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Mood and Memory

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Mood and Memory

Cover Image by huoadg5888 from Pixabay

By Althea Need Kaminske

When I meet with a student to discuss why their performance in a class isn’t where they want it to be, I remind them that there are many factors that affect how well they do in a course. Many of those things are under their control – like using effective learning strategies, setting up study schedules, attending sessions, etc. – but many are not, or at least not always. How much sleep you get, your level of hydration (or dehydration), and even the temperature of the room can all impact your cognitive performance. Our brains – that’s the part that does the thinking – are, for better or worse, part of our bodies (this joke lands really well with medical students studying anatomy). As such there are a vast number of interconnected systems that affect us and our thinking and learning as we move throughout the day. Even your mood can affect your memory and your ability to perform well on an exam. 

There are a lot of different ways we could talk about mood and memory. We could talk about your memory for happy vs sad memories, happy vs sad words, fear and memory, trauma and memory, the effects of depression on memory, and more. However, for the purposes of this scenario I want to examine what happens with normal everyday mood. Let’s pretend you have a big test today and your day can go one of two ways. Positive: You find $20 in a winter coat, get a free coffee, and run into an old friend on your way to take the test. Things are going great and you are in a positive mood when you sit for your exam. Negative: While buying coffee you realize that you left your wallet at home and as you are rushing out of your house for the second time that morning you’re pretty sure your neighbor heard you cursing as you drop your keys trying to lock your door. Not once, but twice, you do the awkward dance trying to pass someone coming from the opposite direction. The second time your coffee spills on you. It’s just one of those days and you are in a negative mood when you sit for your exam.

Being in a good mood has a number of benefits. It generally improves flexibility in thinking, problem solving, and creative thinking (1). A good mood can help you to be more efficient and thorough in your thinking through complex tasks (1). Isen (2008) suggests that we often don’t notice the effects of a good mood because it is both mild and common, making it un-notable. We tend to think a good mood is the status-quo so we don’t ask why we were particularly quick to work through a problem or come up with a creative solution. In general, we likely underestimate how much a good mood plays a role in our thinking.

How does a good mood help? One theory posed by Isen (2008) is that a positive mood encourages more elaboration. People in a positive mood tend to have a broader range of word associates (e.g. how many words can you think of related to ‘table’?) (2). When you’re in a good mood you can elaborate more readily on ideas and make connections. Additionally, a positive mood is also associated with broadened and flexible attention (1). We are generally better at noticing and paying attention to a wider range of details.

The broadened attention and increased cognitive flexibility of a good mood also helps us to remember to do things (3, 4).Prospective memory describes our ability to remember to do things – e.g., “I’ll stop by the store on the way home.”, “Next time I see Anna, I’ll ask about the assignment.” There are two strategies for remembering to do something: either do something after a specific event (e.g., seeing Anna) or at a specific time (e.g., take medicine at 5:00 pm) (5). While being in a good mood generally improves our cognitive performance overall, it may be particularly beneficial for prospective memory tasks that require us to spontaneously notice and remember an action after a specific event (6). 

In contrast to a positive mood, a negative mood tends to come with a number of drawbacks. If a positive mood expands our awareness and makes our thinking more flexible, a negative mood draws our awareness in and makes our thinking more rule-based (7,8). Think of a time you were stressed, sad, or anxious. Did you forget simple things or didn’t notice something in your environment? Maybe you forgot your wallet at home or forgot to turn in an assignment. Why does everything seem to go wrong on those days? 

From Chemistry to Strategy: How Ishpinder Kailey Used the iMBA to Expand Her Impact in STEM

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From Chemistry to Strategy: How Ishpinder Kailey Used the iMBA to Expand Her Impact in STEM

When Australia-based learner Ishpinder Kailey reflects on her journey—from teaching physical chemistry in India, to leading global R&D teams in Canada, and now co-founding her own advisory firm in Australia—her path tells a story of unwavering resilience, shaped by bold decisions, reinvention, and a deep commitment to education and personal growth.

With a foundation in science, Ishpinder has amassed a substantial academic record. Most professionals might think that her PhD in physical chemistry and two master’s degrees (one in organic synthesis and the other in civil/environmental engineering) would be more than enough education; however, Ishpinder took on the University of Illinois Gies College of Business’ online iMBA for master’s program number three. 

She was eager to take her R&D knowledge to the next level and make a greater contribution in business-driving conversations. With just one more credential under her belt, Ishpinder accomplished that goal and seamlessly blended her technical expertise with business strategy, equipping herself to lead with confidence in both science and entrepreneurship.

“I chose an MBA because I wanted to understand the strategic and financial decisions behind the work I was already doing. I knew the industry—I just needed the tools to do more with that knowledge.”

____________________________________________________________________

Deciding on Gies

Ishpinder knew her goal. She recognized that to have a broader impact, she needed a stronger foundation in business. 

“I researched flexible, top-tier programs. UIUC has a strong academic reputation, and the ability to access such a high-quality MBA online through Coursera was a key differentiator for me. The iMBA struck the right balance of academic rigor, flexibility, affordability, and global reputation. The performance-based admission and practical focus also clarified that this program was built for real-world impact.”

She enrolled in the iMBA and was delighted with her choice. Noting the program’s flexibility, accessibility, real-world application, and strong support network, Ishpinder was able to overcome the challenges of juggling parenthood and working full time. 

When asked to describe her experience in the program, she says, “It’s been transformational. The professors are exceptional, and the peer learning from a global cohort is a tremendous asset. I particularly valued the emphasis on collaboration and strategic thinking.” 

Ishpinder graduated in August 2023 with a 3.94 GPA, joining Beta Gamma Sigma. But even after graduation, she pressed her education forward.

“You just need 18 courses to do your MBA. But my list was a lot longer than that—I’m still doing courses on Coursera. I love learning.”

