Experiential
Learning Design
A practical, research-informed workshop for trainers who want to create programs that help people use what they've learned.
"A huge wealth of knowledge and experience. I feel confident applying the material."— Recent participant
When people are bored,
they stop learning.
Training that relies heavily on PowerPoint has consistently shown low retention. A landmark meta-analysis published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Freeman et al., 2014) found that students in passive, lecture-based courses significantly underperformed those in active learning environments.
After 30 years working with trainers, I've seen this pattern over and over. The fix isn't better slides. It's experiential design — and there's a longstanding, systematic way to do it.
Low Retention from Passive Learning
Lecture-only formats leave participants disengaged — and information doesn't stick.
High Retention from Experiential Design
Active learning environments produce measurably better outcomes.
Five things you'll take
back to your work
A browser-based design tool built around the ELD model
The Instructional Design Studio keeps everything in one place — your learning objective, activities, methods, timing, and notes — structured around the five-phase experiential learning design model. Nothing to install; open it in your browser and start designing.
A reusable design system for every project
The ELD Template walks you through each phase of the learning cycle in sequence, with suggested learning methods and a live time calculator that shows your session total as you build. Document your design so you can deliver it yourself, hand it off to a co-facilitator, or keep it on file as a record of your work.
An Objective Builder that gives you a running start on writing objectives
Writing objectives is a task not everyone feels confident with — it's hard to know where to start, and it's tempting to skip. Step through all four components of a well-formed objective and generate a solid, colour-coded result you can send directly to your template. Good enough to start designing, right away.
Ready-to-adapt evaluation tools
Workshop evaluation forms to measure participant reaction, plus pre/post tests to measure reaction and learning levels. All ready to customize for your context.
12 hours of continuing education & a certificate
Receive a Certificate of Experiential Learning Design and documentation to support professional development reimbursement where applicable.
Straight from the room
"This course will really help us revamp and strengthen our workshops."
"I'm glad I took this class before stepping into facilitation. I learned techniques I can use right away."
"A huge wealth of knowledge and experience. I feel confident applying the material."
"There's a lot of great information I wish I'd had before I began facilitating."
30 years of designing training
that works.
This workshop grew out of 25+ years teaching in the Diploma in Adult Education program at St. Francis Xavier University — a nationally respected program that ran for 50 years. Many former graduates asked me to continue this work independently.
This May is the first time I'm offering it on my own. It's a direct continuation of that tradition, brought forward.
Everything you need to know
Schedule & Format
Good Fit For
Enrolment is limited — spaces are finite
registration from the
same organisation.
Start designing right away with the Instructional Design Studio
The Instructional Design Studio is a standalone browser-based tool built around the same five-phase experiential learning model. If you need to get started immediately — or just want to explore the model before committing to a workshop — it's a practical place to begin.
Join us May 8 & 15 for a practical, research-grounded workshop.
You'll draw on what you learn every time you design a program.
Register Now — Early Rate $795 Early registration ends April 1. Regular rate $850.Questions? Contact Alison directly · amlearning.ca