danyang (Delia) Wu is the co-builder of ChatDesigner.ai, Co-founder of HuHu AI, Ex-TikTok, and Ex-Uber. https://www.linkedin.com/in/wdanyang/ 📚Reference: Epstein, G. (1989). Healing visualizations: Creating health through imagery . Bantam. Kingwatsiaq, N., & Pii, K. (2003). Healing the body and the soul through visualization: A technique used by the Community Healing Team of Cape Dorset, Nunavut. Arctic anthropology , 40 (2), 90-92. #AIAssistedCreativity, #AIImageEditing, #ChatBasedImageEditingTool, #AIImageGeneration, #NeuroArts #LeadershipDevelopment #M
S2 E6 · Fri, June 07, 2024
Therapeutic Gameplay: Harnessing the Power of Immersive & Inclusive Games
💓The Story There have been studies in this space showing how (VR) games can leverage immersion and interactivity for therapeutic applications like providing engaging distractions for pain management, simulating controlled virtual environments for exposure therapy in varied mental health conditions (stress, anxiety, etc), and creating motivating gamified exercises for rehabilitation, ultimately enhancing players’ experiences and outcomes. 😃 🎯Story Takeaways 1️⃣ Digital Therapeutics: Digital therapeutics refers to the use of software-based interventions, often delivered through mobile apps, wearable devices, or online platforms, to prevent, manage, or treat medical conditions. These digital interventions are designed to modify patient behavior, provide education, and support adherence to treatment plans. 2️⃣Games, when designed thoughtfully and with specific goals in mind, can be powerful tools for shifting our perceptions and promoting personal growth. The immersive and interactive nature of games can create engaging experiences that challenge our assumptions, encourage new perspectives, and foster positive mindsets. Here are some ways in which well-designed games can shift our perceptions toward growth. 3️⃣ Diverse cultural perspectives play a significant role in the development and implementation of digital therapeutics. As these technologies aim to provide accessible and personalized healthcare solutions, it is crucial to consider and incorporate cultural diversity to ensure their effectiveness and widespread adoption. #ImmersiveMedicine #HealingGames #VideoGames #PowerofPlay #MAGICademy 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 The start of immersive medicine 05:50 How games when well designed can shift our perceptions toward growth 12:59 The role of diverse culture in mental health therapy 16:06 How do we measure the impact of therapeutic games? 18:40 The future of digital therapeutics 23:51 Potential risks and guardrails: monopoly & deferred cares 31:56 Ryan's MAGIC ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here A noted expert and innovator in the fields of mental health, artificial intelligence, and surgical robotics, Ryan has been on the frontline of major paradigm shifts in healthcare for nearly 20 years. He is the co-founder of NeuFluent and DeepWell DTx, a new video game company dedicated to creating medically therapeutic games while maintaining 'best-in-class' gameplay. Ryan has participated in the commercialization of 20 medical devices, including treatments for depression, hypertension, women's health, chronic pain, and related neur
S2 E5 · Fri, May 31, 2024
AI Social Storytelling: Crafting Engaging Social Stories to Individualize Learning
💓The Story Brian Carlson , founder of Storytime AI, and Erin Lamb , CEO of HASA discuss the learning impact of "social stories." Social stories are short, personalized stories that describe a specific social situation, skill, or concept in a structured and straightforward manner. They aim to break down complex social interactions into easily understandable steps, providing individuals with a framework for understanding social cues, expectations, and appropriate behaviors. 🎯Story Takeaways 1️⃣ Social stories using AI has the potential to personalize meaningful learning experiences tailored to individual students' needs, promoting engagement, retention and generalization across diverse backgrounds. 2️⃣ Integrating AI tools like social stories requires educator control and continuous capability expansions through cross-disciplinary collaboration. 3️⃣ Safeguards and human elements like empathy are essential when using AI for educational content, driven by purpose and joy. 4️⃣ Brian & Erin’s MAGIC? #SocialStory #StoryTimeAI #HASA #FutureOfLearning #Neurodiversity #AIineducation #personalizedLearning #LeadershipDevelopment #MAGICademy 🍀Conversation Outline 03:27 How Brian and Erin Met 05:30 Storytime AI and Adaptive Learning 07:25 The power of personalized learning plan inspired by special ed 13:22 How Storytime AI Works 16:02 The Power of Social Stories to Human Skills 24:41 How do we define effective personalized learning? 