Traditional post-training lacked visibility and consistency
Before Qstream, Farmers & Merchants Bank’s Learning and Development team relied on instructor-led training followed by manual post-training assignments to encourage knowledge retention. While this approach encouraged employees to revisit course content, it presented several critical operational and evaluative challenges:
- Lack of Performance Visibility: Their team had no way to measure whether the assigned post-training was actually helping people remember what they learned.
- Inconsistent Learner Experience: Reinforcement varied across learning programs, with different assignments designed for different roles and topics.
- Administrative Burden: Trainers manually collected, reviewed and graded assignments, taking time away from learner support and coaching.
The team wanted a scalable, measurable way to reinforce learning, engage employees while reducing the administrative burden and driving lasting knowledge retention.
Finding a better way to reinforce learning
After evaluating several options, F&M Bank selected Qstream AI-powered microlearning platform based on ease of use, accessibility, learner engagement features, reporting capabilities and responsive customer support.
Rather than ending their learning with instructor-led training, they used continuous learning to keep information top of mind over time. Microlearning activities were built around each course’s learning objectives, giving employees regular opportunities to revisit key concepts through short, spaced learning. Immediate feedback helped learners better understand the why behind the correct answer on a deeper, more valuable way.
F&M Bank initially piloted Qstream with an instructor-led course before expanding it to other programs. Learners quickly embraced the bite-sized, daily learning experiences, finding it easier to fit into their day than traditional post-training assignments.
Rolling out Qstream across F&M
To support adoption of Qstream, their L&D team developed a repeatable, fail-safe process.
Each program included introductory emails with login instructions, weekly reminders for learners who had not yet started and leaderboard emails recognizing top performers. Completing the assigned microlearning activities became a requirement for receiving credits for their course, helping to encourage learners right from the start.
Turning reinforcement into measurable impact
Replacing manual administrative tasks with structured microlearning gave their L&D team a transparent look into how learners were progressing after their training.
Qstream’s detailed reporting helped their L&D team highlight knowledge gaps and overall effectiveness at the individual level, giving them meaningful data to share with stakeholders while helping to improve and inform future training decisions.
The Qstream platform also enabled F&M Bank to respond in a timely manner when new learning needs emerged. For example, reporting identified challenges around reportable transitions, prompting the team to launch a targeted microlearning refresher course.
Today, refresher Qstream courses are delivered throughout the year to keep critical banking procedures top of mind, even for scenarios employees rarely encounter and would otherwise likely forget.
A look at the results
Greater confidence in knowledge retention
Training teams gained visibility into learner proficiency and reinforcement effectiveness.
Improved operational efficiency
Trainers eliminated the manual effort required to collect, review and grade post-work assignments.
Higher learner engagement
Employees preferred the bite-sized learning experience and responded positively to the spaced delivery model.
Stronger stakeholder reporting
Analytics and reporting provided clear evidence of engagement, proficiency improvement and program impact.
Faster response to performance gaps
The team can now deploy targeted refresher training when trends emerge, helping employees stay prepared for critical customer interactions.
Scalable Knowledge Reinforcement
Qstream enabled the team to move away from inconsistent, ad hoc post-training assignments to a more continuous learning model.
The future of Farmers and Merchants Bank and Qstream
Building on the success of its reinforcement programs, F&M Bank is exploring new ways to leverage Qstream across the organization.
The team is particularly excited to use Qstream Learning Journeys to support onboarding programs and create more connected learning experiences for new hires. They also plan to continue leveraging Qstream AI to accelerate content development.
Looking ahead, the organization sees opportunities to expand Qstream beyond retail banking teams and into compliance training and broader enterprise learning initiatives.
