Learning by doing: the keys to effective learning through experimentation

Today, "learning by doing" is becoming increasingly popular, driven by the digital transformation of the professional world. 

Faced with the rapid obsolescence of skills, transmissive pedagogies centered on a body of stabilized knowledge are showing their limitations. Learning by doing, on the other hand, places the learner at the heart of the process: by becoming a player in his or her own training, the learner acquires operational knowledge that has a lasting impact.

More than just a fad, learning by doing is a structural necessity for individuals and organizations alike. So how can we define this approach precisely? On what principles and mechanisms is it based? What concrete benefits can be expected? And, above all, how can it be applied effectively in the digital age?

What is learning by doing?

Learning by doing is a pedagogical method that places experience and action at the heart of the learning process. 

This approach has its roots in the work of American philosopher John Dewey, dating back to the early 20th century. Dewey considered that traditional education, too theoretical and disconnected from reality, was not conducive to meaningful learning. 

On the contrary, he advocated starting with the pupil's interests and linking the knowledge taught to his or her concrete experience. On the same principle, Maria Montessori designed teaching materials to stimulate children's manipulative and autonomous activities.

Today, in the face of rapid technological change, learning by doing is enjoying renewed interest. Transposed to the corporate world, it offers an adaptive response to the challenges of regular and ongoing team training. 

In concrete terms, this pedagogy encourages the acquisition of skills directly in the field, through a succession of trials, errors and readjustments. It is based on the cognitive principle that humans memorize much better when they are active and personally involved. 

Edgar Dale's learning pyramid, developed in the 1960s, shows that we retain an average of 75% more information when we actually do something.

Learning by doing therefore appears to be a relevant approach for developing talent, stimulating employee commitment and supporting the adoption of digital tools within the organization. 

What are the principles of learning by doing?

Learning by doing is based on several key principles to ensure its effectiveness:

The active learner

The method places employees at the heart of the training process. They are no longer passive recipients of knowledge, but the driving force behind their own learning; they carry out certain tasks on their own, and face practical problems that they have to solve themselves.

To achieve this, students need to be motivated and involved in the learning process.

The importance of error

It may seem paradoxical, but error is consubstantial with learning-by-doing pedagogy. By being directly confronted with concrete problems, the learner will inevitably make mistakes, take inappropriate decisions or follow erroneous reasoning. 

‍Thesemissteps, far from being prohibitive, are on the contrary essential to the learner's progress. They are the soil from which skills can germinate and develop. Every mistake is an opportunity to learn something valuable.

In concrete terms, employees are encouraged to formulate hypotheses and test them themselves. Their unsuccessful attempts enable them to identify the problem variables and understand the subtleties of a process. This leads them to rectify the situation, to explore other avenues until the solution is found.

This right to make mistakes fosters a healthy, constructive relationship with failure. Rather than seeing failure as an unavoidable accident, he uses it as a tool for continuous improvement of his methods. 

Tailor-made support

Although autonomy is at the heart of the program, learners are not left to their own devices. Throughout the course, they benefit from personalized support provided by a mentor.

He or she establishes a relationship of trust with the student. The mentor advises the apprentice on how to define his or her learning project, and then builds practical experiences tailored to his or her needs. Over the course of the sessions, the mentor analyzes the student's achievements, congratulating successes and pointing out areas for improvement. Regular feedback enables the student to step back and adjust his or her approach.

Stimulating challenges

To keep trainees motivated over the long term, the experiments they are offered must be stimulating. They should be neither too easy nor too impossible to achieve.

The aim is to place the learner in what psychologist Lev Vygotsky callsthe"zone of proximal development". This corresponds to the zone between what the learner already knows how to do on his own, and what he could achieve with the help of a more experienced third party.

This subtle balance helps maintain a high level of motivation; the employee, aware of his recent progress, knows he has the resources to take up this new challenge. Supported by sympathetic coaching, they dare to take the plunge without fear of failure.

By regularly taking learners out of their comfort zone with ambitious but accessible challenges, the learning by doing method unleashes their full development potential.

What are the advantages of learning by doing?

Developing practical skills

The first tangible benefit of learning by doing lies in the accelerated development of operational skills, directly applicable to the position occupied by the employee.

By learning by doing, the knowledge acquired gains in relevance, as it is calibrated to the problems encountered in the field. It's no longer just theoretical concepts, but know-how proven in practice.

This grounding in the real world means that the employee is quickly competent to carry out the targeted missions. 

Better memorization

As we've seen, learning by taking charge of one's own learning path also significantly improves memorization and assimilation of content.