35:43 Safety Guardrails for Storytime AI 37:45 Brian's MAGIC 38:41 Erin's MAGIC ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here With over 20 years of experience in the education technology sector, Brian Carlson is a passionate and visionary entrepreneur who believes in the power of technology to transform learning and empower people. He co-founded and led two successful edtech companies: eThink Education, a fully-managed eLearning solutions provider that was acquired by Learning Technologies Group in 2020, and now Storytime AI, a subscription-based book app and platform that allows anyone to create books and read-along videos using AI to help promote literacy and make reading more accessible to everyone. Brian is also an active advisor and mentor for several other technology startups in the edtech, AI, and social impact domains. https://www.linkedin.com/in/briancarlson2020/ Erin Lamb, Ph.D., M.S. CCC/SLP is a licensed speech-language pathologist who holds a Ph.D. in educational public policy, allowing her to use evidence from the fields of economics, sociology, education, and political science to serve HASA. Erin received both her master's an
S2 E4 · Fri, May 24, 2024
Collective Flourishing: Design Environments to Inspire Action through Eudaemonia
💓The Story Eudaemonia design aims to cultivate flourishing and optimal health in built environments by incorporating principles of autonomy, competence, and relatedness from self-determination theory. It focuses on workplace wellness, healthcare environments, and supporting neurodiverse individuals through tailored spaces. 🎯Story Takeaways Eudaemonia design aims to cultivate flourishing and optimal health in built environments (digital & physical). It incorporates principles from self-determination theory, including autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Eudaemonia design can increase motivation & pro-social behaviors. Virtual reality and augmented reality can leverage Eudaemonia to enhance experiences and prepare individuals, especially those with neurodiversity or other varying abilities, for the workplace. Incorporating elements of nature and biophilia can have a positive impact on well-being. Eudaemonia design is about connecting different disciplines, caring for pro-humanity design, embracing curiosity, and nurturing creativity. 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 Understanding Eudaemonia Design 02:22 Examples of Eudaemonia Design 06:20 The Three Elements of Eudaemonia Design 09:33 Eudaemonia Design and Neurodiversity 18:33 Cultivating Curiosity in Eudaemonic Design 20:15 The Future Impact of Eudaemonia Design 26:34 The Role of Eudaemonia Design in a Technologically Advanced World 30:04 Thought Leaders and Startups in Eudaemonia Design 35:04 Jenna's Journey and Challenges 40:58 Jenna's Magic: Connection, Care, Curiosity, and Creativity 43:20 The Creative Elf! ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennamikus/ Dr. Jenna Mikus is the Founder and Managing Partner of the Eudae Group, globally advising clients across commercial, military, government, healthcare, education, and aged care sectors on transformational change in built environments designed for health and well-being, with a focus on the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. As an advocate bridging industry and academia, she holds advisory and fellowship roles at institutions like the University of Melbourne, QUT, Centre for Conscious Design, International WELL Building Institute, and Harvard University's Human Flourishing Program. Leveraging her multidisciplinary education in engineering, architecture, design, strategy, change management, and design thinking, Jenna encourages cross-pollination to create intelligent, sustainable, flourishing environments for all. 📚Read the research article: Torsi, S., Rebek, C., Giunchiglia, B., & Giunchiglia, F. (2020). Eudaimonia and Behavior Change: Incorporating negative feelings into Game Design elements. Proceedings
S2 E3 · Fri, May 10, 2024
Wonder-Making: Cultivating the Power of Imagination & Playful Aliveness
💓The Story Barbara Groth, founder of Nomadic School of Wonder, emphasizes wonder, nature, and co-creation in designing experiences, with her school's mission of creating more wonder through play, collaboration, and tapping into sense memories and imagination to access awe, curiosity, and expanded perception; she highlights the role of culture, respecting diverse communities, building relationships through story circles, balancing emerging technologies with nature connection, and engaging in daily practices like sensory wonder walks and creative expression to stay connected to one's playful aliveness. 🎯Story Takeaways Takeaways 🔹Remember our connection to the natural world and design with all ecosystems in mind 🔹Tap into our senses memories and imagination to access a state of wonder 🔹Respect and learn from diverse cultures in the co-creation process 🔹Building relationships and fostering a sense of wonder through community story circles is a powerful way to connect with others and learn from their experiences. 🔹Emerging technologies have the potential to support creativity and imagination, but it is important to maintain a connection to nature and design for the well-being of all life. 