“Learning by doing”, “Learning by doing”, “learning by doing”, “learning by doing”, whatever you call it, the advantage is the same: you learn better and faster by acting and having an experience. More and more organizations have understood that passive learning where one listens wisely to a trainer's theory is largely insufficient to face future challenges.
Vocational training must become mobile, instant, fun, continuous and immersive. It's good by doing and sharing with its collaborators that you retain new knowledge and that you engage in your training and work with greater motivation. Let's explore the powers of Learning by Doing together!
What is learning by doing or Learning by Doing?
Whether through simulations, role plays, internships or field experiences, our brains retain concepts better by being actively engaged in concrete tasks. As proof: 24 hours after a course, a learner only retains 5% of the knowledge, compared to 75% after practical learning! This retention rate was theorized by the American psychologist Kurt Lewin, through his memory pyramid.
The conclusion? The more participatory the method, the better the memorization. The more you discuss, the more you demonstrate or teach a theory to someone else, the better you remember and understand. Neuroscience reinforces Kurt Lewis's point by indicating that learning is possible when three major conditions are met:
- Exploration (doing research, trying to ride a bike on a steep path, etc.)
- The interaction (discuss the concept with colleagues, play, etc.)
- And gratification (earning badges, diplomas, etc.)
For example, imagine that you are a beginning jazz musician. You could learn chords by yourself in a studio. Or get a basic understanding of chords and then play with other musicians. Through your mistakes and interactions, your learning will be deeper and faster than if you had been left alone in a studio.
The multiple benefits of Learning by Doing
Many companies often prefer “campus” training, with simple workshops to conclude the course, but they are not enough to anchor the learning. As we have seen, when learners are actively involved in practical experiences, memorization is improving considerably. The combination of physical, mental, and emotional activities strengthens neural connections, which promotes long-lasting retention. Second, “Learning by Doing”, through the practice of concepts, promotes the development of transversal skills such as problem solving, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. Learning by doing also makes it possible to better anchor practical skills, essential in many fields such as crafts, engineering or medicine for example. The method offers the learner the opportunity to confront his own limitations and mistakes, in order to progress more quickly. In fact, failure invites you to mobilize your own resources, which facilitates the assimilation of new skills.
In addition, employees who learn by doing are often more committed and motivated, because they immediately see the impact of their learning on their daily work.
How do you get started with Learning by Doing?
Convinced? You can start integrating Learning by Doing into your business with different approaches, inspired by e-learning.
Simply get started with Quizzes ! The idea is to engage the collaborator and not to test them. The quizzes should therefore not be used to obtain a grade or to evaluate the collaborator. On the contrary, they should be fun and allow the user to play in order to improve their understanding and the memory of the newly learned knowledge.
The role-playing game is another great example of putting it into practice, it offers plenty of real life situations to imitate experiences, challenges, projects, and results. This method encourages individuals to solve problems creatively, to test new ways of doing things, to experiment with ideas, etc. in a fun way.
Microlearning where “learning by doing” is an essential part of the process, learners need to be able to apply the concepts and information introduced in theMicrolearning capsules as the training progresses.
Pedagogy through video games can also allow you to approach a problem from a different angle and to learn by playing. The themes are very varied (languages, sciences, ecology, ecology, history, history, economy, business courses, etc.) and the advantages are numerous: the possibility of learning at your own pace, adapting the course to users at different levels, not to mention the fun aspects that have positive effects on motivation and self-esteem.
In short, to take advantage of the benefits of Learning by Doing, choose interactive and fun formats to never leave the learner in a passive position. Create challenges, Make sure that learners become actors, but also trainers. That they create, exchange and share their knowledge with their community, thus making your company a real learning organization. Suggest micro-actions to be carried out in a work situation to anchor knowledge, share content to make your communities live and invite them to share their knowledge. In a world where the acquisition of new knowledge has become crucial, Learning by Doing is proving to be a powerful training method for success. It's up to you to play!
