In many learning experiences, learners acquire knowledge but rarely get the chance to use it in ways that feel real. The session explores immersion as the missing link between knowing and doing and shows how ethnographic research can help instructional designers close that gap.
By grounding learning in the lived experiences, decisions, and challenges of real people, you can move beyond abstract content and create environments where learners actively engage, experiment, and apply new skills. Drawing on applied anthropology, experiential learning research, and practical design examples (including game-inspired approaches), we’ll examine why immersion drives engagement and performance and what it takes to design for it.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to incorporate ethnographic techniques
- Translate real-world behaviors into immersive scenarios that prompt learners to act, not just absorb.
- To design learning experiences that better reflect workplace realities
- Improve engagement through meaningful interaction