🔹Play and creativity are essential for maintaining a sense of wonder and finding joy in everyday life. 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 Introduction to Barbara Groth and the Nomadic School of Wonder 06:48 Defining Wonder and Its Expansive Perception 13:14 Wonder making 16:39 Difference between childlike wonder and adult wonder? 24:19 Culture and wonder making 27:20 Building Relationships and Fostering Wonder 42:19 Barbara's MAGIC ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here Founder and Creative Director of the Nomadic School of Wonder, a traveling troupe of artists who create "adventures in awe" rooted in nature, art, community and play.I've been a creative entrepreneur for over thirty years — guiding teams through creative invention, design and production of highly participatory, immersive experiences for Walt Disney Imagineering, Google, X, Meow Wolf and others. In between crafting wonder retreats for individuals, groups and organizations, I teach The Art of Wondermaking — How to design experiences that bring people into a felt experience of awe. https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-groth-a47291/ www.nomadicschoolofwonder.com community@nomadicschoolofwonder.com 📚Read the research article: Shiota, M.N. (2021). Awe, wonder, and the human mind. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1501. Hlava, P., Elfers, J., McGregor, D.C., Arreguin, S., & Sharpe, F. (2023). From Wonder to Transformation: The Lived Experience of Profound Awe.
S2 E2 · Fri, May 03, 2024
Wonder Power: Cultivating Resilience & Empathy for Meaningful Connection
💓The Story Caitlin Krause of MindWise discusses her work cultivating resilience, empathy, and meaningful connection through integrated learning experiences blending mindfulness, design, and storytelling. She explores concepts like wonder and flow state, designing immersive experiences like VR military training to foster qualities like empathy and resilience. Emphasizing play, collaboration, curiosity, and mindful AI partnership in skill and culture development. 🎯Story Takeaways Play, collaboration, and curiosity are essential in approaching technology and leadership. Cultivating resilience and empathy is essential for meaningful human connection. Wonder has five facets: curiosity, empathy, surfing wonder, the overview effect, and the wonder of the gestalt. Flow is a state of complete immersion and intrinsic joy. A mindful partnership with AI can lead to better learning experiences. Caitlin’s MAGIC Toast to your curiosity, tune into the poetry reading towards the end: Digital Satori. You will love it~ #digitalwellbeing , #XR , #wonder , #awe , #imagination , #MindWise , #futureofwellbeing , #MAGICademy 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 Introduce yourself to Aliens 07:33 Explore the five pillars of wonder 14:57 Explore the state of flow 19:08 How to design for flow 27:01 Bring resilience and empathy to Air Force 31:21 The role of play curiosity and collaboration in technology 36:27 Caitlin’s MAGIC 44:33 Digital Satori poem reading ☕ Learn About Our Guest Here Caitlin Krause, founder of MindWise, combines technology, innovation and wellbeing as an educator, XR designer, author and speaker. She teaches digital wellness at Stanford and has authored related books. Krause advises organizations like Google, Meta, Oracle, and the U.S. State Department. Recent
S2 E1 · Fri, April 26, 2024
The Story Mind: Unlocking Skills with AI and Storytelling
💓The Story Elliott Masie, a learning expert and Broadway producer, discusses the connection between storytelling and learning. He emphasizes the importance of engaging learners through storytelling and personalization. Masie also explores the evolution of AI and its impact on learning and skill development. He highlights the need for curiosity in the learning process and the potential of immersive technologies like virtual reality. Masie encourages individuals to embrace the future of learning and remain open to exploration and experimentation. 🎯Story Takeaways 👉Storytelling is at the heart of how we learn, collaborate, and solve problems 👉AI has the potential to personalize learning and expedite skill development 👉Measuring impact of AI on skill development requires a focus on readiness & performance. 👉Differentiating AI and ensuring accuracy is crucial in its effective use 👉Simulation and practice, along with feedback, are essential for “safe failure” to learn. 👉Curiosity plays a vital role in skill acquisition and development 👉Masie’s MAGIC? 