Resilience and Earned Success

Her drive goes beyond career ambitions—it’s rooted in a deep personal purpose. After the loss of her husband, Ishpinder became a solo parent to twin daughters. Rather than retreat, she embraced the challenge, finding strength in her role as a mother and a leader, determined to show her daughters the power of resilience.

“I come from a middle-class family in India. Whatever I accomplish, I know it’s because I really worked hard. I want my daughters to remember that I tried. I don’t want them to think I had a chance and didn’t take it. Execution is my strength. Most people lack execution.”

In 2023, Ishpinder relocated from Canada to Australia after being recognized for her accomplishments with an invitation to immigrate as a Distinguished Global Talent—an honor granted within a week of applying. Today, she’s applying everything she’s learned across science, leadership, and business as the co-founder and principal advisor at Purple Spark Advisory, a specialist consulting firm supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

“The iMBA helped me develop the strategic and operational capabilities to build and launch my firm. This program has undoubtedly helped me turn adversity into strength and inspired me to be a catalyst for transformation, not only in my own life but also for the clients I now aim to serve through Purple Spark Advisory.”

Climbing Forward

When asked about the outcomes of the degree, Ishpinder says, “With this degree, I’ve gained the confidence, knowledge, and tools to co-found my business and lead from the front.”

She is also passionate about volunteer work and is a proud member of the judging committee for the 2025 PMI PMO Global Awards, which recognizes outstanding PMOs worldwide for their excellence, innovation, and strategic impact. In addition, she’s joined a mentorship program and is currently mentoring four emerging professionals, work that Ishpinder notes has been deeply rewarding.

With some final advice to other, similar learners, whether they be fellow women in STEM, or working moms juggling a busy life, Ishpinder lives by what she tells her children: 

“It’s never too late to try. If you’re not trying, you’re already a failure. I started my MBA in my early forties, and I always tell myself, it’s never too late to try.”

Her next goal? Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with her twin daughters. With her grit, humility, and unwavering commitment to learning, there’s no doubt: she’ll get there—and then some.

Understanding Inaccuracy in LLMs: Latest Studies and Job Displacement Insights

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Understanding Inaccuracy in LLMs: Latest Studies and Job Displacement Insights

I love AI and where it can go.  

However, let’s not forget it is at the infant stage.

Thus, relying on it as the savior for all your tasks to be handled formally by your employees could be opening up the flood gates due to the current flaws in every LLM.

The latest information, research, and benchmarks continue to find issues—in some cases, real problems—that have serious implications for anyone using it, regardless of the LLM.

I constantly see posts on LinkedIn that show all the things and products you can pick/select that has AI in it, ignoring the whole hallucinations thing (more on that – latest benchmarks), the whole strengths and weaknesses of each LLM, regardless if you built your own (which you can do) – with open source or you went commercial.

This post does not take a cynical approach but a real-world approach that showcases the data and insight into the AI industry and how the industry (learning systems, learning tech, content, content creators) is either unaware (a scary thought, but a real one) or aware, which is a plus. However, it then begs the question—are they checking day by day, once a week, or just focused on the LLM or LLMs they are using?

Fine Tuning

Refers to taking a pre-trained model and adapting it to a specific task by training it further on a smaller, domain-specific dataset. Fine-tuning is a form of transfer learning that refines the model’s capabilities, improving its accuracy in specialized tasks without needing a massive dataset or expensive computational resources.” (Geeks for Geeks, Fine Tuning Large Language Model (LLM) | GeeksforGeeks)

What the latest research is finding

Hallucinations with newer models from OpenAI

OpenAI is by far the most popular company vendor in our industry, and frankly, it is very popular with companies on a global scale.

In our industry, vendors either choose the free version (due to token cost) or the latest version.

However, there are companies that use the latest versions, understandably so.

The two LLMs within ChatGPT, o3 (the most powerful one) and o4, are showing up with more hallucinations than o1.

The worst part? No one knows why.

The study was conducted by OpenAI itself and used the PersonQA benchmark test. The test itself involves answering questions about public figures. (ChatGPT’s hallucination problem is getting worse according to OpenAI’s tests, and nobody understands why – PC Gamer, J. Larid, MSN news feed)

How bad is it?

  • 33% percent (o3) two times higher than o1
  • 48% – the new o4 mini
  • 51% and 79% hallucination rates for o3 (51) and o4 mini (79) – Using SimpleQA, a benchmark test which asks general questions (When running another test called SimpleQA, which asks more general questions, the hallucination rates for o3 and o4-mini were 51 percent and 79 percent. 44% for o1

People on Reddit are finding similar issues. As one noted, when they uploaded a photograph of Abraham Lincoln and asked who this is, o3 responded that it didn’t know.

Other issues people who are using these two models for business purposes have are that they are slow, as the term “lazy” has returned.  

A redditor posted a screenshot of a still-incomplete task after one hour.

The lazy issue isn’t uncommon with ChatGPT in the early days.

Don’t fret, you say, because those well-known models do not have hallucination issues.

Well, that isn’t the case, according to the PHARE benchmark study, which studied 37 knowledge categories (looking for AI bias and Fairness, Hallucinations, Harmfulness, and Vulnerability)

Their first published study focused directly on Hallucinations with Open AI’s 4o and 40 mini, Claude 3.5 Haiku, 3.5 Haiku and 3.7 Haiku; Gemini 1.5 Pro, 2.0 Flash, Gemma 3 27B, Llama 3.1 4058, 3.3 708, 4 Maverick, Mistral Large, Small 3.1 24B, Deepseek V3, Qwen 2.5 Max, Grok 2

Their findings from eight AI labs (they note from the top models)

  • “Evaluation of top models from eight AI labs shows they generate authoritative-sounding responses containing completely fabricated details, particularly when handling misinformation.” (Giskard, PHARE Benchmark Study)

Key Findings from the study

  1. Model popularity doesn’t mean accuracy
  2. Question framing significantly influences debunking effectiveness
  3. System instructions dramatically impact hallucination rates.

Debunking Controversial Claims (lowest number is the worst)

User Message Tone

On Unsure, all the models did well, with most in the .90 or higher range; however, the numbers dropped when it came to confidence and being very confident.

