Applying Activity-Based Learning in Automotive Digital Training
Driving Performance: How Activity-Based Learning Transforms Automotive Online Training
In the automotive industry, performance is built through experience, precision, and decision making not passive knowledge.
Activity-based learning transforms online automotive training by placing learners in realistic situations that mirror the showroom, the workshop, and the customer journey.
Through interactive scenarios, video-based diagnostics, simulations, and hands-on challenges, learners actively practice product storytelling, technical reasoning, and client conversations in a safe digital environment.
This experiential approach accelerates skill acquisition, improves retention, and ensures that knowledge translates into confident actions—whether explaining EV technology, handling objections, or delivering a premium customer experience.
Activity-Based Learning in Automotive Training: Learning by Doing to Drive Lasting Performance
In automotive training, memorisation and performance are strongest when learning is experiential and interactive.
Activity-Based Learning places sales consultants, technicians, and service advisors in realistic situations vehicle walkarounds, diagnostics, client objections, EV explanations where they must act, decide, and respond. Research shows that learners retain up to 75% of what they actively do, compared to 10–20% of what they read or hear.
By simulating real-world interactions through scenarios, interactive video, and hands-on challenges, automotive training becomes more memorable, builds confidence faster, and ensures knowledge is applied consistently on the showroom floor and in the workshop.
Key Benefits of Activity-Based Learning for Automotive Training
Improves knowledge retention by up to 75% through active participation
Passive formats result in only 10–20% retention
Scenario-based learning increases behavior transfer by 30–40%
Builds confidence in vehicle presentation, diagnostics, and client conversations
Encourages learning through experience and decision-making
Supports faster ramp-up for new models, EVs, and new technologies
Mirrors real showroom and workshop situations in a risk-free environment
Drives more consistent performance across sales, aftersales, and service teams
Mobile-First Activity Design for Automotive Training: Learning Built for the Field
In automotive training, learning happens between showroom interactions, workshop tasks, and client appointments not behind a desk.
Designing activities mobile-first ensures training fits the reality of sales consultants, technicians, and service advisors.
Studies show that 70–80% of frontline learners access training primarily on mobile, and mobile-first learning can increase completion rates by up to 45%.
When activities are short, visual, touch-based, and interactive such as video quizzes, micro-scenarios, diagnostics challenges, or quick product walkarounds they reduce cognitive load and improve memorisation through frequent, experience-based interactions.
Mobile-first activity design turns learning into a performance support tool that lives in the flow of work.
Key Benefits of Mobile-First Activity Design in Automotive Training
70–80% of automotive/frontline learners access training mainly on mobile
Mobile-first learning increases completion rates by up to 45%
Short, interactive activities improve retention by 20–30%
Enables learning between customer interactions and tasks
Ideal for vehicle features, EV education, diagnostics, and objections handling
Touch-based interactions boost engagement and ease of use
Supports faster rollout of new models and technologies
Embeds learning directly into the daily workflow of sales & service teams
The Power of Interactive Video in Automotive Training: Learning Through Action, Not Observation
Interactive video, video quizzes, and video assessments transform automotive training by turning passive viewing into active learning.
Instead of simply watching content, learners are asked to make decisions, answer questions, explain features, or demonstrate behaviours on camera activating cognitive, emotional, and motor memory at the same time.
Research shows that learners retain up to 95% of information delivered through video, and when video becomes interactive, engagement increases by 2–3× compared to linear formats.
In automotive contexts vehicle walkarounds, EV explanations, service protocols, objection handling interactive video mirrors real-life situations, helping learners memorise through experience and interaction rather than repetition alone.
Key Benefits of Interactive Video for Automotive Training
Video-based learning can drive up to 95% retention vs. ~10% for text
Interactive video increases engagement by 2–3×
Video quizzes improve retention via active recall (+30–40%)
Video assessment builds confidence through practice and self-expression
Ideal for vehicle presentation, diagnostics, client conversations, and EV education
Encourages learning through decision-making and reflection
Safe environment to practice without real-world risk
Increases completion rates, often 80–90% on mobile
Supports consistent performance across sales, service, and aftersales teams
Multimedia Activities in Automotive Training: Turning Interaction into Memorisation
Multimedia activities such as hotspots, scenario-based learning, flash cards, and bucket-list challenges transform automotive training into an active, experience-driven journey.
Instead of passively consuming information, learners explore vehicles through interactive hotspots, make decisions in realistic scenarios, reinforce knowledge with flash cards, and validate progress through goal-oriented checklists.
Research shows that active recall and interaction improve long-term retention by 30–50%, while scenario-based learning can increase behaviour transfer by up to 40%.
By engaging multiple senses and placing learning in context, these formats anchor knowledge in real experience—making it easier to remember, apply, and reuse on the showroom floor or in the workshop.
Key Benefits of Multimedia Learning Activities for Automotive Training
Multimedia hotspots increase engagement and comprehension by up to 40%
Scenario-based learning boosts behavior transfer by 30–40%
Flash cards activate active recall, improving retention by 30–50%
Bucket lists & checklists create motivation and clear learning goals
Encourages learning through exploration, decision-making, and repetition
Ideal for vehicle features, options, EV systems, diagnostics, and service processes
Reduces cognitive overload with short, focused interactions
Easily deployed in mobile-first automotive training environments
Reinforces confidence and consistency across sales, service, and aftersales teams
The Power of Modern Authoring Tools: Designing Engaging Activities That Drive Learning Impact
Using a modern authoring tool empowers learning teams to create, manage, and scale engaging activities and interactions without heavy technical effort.
Authoring tools make it easy to design interactive formats scenarios, quizzes, hotspots, videos, flash cards, challenges that activate learning through experience rather than consumption.
Research shows that interactive learning can improve retention by 30–60% compared to static content, while rapid iteration and reuse significantly reduce time-to-launch by up to 50%.
By centralizing creation, updates, and localization, authoring tools ensure learning remains consistent, relevant, and continuously optimized—especially critical in fast-moving industries like retail, luxury, and automotive.
Key Benefits of Using an Authoring Tool
Interactive content increases retention by 30–60% vs. static eLearning
Faster content creation and updates reduce time-to-market by up to 50%
Enables rich activities: branching scenarios, video quizzes, hotspots, flash cards, challenges
Supports activity-based and experiential learning at scale
Simplifies multilingual content creation and updates
Ensures consistency across brands, regions, and roles
Lowers dependency on technical teams with no-code / low-code design
Improves engagement and completion rates, often reaching 80%+
Allows continuous improvement through data, feedback, and iteration
Conclusion: From Training Content to Driving Performance
Activity-Based Learning redefines automotive online training by turning knowledge into experience and experience into performance.
When learners actively engage through scenarios, interactive video, simulations, and hands-on challenges, memorisation is stronger, confidence builds faster, and behaviours transfer more effectively to the showroom and the workshop. In an industry driven by technology, precision, and human interaction, learning must mirror reality to be impactful.
Built with these realities in mind, The Learning Lab LMS is a retail- and automotive-first solution designed to create, manage, and scale engaging activity-based learning.
From interactive video and branching scenarios to mobile-first activities and coaching workflows, it provides everything needed to design memorable learning experiences that support real performance—helping automotive brands train teams who don’t just know more, but do better.