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 Introduction and Background 07:35 The Evolution of AI in the Learning Space 13:51 Case Studies of AI Applications in the Industry 19:53 The importance of AI Literacy 29:11 The Importance of Childlike Curiosity 33:56 The Future of Technology in Education 41:02 Balancing Perspectives on Technology 44:37 Elliott's MAGIC ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here Elliott Masie is an expert in corporate learning, organizational performance, and technology integration. He is credited with popularizing the term "eLearning" and has advocated for using learning technologies effectively within companies. Masie leads the MASIE Learning Foundation and the Learning COLLABORATIVE, an alliance of over 75 global organizations focused on evolving learning strategies. In addition to his work in corporate learning, Masie has produced or co-produced several Broadway shows through his production company MASIE Productions. Some of the notable shows include Kinky Boots, An American in Paris, and The Prom. Masie blends his interests in learning, technology, storytelling, and engaging audiences across the corporate world and live theater. He has written books, speaks frequently at events, and aims to drive innovation and social impact through his work. https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliottmasie/ https://www.masie.com/ https://notes.masie.com/ 📚Read the research article: The Story Mind: Unlocking Skills with AI and Storytelling (coming later) 🚗Listen on https://open.spotify.com/show/2RhE7OM74C3J8uz
S1 E10 · Fri, April 19, 2024
The Evergreen AI Strategy: Build a Decision Operating System
💓The Story Ross Stevenson discusses the concept of a decision operating system for AI, proposes key questions to explore, and how it can be applied to enhance workforce performance focusing on problem-solving rather than technology adoption. He shares the inspiration behind his work, 'Steal These Thoughts,' and emphasizes the importance of context in implementing AI tools. Ross also emphasizes the value of human intelligence and critical thinking in conjunction with AI technology. 🎯Story Takeaways 👉An AI decision operating system is a set of guiding principles to help organizations make informed decisions when implementing AI in the learning and development space. 👉Focus on solving real problems with existing tools and avoid getting caught up in the hype of new technologies. 👉Using the five whys framework can help uncover the root cause of a problem and determine the best approach to solving it. 👉Human AI collaboration is crucial as conversational AI tools alone cannot fully understand the context and nuances of a situation. 👉AI can enhance performance in low to mid-risk tasks, such as generating ideas and data analysis, but may struggle with high-risk tasks requiring critical thinking and analytical judgment. #AIStrategy #AIDecisionSystem #HumanIntelligence #CriticalThinking #InclusiveLeadership #TalentDevelopment #AIEdtech #Neuroscience #Neuroarts #ProgramEvaluation #MAGICademy 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 The Inspiration behind 'Steal These Thoughts' 07:55 The Concept of an AI Decision Operating System 15:05 The importance of context 19:40 Aligning AI with Talent and Business Outcomes 24:42 Figuring Out the Problem First 30:58 Increased and Decreased Productivity with AI 43:45 Ross's MAGIC ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here Ross Stevenson has spent nearly two decades building learning and performance functions for global organizations. He now runs a company called "Steal These Thoughts" to help L&D teams maximize their learning technology, leverage AI effectively, and develop modern skills. Website: https://stealthesethoughts.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rstevensonuk/ Newsletter: https://stealthesethoughts.beehiiv.com/ 📚Read the research article: How People Can Create—and Destroy—Value with Generative AI: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2023/how-people-create-and-destroy-value-with-gen-ai Disclaimer: While we value the unique perspectives shared by our podcast guests, their views do not necessarily reflect our own. We see this as an open explorat
S1 E9 · Fri, April 05, 2024
Demystifying AI Literacy: A Pathway to Empowered Skill Development
💓The Story Amanda, the founder and CEO of AI for Education, discusses the importance of AI literacy in education and the potential of AI to personalize learning. She emphasizes the need for educators and organizations to understand the capabilities and limitations of AI and to use it in an ethical and responsible way. Amanda also highlights the biases and cultural limitations present in AI models and calls for the development of more representative and diverse training data sets. She encourages workplace learning and leadership development to prioritize AI literacy and to approach AI implementation with a problem-solving mindset. 