Learning by doing: the keys to effective learning through experimentation
Today, the « learning by doing » is gaining increasing popularity, driven by the digital transformations of the professional world.
Indeed, faced with the rapid obsolescence of skills, transmissive pedagogies centered on a stable body of knowledge are showing their limitations. In contrast, learning through action places the learner at the heart of the process: by becoming an active participant in their training, they acquire deeply ingrained operational knowledge.
Beyond being a mere trend, learning by doing therefore reflects a structural necessity for both individuals and organizations. How then can this approach be precisely defined? What principles and mechanisms does it rely on? What concrete benefits can be expected from it? And above all, how can it be effectively implemented in companies in the era of digital adoption ?
What is learning by doing?
Learning by doing, which can be translated as "learning by doing" or "learning through practice," is an educational method that gives a central role to experience and action in the learning process.
This approach finds its foundations at the beginning of the 20th century in the works of American philosopher John Dewey. Dewey believed that traditional education, being too theoretical and disconnected from reality, did not allow for meaningful learning.
He advocated, on the contrary, starting from the student's interests and connecting taught knowledge to their concrete experience. Based on the same principle, Maria Montessori conceived of educational materials that stimulate manipulation and autonomous activity in children.
Today, faced with the rapid pace of technological change, learning by doing is experiencing renewed interest. Applied to the business world, it offers an adaptive response to the challenges of regular and continuous training for teams.
Essentially, this teaching method encourages acquiring skills directly on the job, through a succession of trials, errors, and adjustments. It relies on the cognitive principle that humans learn much better when they are active and personally involved.
Edgar Dale's learning pyramid, developed in the 1960s, clearly illustrates this: we retain, on average, 75% more information when we actively practice an activity.
Therefore, learning by doing emerges as a relevant approach for developing talent, boosting employee engagement, 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 learner as an active participant
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 perform certain tasks independently and face practical problems that they must solve themselves.
As such, a certain willingness is necessary; students must be motivated and engaged in learning.
The importance of error
It may seem paradoxical, but error is inherent to the pedagogy of learning by doing. By being directly confronted with concrete problems, the learner will inevitably make mistakes, make inappropriate decisions, or follow flawed reasoning.
These missteps, far from being prohibitive, are on the contrary essential for the learner's progress. They are the fertile ground from which skills can germinate and develop. Each mistake made is thus an opportunity to gain valuable insight.
Specifically, the employee is encouraged to formulate hypotheses and test them independently. Their unsuccessful attempts allow them to identify the problem's variables and understand the intricacies of a process. They lead them to correct their approach and explore other avenues until they find the solution.
This right to make mistakes fosters a healthy and constructive relationship with failure. Rather than perceiving it as a fatal setback, he turns it into a tool for continuous improvement of his methods.
Tailored Support
While autonomy is central to the approach, the learner is not left to fend for themselves. They receive personalized support from a mentor throughout their journey.
The mentor builds a relationship of trust with them. They advise them on defining their learning project and then building practical experiences tailored to their needs. Over the course of the sessions, the mentor analyzes achievements, praises successes, and identifies areas for improvement. Their regular feedback allows the student to gain perspective and adjust their approach.
Stimulating Challenges
To maintain the learner's motivation over time, the experiences offered to them must be stimulating. They should be neither too easy nor impossible to achieve.
The goal is to place them in what psychologist Lev Vygotsky calls " the zone of proximal development". This corresponds to the zone between what the learner can already do independently and what they 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 their recent progress, knows they have the resources to take on this new challenge. Supported by benevolent guidance, they dare to embark without fear of failure.
Thus, by regularly taking the learner out of their comfort zone with ambitious but achievable challenges, the learning by doing method unlocks its full development potential.
What are the benefits of learning by doing?
Development of Practical Skills
The primary tangible benefit of learning by doing lies in the accelerated development of operational skills, directly applicable to the employee's role.
By learning through practical experience, acquired knowledge gains relevance because it is tailored to the real-world issues. They are no longer mere theoretical concepts but practical, proven expertise.
This grounding in reality quickly makes the employee proficient in performing the intended tasks.
Better memorization
As we've seen, actively participating in one's learning journey also significantly improves the memorization and assimilation of content.
