The future of strategy for learning and development in 2025

Every day, your colleagues spend dozens of small moments checking their phones - between meetings, during coffee breaks, on their commute. Most L&D teams see these moments as distractions. But what if they're actually opportunities for learning?

Rethinking strategy for learning and development in the mobile age

Developing a learning and development strategy today requires a fundamental shift in thinking. Consider this: The average person checks their phone 144 times per day (Reviews.org, 2023). Rather than fighting this behavior, progressive L&D leaders are embracing it.

Bas Debbink, Senior Manager of Training and Competency at Johnson & Johnson, recognized these interstitial moments could be transformed into learning opportunities. By shifting to mobile-first microlearning, his team was able to meet learners where they already were – on their phones – leading to significantly higher engagement rates than their traditional e-learning programs.

Why L&D needs a mobile-first rewrite: the science behind microlearning

When employees attempt to complete hour-long training sessions, interruptions fragment their learning. Each message, meeting, or urgent task forces them to either restart or try to recall where they left off. 

Short, focused learning modules solve this by fitting naturally into the workflow, enabling immediate application, and making it easier to return to specific topics when needed. For a deeper dive into the research behind microlearning effectiveness, see our post on the science of microlearning.

The power of Learning Paths in your strategy

While bite-sized content is essential, effective learning requires thoughtful sequencing and progression. Learning Paths in 7taps solve this by ensuring employees master foundational concepts before moving to advanced topics.

For compliance training, this means you can require completion of basic safety protocols before releasing advanced procedure guides. For onboarding, new hires can progress through company policies at their own pace, but in the right order. Each new module unlocks only when they're ready.

Key benefits of completion-based delivery include:

• Preventing content overwhelm by spacing out complex topics
• Ensuring prerequisites are mastered before advancing
• Tracking progress for compliance requirements

✅ Related Resource: The complete guide to effective spaced-learning.

Meeting learners where they are

A modern learning and development strategy must deliver content through channels employees already use. 7taps makes this possible through multiple delivery options. Send modules via SMS for immediate access, use QR codes for in-person, “just in time” training modules, or integrate directly with Slack and Teams. This flexibility ensures learning fits naturally into existing workflows rather than disrupting them.

Common L&D challenges and solutions

1. Many L&D teams worry that complex topics don't suit mobile learning. 

The reality is that complex subjects often benefit the most from sequential delivery. By breaking dense content into focused segments and controlling the release timing, you ensure learners can fully absorb each concept before moving forward.

2. Compliance requirements present another common concern. 

Mobile learning can actually improve compliance by providing clear completion records and ensuring sequential progression. When regulations change, updates can be quickly distributed through existing channels, reaching employees immediately rather than waiting for scheduled training sessions.

Implementation guide: First steps to mobile-first learning

Start your transition to mobile learning by identifying one critical training program that consistently faces completion challenges. Consider:

• What content do employees reference most often? 
• Which training receives the most requests for refreshers? 
• Where do you see the highest dropout rates?

Break this content into focused modules that employees can complete in under five minutes. Use 7taps to add visual elements and interactive components that maintain engagement. Most importantly, deliver these modules through the communication channels your team already uses most frequently.

✅ TIP: 7taps’ AI capabilities further streamline content creation. You can convert existing materials into video content, create audio versions of written materials, or build complete Learning Paths from your current content library. This means you can quickly adapt traditional training materials for mobile delivery without starting from scratch.

Measuring success of your L&D programs

Effective measurement goes beyond completion rates. Watch for:

• When employees choose to engage with content
• Which delivery channels see highest completion rates
• How quickly learners apply new information
• What prompts immediate review of materials

Use these insights to refine your approach, adjusting delivery timing and module length to match natural work patterns.

The future of learning and development strategy

The most effective strategy for learning and development isn't about scheduling more training sessions or creating longer courses. It's about fitting learning into the natural rhythm of your team's day.

For L&D leaders developing a learning and development strategy, success means turning those small moments—the 144 daily phone checks—into opportunities for growth. By meeting learners where they are, controlling content progression, and measuring what works, you can build a learning ecosystem that drives real results. And a tool like 7taps makes this possible by delivering the right content, at the right moment, through the right channel.

💡 Discover more microlearning ideas

• Support continuous learning at the workplace‍
• Enhance corporate communication and training‍
• Creating an effective spaced learning

Implement four microlearning scenarios right away