🎯Story Takeaways AI literacy is crucial in skill development to understand the capabilities and limitations of AI and to use it in an ethical and responsible way. AI has the potential to personalize learning by considering students' individual needs, interests, and learning styles. There is a need for more representative and diverse training data sets to address biases and cultural limitations in AI models. Workplace learning and leadership development should prioritize AI literacy and approach AI implementation with a problem-solving mindset. Amanda's magic? #AILiteracy #AI #GenerativeAI #AIinEducation #AIinSkillDevelopment #InclusiveLeadership #InclusiveLearning #SkillDevelopment #TalentDevelopment #AIEdtech #MAGICademy ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here Amanda is the Founder and CEO of AI for Education. A former high school biology teacher and edtech executive with over 20 years of experience in the education sector, she has a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities that AI can offer. She is a frequent consultant, speaker, and writer on the topic of AI in education, leading workshops and professional learning across both K12 and Higher Ed. Amanda is committed to helping schools and teachers maximize their potential through the ethical and equitable adoption of AI. https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-bickerstaff-edu/ https://www.aiforeducation.io/ 📚Read the research articles: What is AI Literacy? Competencies and Design Considerations: https://aiunplugged.lmc.gatech.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2020/08/CHI-2020-AI-Literacy-Paper-Camera-Ready.pdf Listen on https://open.spotify.com/show/2RhE7OM74C3J8uzUBPazcw?si=3db238fb021f4172 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/magicademy/id1721440260 Disclaimer:
S1 E8 · Thu, March 21, 2024
Shaping Leaders of Tomorrow: AI, Coaching, and Bridging the Skills Gap
💓The Story In this conversation with @ Ioanna Mantzouridou Onasi , the co-founder of Dextego, an AI-powered power skill training platform for managers and Gen Z populations. Ioanna shares her experiences in HR and leadership development that led her to start Dextego. We discuss how AI is being leveraged to develop important human skills and the role of metrics in measuring competency. We also explore the qualities of a good coach and the potential risks and safeguards of AI coaching. 🎯Story Takeaways Dextego is an AI-powered power skill training platform democratizing leadership development for middle managers and Gen Z talents. AI is being leveraged to develop important human skills and provide evaluations and feedback. A good coach exhibits qualities such as belief in the individual's potential, empathy, and positive reinforcement. Safeguards need to be in place to ensure the AI coach consistently provides high-quality coaching and feedback. Finding inner magic and practicing self-care is important for personal growth and well-being. #AICoach #DemocratizeLeadershipDevelopment #InclusiveLeadership #MicroLearning #InclusiveLearning #SkillDevelopment #TalentDevelopment #AIEdtech #Neuroscience #Neuroarts #LearningScience #ProgramEvaluation #MAGICademy 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 The Story of Dextego (flexible ego) and AI Power Skill Coach 04:10 Bridging the Gap in Leadership Development for Young Talents 09:01 Stories of Success with Dextego 11:11 The Role of AI in Coaching and Mentorship 18:51 Qualities of a Good Coach 27:03 Measuring Competency in Human Skills 32:52 Safeguarding AI Coaches & Adapt to Diverse Cultures Perspectives 35:38 Ioanna's MAGIC ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here I'm a Community Builder, a Talent Development Strategist, and a dedicated advocate for Applied AI. I'm steering the ship at Dextego, an AI Coaching Platform, on a mission to cut top talent attrition in half by nurturing crucial skills like communication, collaboration, and leadership. https://dextego.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCad1QLJf8s4j6iVvRqelQ_Q https://www.instagram.com/dextegoapp/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D 📚Read the research article: Shaping Leaders of Tomorrow: AI, Coaching, and Bridging the Skills Gap (coming later) Disclaimer: While we value the unique perspectives shared by our podcast guests, their views do not necessarily reflect our own. We see this as an open exploration of ideas, not an endors
S1 E7 · Fri, March 08, 2024
Unleashing AI Avatars: Digital Twins and the Future of Video Training
💓The Story In this episode, Kevin Alster discusses the concept of digital twins and how his team uses AI avatars to create high-quality videos. They explore the applications of digital avatars in video training and the potential for AI avatars to act as coaches. Kevin also shares his passion for performance and the challenges he has faced in bringing joy to the workplace. He also provides advice for using AI tools effectively. 🎯Story Takeaways AI avatars or digital twins can potentially create high-quality videos and simplify the video production process. AI avatars are particularly useful in video training and instructional content, where interactions are not needed as much, saving time and effort AI avatars can serve as coaches, providing feedback and guidance in various professional skills; humans can be better performance evaluators providing detailed qualitative observation When using AI tools, it is important to understand the problem you are trying to solve and the limitations of the tool. Bringing joy and energy to the workplace can enhance productivity and create a more fulfilling work experience. #Synthesia #DigitalTwin #AICoach #InclusiveLeadership #LeadershipDevelopement #MicroLearning #InclusiveLearning #SkillDevelopment #TalentDevelopment #AIEdtech #Neuroscience #Neuroarts #ProgramEvaluation #MAGICademy 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 Introduction 01:07 What is Synthesia? 