Ready, Set, Learn! Energizing Workplace Training With Active Learning Principles

Abstract

Active learning is not simply about learning by doing. It incorporates diverse components to effectively cultivate and enhance trainees’ skills. However, existing research remains limited and sometimes contradictory regarding how adult learners prefer and apply these methods in workplace contexts, which calls for deeper investigation. This review explores active learning principles in workplace training and their effects on learning transfer and skill retention. Guided by Merrill’s Principles of Instruction (MPI), we analyzed 191 studies published between 2000 and 2025, as scholarship during this period reflects the field’s most substantive evolution, whereas earlier work is limited in scope and offers minimal insight into emerging trajectories. This body of literature was examined to address two guiding research questions: (a) What principles define active learning in workplace training? (b) How do these principles influence learning transfer and skill retention? Our analysis identified ten interconnected principles. They offering guidance for trainers, educators, and workplace learning designers who are striving to enhance training effectiveness through active learning.