At The Learning Rooms we talk about learning all the time. We build online courses around it, design programmes for it and measure it in assessments. But how often do we actually stop and ask the question: what is learning?
It sounds simple enough, but the answer is surprisingly layered. Learning isn’t just about memorising facts or completing a training module. It’s a fundamental process that shapes how we think, behave and interact with the world around us. And if you’re involved in designing learning experiences for others, understanding what’s really happening under the hood can make a huge difference to the quality of what you create.
More than just remembering
Let’s start with the basics. At its core, learning is the process of acquiring new knowledge, skills, behaviours or attitudes through experience, study or instruction. But that definition only scratches the surface.
Think about it this way: if someone reads a page of text and immediately forgets it, have they learned anything? Most of us would say no. Real learning involves a lasting change. It means that something has shifted in the way a person understands or does something, and that shift sticks around over time.
This is why the concept of retention is so important in eLearning. It’s not enough to present information. We need to help people absorb it, connect it to what they already know and be able to recall it when they need it.
The science behind it
Over the decades, researchers and psychologists have developed a range of theories to explain how learning works. While we won’t dive deep into all of them here, it helps to be aware of the main schools of thought that have shaped how we design learning today.
Behaviourism
This is one of the earliest approaches. Behaviourists like B.F. Skinner believed that learning is all about observable behaviour. If you can see someone doing something differently after training, then learning has occurred. Think of it as the “carrot and stick” model, where rewards and consequences drive behaviour change.
Cognitivism
Cognitivists shifted the focus inward, looking at what happens inside the mind. This approach treats the brain a bit like a computer, processing and storing information. Concepts like working memory, cognitive load and schema building all come from this tradition, and they’re hugely relevant to eLearning design.
Constructivism
Constructivists, like Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, argue that learners actively build their own understanding. Rather than passively receiving information, people construct knowledge by connecting new ideas to their existing mental frameworks. This is why scenario-based learning and problem-solving activities can be so effective.
Connectivism
A more recent addition, connectivism recognises that in the digital age, learning also happens through networks. It’s not just about what’s in your head; it’s about knowing where to find information and how to connect with others who have relevant knowledge.
Each of these theories offers something useful, and in practice, good instructional design often draws on more than one.
Formal, informal and everything in between
Another important thing to understand is that learning doesn’t only happen in structured settings. Yes, formal learning through courses, workshops and qualifications is a major part of professional development. But a huge amount of learning happens informally too.
Consider the following examples of informal learning:
- Watching a colleague handle a difficult customer and picking up a new approach
- Reading an article that changes how you think about a topic
- Making a mistake on a project and figuring out what went wrong
- Having a conversation with a peer that sparks a new idea
These moments of informal learning are powerful because they’re often contextual and immediately relevant. They happen in the flow of work, which is exactly where much of the most meaningful learning takes place.
For those of us in eLearning, this is a useful reminder. The courses we build are just one piece of the puzzle. The best learning experiences acknowledge and support the broader ecosystem of formal and informal learning.
Why it matters for eLearning design
So why does any of this matter if you’re building eLearning courses? Because understanding how learning works helps the instructional designer design better experiences. Here are a few practical takeaways.
Design for retention, not just delivery
Presenting information isn’t the same as teaching it. Use techniques like spaced repetition, retrieval practice and scenario-based activities to help learners encode information into long-term memory.
Respect cognitive load
Our working memory is limited. If you overload a learner with too much information at once, they’ll struggle to process any of it. Break content into manageable chunks and remove anything that doesn’t serve the learning objectives.
Make it active
Passive content like long blocks of text or narrated slideshows rarely leads to deep learning. Get learners doing things: making decisions, solving problems, reflecting on their choices. That’s where the real learning happens.
Connect to what they already know
Learners don’t come to a course as blank slates. They bring existing knowledge, assumptions and experiences. The more you can help them connect new content to what they already understand, the more likely it is to stick.
Think beyond the course
Consider how your eLearning fits into a wider development journey. Could you pair it with on-the-job tasks, peer discussions or follow-up resources? A blended approach almost always delivers better results than a standalone course.
A simple but powerful question
“What is learning?” might seem like a basic question, but it’s one worth revisiting regularly. The more deeply we understand the process of learning, the better equipped we are to design experiences that genuinely help people grow.
Whether you’re building a compliance course, a soft skills programme or an onboarding experience, the fundamentals remain the same. Learning is about lasting change. It’s about helping people think differently, act differently and perform better in the real world.
And that’s something worth getting right.