04:38 Using Synthesia in Video Training 08:02 Measuring Reactions to Synthesia Videos 10:45 AI Digital Twin as a Coach 18:46 Synthesia Academy 21:02 Kevin's MAGIC? ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here Kevin Alster is a learning strategist and Head of Synthesia Academy. His mission to help people and enterprise close the gap between understanding information and putting it to work. With over a decade in education and leveraging emerging tech for video communication, he's crafted learning solutions for notable organizations like General Assembly, The School of The New York Times, and Sotheby's Institute of Art. Kevin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinalster/ Video Essentials Certificate at Synthesia Academy (free): https://get.synthesia.io/3LDlKPI The Synthesia Home: www.Synthesia.io 📚Read the research article: Unleashing AI Avatars: Digital Twins and the Future of Video Training Listen on https://open.spotify.com/show/2RhE7OM74C3J8uzUBPazcw?si=3db23
S1 E6 · Fri, February 23, 2024
The Art And Science Of Scenario Design: An Evidence-Based Framework
💓The Story In this conversation, Christy Tucker shares her expertise in scenario-based learning and branching scenarios, strategies to integrate AI, and discusses their effectiveness in teaching complex skills. 🎯Story Takeaways Scenario-based learning and branching scenarios can be effective in teaching complex skillsthat require critical thinking and decision-making. When designing branching scenarios, it is important to focus on specific behaviors and provide realistic feedback. Simplifying complex topics and making them concrete can empower learners to apply knowledge effectively. Using AI tools can help generate ideas and alternative choices for branching scenarios, but human oversight and editing are necessary. Christy's MAGIC? 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 How Christy transit from teaching music to designing intriguing scenarios 03:00 What is branching scenario design? 06:55 Branching scenario example: A brief doctor-patient intervention 12:34 Branching scenarios for inclusive leadership development? 19:27 Common challenges of branching scenario strategies 22:41 Does branching scenario design make learning more effective? 25:55 How to best leverage AI to design branching scenarios? 30:11 Risk of losing human element when over-relying on AI 32:34 When would it be best to leverage branching scenarios? 34:10 Christy's MAGIC 😀 Watch the show highlight shorts here: Branching scenarios are best for tricky nuanced skill development: https://youtu.be/mDNxzWs5Pcc Continued refining with AI to develop branching scenarios: https://youtube.com/shorts/T9ChOnJjOxI Over-relying on AI may lose personality: https://youtube.com/shorts/rxKwWowr8Us Showing empathy & curiosity engages: https://youtube.com/shorts/6nMBZ8PkjT0 Use AI to generate alternative answers: https://youtu.be/gehzh_IDBzo When branching scenario is best for building skills: https://youtu.be/iD4feq6IhWA ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here Christy Tucker is a learning experience design consultant with over 20 years of experience helping people learn. She specializes in using scenario-based learning to engage audiences and promote skill transfer to real-world environments. She has created training for a wide range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit associations, state and local government agencies, universities, and more. Christy has been blogging about instructional design and elearning for o
S1 E5 · Thu, February 08, 2024
Just-in-Time Micro-Feedback Strategies Towards Inclusivity & Learning Mastery
💓Story Overview In this conversation, Chris Du, co-founder of Insightful and Timely Grader, discusses the use of AI in providing feedback to learners. He explains how the idea of leveraging AI to improve feedback came about and the challenges instructors face in providing timely and comprehensive feedback. Chris also highlights the potential applications of AI in workplace learning and the importance of trust between instructors and AI-generated feedback. He shares examples of how AI feedback has helped students improve their assignments and discusses the ethical considerations and limitations of AI in education. Takeaways AI can be a valuable tool in providing feedback to learners, especially in cases where instructors have limited time to give individualized feedback. The effectiveness of AI feedback is enhanced when it is used in conjunction with human instructors who can review and customize the feedback. Trend analysis using AI can help identify areas for improvement in teaching methods and provide informative feedback to instructors. Ethical considerations, such as the potential overreliance on AI in the learning process, need to be carefully addressed to ensure a balanced approach. 