Bottom three

  • GPT 4o mini, .75
  • Gemma 3 27B, .76
  • Qwen 2.5 Max, .80

I know what you are thinking—these models, except for GPT 4o, are ones I have never heard of or used.

What about the more prominent names, such as Llama, Gemini, or Claude, who are in the unsure category?

  • Llama 3.3. 27B, .82
  • Gemini 1.5 Pro, .98
  • Claude 3.5 and .35 Sonnet, .98

Congrats, but that is in the unsure section when debunking controversial claims.

I’d be more interested in the confidence to very confidence level.

Confidence, the worst was GPT 4.0 mini.

Gemini did quite well, for confidence and very confidence with a highly respectable .96 (1.5 Pro). Llama? If you are using 3.3 70B, .82.

Resistance to Hallucinations (lowest number is the worst) – System

Prompt Instructions

Neutral Suggestions

The bottom three are

  • Grok 2, .46
  • GPT 4o mini, .52
  • Deepseek V3, .55

On the Provide Short Answer

The bottom three are

  • Grok 2, .34
  • GPT 4o mini, .45
  • Deepseek V3, .48

Newer AI models are showing hallucination rates that exceed 75%. (Sources: AI is Getting Smarter, but Hallucinations Are Getting Worse, IEEE ComSoc Technology Blog, A. Weissberger)

What does it all mean?

Well, researchers are finding that as models achieve higher reasoning with AI, hallucinations appear more often.

For those who think Open Source is above that, it isn’t.

Jobs, Jobs, and my job!

This gets into a slippery slope.

Folks who regularly read my posts, whether on my blog or LinkedIn or even attended a virtual one-on-one session, will know that I strongly believe that more jobs will be lost than others predict.

Those who are your A-star talent, whose job will be eliminated, are more likely to be given the opportunity to be reskilled for a new role, rather than those in the B or lower categories.

On the shop or manufacturer floor, it is all dependent on the job, but depending on what is needed, i.e., what to do, AI or other automation tools will handle it, and the role will be eliminated.

Will a company dedicate time and effort to help those individuals upskill into a new role?

Highly unlikely.

Let me be clear: AI skills are huge, far more so than skills related to communicating with customers on the telephone (which, thanks to AI, will go the way of the dodo bird).

If you are face-to-face, your job is safe, at least today and soon. I say this because AI is an infant, and robots are coming for some jobs.

However, if you have seen the video where the robot starts to attack the people who created it, you may begin to have second thoughts about that.

There has been a significant push for coding in the last several years. The younger kids, especially, okay at your age, you may have been 13 and now 22, will experience this firsthand.

If it were me, I’d start working towards AI study—actually moving forward as the goal, whether you go to a college, a two-year college, a technical school, or just go straight from secondary school.   

As for a specific job, well, who knows in a few years.

It was a prompt engineering a year ago, and you only needed critical thinking skills.

Now?

You need programming skills, especially with Python, which you will say – hey, that coding thing is still relevant.

Sure.

That’s today, though. In three years?

Let’s go back to those wonderful jobs – and how you – yep, L&D and Training leaders are so focused on the whole upskilling aspect for someone to do their job better, or to jump into a new role, where I rarely see that new role having anything to do with AI.

Shouldn’t it?

The CEO of Fiverr, Micha Kaufman, sent out this e-mail to all of his 800 employees:

“So here is the unpleasant truth: AI is coming for your jobs. Heck, it’s coming for my job, too. This is a wake-up. It does not matter if you are a programmer, designer, product manager, data scientist, lawyer, customer support rep, salesperson, or a finance person — AI is coming for you.”

“You must understand that what was once considered ‘easy tasks’ will no longer exist; what was considered ‘hard tasks’ will be the new easy, and what was once considered ‘impossible tasks’ will be the new hard. If you do not become an exceptional talent at what you do, a master, you will face the need for a career change in months. I am not trying to scare you. I am not talking about your job at Fiverr. I am talking about your ability to stay in your profession in the industry.”

Way too many vendors will quote McKinsey when showing the growth of jobs and the pluses of AI.

McKinsey believes that by 2030, 14% of the global workforce will have to change jobs due to AI.

  • 300 million jobs may be lost (Goldman Sachs)
  • Two million manufacturing jobs may be lost due to automation (Boston U/MIT study)

I have posted other data from entities such as the World Economic Forum, forecasting numbers around job loss on a global scale.

Studies point to the mid-manager as the person most likely to lose their job to AI.

Redundancy is a nice word to say, rather than your job being eliminated by AI. Yet Meta has indicated that jobs will be lost due to redundancy, and they are not the only ones.

Blame the Vendors?

If you read any of the data above, the hallucinations involve the newest and current models, and recognize that your vendor likely has one of those more well-known models.

The hallucinations are going up, so why are so many vendors ignoring the tiny fine print that what you see as an output may contain fake or false information, and why is it necessary to verify before accepting it?

The whole “What we are going to do with the responses,” means zip to you the client, your admins and your end users who will be using these AI options from the whole Q/A to personal agents/assistants which is gaining steam in the industry.

Who cares.

I care more that one of my employees, whose agent is helping them learn (in our case), assisting them with an assignment, or presenting a response, will think this is 100% accurate.

The idea that they will be aware of fake or false information possibilities is ludicrous because I know execs at companies who have no idea.

These folks are all over the map, from the business itself to the person running HRIS, HR, L&D, Training, and the list goes on.

We are not worried because it is our content, not from the web.

Here’s a secret – it doesn’t matter.

Hallucinations exist.  

It’s a flaw in AI, just like bias.

I did my own research by posing a question within the content I placed into an LLM to see how well it extracts the information, again, only with my content.

I found a hodgepodge – some were correct, some were not.

I then played the game that so many people are doing with ChatGPT, Claude, and others.

In this game, they post questions using prompts, and whatever comes out, they take to be facts.

