Why Smarter Learning Unlocks Employee Potential and ROI

In the rapidly evolving world of workplace learning, it’s essential for organisations to stay ahead of educational trends. From the traditional classroom “learning cycles” of a decade ago to the sophisticated AI-powered learning pathways of 2026, the way we upskill our workforce has undergone a digital revolution. Whether you are a business leader looking to close skills gaps or an HR professional seeking to boost employee retention, understanding the transition from passive teaching to active facilitation is key.

In this guide we look at how online training and different learning theories can be utilised to develop effective L&D strategies that are more than just a tick-box exercise, delivering real benefits for organisations and the individuals within them.

The learning landscape is always changing. When I taught in Further Education, the practice of teaching went through many phases and trends every few years. A decade ago, there was the learning cycle: a staged approach to classroom practice whereby we move learners through set phases of learning. Firstly, there was ‘Connection and Recap’, then on to ‘Discovery’ and ‘Knowledge Building’, then ‘Create’ and ‘Apply’, before reaching ‘Evaluate’ and ‘Summary’. This five-stage cycle reduced to three then disappeared altogether, replaced or reinvented by the next new ‘teaching and learning’ idea.

E-learning tells the same story of adaptation and evolution as new technology emerged. It went from passive PowerPoint slideshows of information to audio, video, gamification, and more immersive, interactive elements. (For more about e-learning’s growth, read The Impact of e-Learning Growth on Workplace Learning).

Rather than throw courses at people, it’s about facilitating learning. When I first started teaching 20 years ago my job title was a ‘teacher’, then over the years it started to change: ‘lecturer’, ‘facilitator’, ‘tutor’, ‘educator’, ‘classroom practitioner’. A lot of focus on semantics, but the ‘facilitator’ title encourages more reflection on who was doing what in the learning environment, and even what the learning environment looked like.

What underwrites all of this however is learning, and the awareness of how it happens and how to maximise its output. And this is no different in the workplace. But what if learning is not just a ‘box to tick’? What if learning is about unlocking a person’s potential? This doesn’t mean focusing on what they can do, but what they are capable of.

Learning isn’t a phase. At it’s best learning should stay with us, even transform how we view ourselves and how we move through life. In order for learning to be powerful, it has to empower the person doing it. This is why understanding the way people learn and who they are is vital to creating L&D opportunities that drive business and personal success.

The Evolution of Learning

Just like education moved away from didactic teaching and passive rote learning, online training too will continue to engage and evolve. Learning and development professionals should be facilitating learning beyond simply logging in and completing a course. The landscape is changing, influenced by the growth of AI, but also ensuring that training is meeting business demands. It’s no longer just about creating content, but to consider the impact of training and enabling cognitive reflection before, during and after. Farley Thomas, Co-Founder and CEO explained at Learning Technologies 2025: “Fundamentally learners are not specialists in how they need to learn, they’re just people with day jobs. It comes down to learning and development professionals to be the guardians of what people learn and how they learn it.”

The growth of AI is leading the way with this idea. For example, whilst traditionally a platform feature, an AI-driven skills gap tool is beginning to be integrated into online courses. This is where answers to knowledge checks and questions throughout the course are collated by AI for feedback.

Workplace learning and professional development should ultimately take a holistic approach. It should align organisational and business demands with individual capabilities and growth. With L&D budgets being cut, it is more important than ever to ensure workplace learning is purposeful, valuable and impactful. A robust L&D strategy is vital to identifying individual learning requirements and organisational needs, as well as withstanding tides of change brought by economical or technological factors. 91% of L&D pros agree continuous learning is more important than ever for career success. Overall, learning and development gives people a sense of purpose. In fact, 84% of employees agree, “Learning adds purpose to my work.”

Why should Learning be the heart of an organisation?

Learning, upskilling and business growth should be at the heart of all staff training and development. Whether onboarding new staff or developing existing employees, the whole process should be a collaborative one. And yet, staff training can fall very quickly in to the trap of being a tick-box exercise. This approach is costly and can be counter-productive to the organisation’s overall goals and purpose.

According to Gallup, companies with highly engaged employees (often the result of sustained L&D) experience 23% greater profitability. A recent LinkedIn Learning Report revealed that 94% of employees would stay with a company longer if it invested in their learning and development. With 88% of organisations concerned about employee retention, the number one retention strategy is to provide employees with learning opportunities.

So, how do you ensure that staff training meets personal and professional goals? How do you choose effective online training that benefits the organisation while keeping true to individual needs? Let’s take a look at ways we learn and some of the learning theories that could help inform either an organisation’s Learning and Development strategy or an individual development agenda.

Should we look, listen, or ‘do’ to learn best?

Auditory learners learn best by an auditory input; such as voiceovers and narration. It could even present itself as background music or ‘white noise’ to enable information processing. Listening is the key skill here with this learning style; auditory learners can retain a lot of information by receiving information in such a way.