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 The Founding story of Timely Grader as an AI-augmented assessment helper 03:54 How does Timely Grader work? 06:07 How to measure AI feedback effectiveness? 08:54 How do we quality control AI feedback? 13:56 Leveraging trend analysis to identify common patterns in learner responses 17:36 Prompt strategies for consistent quality AI feedback 22:04 Some AI surprises? 24:34 A basic comparison model: Human + AI vs Human 25:36 Ethical challenges to leverage AI for learning 28:18 What is Chris' childhood passion? 30:50 Overcoming inter-cultural challenges 35:55 Hello Hugo: the huge puffy guard dog! 😀 Watch the show highlight shorts here: balancing ai feedback and human input: https://youtube.com/shorts/zHAYNl_rnIM human + ai vs human: https://youtu.be/dd3Dh7aiXRQ overcoming inter cultural challenges: https://youtu.be/R7NQhKSjbew trend analysis approach to identify response patterns: https://youtube.com/shorts/rm7fAiXBOo8 the challenges of utilizing ai in education: https://youtu.be/ZsclyNEtM-s petting hugo, the friendly guard dog!: https://youtube.com/shorts/umaCLRrkgwI ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here https://www.linkedin.com/in/chri
S1 E4 · Fri, January 26, 2024
The Masterpiece Within: Micro-Inclusive Leadership Through the Power of a Flower
Anna Annette is the founder of Edelweiss Academy of Mastery and creator of Bloomtica® method. She empowers people and organizations with tools to bloom and flourish so they can grow and be successful from a place of inner bliss and joy. Anna has been in the coaching, program design, and facilitation space for over 20 years. Anna blends her background in experiential learning, psychology, human energy, and nature and art into creative, powerful, and enjoyable techniques and practices that help people experience instant and transformational results. 💓Story Overview In this episode, Anna Annette introduces the Bloomtica® method, which combines psychology, energy healing, and art to help individuals tap into their inner resources and achieve personal growth. The method involves energy activation and art creation and is effective for developing self-awareness, leadership, teamwork, and other capabilities. It can be used in corporate, nonprofit, and other settings to unlock potential. While it involves drawing, Anna emphasizes embracing originality over artistry. She developed the method to help others overcome obstacles, stemming from her own childhood dream to coach and journey of self-discovery. Anna highlights the power of authenticity and empowerment in creating great leaders and teams. She concludes by emphasizing harnessing the energies of growth and nature to live joyfully. 📚Read the evidence-based article: The Masterpiece Within: Micro-Inclusive Leadership Through the Power of a Flower : https://www.jianiwu.com/magicademy-blog/the-masterpiece-within-micro-inclusive-leadership-through-the-power-of-a-flower 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 Introduction 01:08 The Birth of Bloomtica Method 04:38 Bloomtica Method Explained 06:56 Strengths of the Bloomtica Method 07:09 Limitations of the Bloomtica Method 11:17 Bloomtica for Leadership and Teamwork 15:41 Case Studies 23:04 The Role of AI in Bloomtica 25:21 Sustaining the Effects of Bloomtica 29:23 Passion for Coaching and Teaching 34:34 Journey of Self-Discovery and Healing 42:01 Healing Adults for the Sake of Children 38:29 The Power of Authenticity and Empowerment in Leadership ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaannette/ https://edelweisslearning.com Disclaimer: While we value the unique perspectives shared by our podcast guests, their views do not necessarily reflect our own. We see this as an open
S1 E3 · Fri, January 05, 2024
People-Powered Algorithm: How Micro-Positive Messages Facilitate In-Flow Performance, Creativity & Social Connections
💓Story Overview Hesam Jafari, founder of Boonoob, shares his journey of building a startup that connects people and promotes genuine connections. He discusses the inspiration behind Boonoob, which stemmed from his desire to spread positivity and happiness. Hesam explains the meaning behind the name Boonoob and its vision of helping individuals improve and connect with others. He shares examples of how Boonoob has facilitated social learning and created positive environments for people to come together. Hesam also discusses the role of AI in Boonoob and his optimistic view of the future of human-AI collaboration. Ultimately, his vision for Boonoob is to bring people together and create genuine connections through various activities. 