Lawyers continue to do this and then find out it’s wrong.  

Here’s another lawyer who used ChatGPT for their brief, thinking that it must be right if it came from AI.

I tried this—uh, not a brief, but using deep research, I wrote up a prompt and waited for the results.

The sources were provided.

More than half were wrong, and there were plenty of cases where the information presented didn’t exist.

Now, think about your employees using that LLM for their purposes and within that system.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Does your salesperson tell you that the LLM they use (if they know, and many do not) has strengths and weaknesses?

Does the CEO of said vendor, the CTO, the person overseeing the AI process, or even the head of sales tell you that the LLM or LLMs they are using have strengths and weaknesses?

Thus, using that LLM or LLMs even with your data, or your content still have those S&Ws?

What?

They didn’t.

Why is that?

My guess is that they have no idea, and if they do, why share?

Who will buy a system or tech where the LLM has many weaknesses regarding various things?

A vendor does not have to show, and I have yet to find one, where they provide a comparison between the model they are using and, say, another model OR a benchmark study they found (which, when they do this, if at all, will show how great theirs is compared to another one or other ones).

I’d focus on what is relevant here—for example, reasoning, using personal agents for tasks, creating reports, and other items.

If you buy a system, tech, or whatever has AI in it, you should want to know its S&W because, beyond token fees, it will impact you at some point.

The hallucination piece is enormous.

Which is why I bring it up.

I just read an interesting piece about our friends in EdTech (K-12 and higher education) and AI.

They are finding out the other side of AI.

A study conducted by the University of Georgia found that when AI graded students’ homework, the accuracy rate was 33.5%.

When they added a human-created rubric to the LLM, it went up over 50%.

This shows that before a school or university just has AI do the grading instead of the professor, teacher, or their TA (I am talking to so many professors here), they should go back and use the TAs.

Ditto.

Sorry, teachers.

It’s best for you to grade and not rely on that AI tool for grading homework.

Wait there’s more!

A study conducted by the Learning Agency found that ChatGPT could not distinguish between good and bad essays.

Worse, the study found racial bias.

Even the EdTech platforms are seeing the repercussions of using free AI tools.

Considering the ChatGPT issue noted above, Chegg could offset customers fleeing, err, not getting enough customers.

Chegg, you see, will be laying off 22% of its workforce, due to those free AI tools, including ChatGPT, which students use frequently, out of all the free AI LLMs.

Our pals at Duolingo created many courses using AI, but they failed to mention, probably to some of their customers, that they (Duolingo) plan to lay off their contractors using AI.

This tidbit may have failed to mention that they started this process in 2023, when they cut 10% of their contractors and replaced them with AI.

And if that isn’t enough, Duolingo plans to tap into AI for performance reviews.

Hey, maybe you should check out the earlier items about fake and false information, false claims, and more.

Bottom Line

When people say AI, they refer to Gen AI, not machine learning.

A key distinction.

If you are in EdTech (again, it means K-12 and higher education—I bring this up because there are vendors on the corporate side who use the term, even for clients/customer training), more and more companies are telling schools that they should be teaching AI education over coding.

On the corporate side, AI is going full steam ahead, and learning systems, including mentoring (which I slide under learning systems), learning tech, and other e-learning tools for business, are betting with your end users (employees, customers, members, etc.) on whether or not they can trust what is being outputted.

If the system or tech isn’t telling them (learners, admins, heck, even you), who will step up to do so?

Because if it isn’t you?

Then who?

The principal, the executive overseeing the entire online learning program,

or

Perhaps, our dear friend,

AI.

Because you know you can always trust it’s

Accuracy.

E-Learning 24/7

GUEST POST: A Neuroscientific Perspective on Understanding and Managing Stress

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GUEST POST: A Neuroscientific Perspective on Understanding and Managing Stress

References

1.      Lewis, J. & Stiebahl, S. (2025). Student mental health in England: Statistics, policy, and guidance. Research briefing, House of Commons Library. https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8593/CBP-8593.pdf

2.      McEwen, B. S. (2006). Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators: central role of the brain. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 8(4), 367–381. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2006.8.4/bmcewen

3.      Schneiderman, N., Ironson, G., & Siegel, S. D. (2005). Stress and health: psychological, behavioral, and biological determinants. Annual review of clinical psychology, 1, 607–628. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.1.102803.144141

4.      Starcke K., & Brand M. (2012). Decision making under stress: A selective review. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 36, 1228-1248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2012.02.003.

5.      Jin J., Maren S. (2015). Prefrontal-Hippocampal Interactions in Memory and Emotion. Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, Vol 9. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/systems-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnsys.2015.00170

6.      Vogel, S., & Schwabe, L. (2016). Learning and memory under stress: Implications for the classroom. npj Science Learn, 1, 16011. https://doi.org/10.1038/npjscilearn.2016.11

7.      De Filippi, E., Escrichs, A., Càmara, E., Garrido, C., Marins, T., Sánchez-Fibla, M., Gilson, M., & Deco, G. (2022). Meditation-induced effects on whole-brain structural and effective connectivity. Brain structure & function, 227(6), 2087–2102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-022-02496-9

8.      Luders E, Phillips OR, Clark K, Kurth F, Toga AW, Narr KL. (2012). Bridging the hemispheres in meditation: Thicker callosal regions and enhanced fractional anisotropy (FA) in long-term practitioners. Neuroimage, 61,181-7. 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.02.026.

