Digital Learning
Psychology of Learning: Understanding How Employees Learn Best
Many organizations conduct training programs for employees, but often, training efforts fall short – low engagement, poor participation, and limited knowledge retention are the usual pain points experienced by trainers, learning and development leaders, and HR managers in general.
Understanding how employees learn best is key to building an effective employee learning management system (LMS). Employees may resist learning new skills or behaviors due to fears of failure, lack of incentives, or perceived barriers. Understanding these psychological factors is critical to overcoming resistance and fostering a culture of continuous learning.
Learning the wrong things, at the wrong time
Learning is most effective when timed with an immediate need. Applying knowledge in real-world scenarios strengthens commitment to learning. Psychologist Edwin Locke highlighted the importance of immediate feedback in 1968, yet this is still often missing in corporate training. Employees are usually given standardized training at times that don’t align with their job roles, hindering learning.
When training content doesn’t align with individual needs, disengagement follows. Forcing employees to attend irrelevant sessions, like “business writing” or “conflict resolution,” leads to disinterest.
Knowledge fades quickly without use
German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus’s “Forgetting Curve” shows that 75% of new information is lost within six days without application. This affects both HR professionals and instructional designers, who must ensure training aligns with psychological principles to enhance learning retention and engagement.
This is how Lerero can help
Effective training relies on understanding motivation, attention, memory, and cognition. Aligning training methods with these psychological factors increases knowledge retention and skill application in real-world situations. Engagement is also crucial: participants are more motivated and involved when training resonates psychologically.
Our proprietary framework integrates a 10-stage sequence into the LMS learning experience. We aim to provide better learning know-how by focusing on efficiency, effectiveness, and greater engagement. Our modular solution equips organizations with an integrated employee LMS that makes learning stick and improves return on investment.
Stage 1 – Onboarding
What does it do? Easily share course-specific content and a wealth of practical tools.
Why is it important? To guide and educate your learners through the entire educational process.
How does it relate to learning psychology?
Providing comprehensive information and resources at the start of a course can help reduce cognitive load and anxiety, facilitating better initial engagement and learning.
Stage 2 – Context and Expectations
What does it do? Enables you to tailor and customize your course and collect your learners’ expectations for a personalized approach.
Why is it important? To ensure maximum engagement and a tailored LMS learning experience.
How does it relate to learning psychology?
Personalizing the experience and gathering feedback can enhance motivation and engagement.
Stage 3 – Learning Progress Assessment
What does it do? Tracks learner progress with various assessments and analytics.
Why is it important? To measure success and inform instruction.
How does it relate to learning psychology?
Timely feedback through progress monitoring supports adaptive learning strategies.
Stage 4 – Microlearning
What does it do? Breaks content into digestible pieces.
Why is it important? To make learning more focused and accessible.
How does it relate to learning psychology?
It supports better encoding and retention, reduces cognitive overload, and is ideal for modern employee LMS formats.
Stage 5 – Course Delivery
What does it do? Offers personalized delivery modes and learning styles.
Why is it important? To meet diverse learner needs.
How does it relate to learning psychology?
Caters to individual preferences through differentiated instruction.
Stage 6 – Learning Reinforcement
What does it do? Strengthens retention through spaced and active learning.
Why is it important? To move knowledge into long-term memory.
How does it relate to learning psychology?
Uses spaced repetition and retrieval practice, essential components of effective learning and development.
Stage 7 – Learning Validation
What does it do? Validates learning using a range of assessments.
Why is it important? For an accurate understanding of learner progress.
How does it relate to learning psychology?
Combines formative and summative assessment practices for better results.
Stage 8 – Learning Application Tracking
What does it do? Measures real-world application of knowledge.
Why is it important? To ensure practical skill development.
How does it relate to learning psychology?
Promotes transfer of learning through applied, hands-on tasks.
Stage 9 – Proctored Evaluation
What does it do? Maintains fairness in testing environments.
Why is it important? To build trust and accountability.
How does it relate to learning psychology?
Ensures ethical assessment practices.
Stage 10 – Roadmap for Continuous Learning
What does it do? Builds a career-aligned, customized roadmap.
Why is it important? To support long-term goals and growth.
How does it relate to learning psychology?
Encourages intrinsic motivation and self-regulated learning.
Lerero: An LMS platform based on the psychology of learning
With this seamless 10-step journey grounded in learning psychology, Lerero supports trainers, learning and development professionals, and HR leaders in delivering impactful training. Our employee LMS empowers learners with the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, capable contributors, leading to stronger organizational performance.
Are you interested in how this 10-step learning journey can be applied in your organization? Contact us today – we’ll be happy to help.