📚Read the research article: People-Powered Algorithm: How Micro-Positive Messages Facilitate In-Flow Performance, Creativity & Social Connections: https://www.jianiwu.com/magicademy-blog/people-powered-algorithm-how-micro-positive-messages-facilitate-in-flow-performance-creativity-amp-social-connections 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 The birth story of Boonoob, an social app that connect humans 01:42 An kind gamified message to boost morale of the production line workers 03:10 Jiani’s positive reminder in the morning ;) 04:00 What does “Boonoob” mean? 07:27 How Boonoob facilitates social learning based on 70 20 10 learning model 12:45 Integrating AI to power authentic human connections 19:07 The vision of collective flourishing through authentic connections 22:21 Reading as a childhood passion 25:27 How challenges heal and empower us with the magic of connection 😀 Watch show highlight shorts here: The meaning behind Boonoob: https://youtu.be/5YEHttr8k00 The magic of positive messages: https://youtube.com/shorts/JhNZuoQiLm8 The power of social learning in the workplace: https://youtu.be/q3P2ZxSP6GU AI and Creating Authentic Connections: https://youtube.com/shorts/3JaqlmlW5pk The “secret sauce” that turns transactional connections into authentic connections: https://youtube.com/shorts/xhJmysA-efU Overcoming loneliness to heal and empower others: https://youtu.be/IvtLC1tNZvk ☕ Connect with Our Guest Here https://www.boonoob.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/hesamsmiles/ 😀Listen to the podcast <p
S1 E2 · Fri, December 15, 2023
Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS): A Powerful Critical Thinking Training Method Hidden in Plain Sight
♥️Story Overview We explore the origins of Visual Thinking Strategy (VTS), an innovative methodology that leverages art museum discussions to foster inclusive mindsets. Developed in the 1980s by psychologist Abigail Housen and creative director Philip Yenawine while working at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). Wall Street Journal launched its WGOITP movement inspired by this strategy. VTS uses open-ended yet structured dialogue to build vital skills like evidence-based reasoning, listening, and perspective-taking. It is now being applied in workplaces to address biases and bring inclusive voices into decision-making. Adopting VTS can surface challenges around trust, empowering talents, and shifting organizational culture. 📚Reach the research article: Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS): A Powerful Critical Thinking Training Method Hidden in Plain Sight 🍀Conversation Outline 00:00 The birth story of Visual Thinking Strategy (VTS) 04:20 Visual Thinking Strategy explained 12:47 VTS fosters evidence-based inclusive mindset in the workplace 16:00 Potential challenges 20:58 Ability to trust frontline people 23:49 Time needed for change using VTS 24:51 VTS “wonder” moments 28:03 Critical capacity to listen 32:44 Gen AI & VTS 33:57 Philip’s MAGIC ☕Connect with Our Guest Here https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-yenawine-6279455/ https://vtshome.org/ https://www.watershed-ed.org/ ▶️Watch The Show Here: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MAGICademy Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2RhE7OM74C3J8uzUBPazcw Disclaimer: While we value the unique perspectives shared by our podcast guests, their views do not necessarily reflect our own. We see this as an open exploration of ideas, not an endorsement of any particular statement. Our podcast is independently produced with no involvement from employers or clients. We offer research-based resources to support further learning, but the quest for knowledge is its own reward. Thank you for joining us on this journey of curiosity and discovery! —------------------------------------------------------------------------🦄 The MAGICademy podcast shares inspiring stories of learning & development innovators, leaders, and change-makers with diverse backgrounds to spark childlike wonder and inclusive mindset. With decades of expertise in learning & developmen
Trailer · Fri, December 01, 2023
Welcome to MAGICademy !
🦄 The Magicademy podcast shares inspiring stories of diverse learning & development innovators, leaders, and change-makers to spark childlike wonder and inclusive mindset. With decades of expertise in learning and development, we co-explore the magic and science behind evidence-based, inclusive, and transformative experiences and cultivate continuous self-awareness, creativity, resilience, and collective growth. Dr. Jiani's MAGICademy podcast sparks the imagination as she uncovers captivating stories of edtech entrepreneurs, cross-discipline thought leaders, and other innovative learning pioneers. She explores the magic of inclusive, personalized learning that unleashes our inner childlike wonder. Jiani believes we all have an untapped curiosity waiting to be activated. Her upcoming book MAGIC reveals micro-designs to ignite childlike awe, so stay tuned for her tales of the unexpected that will unlock the wonder in us all! 😻 Follow + Bell 🔔 Jiani on Linkedin to hop on a magical journey together! ~
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