Opinion
From AI to ADHD: designing learning for every mind
Learner outcomes are dropping, and AI is being hailed as the fix, but technology alone won’t solve a broken approach to learning design. TJ Conference speaker Sascha Evans argues that L&D must flip the script on inclusion and adopt a proactive mindset to support diverse learners from the very beginning. This week, Google published a white paper laying out their vision for the Future of Learning. Their research shows that learner outcomes have dropped sharply worldwide, and UNESCO projects a…
The wellbeing effect: why smart L&D strategies go beyond skills
Craig Fearn explores the basics of how L&D, when strategically focused on wellbeing, transforms both individuals and organisations. This integrated approach builds resilience, reduces burnout and boosts performance, creating a workplace where people can thrive personally and professionally, all while driving long-term business growth and engagement from the inside out. When L&D is applied strategically it is a catalyst for systemic change; this is particularly apparent when applied to employee health and wellbeing initiatives. By investing in L&D with a…
AI vs human learning: Where the real value lies
Helen Routledge argues the real opportunity with AI isn’t replacing L&D teams but rethinking how we approach our work. By blending AI’s scalability with human insight, learning becomes immersive, realistic, and effective; preparing people for critical moments before they count and delivering performance-driven outcomes that matter to individuals and organisations. Every few months, a new ‘influencer’ pops up declaring that AI is going to replace trainers, instructional designers, or entire learning departments. It’s a provocative headline and it generates clicks…
Three ways to show training’s real value
In a world where training drives business strategy, measuring its impact is crucial. Dr. Ajit Kumar Kar outlines three practical approaches, ROI, ROTI and ROE, that help organisations justify investment, track outcomes and align learning with performance. Discover how to make training accountable, strategic, and report well for future investment. In today’s volatile business landscape, training is no longer optional, it’s a strategic enabler. Companies invest in training for a number of reasons: Training fuels people’s growth to match the…
Why your first 90 days in L&D should focus on rhythm, not results
New to L&D? Kanishka shares a three-phase rhythm (listen, learn, lead) to help L&D professionals start strong and avoid burning out. Adapted from the book A Simple Methodology for Life, this 90-day approach builds confidence, credibility and calm through small, purposeful actions and reflection at each stage of the journey. Stepping into a new learning and development role is exhilarating, and overwhelming. New trainers, facilitators, or instructional designers often rush to ‘prove value,’ only to find themselves firefighting rather than…
Rewriting the leadership playbook: Why burnout is a system failure
Burnout isn’t a flaw in individuals; it’s a warning light for broken systems. Mia Serra and Claudie Plen-McCormack argue that leadership and culture must evolve to prioritise inclusion, psychological safety and sustainable performance. Without structural change, well-being initiatives remain surface-level fixes in complex environments that continue to overstretch and exclude. Burnout isn’t a personal failure. It’s a system failure. Yet in many organisations, burnout is still treated as an individual shortcoming, something to be “fixed” with a mindfulness session, an…
The next five years in L&D will change everything
L&D is undergoing its biggest shift in decades. At World of Learning 2025, 17 experts shared bold, insightful answers on what’s coming next. From AI to skills strategies and culture shifts, Kirstie Greany explores what the profession must prioritise to stay human, strategic and impactful over the next five years. Learning and development as an industry is at a turning point, a tipping point, or is that an inflection point? If the conversations at this year’s World of Learning Conference…
We don’t need more learning, we need more practice
Why capability demands rehearsal, not just retention: Practice builds capability, but it’s still missing from much of workplace learning. Helen Routledge argues that L&D has become too focused on content delivery, overlooking the psychological realities of how people truly learn. Without meaningful rehearsal, learning won’t stick, and performance won’t follow. Most workplace learning still follows a simple formula: deliver content, test recall, tick the completion box. But as the demands on employees shift and the pace of change accelerates, L&D…
How AI is transforming whistleblower culture at work
Shannon Walker explores how AI-powered whistleblowing platforms can close the trust gap in traditional reporting systems. With L&D professionals playing a key role in enabling psychological safety, these digital tools offer smarter, more confidential ways to speak up—transforming how organisations address misconduct and build cultures of transparency and accountability. Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising how organisations handle whistleblowing. That’s because as businesses strive to create environments where employees feel psychologically safe, traditional reporting systems often fall short. Learning and development…
Spoiler alert: Your conference isn’t about you!
Kim Ellis reflects on the lessons learned from designing and delivering Free Spirits LIVE!, a virtual conference for independent L&D professionals. It wasn’t about flashy tech or speaker line-ups, it was about creating meaningful, human experiences. Here, she shares what made it work and why intention matters more than polish. Have you ever dreamed of putting on your own conference? Maybe seen it as a way to make a chunk of money or raise your profile in the industry? There…
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