By carrying out concrete activities themselves, students engage several senses (touch, smell, hearing, sight), which facilitates memory encoding.

In contrast to a passive, receptive posture, being in "trial-and-error" mode mobilizes numerous cortical areas, and thus exhibits greater neuronal plasticity. This is precisely what has been demonstrated by Edgar Dale and his pyramid of learning that we saw earlier.

Increased motivation 

The third major advantage is that, by taking charge of their own learning, trainees are more intrinsically motivated, because, unlike a standardized course, learning by doing adapts to the learner's project and pace. This personalization reinforces the learner's sense of usefulness, and thus his or her motivation to complete the course.

Adaptability 

Finally, by experiencing problematic situations first-hand, employees develop their adaptability and autonomy.

Faced with an unprecedented puzzle, he or she has to think outside the box and be creative to find THE solution. This inventive spirit will be invaluable in navigating a constantly changing professional environment.

More fundamentally, this newly acquired resourcefulness gives him confidence in his ability to acquire new skills on his own. An indispensable asset at a time when jobs and tools are constantly being reinvented.

To illustrate, let's take the case of a sales representative, trained through learning by doing, who changes sector to join a sustainable mobility startup. Both the products and the ecosystem are very different from his previous environment. 

Nevertheless, thanks to his ability to acquire new skills independently, he is rapidly gaining expertise in the technical aspects of electric vehicles. He also knows how to effectively map this new network of players to create business opportunities for himself.

Cost minimization

In addition to the benefits for the trainee, experiential learning also has undeniable economic advantages for the employer: 

• Tailor-made training is more efficient and profitable: as the content is perfectly adapted to the needs of the job, there is less wastage, and therefore a better return on investment.
• More productive time thanks to job-integrated learning: as training takes place within the department, the employee remains productive for the company while improving his or her skills.
• Reduced costs linked to employee turnover: as employees are more fulfilled and recognized thanks to personalized training, they are more likely to stay with their employer.

How do you learn by doing?

To effectively establish a culture of action learning within their organization, organizations can rely on dedicated digital solutions.

Digital Adoption Platforms (DAPs), gas pedals of hands-on training

Digital adoption platforms are invaluable allies when it comes to supporting the deployment of new tools or working methods within organizations. Their pedagogical approach, firmly rooted in "learning by doing", enables teams to effectively build their capacity.

In detail, DAP offers hyper-customized courses for each employee. Composed of interactive video tutorials, these simulations place the learner in the situation of solving a practical case on the targeted tool.

Whether it's mastering a new customer relations software program, applying an optimized quality procedure or using a 3D printer, employees progress at their own pace through a series of stimulating challenges. Each successful action takes them further along the road to final certification.

In addition to rapid productivity gains once the tool has been properly mastered, this positive digital companionship increases team commitment. In fact, by embodying a successful user experience, the DAP generates support for the solutions deployed, accelerating their widespread adoption within the organization.

At Knowmore, we have developed K-Now, our own digital adoption platform based on the fundamentals of experiential learning. Through immersive learning paths that are as close as possible to everyday working life, K-Now guarantees a rapid transfer of skills to new tools and procedures. In just a few weeks, your teams will be fully autonomous and able to make the most of your latest technological investments.

E-learning platforms

Another valuable ally is e-learning. These online training modules combine theoretical sequences and practical exercises to anchor new skills for the long term.

They enable trainees to test risky or costly procedures in real-life situations: medical procedures, driving machinery, chemical handling, etc.

E-learning also enables people to train at their own pace, while working remotely. As a result, organizations make significant savings by avoiding the need to travel or tie up resources.

To this end, our K-Studio solution offers a new-generation e-learning platform combining videos, quizzes and 3D simulations for a lively and lasting acquisition of skills. K-Studio makes it easy to create immersive training modules tailored to your specific industry.

Conclusion

By placing action at the heart of the teaching process, learning by doing has undeniable adaptive virtues. 

From increased learner stimulation to optimized training investments, the benefits are multiple and tangible, for both individuals and organizations. 

In this respect, immersive technologies open up a whole new world of possibilities for exporting professional contexts within educational programs. By making it possible to simulate real-life conditions, they herald the advent of a new era, in which learning by doing multiplies the skills and inventiveness of both rising generations and existing talent.

At Knowmore, we are pioneers in digital adoption solutions for businesses. Whatever your sector and business applications, our platforms help your employees to increase their skills through learning by doing, so they can use your tools effectively. By combining learning by doing with real-life use, we accelerate your organization's digital transformation. Your teams quickly become self-sufficient in making the most of your latest technological investments.

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