It is all about performance. It is about getting things done. Without action, knowledge is suspended in time. Without the necessary skills, knowledge is wasted. Learning is evident only when you demonstrate your knowledge by applying your skills in succeeding in doing the something you desire.
Sadly, contemporary learning is still troubled with too much text, a scarcity of practical case-studies, and inadequate opportunities to apply and practise learning objectives and skills. Consequently, education is too often seen as humdrum. Such boring programs and/or instruction mean a lack of learning. Leaners do not acquire all the necessary knowledge and skills that may even result in dislike for the material, the instructor, and the institute. If students do not perceive that they received value for their time and money, learning suffers and undesirable attitudes emerge.
Instructional design needs to focus on the learner. It cannot be traditionally linear. Knowledge presentation followed by a quiz followed by more content and yet another quiz, ad nausea, until all materials have been offered followed by a final exam is not learning with the greatest potential for understanding. This approach discounts such differences in learners as pacing, preferences, readiness levels, and personalities.
The solution is creating effective learning experiences based on instructional design best practices that place the learner at the centre of the process. Unfortunately, too often, everyone believes they know best and progress is stalled by opposing opinions. It is as if watching golf on TV qualifies viewers as PGA professionals.
In schooling, change is not as pervasive as you may have suspected.
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