Resources

On this page you will find a range of free resources to help you grow and improve your learning business. If you find mistakes or bad links as you use this page, please let us know. Note that we have also created dedicated resource pages for:

• Virtual Conferences and Events
• Learning Management System Selection (on ReviewMyLMS)

You can also find out about our Presenting for Impact Course here.

Executive Briefings, Reports, and White Papers

• Why and How to Build Your Blended Learning Playbook (Executive Briefing)
  This executive briefing helps you understand the opportunity of blended learning for learning businesses, looks at examples of how others have implemented blended learning, and offers a a framework for creating effective blended experiences.
• 10 Critical Shifts in the Market for Lifelong Learning (PDF)
  This two-pager provides a brief overview of the 10 trends that we think learning leaders need to have front of mind as they plot their strategy for the coming years.
• The Virtual Conferences Report
  The most recent version of Tagoras research on virtual conferences dating back to 2011. This one takes into account the massive shift to online spurred by the global pandemic.
• Conquering the Confusion: The Role of the LMS in the Evolving Learntech Landscape (Executive Briefing)
  A white paper to help learning businesses understand the current learning technology landscape and the role of the learning management system in relation to other key learning platform technologies.
• Association Learning + Technology (Tagoras Report)
  The most recent version of our acclaimed report on association use of technology to develop, deliver, and support lifelong learning. This is a free download, but does require e-mail sign-up.
• Social Learning Trends in the Association Space (Tagoras Report)
  Data and brief case studies on how trade and professional associations are leveraging technology to embrace social learning. This is a free download, but does require e-mail sign-up.
• Exploring the Fringe: Flipping, Microcredentials, and MOOCs (Blog Post | White Paper)
  A white paper (free download) on how trade and professional associations are embracing – or not – three of the biggest trends in education.

Key Topics

Below you will find resources related to topics essential to managing a thriving learning business. These topics derive from the Tagoras Learning Business Maturity Model.

Strategy

• The Learning Business Maturity Model (Blog Post | PDFs)
  The Tagoras Learning Business Maturity Model^TM provides a framework for assessing the maturity of your learning and education business across five domains and determining where to focus your efforts going forward.
• Four Keys to Profitable Learning Products 
for Your Association (White Paper)
  A look at four keys that can help your organization develop learning products that the market values and buys. Sponsored by Digital Ignite.
• 6 Paths for Leading Your Education Business to Blue Ocean (Blog Post Series)
  A six-part series that examines how a “Blue Ocean” approach to strategy can help you stand out from the competition and deliver unique value.  This link is to the first post in the series. Links to other installments in the series can be found at the end of each post.
• Are You Investing In Your Education Business? 5 Impact Areas to Assess (Blog Post)
  A good strategy must, of course, be accompanied by effective investment and implementation. This post explores the key areas leaders need to assess.
• What Tacit Value Do You Offer? (Blog Post | Video)
  The most strategic organizations aim for a level of value delivery that often transcends mere words.
• The Capacity Continuum (Article)
  Thoughts on how to understand and impact the process of capacity building across individuals, organizations, and communities.

Portfolio

• An Essential Guide to Andragogy for Learning Businesses (Blog Post | PDF)
  A detailed look at the key principles articulated by Malcom Knowles.
• On Learning Well: A Practical Look at Metalearning for Learning Businesses (Blog Post | PDF)
  How to use metalearning to support effective learning, impact the field or industry you serve, and grow your learning business.
• Social Learning Trends in the Association Space (White Paper)
  With the rise of social media, social learning has become more important than ever. This white paper explores how associations are leveraging social to create better education experiences.
• Leveraging Microlearning for Continuing Education and Professional Development (Blog Post)
  This post provides and overview and resources related to one of the hottest current trends in continuing education and professional development.
• 5 Key Concepts from Make It Stick (Blog Post | Video)
  This brief video summarized five essential concepts from Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, one of the Emphatically Recommended Readings^TM for the Leading Learning Symposium.

