For many L&D pros, it's a struggle to integrate personalization into learning design at scale. And yet, learners keep asking for it.
Turns out, there’s real data backing up that perception.
Joint research from ATD and Insights shows that, as learning programs become more digitized, personalization decreases.
The research shows that 60% of learning pros personalize human-facilitated programs, but only 32% personalize digital programs. We think this needs more attention!
Learning professionals must balance a strong learner experience with scalability, and they face growing pressure to show the business impact of popular personalized, human-led programs.
It sometimes means that personalization can feel like an aspirational concept rather than a consistent practice. But there is light at the end of the tunnel, as new technologies create new opportunities to address this gap.
It’s definitely a gap that needs closing...
That mindset is one where the C-Suite believes that the future of learning lies in the synergy between human connection and technology, not in their competition. AI can personalize content, but only humans can personalize connection. Technology can scale access, but it's human connection that scales impact.
Fact: personalized learning brings energy and motivation. And ultimately, it’s motivation that improves our learning outcomes (this conclusion is widely supported in academic research).
We all know that human facilitation, such as in group workshops and one-to-ones, can personalize learning on the spot. Live, interactive training (that allows for different communication preferences and experience levels) brings us as learners the connection, confidence and psychological safety that we need.
The numbers support this. In the corporate world, a Brandon Hall Group study showed that companies using personalized learning saw a 69% increase in employee engagement and a 42% increase in productivity.
But learning professionals are having to adapt to quickly shifting working environments. Emerging technologies are shaping how we build and deliver learning, opening the door to wider scalability, but at what cost?
Of course, online bite-sized courses and sessions play a useful, convenient role for certain types of micro-learning requirements, and there will always be a clear need for both types of learning.
But, when employers prioritize scalability over any kind of personalization at all, and if in-person learning gives way largely or completely to off-the-shelf delivery with no live interaction, we lose the critical human connection that shapes how we act on what we’ve learned.
For the report, ATD consulted 445 training development professionals and 471 learners across the USA. We learned that half of learners prefer traditional classroom learning with a live instructor, and more than half said this is the most effective way for them to learn.
Some learners favor virtual live training courses and others prefer e-learning solutions, but only 13% believe this is the most effective method for them.
It’s a concern that scalability and scheduling (key benefits of digital training) are considered important by 60% and 55% of training professionals, but personalization drivers like needs assessment and learner preferences rank much lower at 43% and 35% respectively. And yet:
The most effective learning happens when people feel supported, engaged and empowered. And we should acknowledge that blended approaches (both human and tech-led) to learning can achieve this.
It’s about the right balance. The way training is delivered affects how safe, motivated and trusting people feel. Human-facilitated learning always comes out on top for these qualities. By contrast, asynchronous digital learning conveniently offers great flexibility and the ability to reach many learners at once.
Blended learning combines the best of both worlds, blending personal connection with the convenience of digital technology. But its success depends on effective design, learner readiness and equitable access to technology.
Pharma group BGM recently used AI learning platform Cloverleaf Consulting (an Insights partner whose AI coaching platform runs on the Insights Discovery API) to integrate the Insights Discovery personal development framework into everyday work processes in a continuous and practical way.
They helped their leaders embed employee profile data and other insights from their Insights Discovery group workshops directly into daily tools and ongoing coaching. They integrated personality profile insights from the Insights four-color model of preference and behavior into their internal systems and workflows.
The impact has been powerful: Increased engagement, stronger team cohesion and clear connection between individual awareness and business outcomes.
Using APIs like this to embed profile data from personal development training seamlessly into daily workplace experiences is a powerful example of how human-led, workshop-based learning can be scaled into and applied to everyday operations.
It helps colleagues show up better for meetings, identify best mentors, choose the right communication style for difficult conversations and navigate personality differences more easily.
Based on the report, we think it will be a blend of:
Personalization APIs, like the Cloverleaf/BGM example
Just-in-time microlearning for those who need quick access to bite-sized chunks of info
Scaled and engaging learning experiences to keep as many people motivated as possible
Focusing on human skills, ensuring that tech and AI advances are navigated wisely and appropriately
Enhanced measurement to inform the future balance of human and digital learning
Personalization can be difficult to weave through blended and virtual learning modalities at scale, but bringing AI into training is one way to do it.
Two-thirds of organizations now use learner-facing AI tools (anything from chatbots and adaptive learning systems to virtual coaching and gamification). AI offers powerful tools for adaptive learning paths, skills-gap analysis and real-time feedback, but naturally and rightly, questions remain about AI’s capacity to replicate the empathy, trust and motivational impact of a human facilitator.
AI certainly delivers real-time insights and instantly integrate learner feedback to make learning experiences motivating and intuitive. It can adjust content, pacing and support as people learn.
Our advice is: Don’t invest in scaled learning without any personalization at all; find ways to respect the learning preferences of as many of your employees as possible. Training should be appealing, accessible, explainable and supported by humans or regular human input.
Yes, effective personalization requires accurate, up-to-date data on employee skills, performance levels, prior knowledge and learning preferences.
It’s true that many L&D professionals are struggling to transition from traditional, one-size-fits-all training models to a dynamic, individualized approach for thousands of employees without significant technological investment and support, but it is possible if the cultural mindset is there.
That mindset is one where the C-Suite believes that the future of learning lies in the synergy between human connection and technology, not in their competition. AI can personalize content, but only humans can personalize connection. Technology can scale access, but its human connection that scales impact.
We must tackle the disconnect between individual learning desires and immediate organizational needs. Ensuring that personalized learning paths address critical skill gaps that improve business performance, rather than just serve individual preferences, is part of that challenge.
As our own learning expert Dr. Tanya Boyd, beautifully summarizes in the ATD report, learning has to feel like a place where people can be curious, make mistakes and grow..
Ultimately, motivation isn't about content; it's about connection and the learners' feeling that the learning matters to them. Personalization is the bridge between awareness and action. When learning adapts to ‘who I am, how I think and what I need’, personalization becomes a tool for transformation.
Insights Discovery is an L&D training system that creates high-performing teams by enhancing awareness and workplace relationships. Using a memorable four-color model to illustrate different behavioral styles, it creates a common language that connects colleagues across geographical and cultural boundaries, fostering collaboration, driving productivity and transforming workplaces.