This section shows how to improve the transfer of learning to the job by improving how learners practice skills.
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Design practical activities that include all aspects of work.
Example:
This video shows how separating topics during training can make learning feel organised, but leave learners unprepared for real tasks.
Rationale:
Practising skills in isolation makes learning easier at first, but most jobs require people to combine multiple skills at the same time.
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Design practice activities that gradually increase in difficulty.
Example:
Learners first complete a task with step-by-step support, then with fewer prompts, and finally by themselves.
Rationale:
Learners improve faster when practice stays just beyond their current ability.
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Learners try some tasks before receiving instruction.
Example:
Learners attempt to resolve a customer complaint before seeing the recommended response, then compare their answer to the example.
Rationale:
Trying first can help learners notice what they don’t yet know. This can increase attention and give learners context for the explanation that follows.
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Change the session format regularly.
Example:
Introduce the concept with a presentation, check understanding with a quiz, reinforce it with a video, then have learners apply it in a group activity.
Rationale:
Changing the format helps maintain engagement and can strengthen understanding by presenting ideas in different ways.
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Dedicate most of the session time to practice and feedback.
Example:
Instead of spending most of the session explaining how to handle customer complaints, give learners repeated opportunities to practice complaint calls and receive feedback after each attempt.
Rationale:
Skills develop through practice and feedback, so most session time should be spent applying the content.
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Build deliberate practice into activities.
Example:
Break a coaching conversation into smaller skills, such as asking open questions. Have learners practice that skill repeatedly with feedback before combining it into the full conversation.
Rationale:
Deliberate practice improves skills by focusing on one part of the task at a time. This makes feedback easier to apply and creates more opportunities to repeat the skill, correct mistakes, and improve.
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Simulate workplace conditions in practice activities.
Example:
For a call centre job, this might include background noise, time pressure, or competing demands.
Rationale:
Practice improves performance when it reflects the conditions people will face at work.
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Require job aids to complete activities.
Example:
Provide a checklist for handling a customer complaint. Ask participants to use it during a role-play, then review their response against the checklist to identify missed steps and give feedback.
Rationale:
Job aids help learners practice sooner, which is how skills are built. They also make it easier to spot mistakes, give feedback, and build the habit of using the job aid at work.
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Design live sessions to include spaced practice.
Example:
Teach active listening on Monday, practice it again in a role-play on Wednesday, and revisit it in a coaching activity on Friday.
Rationale:
Retention usually decreases after a single learning event. Spaced practice gives learners repeated opportunities to revisit and apply the content, which supports longer-term recall.