Learning by Doing: The Key to Effective E-Learning

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Many e-learning programs don’t lack content, they lack impact. 😉

Have you ever taken a “mandatory” module at work? A series of slides, a few quizzes, an automatic certificate… and nothing changes in your actual practice.
You’re not alone: this type of training is still the norm. Yet it rarely delivers on its promise. Worse, it drains learner motivation.

So what are instructional designers really looking for today?
To create training that drives behavior change, prepares for action, and leaves a lasting mark.
And there’s one underused lever for that: learning by doing.

Learning by Doing

The data is clear:

80% of information is forgotten within 48 hours if not applied
Ebbinghaus, 1885 – The Forgetting Curve

We retain just 10% of what we read, but 75% of what we do
National Training Laboratories

And yet, how many e-learning programs still rely on passive formats? Videos, PowerPoints turned into SCORM files, texts to read…
Even with a quiz at every step, it often remains top-down and disengaging.

The brain only retains what is emotionally or cognitively engaging over time.

Learning by doing isn’t about “making boring content fun”

Many confuse interactivity with action.

Clicking “next” isn’t acting.
Ticking a box isn’t deciding.
Getting a generic feedback message doesn’t help you grow.

Learning by doing relies on something else:

  • A credible context
  • Decision-making
  • Visible consequences
  • Scenario-based feedback
  • Active repetition

In other words: a realistic simulation where mistakes are part of the process, the core of serious games, interactive simulations, and scenario-based modules.

A good module doesn’t teach knowledge, it builds reflexes

Let’s take a real-world example:

Goal: Learn how to handle conflict with a customer.

Passive version:

  • 3-minute video with key tips
  • Quiz: “What should you do if the customer raises their voice?”
  • Feedback: “Correct!” or “Wrong, you should stay calm.”

Active version:

  • Interactive dialogue with an angry customer
  • Multiple response options with different tones
  • Immediate customer reactions with visible emotion
  • Contextualized debrief based on chosen answers

The first teaches theory.
The second prepares for reality.

Designing this kind of experience takes structure

You don’t improvise an action-based module.
You need to plan for:

  • The scenario (tension points, stakes, emotional moments)
  • Key turning points (decisions, visible consequences)
  • Feedback types (positive, neutral, corrective, emotional)
  • Pacing (not too long, not too linear)
  • Progress indicators

And most importantly: a tool that lets you build it all — without technical headaches.

An e-learning creation tool built for action

VTS Editor is an authoring tool designed for exactly this.

It allows you to:

  • Build modules with dialogues, choices, and dynamic feedback
  • Simulate real-life professional situations (interviews, sales, customer service, healthcare…)
  • Design non-linear learning paths tailored to different profiles
  • Track learner decisions to assess acquired reflexes

Whether you want to create a serious game, gamify your training, or simply design modules that truly change behavior.
Try VTS Editor for free!