From learning to doing: moving from knowledge to application in elearning

“Jump, leap, perch” by Foundry Co is licensed by Pixabay.

Occasionally, we come across an article that sums up our philosophy perfectly: Simply learning is not enough — doing is what matters.

Talent LMS took on a subject that’s dear to our hearts: knowledge vs. skill. For anyone who’s ever developed a set of effective learning objectives, this is the crux of instructional design. And for anyone who’s ever worked at an organization where employees were “book smart” but somehow still not competent, this article will resonate even more.

It’s not that knowledge isn’t important. But knowledge is acquired and not applied, it becomes a missed opportunity to develop strong competence. By putting what they’ve learned into practice, learners take responsibility for synthesizing the information, identifying how and when to apply what they know, and reinforce their learning so it sticks. In other words, they achieve knowledge transfer.

One example that illustrates how knowledge transfer was successfully applied are two scenario-based Respectful Workplace elearning courses that Limestone designed and authored for a Canadian provincial gaming authority. The elearning courses were rolled out in combination with a new organizational respectful workplace policy and related procedures. Limestone worked closely with the client’s subject matter experts to create realistic work scenarios, incorporating convincing job settings, situations and real-life challenges experienced by their workforce, represented by a diverse set of specially designed characters. Additional engagement was gained by using multi-voice narration throughout the courses. The 60-minute elearning courses were authored in a combination of Vyond and Articulate Storyline 360. These courses were rolled out to exceptionally positive feedback along with requests for more training in this memorable and engaging format.

We highly recommend you check out the article, which proposes six ways to move learners from knowing to doing. And if you’d like to explore creating something like the example we mention above, give us a shout.

Want to share any of your own strategies for achieving knowledge transfer in your workplace? Let us know in the Comments section below or contact us directly!