Discussing new ways of consuming content that drive learning engagement
Dana Nahi is a Senior Learning Experience Designer at Kashida, with experience in analyzing learning needs and developing effective curricula. Her solid background in instructional design principles enables her to create engaging learning experiences tailored to diverse audiences. Today, she talks with us about designing custom L&D that empowers organizations to accelerate and reinvent their teams through human-centered, engaging, and impact-driven content.
What is the most important challenge facing organizations today in upscaling and rescaling in a Gen Z world?
One of the biggest challenges organizations face today is aligning the pace of learning with the accelerated expectations and attention spans of Gen Z learners. It’s not just about keeping up with technical updates. It’s about designing experiences that fit their digital habits and emotional drivers. Research shows that Gen Z learners expect digital experiences that reflect the fluidity of social media: concise, visual and participatory. Gen Z expects learning to be on-demand, personalized and meaningful, not a one-size-fits-all solution.
They seek purpose, interaction, and community and organizations that fail to address these motivations. We often see this play out: many young professionals bypass long, static courses and instead turn to YouTube or TechTalk for instant, visual, and peer-to-peer learning. This is a clear indication that learners want learning experiences that match the pace and rhythm of their lives. So, the challenge is not just “rapid tech updates”. It’s about maintaining human, relevant and continuous learning in a world where information moves faster than structured training cycles. Forward-thinking organizations are responding to this need for reinforcement by offering learning in short cycles, sometimes even through gamified microbursts or interactive challenges.
Kashida’s approach focuses on new and innovative ways of using materials. What is the role of microlearning, gamification and mobile-first experiences in sustaining learning engagement?
At Kashida, we always start with people, not platforms. Our human-centered approach means we design learning experiences around the learner’s actual needs. Before choosing a format like microlearning, gamification, or mobile-first design, we first understand how the learner thinks, feels, and engages with content. Once we do, we use what really drives the results. We’ve shared more about this in our blog on designing engaging learning programs, but here’s a look at some of the techniques we rely on and why they work.
Microlearning delivers knowledge in short, focused bursts that fit naturally into busy lives. Gamification adds an emotional layer. It transforms learning from a passive process into a challenge-oriented journey. We use badges, progress indicators, leaderboards, and story-driven missions to give learners a sense of progress and achievement.
And with mobile-first experiences, we meet learners exactly where they are: on their phones, constantly connected, and looking for immediate, meaningful engagement. Our designs are responsive, accessible, intuitive and bite-sized, helping learning flow naturally into everyday life. These approaches make engagement sustainable rather than situational.
Can you share some real-world insights from Kashida’s internal programs, including internships and onboarding experiences?
Our internal programs reflect our learning philosophy.
In the internship program, we cover theory and practice initially. Interns often tell us that they like the nature of their learning, moving from conceptual understanding to real-world application. Each day brings micro-tasks that lead to a larger goal, and they appreciate the constant challenge and feedback loop.
For an on-board experience, we have designed the journey to be both welcoming and rewarding. New recruits are recruited through modules that gradually increase their “cashier level”. They search employee handbooks through a scavenger hunt activity, and that often turns static content into a discovery experience.
We also encourage new team members to have short meetings with colleagues to discuss each module, and turn learning into a social experience. This structure not only promotes engagement, but also strengthens team communication and culture from day one.
Is there a recent development project, product launch, or other initiative our readers should know about?
We are currently developing a popular learning experience for the Salim Bin Mahfouz Foundation that focuses on future skills for young people, and it is one of our most exciting projects yet. The experience is more than a course: it’s a complete platform with programs that combine edutainment and challenge-based learning.
Learners progress through mini-games, missions and leaderboards, and track their progress against peers. What stands out is that it invites learners to apply knowledge in real life by uploading short videos, comic strips, or visual collages to share their findings and reflections, echoing the natural social media behavior of Gen Z.
The world of the story itself is built around social media, which is familiar, playful and intimate with how young people today consume and express information.
In youth-oriented programs, Kishida has worked to help young learners with financial literacy, cybersecurity, anti-corruption and future skills?
Kishida has developed a number of youth-oriented programs that combine learning with interaction and storytelling.
For example, we collaborated with UNDP and the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development (NIGSD) to create an interactive game for teenagers in Egypt that teaches integrity and anti-corruption through a scenario-based story. Learners choose an avatar and navigate a real-life dilemma, making choices that shape their journey and awareness of corruption concepts and methods for mitigating risks and finding solutions.
In Financial Literacy, we supported the Ryley Foundation to transition their Ajial program from face-to-face delivery to a fully online, inquiry-based design, which engaged 12- to 16-year-old learners with devices. The experience featured short interactive modules, peer-to-peer video reflections, and mobile-friendly delivery.
As our Safe Space project aims to protect children in Qatar and the Arab world by promoting a culture of cyber safety and security, we helped youth, caregivers and teachers engage with more than 450 microlearning assets through story-driven and visual formats. The experience mirrored how they already consume content: fast, visual and story-driven.
In all of these programs, the thread is the same: learning that feels alive, relevant, and self-directed. Not didactic, but inspiring.
wrap up
Thanks to Dana Nehme for sharing her experience and insight with us. You can also check out Kishida’s website to learn more about their award-winning solutions that are trusted by companies around the world.
Last but certainly not least, we want to congratulate Kashida for earning a spot on our top content providers to expand your list of employee engagement strategies.
