Learning science for trainers: Designing memorable, low-load training sessions

A ready-made course you customise for your organisation, with a live session deck and two surveys. You only add the 7 details that are specific to your organisation.

Length
35 min
Lessons
6 lessons
Frequency
When a trainer pathway is built or refreshed
Last reviewed
21 Oct 2026
Theories as toolkits, and the trade-offs
What would you do?

A sales enablement manager wants every slide covered

Try it: this is one of 19 interactive activities in the course.

What's included

Three pieces that work together

Copy once, get everything. Learners prepare on their own, you answer questions live, and the surveys tell you what stuck.

Self-paced course

Short lessons with real workplace scenarios, not walls of text.

  • 6 lessons, about 35 minutes
  • Tabs, process, sorting activity, scenario and quizzes

Live session deck

An AhaSlides presentation to run after the course, in person or online.

  • 10 slides
  • Quiz, word cloud, poll, ranking slides
  • A closing slide for your contacts

Two surveys

Find out what landed, and whether people use it on the job.

  • Post-course feedback, about 2 minutes
  • 30-day check-in
  • Anonymous by default
  • Results feed your next refresher

Learning objectives

At the end of this course, learners can

Each objective and the lesson that covers it.

IDObjectiveSourceWhere it's covered
TO 404.0Achieve ≥ 80% on the final assessmentn/aWhole course
SO 404.1Explain in plain words why learners forget after training and what helps them rememberBest practiceWhole course
SO 404.2Add retrieval practice, spacing and quick feedback to a session planBest practiceWhole course
SO 404.3Spot cognitive overload in slides and activities and fix it using Mayer's multimedia principles and cognitive load theoryMayer; Sweller (see verification list)Whole course
SO 404.4Match behaviourist, cognitive and constructivist ideas to a training tactic and choose the right one for a taskBest practiceWhole course
SO 404.5Write a measurable objective with Bloom's revised verbs, sequence a session with Gagne's nine events and prompt learners to plan, monitor and reflectBloom (revised); Gagne (see verification list)Whole course

Your part: what a template can't do for you

  • Your workplace details: fill in the 7 highlighted fields so the course describes your own policies, contacts and locations.
  • Records: record completion in your own LMS or record system.

Course outline

6 lessons, about 35 minutes

Minutes per lesson are an estimate, shared out by page count.

ContentInteractiveVideoYou customise
1

Why a well-rated session did not stick

3 pages

7 min
Before you beginNoteList
Two sessions, one topicTextImage
What made the difference?ChecklistKey factQuiz
2

How memory works and what overloads it

3 pages

6 min
Memory in plain wordsTabs
Where the load comes fromAccordion
Mayer's principles, in shortFlashcardsMatching quiz
3

A redesign routine: retrieve, space, feedback

3 pages

6 min
Six moves to redesign a sessionProcess
Passive or retrieval?Sorting activity
Check your own planChecklistQuiz
4

Theories as toolkits, and the trade-offs

3 pages

6 min
Three lensesTabs
Forty slides, sixty minutesScenarioQuiz
Which lens fits?Sorting activityMatching quiz
5

Objectives, sequence and learners who check themselves

3 pages

6 min
Measurable verbsTabsNote
A session in orderTimeline
Learners who monitor themselvesScenarioQuiz
6

Your next session and final assessment

2 pages

4 min
Apply itProcessYour infoNoteYour infoYour info
PracticeQuizKey factNoteButtonYour info

Live deck and surveys

10 slides to run live, two surveys to close the loop

Pink slides are interactive. Both surveys are anonymous; pink questions are written for this course.

ContentTitle, agenda, "memory is the goal, not coverage
Word cloudOne thing from a past training that you still remember
PollHow soon after teaching something do you ask learners to recall it?
ContentWhy learners forget and where overload comes from, in two lines each
QuizWhich is retrieval practice? Re-reading the handout · Closed-book two-question check ✔ · Watching the demo again · Highlighting notes
QuizA slide has a paragraph, clip art and a chart. Your best first fix: (Remove what does not help learning ✔)
RankingPut the redesign moves in order
ScaleHow confident are you adding a recall moment to your next session?
Open-ended / Q&AOne slide you will cut or split after today
Content · customiseClosing {{LD_CONTACT}}, {{SURVEY_2_URL}}, {{COURSE_URL}}
Post-course feedback: 11 questions, about 2 min
  1. Overall rating 5 stars
  2. Relevant, realistic, right length, helpful activities agree/disagree grid
  3. What was most useful? multi-select
  4. Confidence before this course, and now 1-5 scale
  5. Do you write objectives with a measurable verb? multiple choice
  6. I can tell when a slide asks learners to carry too much at once. 1-5 scale
  7. Do you plan a second look at content after the session? multiple choice
  8. I feel free to cut content from a session I have always run. 1-5 scale
  9. One thing we should change or add open text
  10. Would you recommend this course? NPS
30-day check-in
  1. Have you used what you learned since the course? multiple choice
  2. How confident are you today? Compare with day 1 1-5 scale
  3. Do you know where to find the training standards? yes / no / not sure
  4. A moment where the training helped, or where you weren't sure open text
  5. Which topics should the next refresher focus on? ranking

Results show whether people use the training on the job, not just whether they finished it.

Make it yours

7 fields to fill in, and you're ready

Everything else is done. These are the details only your organisation knows; each one is highlighted inside the course.

  • Ld contact{{LD_CONTACT}}
  • Training standards link{{TRAINING_STANDARDS_LINK}}
  • LMS or record system{{LMS_OR_RECORD_SYSTEM}}
  • Next course link{{NEXT_COURSE_LINK}}
  • Survey 1 URL{{SURVEY_1_URL}}
  • Survey 2 URL{{SURVEY_2_URL}}
Show all 7 fields
  • Course URL{{COURSE_URL}}

FAQ

Common questions

Can I run learning science for trainers: Designing memorable, low-load training sessions training online?

Yes. The course is self-paced and online, and the live deck lets you add a live session in the room or online.

How often is this training needed?

When a trainer pathway is built or refreshed, before a redesign of an existing programme, and as a follow-up to a train-the-trainer course.

Who needs this training?

Corporate trainers, facilitators, mentors and instructional designers who design and deliver training to adult learners; run by the head of L&D or a training academy lead.

What records should I keep?

Record completion in your own LMS or record system, so you can show who finished the course and when.

Can I edit the content?

Yes, everything. Change the wording, swap scenarios for ones from your workplace, add your logo, or remove parts that don't apply.

Ready to run it?

Open the live deck to see how the session runs alongside the course and both surveys.