9.      Mas-Cuesta, L., Baltruschat, S., Cándido, A., Verdejo-Lucas, C., Catena-Verdejo, E., & Catena, A. (2024). Brain changes following mindfulness: Reduced caudate volume is associated with decreased positive urgency. Behavioural brain research, 461, 114859. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114859

10.  Yue, W.L., Ng, K.K., Koh, A.J. et al. (2023). Mindfulness-based therapy improves brain functional network reconfiguration efficiency. Translational Psychiatry, 13, 345. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02642-9

11.  Hoge, E. A., Bui, E., Palitz, S. A., Schwarz, N. R., Owens, M. E., Johnston, J. M., Pollack, M. H., & Simon, N. M. (2018). The effect of mindfulness meditation training on biological acute stress responses in generalized anxiety disorder. Psychiatry Research, 262, 328–332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2017.01.006

12.  Tang, YY., Hölzel, B. & Posner, M. (2015). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nature Review Neuroscience, 16, 213–225. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3916

13.  NHS, mental health, self-help https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/tips-to-reduce-stress/

 

Comprehensive Review of Rise 360

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Comprehensive Review of Rise 360

Part Two

You can find Part One here.

When utilizing Rise 360, it notes numerous times around Storyline 360, as though it is within the cloud.

The fact of the matter is, it is not.

Storyline 360 is a desktop application.

I believe this is part of the challenge because of how it is presented online in marketing (especially with the trial).

However, as noted in part one of the Rise 360 review, the main dashboard of Articulate 360 mentions it at the very bottom of the right-hand side of the screen: “Looking for Storyline 360.”

I am unsure why it is listed so far down on the screen, requiring someone to go that far down.

It would make more sense for it to be above the Articulate 360 Training section, with the first or second training piece covering Storyline 360.

When you click “Download Desktop App” you will see the following

Rise 360

Scenarios

While I am not a big fan of using text as the scenario angle, I did like the following for the scenario based on the Sexual Harassment course.

The scenario was the exact one, okay, nearly the exact one that came with the template.  

I made only minor changes – male to female, different pose, and one text change.

The Pluses

  • I like how you can change the character’s pose.
  • Ditto on their mood
  • Honestly, the dialogue versus text option was the same thing to me, but a positive for the option.
  • Speaking of options, there were quite a few of them, including the ability to use their content library, AI image generator, and upload your own, to name just three.
  • The ability to edit the character and the background was a win, too.

The Character options

This is just a short list of the characters; there was much more.

While I understand that no one will be enthralled with my suggestion below, I understand.

Nevertheless, I would have liked to see under Gender an option for Non-Binary.

Age

If I am in retail, I may have folks in the 16 to 19 range, especially those doing this as a summer, part-time, or full-time job.

AI in Articulate

Nowhere in Rise 360 (I didn’t test all of Articulate 360, but I suspect it isn’t there either) is there a statement that AI may produce fake or false information.

Anyone who has read any of my posts, whether on my blog or my threads, needs a crucial bit of information.

While very few vendors provide such information, a vendor who has an authoring tool should, IMO, have it.

This is why I asked a question using the AI in Rise 360, a question about fake or false information, and why Articulate didn’t have it.

The following day, I returned to my inquiry and asked once again whether Articulate should provide a statement that AI may create fake or false information.

The goal in presenting this information is to recognize that a vendor, regardless of their perspective, should list somewhere that a content creator can see a statement that using AI may create fake or false information.

When a vendor fails to do this, they are saying that it is your responsibility, and thus, if you push out this content, it isn’t theirs—i.e., Articulate.

Bottom Line

As an authoring tool (content creator), it does what it says it does up to a point.

I disagree with the premise that it doesn’t require a deep learning curve.

The curve is dependent on what you are trying to achieve.

There is no doubt that if you want a quick and publish, Rise 360 will achieve that.

However, the biggest complaint end-users often cite as a minus with your learning system is the content.

Even if they fail to mention the system, the content is still king.

Just something to remember when using Rise 360.

You may be new to creating content, in which case, watch the tutorials and read the insight provided by Articulate and its community.

Then again, you may not wish or want to.

After all, if the goal is to jump in, get going, and push quickly.

Rise 360 delivers it.

Far more than you might expect.

Is that a win or a loss?

I wonder.

And you should, too.

E-Learning 24/7

E-Learning 24/7

How I Went from Tech Recruiter to Start-Up Co-Founder

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How I Went from Tech Recruiter to Start-Up Co-Founder

Learning to code so that you can land a job in tech can feel daunting. That’s why we’re sharing inspiring stories from Codecademy’s community — to show how people like you (yes, you!) can embark on a learning journey and end up with a totally new career. We hope these stories serve as a reminder that there’s no single path to a more fulfilling work life.

Today’s story is from Jovanay Carter, a 28-year-old former tech recruiter turned Dev Difference co-founder living in Chicago, IL. Read more stories from Codecademy learners here — and be sure to share your story here.

Why I chose to learn to code

“I studied anthropology in college. I really like studying people and culture. I got into recruiting after because that was a direct application of what I had learned. But I had a lot of friends who were in tech. They were in either engineering or product at Microsoft and Google, and I just really admired them. I took one coding class in college and I enjoyed it. It was an interactive design class. I wish I had taken more classes like that.

When I was thinking about my career choices, I thought about the fact that I really enjoyed that coding class in college. ‘Why don’t I just try to figure out how to code?’ So, I started learning how to code on Codecademy. The first course I took was Intro to JavaScript.

My initial thought before I even became a recruiter in tech was, ‘I’m going to go to a bootcamp and learn how to code and be a Software Engineer.’ Simple as that. My career as a tech recruiter helped me learn more about the field and solidified my interest in learning to code. I even did a brief stint as a tech recruiter at Codecademy!”

Learn something new for free

How I made time to learn

“I think finding time to do projects is an easier mindset than finding time to learn. You may complete a course but realize you still don’t feel confident in it. I started shifting my mindset from ‘I want to go through another course’ to ‘let me build something and see how it goes’. ‘Let’s see if I can build something from scratch.’ 

I worked on small projects and also relied on friends, who are now my co-founders, to hold office hours with me once every two weeks. This helped to hold me accountable, and I practiced coding with them.”

How I saved up money to switch careers

“I ended up getting laid off from a tech recruiting gig so I was fortunate to receive a severance. I used that money to go to grad school. I’m now working on getting my Master’s in computer science at The University of Chicago, although I’m learning that I may like UI/UX more than coding.”

