Is your learning designed for the modern learner?

In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, the landscape of learning has dramatically evolved. The modern learner is vastly different from the traditional learner of the past. With shorter attention spans, a preference for digital and mobile learning, and a demand for personalised and on-demand content, the modern learner requires organisations to take a new approach to learning and development.

The modern learner

The modern learner is characterised by a blend of challenges that reflect the evolving landscape of work. Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information available, many employees struggle to carve out time for training and development. In fact, statistics reveal that workers have just 1% of their typical work week to dedicate to learning. This limited timeframe highlights the urgency for organisations to rethink their training approaches and embed learning into the flow of work.

Moreover, the dispersed nature of today’s workforce complicates the consistency of access to learning and development opportunities. With 30% of full-time employees working remotely, organisations also face the challenge of needing to deliver learning via a range of modalities, utilising technology to effectively engage employees and ensure resources can be readily accessible where and when an employee wants.

Distractions further exacerbate the learning environment. Employees today are more connected than ever, yet this connectivity comes at a cost. On average, workers are interrupted every five minutes, often by notifications from work-related applications. As a result, organisations must look to create a learning environment which gives employees the space to learn but does so in a short period of time.

Modern learners are also impatient and have shorter attention spans. With instant gratification the new norm in our daily lives, modern learners want learning resources that are easy to find and provide immediate solutions. For example, most learners turn to search engines for quick answers, with many preferring videos that are no longer than four minutes.

Evidently, the modern learner has new preferences, expectations, and needs. No longer can traditional learning approaches be relied upon to effectively upskill and reskill the workforce. Already, organisations that have not yet adopted a new approach to learning are experiencing significantly poorer learning outcomes, with 79% of organisations believing that they are no longer getting a good ROI on their learning expenditure. However, organisations that have successfully tailored their learning and development programmes to the modern learner have experienced increased learner engagement, improved employee performance and productivity, reduced time to competency, and greater organisational agility.

Three shifts of high-performing learning organisations

Organisations that have successfully tailored their learning and development programme to the modern learner have focused on three key shifts. These shifts have not only allowed organisations to better cater to the needs and preferences of modern learners but have also unlocked significant value for the organisation by moving away from learning as a siloed function or activity and into a key driver of their organisation’s performance.

Shift one: evolve from an organisation-led mindset to a learner-led mindset.

The shift from organisation-led to learner-led approaches in training and development represents a fundamental transformation in how learning is perceived and executed within workplaces. In the traditional organisation-led model, learning is primarily pushed from the top down, where the organisation dictates what is taught and how. This often results in a focus on discrete, generalised skills delivered through formal courses. In this model, trainers typically hold most information, and technology is leveraged mainly for content creation and distribution, limiting engagement and adaptability.

In contrast, the learner-led model emphasises a more dynamic and responsive approach to learning. Knowledge is shared quickly and creatively among peers, fostering a collaborative environment where insights and experiences are exchanged constructively. This model recognises that skills-based learning should fill specific gaps and explore adjacent skills that are relevant to the evolving demands of the workforce. Instead of a one-size-fits-all training course, learning experiences are curated by the learners themselves, allowing them to focus on what is most relevant and valuable to their unique roles. This shift empowers employees to take charge of their own learning journeys, ensuring that they remain agile, informed, and equipped to navigate the complexities of today’s landscape.

Shift two: embed learning into the flow of work.

Embedding learning into the flow of work represents a significant shift from traditional learning approaches. Traditional methods often involve taking employees out of their work environment to attend training sessions. This delivers learning outside of an employee’s workflow, typically resulting in a poor learning experience whilst also making it difficult for employees to apply taught skills immediately back into their day-to-day environment.

In contrast, learning in the flow of work integrates learning into employees' daily tasks, making it more personalised, context-specific, and immediately applicable. This approach is important because it aligns with how employees prefer to learn today—through digital, gamified, and self-paced experiences that are part of their everyday lives. The benefits of this approach include more immediate skills transference and business impact, consistent learning with the pace of change, increased learner engagement, and the ability for learners to access content based on their needs.

Shift three: create a learning experience that is enabled by technology.

Traditionally, organisations have used technology as a content generation and distribution tool within the learning and development space, serving primarily to create training materials and deliver them to employees. This approach has often focused on static resources, such as e-learning modules or training videos, that employees consume in isolation. Although this approach has had some merit, it tends to lead to poorer learning outcomes as static resources do not offer an engaging learning experience and can often be seen as a ‘tick box’ requirement.

Today, however, high performing learning organisations are using technology to facilitate interactive and immersive learning experiences that go beyond mere content delivery. For example, augmented and virtual reality are being used to create engaging and interactive learning environments that allow employees to explore content in innovative ways. At Volkswagen, employees are using virtual reality simulations to learn tasks such as assembling a door or brake, handling with difficult customer interactions, and identifying deficit car parts. Volkswagen has developed more than 30 different virtual reality simulations that fosters a more hands-on and practical approach to employee upskilling. Ford has adopted a similar approach to its learning and development programme, using VR for its safety trainings, which has reduced injuries on its shop floors by 70%.

Casino VR card dealer training programme

A casino is another example of an organisation that has adopted a new approach to learning, catering to the needs of its modern learners by revolutionising its card dealer training programme.  Recognising that traditional training methods were no longer engaging their employees effectively, with time to competency reaching an all-time high, this casino launched a VR-based programme that transformed dealer skills acquisition into an interactive, game-like experience. The training used a gamification strategy which featured progressive levels, each focusing on different components of the dealer role, with real-time feedback and virtual rewards for mastering new skills.

The results of this gamified approach were significant. Time to competency for new dealers was halved, as employees were motivated to practice more frequently, for longer durations, and in the flow of work. Employee engagement soared, with most trainees reporting higher satisfaction compared to previous methods due to the use of immersive technology. Moreover, comprehension of dealer theory and techniques improved significantly, with post-training assessments showing an increase in knowledge retention. This successful implementation not only enhanced the skills of dealers but also set a new standard for L&D initiatives within the company, prompting similar gamification strategies across other departments.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the learning landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace, leading to significant shifts in learners’ needs and preferences. To effectively address these changes, organisations must take a proactive approach to reevaluate and redesign their learning and development programmes. Efforts should be focused on the three key shifts of high performing learning organisations to ensure the needs and preferences of modern learners are catered for, enabling organisations to establish learning practices that are a key driver of their organisation’s performance.