By Dawn Daley
In an era marked by rapid delivery cycles, remote work fatigue, and an increasing need for personalized learning experiences, instructional designers and trainers are under mounting pressure to reimagine traditional instructor-led training (ILT). While digital learning has grown exponentially, ILT continues to play a critical role in developing human-centered skills, building team cohesion, and sustaining organizational culture (Clark & Mayer, 2016). The challenge, however, lies in evolving ILT to be more dynamic, learner-centered, and performance-driven.
The Emergence of a Hybrid Model
One model gaining traction is a hybrid learning framework that combines the practicality of “Make & Take” workshops with microlearning, learner autonomy, and real-time coaching. Known as “Learn It, Build It, Use It,” this approach integrates two complementary components—microlearning menus and micro-skills labs—to create a modular, hands-on learning experience that enhances engagement and knowledge transfer across industries.
“Make & Take” sessions have long allowed learners to engage with focused concepts, build tangible outputs, and immediately apply their learning. When applied beyond education, this format serves as a blueprint for corporate, healthcare, customer service, and hospitality training—contexts where relevance, practice, and performance are paramount (Merrill, 2002).
Rethinking the Traditional ILT Format
Traditional ILT often follows a predictable sequence of lecture, discussion, and limited practice. While effective in some cases, this model can feel rigid, passive, and disconnected from real-world application. Brinkerhoff (2006) found that many learners spend extensive time in training sessions without opportunities for feedback or contextual practice, leading to poor retention and transfer of learning.
In contrast, the “Learn It, Build It, Use It” model—anchored in Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction (2002)—centers on active learning, iterative feedback, and applied performance.
The Framework: Learn It, Build It, Use It
This framework comprises three interrelated phases that can be implemented flexibly in both in-person and hybrid learning settings:
- Learn It – Learners engage with a concise concept or skill through short, high-impact activities or resources.
- Build It – Participants create a personalized tool, plan, or product that directly applies the learning.
- Use It – Learners test, simulate, or present their creations in a realistic or role-played setting, receiving peer or facilitator feedback.
By connecting theory and practice in real time, this model ensures that learning is relevant, memorable, and performance-oriented (Clark & Mayer, 2016).
Enhancing the Model: Microlearning Menus and Micro-Skills Labs
To further personalize and strengthen engagement, two design elements enhance this framework:
- Microlearning menus allow learners to choose from short, targeted activities (e.g., two-minute videos, quick quizzes, or one-page scenarios). Choice enhances learner autonomy and motivation, aligning with self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000).
- Micro-skills labs are brief coaching or practice bursts—often five to 10 minutes long—that allow learners to refine performance with real-time feedback.
These elements create variety, foster autonomy, and deepen skill development without extending total session time.
Peer Expertise & Lightning Talks
Including peer leaders or subject matter experts as co-facilitators enhances authenticity and learning depth. Short “lightning talks” or peer-led demos allow experienced participants to share real-world applications. For instance, a sales professional might demonstrate a live objection-handling scenario followed by peer practice and reflection. This peer-supported environment reflects Vygotsky’s (1978) social constructivist principles, which emphasize learning through shared expertise and community interaction.
Flexible Integration in Blended Learning
The Learn It, Build It, Use It framework is highly adaptable to blended and flipped learning environments. The “Learn It” phase can be completed asynchronously through brief videos, micro-cases, or interactive modules, while live sessions emphasize creation and application. This aligns with flipped learning research showing that front-loaded content improves engagement and comprehension during live sessions (Bishop & Verleger, 2013).
Case Applications Across Industries
The framework’s principles have been validated through a growing body of applied research and industry examples:
Sales Training
Microlearning approaches have been shown to significantly improve sales performance and confidence. Studies in retail and financial services indicate that brief, scenario-based learning segments improve recall and sales accuracy (Training Industry, 2021). Similarly, microlearning interventions in sales contexts have enhanced engagement and knowledge retention among distributed sales teams (TD.org, 2022).
Customer Service
Scenario-based and microlearning clinics have proven effective in improving communication skills and accuracy. Research shows that microlearning can boost task confidence by up to 78% and accuracy by 80% among customer-facing employees (VisualSP, 2023).