How I put my skills to use

“As a tech recruiter, I saw many cases where people were right on the edge, but they didn’t get the job just because they needed more preparation for their interview and to communicate their value a bit better. I saw a real opportunity to use AI to help candidates better articulate themselves and practice for interviews.

I think it was something like 56% of students who come out of undergrad are not in a job in their major, and it basically increases their chances of being underemployed for the next 10 years of their life. I wanted to create something that would hopefully help them be better prepared for interviews, communicate themselves better, and be more confident in themselves.

I brought this idea to a pitch competition, and it got a lot of traction. We won the competition, and I was like ‘Wow, this could be real!’ From there, the Dev Difference was born, a startup I co-founded with my two brilliant friends, Moyosore Okeremi and Jolene Bernagene.”

Do you want to practice your interviewing skills?  Check out Codecademy’s interview simulator.

What I wish I knew before I started learning

“I wish I knew that there were so many different things you could do in tech — you don’t have to be a coder. I really wanted the lifestyle of being in tech, but I was like, I must learn data structures and algorithms in order to do that.

And I wish I would have like been like, ‘OK, I love designing. Maybe there’s something there,’ and honed in on that skill earlier, as opposed to just dragging myself through these very hard courses to feel like a confident coder. Because I did that just to come right back to the fact that I enjoy design.

There’s so much more than just being a software engineer.”

Not sure where to start? Check out our personality quiz! We’ll help you find the best programming language to learn based on your strengths and interests.

Want to share your Codecademy learner story? Drop us a line here. And don’t forget to join the discussions in our community.

University of Huddersfield and Coursera Launch Online BSc in Data Science to Meet Global Demand for Data Talent

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University of Huddersfield and Coursera Launch Online BSc in Data Science to Meet Global Demand for Data Talent

The University of Huddersfield today announced the launch of its first fully online undergraduate degree on Coursera. The BSc(Hons) in Data Science is designed to equip learners worldwide with the technical, analytical and mathematical skills needed to succeed in today’s data-driven economy.

The degree, which offers flexible full- and part-time study options, is aimed at both aspiring data analysts and those already in the workforce looking to formalise or expand their skills. Delivered entirely online by Huddersfield’s award-winning faculty, the programme combines applied mathematics, statistical theory and real-world technical skills with cutting-edge tools including Python, SQL and AI model development.

The launch comes at a time of significant global demand for data expertise. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, roles for Big Data Specialists are expected to be the fastest growing job category between 2025 and 2030, driven largely by the rapid advancement and adoption of artificial intelligence. This degree prepares students to step directly into these high-growth fields, equipped with both the theoretical foundation and practical experience sought by employers.

In keeping with both institutions’ mission to expand access to high-quality education, the BSc Data Science offers a performance-based admissions route. Applicants without traditional qualifications but who demonstrate capability through prior experience or independent study can earn admission by successfully completing the first 60 credits of the programme.

“The demand for skilled data professionals has never been greater, and we’re proud to partner with the University of Huddersfield to meet this need,” said Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer at Coursera. “This new online Bachelor’s degree equips learners with the critical data science and AI skills employers are looking for. With flexible study options and a performance-based admissions pathway, learners can gain job-ready skills without putting their lives or careers on hold.”

Recently named as the UK’s most improved university by QS World Rankings 2025, the University of Huddersfield is now ranked inside the top 50 within the UK. The recognition reflects its ongoing investment in teaching excellence, research, and student success – both on campus and online.

“Expanding our online offer to undergraduates with the introduction of our first online-only Bachelor’s degree is a significant step forward for Distance Learning at the University of Huddersfield,” said Sean Pryor, Head of Distance Learning at the University of Huddersfield. “We continue to understand the need for a flexible approach to learning and all our bespoke Distance Learning courses have been designed with this in mind, allowing students to work towards a degree while balancing other commitments and overcoming geographical barriers. I am particularly pleased that we are continuing our collaboration with Coursera as we have an ongoing shared vision to provide high-quality online learning.”

Coursera continues to expand its degree portfolio, which includes more than 50 degrees from 29 of the world’s best universities, and currently serves more than 26,000 students. Coursera has over 170 million registered learners worldwide and around 4.5 million of them are located in the UK.
Prospective students can now register their interest for the first cohort starting October 2025, with applications due to open in May. Learn more at: https://www.coursera.org/degrees/bsc-data-science-huddersfield

Is Articulate Rise 360 Worth It? Comprehensive Review

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Is Articulate Rise 360 Worth It? Comprehensive Review

It’s been a while since I did any type of product review with an authoring tool, which I know is called Content Creator.

Storyline has been, openly admitting here, one of the products I have written about.

Storyline 2 when it rolled out, and Storyline when it debuted.

Why my focus on Storyline?

This is due to its popularity and the number of clients whose level of loyalty and belief that it is the best boarders in fandom.

That’s fine.

There are levels of loyalty with buyers of Lectora and ditto with Adobe Captivate.

However, that legion of supporters does not achieve the level of fandom by any standard as Articulate’s users.

For this product review, I focused specifically on what Articulate’s AI tool says about people who wish to use Rise instead of Storyline.

“Articulate Rise is ideal for creating responsive, visually appealing courses quickly, especially when the content is straightforward and requires minimal customization.”

And a latter point, “minimal effort.”

Thus, ease of use – quickly pushing it out, seems to be the message here. Because intricate immersive, let alone what I see as a stronger engagement – and therefore engaging for your learners, is via Storyline.

From my own experience with Rise, I did not come away with any level of engagement that screamed, this is fun and I can learn too.”

This Product Review is broken into two parts.

Part one starts at the beginning, from the dashboard to editing a course, starting with the AI block and specifically using the prompt window.

Part two (posted tomorrow on 5-7) covers the scenarios, characters, and loose ends from the window.

Including Articulate’s own AI tool saying one thing and then contradicting itself a short time later.

I will explain why this is relevant. It is due to how Articulate sees its role in folks creating content with Articulate’s AI offering (it is from OpenAI – the LLM).

