One of the most beneficial classes I’ve taken in college was Introduction to Entrepreneurship. The course was designed much like an effective training and development program. It encouraged active participation, skill-building, and continuous learning. We didn’t just learn concepts like opportunity recognition or business modeling, we applied them through hands-on projects, business pitches, and case analyses. This experiential approach mirrors the principles of effective employee training design discussed this week specifically, the importance of identifying learning needs and developing engaging, practical exercises that help participants transfer new knowledge to real-world contexts. Because I could immediately see the relevance of each lesson, I stayed motivated and retained the material well beyond the semester.
In contrast, Introduction to Marketing felt more like a poorly designed training session focused solely on information delivery rather than development. The class emphasized memorizing terminology and theories with minimal opportunity to apply them. There was no “onboarding” into how marketers think or create campaigns, and no structured exercises to reinforce learning. According to this week’s material, training that lacks interactivity or relevance often fails to engage learners and produces little long-term value.
Reflecting on both experiences, the Entrepreneurship course exemplified a well-developed learning program one that identified clear objectives, used meaningful application, and encouraged career-related skill growth. The Marketing course, by contrast, showed how ineffective design can limit engagement and understanding. Together, they demonstrate how the design and implementation of learning experiences are crucial for true development and long-term success.