Scenario-driven “customer-centric learning” programs—similar to the “Build It, Use It” design—have been used to transform contact center performance by focusing on authentic simulations (EI Design, 2023).
Hospitality
In hospitality, microlearning and single-interaction training sessions have been linked to improved guest satisfaction and employee confidence. Studies show that short, targeted learning boosts performance and service quality, resulting in measurable gains in customer satisfaction (EHL Hospitality Insights, 2023).
Healthcare
Simulation-based and microlearning interventions have been shown to improve communication, empathy, and teamwork among healthcare professionals. Evidence from clinical studies indicates that brief, high-frequency simulations significantly enhance communication competencies and reduce anxiety during challenging interactions (Riess et al., 2012).
Why the Model Works
Across these applications, several success factors consistently emerge:
- Personalization: Learners engage through choice, creating ownership
- Practice with support: Micro-Skills Labs provide safe spaces for experimentation and feedback
- Tangible takeaways: Learners leave with usable, context-specific outputs
- Flexible design: The model adapts seamlessly to virtual, hybrid, or in-person formats
- Peer-led learning: Involving experienced learners strengthens expertise sharing
- Immediate relevance: Learners create tools they can apply immediately, improving confidence and retention
Together, these features address common ILT challenges—such as low engagement, poor transfer, and cognitive overload—while maintaining the strengths of live, interactive facilitation.
Next Steps
Instructional designers can begin adopting this framework by piloting it with a single concept or skill area:
- Offer a microlearning menu to introduce or reinforce key ideas.
- Guide learners to Build It—a practical artifact or plan.
- Facilitate opportunities to Use It—through simulations, peer demos, or client-facing scenarios.
- Layer in micro-skills labs and lightning talks for reflection and feedback.
Reusable templates, facilitator guides, and learner-driven labs can help scale this approach across teams and industries. By aligning learning design with how adults actually learn best—through choice, creation, and real-world use—this approach delivers both engagement and performance impact. As learning needs continue to evolve across industries, this model offers a clear path forward.
Evolving the Way We Train
Instructor-led training is not obsolete—it is evolving. By blending the “Learn It, Build It, Use It” model with microlearning, peer-led contributions, and a make-and-take mindset, instructional designers can design experiences that are engaging, efficient, and impactful. This model honors the irreplaceable value of live facilitation while meeting modern learners’ needs for autonomy, relevance, and immediate application. As demonstrated across education, sales, hospitality, and healthcare, this approach is both versatile and effective—and ready to be scaled for the future of learning.
Learn More!
Join us on February 11-12 for our Micro- and Workflow Learning online conference. Join expert members of the learning community as we explore ways to use AI as a “force multiplier,” how to use everyday tools to embed learning in the workflow, reimagining microlearning as a workflow-aligned, inclusive performance tool designed—and so much more!
References
Bishop, J. L., & Verleger, M. A. (2013). The flipped classroom: A survey of the research. ASEE National Conference Proceedings, Atlanta, GA.
Brinkerhoff, R. O. (2006). High impact learning: Strategies for leveraging performance and results. Basic Books.
Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2016). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning (4th ed.). Wiley.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268.
EHL Hospitality Insights. (2023). Hotel employee training impacts customer experience and happiness.
EI Design. (2023). Customer-centric learning: Building teams to transform experiences.
Merrill, M. D. (2002). First principles of instruction. Educational Technology Research and Development, 50(3), 43–59.
Riess, H., Kelley, J. M., Bailey, R. W., Dunn, E. J., & Phillips, M. (2012). Empathy training for resident physicians: A randomized controlled trial of a neuroscience-informed curriculum. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 27(10), 1280–1286.
TD.org (Association for Talent Development). (2022). How microlearning helps sales teams perform better.
Training Industry. (2021). The benefits of incorporating microlearning into sales training strategies.
VisualSP. (2023). 8 studies that prove microlearning can’t be ignored. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Image credits:
- Top image: ma_rish
- Graphics: Dawn Daley