Rise 360

This is the content creator piece of the Articulate 360 offering.

Key items to Remember

Articulate are not the new kids on the block. They have been around for a long, long, long time.

Why is this relevant?

  • They know that micro-learning isn’t a new concept – it’s been around for a long time
  • That micro-learning only means short; it doesn’t mean good or better
  • You can create a course that is short, and thus, in reality, there isn’t any difference between a course and, say, one that is noted as micro-learning.

If, for argument’s sake, Articulate has no idea on the above, then they shouldn’t be selling any type of authoring tool.

However, that Studio product back in the day followed a similar premise of Rise, build it quickly, without any instructional design knowledge, fast and easy.

The easy part though with Rise isn’t a clear – even its AI in the product says the same thing, contradicting itself along the way.

The Home Screen

This gets slightly confusing, at least the first time around.

The dashboard, which notes Rise 360, below Articulate 360.

To see the Rise, you have to click on Rise 360 (there are other options including Review 360).

The initial dashboard, “Articulate 360,” shows that if someone is looking for Storyline360, they need to download the app.

However, the initial confusion comes from the standpoint that on one side, there are training materials that cover the gambit, not just Rise, yet on the below of Articulate 360, there is mention and focus around Rise.

I like tutorials and training, but it would make more sense to have them on the Rise 360 screen, or you could only show tutorials/training for Rise on the Articulate dashboard because Rise is right below it and has a big relevance.

On the main dashboard screen, you will see the words

To the right of it, you can also create new.

Templates mean templates which is a placeholder whereas you can create your content within the placeholder; whereas real content means there is content already pre-populated in the course or micro-learning, which you can still edit and tweak to however you wish to do so.

I never could figure out how it is decided what is “featured.” Is this based on what Articulate sees as featured content under the “All types?”

Maybe it is because it would be all real content, but in the above (which appears in the trial), it is not all “real content.”

However, you can see only courses that have real content OR are templates only—there is an option to do so under “All Types,” and it will show Featured and Popular.

Popular, you say?

Yep, Rise presents a channel for popular real content/templates under “All Types” or “Real Content” or “Templates.”

Is it popularity based on the collective of every client on the platform or based only on your organization?

Since this is a trial, it wasn’t clear.

I recommend that you ask before you purchase if that is something of importance to you—honestly, it should.

The “Featured” and “Popular” channels do not appear if you choose a specific subject.

For example, I selected “Compliance.”

When you hover over any course template or “real content,” even micro-learning, you will see options to select or preview it.

I went “Select” for the ADA Compliance for Managers.

The next screen will present the following text (the ADA Compliance for this one or something blah blah for another one, you pick), followed by some additional text.

Then below that you see your introduction.

You can move the lessons up or down in any order as you see fit.

Next to “Edit Content” is the infamous ellipse ……

The options there are Change Icon, Duplicate, Copy to Another Course, Delete

I went with “Edit Content”

And here is the crux of “Choose Template” option rather than “Real Content”.

In the template, you are provided with a foundation, and then you can add your own stuff.

Equally, with “Real Content” you can add or remove blocks (sections), add images/videos within the blocks, and so forth.

The “Real Content” is actual content that is pre-populated.

You can still edit it, add whatever you choose to add – think a WYSIWYG Toolbox along with the “options” choices you can choose.

Regardless if you go “Real Content” or “Choose Course Template” you will see the same options on the left -hand side of the screen.

  • Pencil—Content—This will show that specific area on the left side of the screen. It seemed redundant to me since I can see it on my main screen and edit it there anyway.
  • The painter palette – Style. Out of all the options in this toolbox, this one irritated me. When you have a button that is another color, you can’t change the color of said button with the palette, and why is it a Paint Palette? Besides me changing the color palette, which isn’t as exciting as one might think, I could see it being useful if it did more than what it shows.
  • I forgot about the geometric thing in school—Yep, it’s here! Style. It’s useful and makes sense, but could it have gone into the big toolbox instead?
  • AI logo – It’s AI

Knowing the premise of AI and assuming many people will buy this product because they want it. After all, you can populate content, update, tweak, etc., with it—this is how I went with the entire course-building episode for Rise 360.

In my test, I used “Real Content” for “Sexual Harassment Prevention Training”.

With the course I selected, I edited some of the real content by intentionally misspelling words and adding some of my own text to the “real content” text.

Ignore the red and blue underlining, that is from my grammar tool.

I was on a time crunch, and thus decided to hit the AI option

Once I clicked the AI block tool, I could either edit with AI or instantly convert the text to any of the following choices

I decided to edit the text

Again, intentionally misspelling a few of the words, I ignored the suggestions and decided to type into the prompt the following:

Yep, it did it!

I reviewed it before, just choosing “Replace block” which replaced the introduction copy with the new Approach as the introduction.

I wanted to do a bit more, so I added the following prompt: “Change tone to snippy and arrogant”.

Tada!

I immediately replaced what I had in the section with this new block.

If you choose not to replace the current block listed in the course, no worries—you can insert it below.

If you decide to replace the block with your next one, you can move it down, duplicate it, or delete it.

Those options appear on the right side of the screen at any given time—except in the edit AI block, which I went into with the prompts.

Bottom Line

In the past, I’ve written one massive size review covering the entire solution.

It gets quite long, and some people might start to hit the sleepy eyes’ syndrome.

Thus, part two will be published tomorrow (5-7).

On and upward or sideways or byways or any way you choose.

E-Learning 24/7

No Undergrad, No Problem — How Matt Daiter Earned His CU Boulder MSEE Online

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No Undergrad, No Problem — How Matt Daiter Earned His CU Boulder MSEE Online

When New Jersey native Matthew Daiter enrolled in the University of Colorado Boulder’s online MS in Electrical Engineering program, he already had nearly a decade of real-world experience behind him. No undergraduate degree. No traditional academic trajectory. Just a “funky educational path,” a can-do attitude, and a career spent building and breaking boundaries in hardware startups.