Visual learners need pictorial stimulus – not pages of text, but information divided up by anchoring images. Even graphics such as diagrams, graphs, and logos can help a visual learner process information, along with vibrant colours and varied fonts. 

A kinaesthetic learning style links to movement or action; it is the process of doing that defines this style. So having to rewrite or summarise text they’ve read and gamification or interactive elements will work well.

It no doubt originates from the well-known saying: “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand”. Ideally, for optimum learning, all three of these styles should be utilised.  

 Is learning about getting the cogs turning?

Cognitive learning means tapping into a learner’s thoughts and feelings, to ask them to analyse how they think about the topic they are learning. The key to cognitive learning is encouraging learners to reflect and connect to their own past experiences, to apply the theory to their own work-place and job role, and most importantly, to discuss it with peers and colleagues. In fact, the interaction is crucial to successful active learning. It will help to promote a shared responsibility of professional development and moving the organisation forward.

Cognitive learning could be shaped by storytelling; taking abstract ideas and placing them in more relatable stories. In compliance training for example, staff could be presented with a story about a data or cyber security breach which they must then walk through, recognising the consequences of the decisions and actions they choose. There are e-learning courses with role-play based scenarios and a ‘choose your own adventure’ style of delivery.

Is connection the key to learning?

Collaboration is key here; having an integrated LMS that enables social learning through sharing of tasks, as well as a platform that allows regular updates and feedback, is hugely beneficial. High performing organisations are turning to these types of diverse eco-systems, which are also especially effective in remote workplaces. Holding regular brainstorming and problem-solving sessions about an unrelated issue will help build collaborative and creative learning.

Do we build learning or does learning build us?

The answer is both. In terms of learning theory, this one is called constructivist. This learning theory is about learners building their own foundation of knowledge to then grow and build upwards over time and experience. A constructivist approach to learning is that it is ultimately a cumulative process and one that is dependent on the context in which it takes place. Peer training is a great example of this, setting up a partnership responsible for building knowledge together, not to mention teamwork and leadership skills. Microlearning is a great model for this and is becoming increasingly popular; courses that deliver content in 5 to 10-minute durations, reinforcing knowledge and ensuring continuous learning.

Do we learn differently as adults?

Workplace learning and development is for people of all ages and backgrounds. If we assume that adults have more life experience, more preconceived notions and biases then this theory sees learning as adopting a different format too.

Instructional Design can be helpful with adult learning, especially in the context of compliance training. Instructional Design analyses specific learning needs – so identifying what people know and what they need to know – and then tailors training according to this. You can download Learning and Development Guidance and Templates from our Content Hub here.  

How to choose the right course?

When all the ‘hard’ work is done – when organisational goals and individual development and career progression are aligned, when skills gaps are identified, when the L&D strategy is clear and robust – we can then start to think about the content needed. It is usually at this point our customers reach out to us here at e-Learning Marketplace!

Let’s take a look at the top four considerations when it comes to choosing online training. With over 4000 courses to choose from on the eLearning Marketplace, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Thinking about the following can help narrow your search and refine the decision-making process.

1. With collaborative team discussions, identify areas of training needed, whether it is personal development or meeting compliance requirements or onboarding new starters. Download our free L&D resources to help with this process and use our Categories to search according to the outcomes of these discussions.
2. It’s not just deciding what training is needed, but how it will be delivered within the format of e-learning. Meeting the learner with training that engages their way of learning and target their higher thinking skills. Online training varies in terms of content, duration, accessibility, interactivity, types of assessment, accreditation. Using our filtering options and create ‘favourites’ to help make a shortlist.
3. Accreditation deserves time on its own. With so much choice available, in terms of content, delivery, and price, understanding how accreditation works and what it means can also impact the choice you make about online training. For quality assurance, look for accredited courses, especially if this is required for audit purposes.
4. Is it impactful? All learning should be purposeful and intentional. Reflecting is a good exercise to help understand what an employee intends to do with their recent training, to identify how it will apply and impact their role in the organisation. Some courses offer pre-assessments and post-completion activities and exercises for this reason. Look for adaptive courses or courses with downloadable resources or embedded links.

By aligning your L&D strategy with proven learning theories whether auditory, visual, or constructivist you ensure that your training budget delivers a measurable impact on your bottom line. Here at the e-Learning Marketplace, as a leading supplier of digital training solutions in the UK, we can help you to select the precise online training courses that will enhance the knowledge and skills of your employees, from our vast library of over 4,800 online courses from leading publishers.

Getting training content that is relevant, tailored and delivers real value to your employees and your business? It’s easier than you think. Contact us to discuss your organisational training requirements in more detail, or take a look at our free learning resources to support you in building a highly-skilled, adaptable and competent workforce.

Author: Helen German