Research, AI, Portfolios: ID Links 9/10/24

As I read online, I bookmark resources I find interesting and useful. I share these links about once a month here on my blog. This post includes links related to research, AI tools and reflections, portfolios, and marketing tips for freelancers. If you’re interested in AI images, be sure to try out the “Real or Fake” image quiz.

The image above was generated in Midjourney, with text added in Affinity Designer.

Research and practice

Reflecting on Research and Practice

How do we put research into practice in L&D? Clark Quinn reflects on the work of the LDA (Learning Development Accelerator) to improve the field of L&D with approaches informed by science and research. Clark discusses how science is always improving, so our understanding can change over time. Research can also be misleading or biased (or shared in misleading ways). Still, we can be more effective in our work with evidence-informed practices.

(PDF) Storifying Instructional Videos on Online Credibility Evaluation: Examining Engagement and Learning

This study researched whether adding story elements to an instructional video affects motivation, emotional engagement, and learning. In the research, they explain that they did not find any difference between a well-produced instructional video and a storified instructional video. However, the storified video feels very artificial to me. This isn’t a story about a relevant character the learners can identify with who uses the concepts in realistic situations (or even slightly exaggerated ones). This is about a fake detective agency. I’d be cautious about assuming this research applies to realistic stories as well.

Merrill’s Principles of Instruction – A Practical Guide – Learning Everest

A breakdown and suggestions for how to apply Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction.

AI tools and reflections

Can you detect AI images?

Real or Fake? The AI Deepfake Game

Can you identify which images are generated by AI and which ones are real? Test yourself with these 10 pairs of images. I got 9/10 right by focusing on the logic of the quiz rather than the actual images. I think more of these AI images would have fooled me if they weren’t in a context where I knew one image in each pair was fake.

Benefits of AI for people with dyslexia

One thing often happens at keynotes and conferences. It surprised me….

Donald Clark shares several ways that people with dyslexia are benefiting now from using AI tools. Text-to-Speech, transcription, grammar and spelling assistants, note-taking and summarizing, and other tools can all help people with dyslexia.

AI is welcomed by those with dyslexia, and other learning issues, helping to mitigate some of the challenges associated with reading, writing, and processing information. Those who want to ban AI want to destroy the very thing that has helped most on accessibility.
-Donald Clark

AI tools for generating media

Make consistent and editable vector graphics with AI

Brushless is an AI tool focused on creating consistent illustrations, icons, and vector graphics. The tools make it easy to edit the colors, and you can create multiple images in a consistent style. You can get a small number of images as SVGs for free, and for low prices for more downloaded images.

Image Upscaler – Upscale Your Photo for Free with AI

AI-powered image editing tools from a small Ukrainian company. Upscale, unblur, cartoonize, remove backgrounds. Use limited free credits per month or use promo code GM5QCEPQ to buy credits.

3D AI Studio – Create Custom 3D Models with AI

Instead of text to image, this tool lets you generate text to 3D model. You can also generate an image in another tool like Midjourney or Flux and then generate a 3D model from a reference image. One of the challenges for developing training in VR has always been the development time and cost, including time to develop custom 3D assets. This feels like a step towards making 3D development much more affordable and faster.

DeepBrain AI

Generate avatar videos from text. This tool lets you adjust the gestures for the presentation, as well as generating scripts from links or PowerPoint presentations. These videos definitely hit the uncanny valley and are clearly AI. Plus, how useful are talking head videos even when it’s a real person, let alone an AI talking head? However, the free test might be worthwhile if you’re interested in experimenting with these sorts of AI video avatars.

Portfolios

How to Build an Instructional Design Portfolio with Google Sites | Step-by-Step + Examples

Tim Slade’s straightforward guide to creating a portfolio website with Google Sites, including tips and notes on what’s important for portfolios

How long does it take to build a WordPress site? – White Canvas

How long does it take to build a website? The answer is like asking for elearning–it depends on a lot of different variables. This article has some benchmarks based on different factors. In the UC-Irvine elearning portfolio course that I co-teach, we offer choices of different platforms. This article may help people understand what they’re getting into if they choose WordPress. I still prefer WordPress myself, but it’s definitely overkill for a lot of elearning portfolios.

Marketing for freelancers

Over 15 Million Subject Lines Tested. #1 Free Tool for Email Marketing – SubjectLine.com

Improve your email message subject lines to increase your open rates. h/t Dani Watkins

DYF’s “All Freelancer Marketing Strategies, Ranked” Master Database | Notion

A database with marketing strategies for freelancers, focused primarily on helping established freelancers and consultants grow their businesses. I’m hesitant to place too much stock in the exact percentages shown for each strategy, but the comparison of which strategies are good for which kinds of freelancers is useful. The notes on how long each strategy takes to be effective and how predictable they are are also helpful. Just keep in mind that this database is also a marketing tool for a course on growing your freelancing business.