Why eLearning Needs More Humanity (and Less PowerPoint)

We’ve all been there. You log into an online training module, greeted by a stock photo, a generic voiceover, and 82 slides of bullet points. Click. Next. Click. Quiz. Certificate. Done. Technically, it’s learning. But does it actually change anything?

In the race to digitize training, we’ve streamlined—and often sterilized—the learning experience. eLearning has exploded in availability and efficiency. But somewhere along the way, we started sacrificing the human part of learning: story, curiosity, emotion, struggle, and discovery. That’s a problem.

Why? Because real learning doesn’t happen through content alone. It happens through connection.

A report from the U.S. Department of Education found that students in online learning conditions performed modestly better, on average, than those receiving face-to-face instruction.

So the question isn’t whether eLearning works. The question is: what makes it work well? Here’s where we start.

Start With the Human Problem, Not Just the Learning Objective

One of the fastest ways to lose learners is by starting with abstract goals rather than lived challenges. Instead of opening with “By the end of this module, you will understand X,” try starting with a real-world dilemma:

“You’ve just been promoted into your first leadership role. You’re excited… and overwhelmed. Your team is remote, expectations are high, and no one gave you a playbook. Now what?”

This immediately activates empathy, memory, and motivation. The learner doesn’t just receive information—they relate to it. That’s what makes it stick.

Once you’ve grabbed the learner’s attention with something real, the next step is to keep it through relational design.

Design for Conversation, Not Consumption

Too much eLearning still feels like a solo march through content. But humans don’t learn best that way. We learn in dialogue by asking questions, hearing perspectives, and wrestling with ideas.

That’s why your course should feel more like a guided conversation than a lecture. Add discussion prompts. Use scenario-based learning. Incorporate video snippets of real people telling their stories, not just instructors reading scripts.

And let learners talk back. This could mean comments, group chats, or even reflection journals. What matters is creating space for interaction—not just with content, but with other learners and facilitators.

Of course, not every course can be fully live or instructor-led. That’s okay. Even asynchronous learning can be human-centered—if we use the right tools.

Use Story as a Delivery System

Humans are hardwired for narrative. We remember stories better than statistics. Stories provide meaning, structure, and emotional resonance—all essential to learning.

So instead of teaching a policy through bullet points, illustrate it through a situation:

“Maya’s a regional manager who just discovered her top salesperson has falsified expense reports. She likes him. He brings in numbers. But she knows this could become a serious issue. What does she do?”

Then walk the learner through options. Let them choose paths. Let them see the consequences. You’re not just teaching a policy—you’re helping them live through it in a safe space.

We’ve talked about relevance, connection, and story. But don’t overlook another vital ingredient to human-centered learning: vulnerability.

Make Room for Struggle and Reflection

Traditional eLearning often skips past ambiguity. But that’s a mistake. Struggle is part of learning. When learners confront something difficult, pause to reflect, and work through it, the experience imprints deeper.

Offer space for self-assessment. Don’t just tell learners the right answer—let them explore why they got it wrong. Ask what surprised them. Invite them to write about how they’ve handled a similar situation.

You’re not just teaching knowledge; you’re shaping insight. That requires space for thinking, not just clicking.

So what does this mean for instructional designers, HR leaders, or training teams tasked with rolling out their next learning initiative?

Make eLearning More Personal, Not Just More Polished

The future of eLearning isn’t just better platforms or fancier animations. It’s a return to what made learning powerful in the first place: people.

People remember how a course made them feel. They remember when they were seen, challenged, affirmed, or stretched. That’s what great in-person facilitators have always done—and that’s what digital learning must reclaim.

Start small. Add a story. Insert a personal question. Invite a moment of honest reflection. Design learning that meets people where they are—not just in their browsers, but in their lives.

Human-First Design Wins

eLearning doesn’t need more PowerPoint. It needs more humanity.

Connection beats content. Conversation beats consumption. And meaning beats memorization.

Let’s design learning that doesn’t just inform but transforms. Not because it’s slick, but because it’s human.

That’s how we help people learn in a way that lasts.