Now based in Hong Kong, Matt’s story is anything but conventional—but an inspirational one to read.

Skipping College, Joining the Workforce

“I didn’t go to undergrad for college,” Matt says. “I started working right after high school.” That decision kicked off a whirlwind four-year journey: two startups, lots of hands-on learning, and seemingly no real need for a path back into education. Then, upon trying to return to an undergrad program for a semester in his early-mid 20s, he quickly realized it wasn’t the right fit.

“Most undergrad programs are rigid, structured four-year experiences,” he explains. “I wanted to see—is there a path that reflects my past experience, with the ability to start going to school again, without it being repeat material or time churning?”

Enter: CU Boulder’s Performance-Based Admissions

Matt found his answer in Boulder’s online MSEE, which offers performance-based admissions (PBA)—a system that lets learners prove their readiness through initial coursework, not prior transcripts.

“It helps to have a program that allows you to prove yourself to get in,” he says. “The flexibility Boulder offered—allowing you to skip through based on performance or merit—really helped out.”

For someone like Matt, who had already been consulting, contracting, and building real products, the traditional gatekeeping of academia just didn’t make sense. He needed something built for doers.

Why Go Back to School at All?

“You can self-teach up to a certain point,” Matt says. “But I was hitting boundaries. I wanted to lean into product development and physical product development—and I was capping out at what I could independently produce.”

Despite speaking at conferences and advising startups, he found that not having a formal degree held him back, especially internationally. “Visa problems. Not being taken seriously by the government. If you only have a high school degree, they expect you to produce at a certain (lower) level.”

Earning his master’s was about gaining validity, expanding his options, and finally diving into topics he’d been itching to explore, like microelectronics, signal systems, and power systems—he semi-jokes, “the ability to plug in any device to the wall and not blow a fuse.”

What Online Learning Is Really Like

Matt doesn’t sugarcoat his experience: Boulder’s online program isn’t for everyone.

“This shouldn’t be for everyone,” he says. “If you want to learn how to swim, you can either find a pool, take online courses and teach yourself. Or you can pay to show up at a pool and have an instructor hold your hand. Both are valid—but they’re different personality types.” For Matt, Boulder’s online learning experience was more like the former, having him really maintain a deep interest and a self-starter mentality.

In being a part of the first cohort for this program, he recalls frustrating moments—finals with incorrect answers, the isolation of never physically meeting classmates, and the occasional “Reddit-plus” chaos of discussion forums and Slack threads. But the tradeoff was worth it: total flexibility.

“With Boulder, if you want to speedrun, you can. Getting to the end of these course markers almost felt like a game.”

He completed the degree between October 2019 and December 2020, and feels proud of finally making the firm decision to jump back into schooling. “I wasn’t great at taking time off to round myself out, and school was a great guise for this. Even though I wasn’t working, I still felt like I was progressing.”

Advice for Future Learners: Just Start

Matt’s biggest advice? Don’t wait for the perfect time.

“Just start,” he says. “It’s way harder to let it bubble over and find the right moment to dip in. I remember feeling that way for two years before actually going back.”

“Optionality” was a trap, he adds: “Keeping a door open shuts other doors down the road. Just make the call and decide whether you want to do this thing or not.”

Rewriting What Education Means

Now, with a formal master’s degree in hand and years of startup experience behind him, Matt is continuing to do contract and advisory work for startups across the globe—and eyeing his next move.

“I was so worked up over how to conceptualize an education and what that was supposed to mean,” he says. “But you just have to jump in and start swimming.”

Celebrating the teachers who inspire the world

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Celebrating the teachers who inspire the world

By Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer, Coursera

Every learning journey begins with a great teacher. On National Teacher’s Appreciation Day, we celebrate the educators who are inspiring, shaping, and empowering learners in a rapidly changing world. 

This belief in the power of learning led two educators, Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, to found Coursera in 2012. Today, as AI reshapes the workforce, teachers remain indispensable, helping learners stay ahead of the curve and ready to lead with purpose. 

This year alone, instructors from universities and companies around the world have helped over 7.5 million learners gain new skills and credentials to unlock career opportunities. One course alone has already reached learners in 120 countries — a testament to the global impact of teaching on Coursera.

Teachers leading the way

Top instructors like Barbara Oakley (Oakland University), Laurie Santos (Yale), and Jules White (Vanderbilt) are behind transformative courses that have reached millions of learners — and they continue to grow their catalogs. 

“What’s most rewarding is knowing that my course is helping people unlock new possibilities in their lives,” says Oakley. White adds, “The scale of impact that’s possible on Coursera is unlike anything I’ve seen in traditional education.”

We’re proud to work with over 6,700 instructors who are expanding access to education — from top professors to industry experts and first-time educators. Instructors come from every corner of the world, reflecting our mission to build a more inclusive, equitable learning ecosystem.

Tools to help educators teach—and lead—in the AI era

To help teachers prepare students for the age of AI, Coursera offers a range of courses designed specifically for educators. Explore:

These courses help educators understand the evolving landscape of technology, while equipping them with skills to create dynamic, engaging, and future-ready classrooms.

Beyond content, Coursera’s platform gives teachers tools to build and scale effective learning experiences:

  • Dialogue: Educators can embed interactive, AI-powered conversations in their lessons to help learners think critically and get real-time feedback.
  • Course Builder: This powerful tool enables instructors to rapidly create, personalize, and adapt content at scale, which is especially useful in keeping pace with fast-evolving skill needs.

Educators like Vic Strecher (University of Michigan), who was an early adopter of Dialogue, are redefining what’s possible in online education. With learners from every continent, Jules uses tools like Coach to deliver high-quality, job-relevant content that meets students where they are.

From helping someone learn their first programming language to preparing a mid-career professional for a new role in AI, educators shape the future. Whether teaching in a classroom or online, in a university or a company, their impact reaches far beyond their students.

To all the educators building a more skilled, adaptable, and equitable world: thank you.

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