Is Interactive Training Impactful?
Why are organisations rethinking traditional training?
Across every sector, leaders are beginning to recognise a disconnect between the volume of training being delivered and the real behaviour change they need to see. Despite investments in courses, platforms and digital resources, workplace habits often remain the same. Completion rates rise, but impact stays low, prompting a crucial question: is traditional training truly delivering what organisations expect?
This is where interactive training is transforming expectations. When learning moves beyond slides and lectures into hands-on, decision led, experiential experiences, performance changes in a measurable way. Organisations are starting to recognise that practice-based learning, not passive consumption, is what drives real behaviour change.
What makes interactive training effective?
Interactive training places learners inside scenarios where decisions matter. Instead of being told what good looks like, employees get the chance to try, fail, adapt and succeed. This shift aligns with what behavioural science has shown for decades: people learn best by doing.
When learning is interactive, three outcomes become significantly stronger:
Engagement: People naturally pay more attention when they are required to interact with content.
Retention: Experiential learning improves memory and long-term recall.
Application: Learners transfer skills and behaviours into real work because they have practised them in a safe space.
Psychology, learning theory and practical business needs all point in the same direction. Interactive training creates deeper learning because it mirrors the real world, gives space for safe experimentation and strengthens confidence.
How is interactive training evolving in modern workplaces?
Organisations are dealing with new pressures. Beyond hybrid teams, there is the aging workforce to consider also. This sees rising compliance demands and skills gaps that widen year on year. Traditional training methods alone cannot keep pace. Leaders need learning that is accessible, scalable, measurable and able to deliver consistent quality across every location.
Interactive training supports this by offering:
Adaptable experiences tailored to different roles or contexts.
Immediate feedback based on real choices.
Repeatable practice opportunities.
Accessible formats from mobile friendly microlearning to immersive virtual reality.
The result is a learning approach that meets modern expectations for high quality, personalised performance support.
How does Totem Learning design interactive training?
Totem Learning Ltd is a UK-based pioneer in digital learning, blending psychology, learning science and game design to deliver serious games, simulations and immersive experiences that improve performance.
Below are some of the core ways Totem delivers impact.
How do serious games drive behaviour change?
Serious games allow learners to practise real decisions without real consequences. Totem’s serious games help organisations explore complex challenges, test strategies and develop confidence.
Examples include:
Pretty Liquid (KPMG) – delivered a 24 percent productivity improvement and year on year ROI.
Don’t Walk Past (NHS) – supports mental health conversations in high pressure environments.
Agent Beko – a sales onboarding game designed to improve speed to competence.
These games go beyond engagement by strengthening the core skills that interactive training is designed to develop, helping learners make clearer, more informed decisions that create long term behavioural change rather than short term box ticking in real workplace scenarios.
What can VR, AR and simulations add to interactive training?
In industries where safe practice is essential, simulations create immersive environments where learners can rehearse tasks, explore consequences and build confidence.
Our work includes:
Bears & Bulls – a multiplayer supply chain simulation.
Digital Twins – virtual replicas of equipment used to practise specialist skills.
Accessible Travel Simulation – helping people with hidden conditions develop confidence travelling by rail.
These experiences create the psychological safety needed to attempt challenging tasks and learn from mistakes.
Why are microlearning games effective for busy teams?
Totem’s microlearning games deliver focused bursts of interactive training that fit naturally into busy schedules. Each game lasts four to six minutes and encourages progress through small, meaningful challenges.
Results from organisations using Totem’s microlearning include:
99 percent engagement
99 percent retention
99 percent agreement that the learning supported job performance
These figures demonstrate why short form interactive learning is so effective at reinforcing knowledge and strengthening behaviours.
How does gamified eLearning improve understanding?
Totem applies game design principles to elevate eLearning. Instead of static modules, learners interact with branching journeys, episodic simulations and dynamic scoring.
The Gap Partnership’s negotiation programme is a leading example. It:
Delivered advanced negotiation skills through eight interactive modules.
Offered realistic simulations with meaningful decision making.
Achieved recognition with a Brandon Hall Gold Award.
Gamified experiences generate stronger engagement and support deeper cognitive processing.
What role do AI personas play in practice-based learning?
For skills involving sensitive or high stakes conversations, practice matters. Totem’s AI personas allow learners to rehearse real scenarios with natural dialogue and personalised feedback.
Sona AI helps employees develop:
Confidence in difficult conversations.
Clear communication strategies.
Improved self-awareness.
This turns conversational training into a practical, repeatable experience where learners can refine their approach at their own pace.
How does Totem measure the impact of interactive training?
Interactive training is most valuable when the outcomes are clear. We build analytics into every project to measure behaviour, confidence and performance.
Typical results include:
24 percent ROI
100 percent pass rate in project management training programmes
50 percent error reduction in operational tasks
100 percent reduction in unsafe behaviours linked to driving
When Learning and Development teams have data, they can demonstrate the strategic value of their work.
Why does accessibility matter for interactive training?
Interactive training must work for everyone. Accessibility ensures that learners with cognitive, motor, visual, hearing or sensory needs can engage fully.
Our approach draws on established accessibility principles, including:
Clear text formatting and readable font sizes.
Tutorials and adjustable pacing.
Large, well spaced interactive elements.
Avoiding scenarios where information is delivered only through one sensory channel.
Designing with accessibility in mind ensures the training is inclusive, effective and aligned with industry standards.
This also supports confidence, especially for learners who may feel anxious about technology or complex tasks. When the learning environment is clear, stable and accessible, participation increases.
What impact does interactive training have on organisations?
Interactive training creates measurable improvements that matter to businesses:
Improved accuracy and fewer errors.
Better decision making.
Stronger compliance.
Higher confidence among employees.
Faster onboarding and improved retention.
More consistent training outcomes across regions.
The combination of practice, engagement and analytics makes it a powerful tool for organisational performance.
What impact does it have on learners?
Learners feel more confident when they can practise and experiment safely. Interactive formats give them:
Space to make mistakes without repercussions.
Opportunities to build competence gradually.
A sense of autonomy and ownership over their development.
Realistic scenarios that reflect the pressures of real life.
These benefits make training more meaningful, especially in roles that require judgement, communication or technical skill.
How can leaders get started with interactive training?
We make it easy for organisations to begin exploring interactive training in a low pressure, highly supportive way. Instead of committing to a full custom-built practice-based learning programme upfront, leaders can start with a structured conversation designed to clarify needs and identify the right approach.
We offer a 30-minute introduction where our team listens and helps you define the key challenge you want to solve. This conversation is obligation free and focused on understanding your goals, whether you are exploring serious games, simulations, VR, microlearning or a blended approach.
For organisations wanting to test the impact of interactive training before scaling, we provide transparent guidance on investment.
This pathway allows companies to begin confidently, gain early insight and demonstrate value while keeping the process predictable and manageable.
Elevate your interactive training strategy with Totem
Interactive training is now a decisive advantage for organisations aiming for real behaviour change and measurable performance improvement. It shifts learning away from passive completion and toward meaningful practice that builds long term confidence and capability.
We develop interactive training solutions grounded in behavioural science and proven through data. Whether through serious games, simulations, VR, microlearning or AI powered practice-based learning, each experience is designed to strengthen performance in a measurable and sustainable way.
If your organisation is ready to move beyond traditional approaches and invest in training that delivers genuine change, we can help you identify the right interactive solution for your goals.