How to Design Training That People Remember and Apply: Expert Insights by Renee Koster
Great training isn't just about delivering information. It's about creating an experience that helps people remember, understand, and apply what they've learned.
In the latest episode of the Sticky Note Marketing Show, Mary Czarnecki welcomes Renee Koster, a learning designer and consultant who helps organizations turn ideas into structured, engaging training. Together, they explore why traditional approaches to training often fall short and what leaders can do to create learning experiences that truly stick.
“Can they remember it, recall it, and apply it?”
Why Information Alone Isn't Enough
One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is assuming that a training video, presentation, or binder is enough to teach someone what they need to know.
As Renee explains, content needs somewhere to go. Without actions or reinforcement, people may take in the information but struggle to remember, recall, and apply it later.
Learning is active. Whenever possible, training should engage not only the mind but also the body. Even something as simple as writing something down, typing an answer, or physically interacting with the environment can help reinforce the learning.
For example, instead of simply showing employees a safety video, trainers could take them into their workplace and ask them to identify potential accident areas. The discussion and hands-on activity create an opportunity to connect the information to a real-world situation.
Create Actions Around the Information
A useful training experience connects information with action.
Renee recommends adding small actions and touchpoints throughout the training. These activities help learners move from simply receiving information toward actually applying it.
The action doesn't have to be complicated. Depending on the training, it could involve:
Writing something down
Typing an answer
Practicing a skill
Exploring a physical environment
Discussing a scenario
Demonstrating how something works
The goal is to give learners an opportunity to do something with the information.
This is especially important for training that has practical consequences, such as safety, onboarding, or software training.
Make Learning Fun and Memorable
Training doesn't have to feel like another task employees have to endure.
Renee emphasizes that learning should be fun, even for adults. Creating an element of play, interaction, or surprise can make training more engaging and memorable.
One example discussed in the episode is a scavenger hunt.
Rather than simply giving new students a guided tour of a school, a scavenger hunt can require them to actively explore the space while discovering important information such as emergency exits, classrooms, entrances, and other resources.
The same concept can be applied in workplace training.
For a safety program, for example, participants could take part in a role-play where someone demonstrates what happened during an accident. This gets people out of their seats and encourages them to interact with the information rather than simply listen to it.
The result can be a learning experience that feels less like, "Ugh, we're sitting through another training," and more like an opportunity to participate.
Don't Be Afraid to Make "Dry" Training Interactive
Some topics naturally seem harder to make engaging.
Safety procedures, compliance requirements, software instructions, and other technical subjects may not immediately seem like candidates for playful activities. But Renee encourages trainers to think outside the box.
The key isn't necessarily to make every topic entertaining. It's to find ways to create purposeful engagement around the information.
Ask yourself:
What can participants do with this information?
That question can help transform a passive training session into an experience where people practice, discuss, explore, or demonstrate what they've learned.
Break Training Into Smaller Steps
If you're unsure where to begin, Renee offers a simple strategy: break the training down into smaller steps.
Instead of looking at the entire training program as one large project, identify two or three smaller steps. Then ask what action could be connected to each step.
For example, if you're developing onboarding training and a new employee needs to learn how to use a particular software program, make that software practice part of one of the smaller steps.
This approach can help you:
Avoid overwhelming learners with too much information
Identify exactly what information needs to be provided
Create purposeful engagement for each step
Make the training easier to develop and deliver
Give learners more opportunities to practice and apply what they're learning
Breaking training into smaller pieces can make the entire learning experience feel more manageable for both the trainer and the learner.
Training Should Lead to Application
Ultimately, effective training isn't simply about whether someone received the information.
The bigger question is:
Can they remember it, recall it, and apply it?
That means training designers and organizational leaders need to think beyond the presentation itself. What happens after the information is introduced? What action reinforces it? Where can the learner practice it? How can the experience make the information easier to remember?
These are the elements that can help transform training from something people simply complete into something they can actually use.
Your Sticky Note Takeaway
If you're responsible for creating training, onboarding, or enablement programs, start with one simple exercise:
Break your training into smaller steps, then identify an action that can be tied to each step.
And don't be afraid to experiment. As Renee says, think outside the box, push yourself a little, and have fun with it.
When people actively participate in learning, they're not just receiving information. They're creating an experience they can remember and carry into their work.
🎙️ Listen to the latest episode of the Sticky Note Marketing Show featuring Renee Koster to hear the full conversation and discover more practical ideas for designing training that truly sticks.