Learning Methods

• Learner Engagement for Learning Businesses (PDF)
  A detailed discussion of what learner engagement actually is and effective approaches to achieving it.
• A Why-To and How-To on Hot Seats, AKA Collaborative Coaching (Blog Post)
  A detailed overview of a simple approach that can make your learning events – whether face-to-face or online – more interactive and effective.
• A Why-To and How-To on Rethinking Panels: Dynamic Panels (Blog Post)
  Traditional panel discussions are often not very engaging or effective. This post provides details on an approach to breathing new life into them.
• A Why-To and How-To on a Structured Approach to Networking: Curated Connections (Blog Post)
  Curated Connections is a way to structure some of the networking time that occurs at conferences to provide more focused learning value.
• 5 Tips for Effective Online and Hybrid Education (PDF)
  Five concrete tips that build on the foundation of andragogy and brain science. And, despite the title, the tips really apply to offline education too.
• Writing Effective Multiple-Choice Questions (Blog Post | Article)
  A brief look at the critical tie between learning objectives and assessment, 3 tips for writing assessments in general, 6 tips for writing multiple-choice questions specifically, and a simple worksheet for authoring multiple-choice questions.

Capacity

• Association Learning + Technology (Report)
  The most recent version of our acclaimed report on association use of technology to develop, deliver, and support lifelong learning. This is a free download, but requires sign-up for our newsletter.
• Association Virtual Events (Report)
  The most recent version of our report on how associations are making use of virtual conferences, trade shows, and other major events. This is a free download, but requires sign-up for our newsletter. Also see our specific Virtual Events Resources.
  
• Exploring the Fringe: Flipping, Microcredentials, and MOOCs (Blog Post | White Paper)
  A white paper (free download) on how trade and professional associations are embracing – or not – three of the biggest trends in education.
• Mobile Learning and Associations: A Chance to Move the Dial (White Paper)
  Our look at the rise of mobile learning and how associations might leverage m-learning as an important part of their overall education business strategy.
• Cost to Create E-learning (ReviewMyLMS Blog Post)
  Research on how much it costs to create e-learning and give factors that impact it. And, be sure to see the complementary Leading Learning post on pricing online learning.

Marketing

Marketing for continuing education, professional development, and lifelong learning programs very often does not get the attention it deserves. To help you in your efforts, we’ve compiled a number of the resources – all organized according the classic “4Ps” of marketing: product, pricing, promotion, and placement (distribution).

Product

• The Value Ramp (Tagoras article | PDF)
  The Value Ramp is a simple yet amazingly powerful tool when it comes to developing and assessing your product strategy. We’d go so far as to argue that the Ramp, along with a page or two of notes, can form the basis for your entire strategy.
• Four Keys to Profitable Learning Products for Your Association (White paper)
  There are four keys that will dramatically improve your chances of building a strategic learning product with strong revenue potential. We explore each of them in this free white paper.
• The Market Insight Matrix (Tagoras article | PDF)
  The Market Insight Matrix is a tool for helping you better understand and assess your market for continuing education and professional development.

Pricing

• Pricing Online Learning (Blog post)
  A discussion of some of the fundamental principles of pricing as they apply to sales of e-learning products and services. And, be sure to check out our related article on how much it costs to create e-learning.
• 3 Axioms of Pricing for Your Education Products (Video)
  A brief overview of some essential concepts that it pays to have in mind when developing a pricing strategy.
• Effective Pricing Practices for Your Educational Offerings (Video)
  Video of one of the Content Pods™ at the 2015 Leading Learning Symposium

Promotion

• Selling E-learning to Members: Basic Success Factors (Article)
  An overview of five imperatives that successful organizations tend to follow when planning and implementing their e-learning initiatives.
• 3 Tips for Selling More E-learning (Article)
  Three areas to focus on if increasing sales of online learning is one of your goals.
• Making use of testimonials (multiple)
  “Social proof” in the form of testimonials is one of the most powerful promotional tools that organizations in the business of lifelong learning have at their disposal. See the following:
  • If you love [your org’s name], prove it!
  • How to Use Testimonials in Your Marketing
  • A Good Example of Video Social Proof
  • The Power of Video with Paul Gannon of Thoughtcast Media

Placement (Distribution)

• The Market Maker Business Model
  Market Makers do the work of aggregating enough expertise and cultivating enough of an audience to provide subject matter experts (SMEs) with a built in marketplace. It’s a distribution model many association may want to consider providing for their SMEs.

Leading Learning

Leading Learning started out as the name for our monthly newsletter and has expanded to encompass our Webinars, live events, and podcast. All in all, it represents an ongoing source of content and connections for leaders in the business of lifelong learning, continuing education, and professional development.

• Leading Learning e-Newsletter
• Leading Learning Webinars
• Leading Learning Events
• Leading Learning Podcast

If you have questions or comments concerning any of the resources here, please contact us and let us know your thoughts.