How to Encourage Application

It is no secret that we all strive to create engaging webinars and eLearning courses. No one wants their learners to be bored or distracted during training; however, increasing and encouraging application is a great method to not only increase engagement, but also learner retention, and success.

When utilizing Bloom’s taxonomy to design learning outcomes, and course content, we often aim for the apply stage. “Application refers to the ability to use learned material in new and concrete situations” (Herr, n.d). When creating a training, webinar, or eLearning course, the goal is to encourage higher order thinking skills. In Cynthia Clays presentation, Design Tips to Increase Training Engagement and Application, she recommends the following model (Clays, 2022):

Learn It
Encode It
Recall It
Apply It

Let’s break down each of the steps in this model, and then we will take a look at ways to increase application.

Learn It – We first want to present the content to the learner. They can not utilize higher order thinking skills if they have not properly learned the content. We can still utilize engaging methods of presentation, such as videos, interactive infographics etc. in the learn it phase.

Encode It- Show the learner why the content is important and relevant. In the Encode it stage, we are aiming to move knowledge from short term memory to long term memory. This can be achieved by providing the learner with real life examples and scenarios, or having an expert present about the topic.

Recall It- In this stage we want to ask engaging questions to encourage learners to recall knowledge. Use a variety of questions such as open ended questions, probing questions, recall questions.

Apply It- The last phase in this model is the apply phase. We want learners to apply what they have learned. This can be achieved through a variety of mediums. You may encourage learners to apply the information in scenarios or simulations. Alternatively, you may want the learner to actually apply their knowledge in a real situation where someone can observe them.

There are many different methods for increasing application in the learning process and it is important to utilize these methods to ensure that the learner is engaged in higher order thinking. Application helps to ensure that training is successful and the learner will be able to transfer their knowledge to real life situations. Interactive activities or collaborative activities are a great way to increase application. Creating games, word clouds, scenarios, or simulations, are just a few examples of ways to encourage application throughout the learning process.