From Order-Taker to Strategic Partner: Diagnosing and Redesigning Learning Ecosystems for Business Impact
Virtual Chapter Meeting
Most L&D professionals build excellent training content only to watch it fail because of broken learning infrastructure. The problem isn't your instructional design—it's that poor system architecture creates invisible friction that sabotages adoption, hijacks cognitive resources, and undermines L&D's credibility.
In this interactive 60-minute workshop, you'll learn to apply instructional design principles you already know—backward design, cognitive load theory, multimedia learning—to progressively wider systems: from content to team processes, LMS architecture, and enterprise ecosystem integration.
You'll leave with:
- A framework for diagnosing where problems actually exist (not just content)
- One specific friction point identified in your system
- Language to reframe system improvements as strategic business enablers
Real examples:
- Healthcare client: Inconsistent navigation across departments → Applied cognitive load theory → 60% fewer support tickets
- CRO company: Manual compliance chaos → Automated reporting → 50% less admin time, avoided FDA fines, gave VP revenue visibility
- E-commerce: $80K ghost ship LMS → Fixed ecosystem integration → Prevented delayed growth
You'll conduct a systematic ecosystem audit through hands-on diagnostic work, peer coaching, and practical frameworks—then develop an action plan grounded in learning science.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Participants will be able to:
- Map sources of systemic friction that create extraneous cognitive load for learners and L&D teams
- Apply instructional design principles (backward design, cognitive load theory) system-wide to diagnose ecosystem misalignment
- Distinguish root causes from symptoms using pattern-based evidence collection
- Create business-case conversations that position L&D as strategic partner driving measurable organizational outcomes
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CT
Members: FREE
Non-Members: $20
About the Facilitator:
Dr. Christie Vanorsdale, Ed.D.Ms.Ed, is a learning scientist and strategic L&D consultant who founded Vanorsdale Learning Lab after repeatedly encountering the same pattern: organizations investing heavily in learning content while their broken systems sabotaged results. With 15+ years bridging academic research and corporate practice, she realized most organizations lack positions dedicated to learning systems architecture—and many don't recognize this work as critical to L&D's strategic value.
Christie specializes in learning ecosystem design, applying evidence-based instructional design principles to enterprise-level system architecture. She holds an Ed.D. in instructional technology and a Masters in ESL Education with expertise in cognitive load theory, multimedia learning, and inclusive design. Her client work spans organizations including the U.S. Department of State, demonstrating that L&D professionals aren't order-takers—we're strategic partners aligning learning infrastructure with larger organizational goals.
In addition to consulting, she runs the VLL Learning Science Roundup newsletter, translating peer-reviewed research for practitioners, teaches ""From Order-Taker to Strategic Partner: Building Influence and Impact in L&D"" on Maven, and speaks at conferences about positioning L&D as business enabler rather than service provider.
