Action-First Learning: Instructional Design Techniques to Engage and Inspire

Game On! Action-Based Training Designs for Better Learning

Passive learning just doesn’t cut it in today’s evolving, competitive workplace. Research demonstrates that action-first learning works because it engages the mind immediately and makes sure that knowledge and skills will stick. With a more diverse array of action-based training designs, organizations can motivate learners, provide hands-on, collaborative practice, and drive behavioral change.

In Action-First Learning, educator and tech expert Karl M. Kapp covers nine distinct types of learning experiences in one volume--from card and board games, escape rooms, and branching scenarios to augmented reality and AI-powered coaching. He explains why each design works and how to choose, plan, and execute the right kind of project for your goals. Each chapter includes a detailed case study, a design checklist, and tips on how to leverage AI in the creation of action-first learning.

The book includes a chapter by instructional designer Amy Pape about how to improve action-first learning through accessibility and another by L&D expert Kevin Thorn on the use of comics in action-first learning.

Karl M. Kapp, EdD, is a scholar, writer, and expert on the convergence of learning, technology, and business with a focus on the power of game-thinking and interactive, action-first learning. He is an award-winning speaker and the director of the Institute for Interactive Technologies at Commonwealth University in Bloomsburg, PA. Karl consults internationally with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, startups, and government agencies.