By engaging in concrete activities, students stimulate multiple senses (touch, smell, hearing, sight), which facilitates memory encoding.
Unlike a passive reception posture, operating in 'trial-and-error' mode engages numerous cortical areas, thereby promoting better neural plasticity. This is precisely what Edgar Dale demonstrated with his Cone of Experience, which we discussed earlier.
Increased motivation
A third major advantage: by becoming an active participant in their learning, the learner's intrinsic motivation is greatly amplified. Unlike a standardized curriculum, learning by doing adapts to the learner's project and pace. This personalization strengthens their sense of purpose and, consequently, their motivation to see it through.
Adaptability
Finally, by directly experiencing problematic situations, employees develop their adaptability and autonomy.
When faced with an unprecedented challenge, they must be resourceful and creative to find THE solution. This inventive spirit will be invaluable for navigating a constantly evolving professional environment.
More fundamentally, this newly acquired resourcefulness gives them confidence in their ability to acquire new skills independently. This is an essential asset at a time when professions and tools are constantly reinventing themselves.
To illustrate, let's take the case of a salesperson, trained through learning by doing, who changes sector to join a sustainable mobility startup. Both the products and the ecosystem are very different from their previous environment.
Nevertheless, thanks to their ability to acquire new skills independently, they quickly gain expertise in the technical aspects of electric vehicles. They also know how to effectively map this new network of stakeholders to create business opportunities.
Cost minimization
Beyond the benefits for the learner, experiential learning also offers undeniable economic advantages for the employer:
- Tailor-made training, therefore more effective and profitable: since the content is perfectly adapted to the job's requirements, there is less waste, leading to a better return on investment.
- More productive time thanks to on-the-job integrated learning: as the training takes place within the department, the employee remains productive for the company while developing their capabilities.
- Reduction in employee turnover costs: employees, being more fulfilled and recognized thanks to personalized training, are more likely to stay with their employer.
How to learn by doing in the workplace?
To effectively establish a culture of action-based training within their organization, companies can rely on dedicated digital solutions.
Digital Adoption Platforms (DAPs), accelerating learning through practice
Digital adoption platforms are valuable allies in supporting the deployment of new tools or work methods within organizations. Their pedagogical approach, firmly rooted in learning by doing, enables effective upskilling of teams.
Specifically, DAPs offer hyper-personalized learning paths for each employee. Comprising video and interactive tutorials, these simulations put the learner in a position to solve a practical case using the target tool.
Whether it's to get to grips with a new customer relationship software, apply an optimized quality procedure, or use a 3D printer, the employee progresses at their own pace through a series of stimulating challenges. Each successful action moves them forward in their journey towards final certification.
Beyond a rapid productivity gain once the tool is properly mastered, this positive digital mentorship increases team engagement. Indeed, by embodying a successful user experience, the DAP encourages buy-in for the deployed solutions, accelerating their large-scale 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 paths closely mirroring daily professional life, K-Now ensures a rapid transfer of skills for new tools and procedures. In just a few weeks, your teams become fully autonomous and high-performing, making the most of your latest technological investments.
E-learning platforms
Another valuable ally: e-learning. These online training modules combine theoretical sequences and practical exercises to firmly establish new skills.
Thanks to them, trainees can test risky or costly procedures in a simulated environment: medical procedures, operating machinery, chemical manipulations...
E-learning also allows for self-paced training while working remotely. Organizations thus achieve significant savings by avoiding travel or tying up resources.
In this regard, our K-Studio solution offers a new-generation e-learning platform combining videos, quizzes, and 3D simulations for lively and lasting skill acquisition. K-Studio makes it easy to create immersive training modules tailored to the specific needs of your industry.
Conclusion
By placing action at the heart of the learning process, learning by doing offers undeniable adaptive benefits.
From increased learner engagement to optimized training investments, the benefits are numerous and tangible, for both individuals and organizations.
In this regard, immersive technologies open up unprecedented possibilities for bringing professional contexts directly into educational programs. By allowing for identical simulation of real-world working conditions, they herald the dawn of a new era, where 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. Regardless of your industry and business applications, our platforms help your employees upskill through learning by doing to effectively use your tools. By merging practical learning and concrete application, we accelerate your organization's digital transformation. Your teams quickly become autonomous, enabling them to make the most of your latest technological investments.