In this episode, Tom McDowall is joined by Bianca Bowman, Mike Taylor, and Christy Tucker for a practical preview of their upcoming sessions at IDTX Online 2026.

Bianca and Mike share how to borrow useful marketing principles without turning your job into “content marketer plus everything else”, starting with content strategy, then moving into SURE content principles: Simple, Useful, Resonant, and Easy to skim.

Christy breaks down a simple way to improve assessment quality quickly: one question mini scenarios that help people practise real decisions, even if your reality is still “slides plus a knowledge check”.

To book tickets and see upcoming events, head over to the IDTX website.

What this episode is about

Making L&D content more compelling and more useful, and making assessments better at testing judgment, not just recall.

What you’ll take away

• A simple way to think about content strategy before you build anything new
• How the SURE approach helps you create content people will actually read and use
• Why “easy to skim” is not dumbing down, it’s designing for real humans
• How mini scenarios can upgrade assessments without needing new tools or approvals

Creators & Guests

• Bianca Baumann - Guest
• Christy Tucker - Guest
• Mike Taylor - Guest
• Tom McDowall - Host

Sessions mentioned (IDTX Online 2026)

• Mini is More: Create One Question Scenarios for Better Assessment (Christy Tucker)
  19 February, 2:45pm UK time
• From Zero to Hero: Marketing Techniques for Captivating L&D Content (Bianca Bowman and Mike Taylor)
  19 February, 4:35pm UK time

One thing to try after listening
Pick one existing learning asset or module and do just one upgrade:

• Run it through SURE (Simple, Useful, Resonant, Easy to skim), or
• Turn one knowledge check into a mini scenario that asks for a decision, then give feedback that teaches

Tickets

IDTX Online runs 18–19 February and is free to attend.
For tickets and event details, head over to the IDTX website.

• (00:00) - Intro and what the podcast is about
• (00:34) - Episode overview and IDTX Online reminder
• (01:10) - Bianca and Mike, content strategy and SURE
• (11:56) - Christy Tucker, mini scenarios for assessment

Introducing the IDTX Podcast

Learning and development is a noisy space. There’s no shortage of confident opinions, shiny tools, or bold claims about what will “fix” learning at work. The reality, as most practitioners know, is that improving practice is usually slower, messier, and far more interesting than the headlines suggest.

This episode introduces the IDTX Podcast, a short, practical show for people working in learning and development, instructional design, and related roles who care about doing the work well, not just talking about it.

Hosted by Tom McDowall, the podcast focuses on clear thinking, evidence informed practice, and real world experience. Episodes are deliberately concise, usually around twenty to twenty five minutes, and feature two focused conversations with practitioners, researchers, speakers, and contributors from across the IDTX community and the wider L&D industry.

In this introductory episode, Tom explains:

• What the IDTX Podcast is and who it’s for
• Why the focus is on practical insight rather than hype or sales narratives
• How each episode is structured, and what listeners can expect
• How the podcast connects to the three IDTX events running this year

Those events include:

• IDTX Online, a virtual conference inFebruary, pay what you want
• The Evidence Informed Practice Conference, an in-person, one-day event in Birmingham on 29 May, focused on the science of learning in practice
• The IDTX Virtual Summit, a one-day online event on 22 October, reflecting on the technologies and practices that shaped the year

Alongside these events, the IDTX Podcast will also feature conversations with speakers, sponsors, and other industry experts, as well as regular webinars throughout the year. While sponsors support the work, IDTX remains a sales-free environment and is not run as a money-making enterprise.

Above all else, this podcast exists to give you short, focused, highly practical insights that help you improve your practice as an L&D professional.

Useful Links

• Tickets for all IDTX events are available now
• IDTX Online and the IDTX Virtual Summit are pay-what-you-like
• The Evidence Informed Practise Conference is £100 including VAT, covering the venue, catering, and the full day experience

If you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast or one of the IDTX events, you’re welcome to get in touch.