A 5-Step Framework for Training That Actually Sticks

A lot of e-learning falls short of real behavior change. This happens for good reason. Generally speaking there are explainer courses and courses that try to change behvaior. Most courses seem to lean into the explainer type, so they don’t effect change.

On the flip side, courses that require behavior change aren’t designed to do more than explain content. At best, the have a tutorial or video where they show what should happen. but rarely do they involve any practice activities.

The Tell, Show, Do model as a foundation

The Tell, Show, Do model is a simple reminder for course designers. It pushes you away from the content dump and toward the action in the learning. The goal isn’t just to share information; it’s to get learners doing something with it. That shift can improve your courses.

Here’s what each stage means in practice:

• Tell them what they’ll learn. This sets expectations and gives learners context. They need to see how the content connects to their work before they’ll engage with it.
• Show them what they’ll do so they can see it in action. Watching a process before attempting it reduces the anxiety of starting cold. It builds familiarity.
• Do the task. At this stage, the learner tries the thing they’ve seen demonstrated. In an e-learning course, that usually means simulated decision-making, like a role-play or software simulation.

Why practice and review change the outcome

Tell, Show, Do is a good start. But stopping at “do” misses something important. E-learning courses are often weak on repetition, and that’s where retention lives.

Two additions round out the model:

• Practice the task. We have the “Do” part, but what we need is “Do,” multiple times to repeat the activities. Repetition matters. Learners need more than one or two chances to apply what they’ve learned. Outside the course, managers and team leads can support practice in real-world settings. The more times a learner applies a skill, the better it sticks.
• Review what they did. Practice without feedback is just guessing. Review closes the loop. It includes assessing the learner’s proficiency and offering next steps, whether that’s certification or more targeted practice. This is also where the social dimension of learning shows up. New learners get a sense of where they stand and what’s next.

Key takeaways

The expanded model is worth using as a design checkpoint before you build anything. Ask yourself whether each stage is present: the telling, the showing, the doing, the practice, and the review. When you build in deliberate practice and a consistent review process, learners and managers get the feedback loops they need. That’s how you close the gap between knowing and doing. Consider sharing this model with your subject matter experts before your next design session.