Client
A large US-based energy technology organization with a diverse portfolio spanning power, wind, electrification, and digital technologies.
Challenge
Turbine starter panels involve multiple interconnected concepts, including electrical circuits, control logic, startup sequences, HMI, safety considerations, and fault scenarios. Engineers preparing for advanced technical training needed a foundational understanding of these concepts and how they relate to overall system behavior.
The challenge was to provide this foundation without introducing too much technical detail at once.
The learning experience therefore needed to identify and sequence essential concepts, make system behavior easier to visualize, and establish the knowledge required for more advanced technical sessions.
Solution
Mediant Labs analyzed SME inputs and existing source material to determine the concepts learners needed to understand before progressing to advanced training.
The proposed solution combined microlearning, progressive content sequencing, and technical visualization to make complex information more manageable while retaining the technical relationships between concepts.
The approach focused on three areas:
- Breaking complexity into focused microlearning
- Creating a progressive learning journey
- Using visualization to enhance understanding
Designing Microlearning Without Diluting Technical Content: The microlearning approach helped create bite-sized modules that made complex technical content easier to understand and absorb, without overwhelming learners. The content was organized into eight modules, each approximately 5–15 minutes long and focused on a specific learning objective. Topics including components, control logic, startup sequences, HMI, safety, and fault scenarios could therefore be introduced in manageable stages rather than as a single body of technical information.
Dividing the content into shorter modules required more than simply reducing the amount of information presented on each screen. The strategy identified what learners needed to understand at each stage and sequenced those concepts so that each module contributed to a broader understanding of the system. This helped manage cognitive load while preserving the relationships between components, circuits, control logic, and system behavior.
Making System Behavior Visible Through Visualization: Developed in Articulate Storyline, the modules used animated circuit diagrams to demonstrate system behavior.
Electrical circuits and control logic can be difficult to interpret through static diagrams or technical descriptions alone. Animated circuit diagrams demonstrated how the system behaves over time, allowing learners to observe sequences, relationships, and responses as they occurred. Visualization therefore served a specific instructional purpose: helping learners move from reading about system behavior to seeing how that behavior unfolds.
Connecting Concepts Through a Progressive Learning Path: The modules were sequenced to establish foundational concepts first and progressively introduce related technical information. This approach helped learners build connections between individual components, electrical circuits, control logic, and overall system behavior before progressing to more advanced instruction.
Impact
The eight-module microlearning experience provided engineers with a structured foundation for subsequent technical training. Focused learning objectives and progressive sequencing helped learners build understanding incrementally, while animated circuit diagrams made system behavior more visible and easier to follow.
The approach supported:
- Stronger conceptual clarity around components, circuits, control logic, and system behavior
- Reduced cognitive load by organizing complex information into focused learning experiences
- Greater learner confidence through progressive exposure to technical concepts
- Improved readiness for advanced training by establishing foundational knowledge beforehand
Together, these elements created a more structured progression from understanding individual concepts to seeing how they operate as part of a larger technical system.
“The team brought strong instructional design and development expertise to the project. Complex technical concepts were integrated naturally into the learning experience, with visual treatment, animation, audio, and interactions making the content more accessible without losing technical depth. The project was well structured from the outset, with regular communication and weekly reviews providing clear visibility into progress. The team was responsive throughout and thoughtful in recommending ways to strengthen the experience through gamification and conversational elements.”
Watch the video here
