What will corporate online learning look like in 2035?
In recent months, I have attended a number of webinars regarding corporate online learning. These webinars are geared toward instructional designers who create eLearning modules in a corporate environment. I have noticed three topic trends: one a major trend, one a mid-size trend, and one a minor trend. To the best of my knowledge, these webinar topics are chosen based on the interests of the learners (instructional designers) and, therefore, represent the current direction and future of online learning in corporate settings.
Artificial Intelligence
To no one’s surprise, artificial intelligence (AI) is currently the most prevalent webinar topic. I would estimate that roughly half of the corporate online learning webinars have “AI” in the title. Sub-topics regarding how to use AI in the instructional design process span the entire breadth of the ADDIE (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate) model. In alignment with this, Kukulska-Hulme et al. (2024) assert that GenAI has the potential to collaborate with instructors to create content such as learning objectives, rubrics for assessments, and interactive activities (p. 25).
While AI’s reliability is still in question, I believe that by 2035 AI will have advanced to the point of consistent reliability and will be used to enhance online learning in three key ways: personalization, branched learning, and individualized coaching.
AI will personalize learning by adjusting content and assessments to learner needs based on learner progress. AI will track learners’ advancement through a course and complete tasks such as shortening content where learners are proficient, adding content where learners need additional assistance, and placing assessments throughout the adjusted content as appropriate for the updated format. Khatkale (2024) notes that AI can personalize learning by analyzing learners’ data, spotting gaps in knowledge, and suggesting customized content.
AI will also assist with implementing branched learning to tailor scenarios to learner-specific job roles. AI will be able to adapt scenarios to be relevant to learners and applicable to their work duties. Singh (2025) observes that “… AI ensures employees receive tailored content suited to their career progression. This level of personalization enhances engagement and boosts overall performance.”
In addition, AI will be used as a personal coach throughout the learning experience. In corporate online learning environments, in which courses are often asynchronous and communication with instructors and other students is limited to non-existent, AI will answer questions and provide the immediate feedback that learners need. AI chatbots can support performance by directing a user to the right place at the right time (Taylor, 2017, p. 39) and check learner understanding by posing questions (Kukulska-Hulme et al., 2024, p. 24).
Data-Driven Decisions
Another consistent, though not quite as prevalent, trend is that of webinars that promote using data-driven decisions in the instructional design process. What these webinars lack in frequency, they make up for in passion. The webinar instructors speak animatedly about ways to obtain data prior to developing and after implementing online learning, and their passion is contagious. With advancing data analytics tools and learning management systems, instructional designers can “track learner progress, measure performance, and identify areas for improvement” (Khatkale, 2024).
Learners (instructional designers) choose to actively participate in these webinars by dialoguing with the instructor about ways to implement data-driven decision-making in their own environments. Instructional designers desire to ensure that business needs and learner needs are met at every stage of the process. Evanick (2023) contends that instructional designers should use data to evaluate, iterate, and track effectiveness in order to aid businesses in making decisions about allocating resources. Corporate data spans from learner activity to key performance indicators and industry benchmarks; using such data effectively can assist in making decisions related to learning initiatives, strategic improvements, and business solutions (Overton, 2024).
Instructional designers aspire to obtain, analyze, interpret, and utilize data to the fullest. Based on these evident aspirations, I believe that instructional designers will become adept at data-driven decision-making by 2035.
Scenario-Based Learning
The least widespread, but still ever-present trend is scenario-based or experiential learning. I have included this trend because webinar instructors who address this subject are consistently adamant that scenario-based learning is crucial for learner internalization of concepts and that scenario-based learning is under-utilized in online learning. I am hopeful that soon instructional designers will have “jumped on the bandwagon” and by 2035 these webinars will be “preaching to the choir.” Taylor (2017) asserts that “Realistic settings that simulate real-life scenarios can be used to develop skills where context, engagement and decision-making are imperative in the learning path” (p. 38).
When contemplating the future of scenario-based learning, we might head straight to immersive technologies such as augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR). While it is certainly possible that business could be incorporating AR and VR by 2035, I think it will likely still be cost prohibitive for most. Still, it is interesting to consider. Singh (2025) observes that AR and VR permit learners to practice skills and problem-solving in a simulated real-world environment that is also risk-free. Such practice in a true real-world environment would be impossible in many hazardous settings. Taylor (2017) maintains that virtual reality avatars can improve the richness of feedback, speeding up self-awareness and skill development (p. 36).
Due to the smaller but no less passionate advocacy for scenario-based learning, I believe that this movement will continue to grow. Taylor (2017) notes that creating learning with connections to the work environment translates into maintaining learner attention, addressing specific learner needs, and aligning with real work experience (p. 37). I envision that instructional designers will advance in their abilities to use current tools in efficient ways and that technologies that promote scenario-based learning will become more user-friendly. As ease-of-use increases, instructional designers will seek to educate themselves in best practices surrounding scenario-based learning and we will see an increase of scenario-based learning in corporate online learning contexts.
Note. Image generated by Microsoft. (2025). Bing Image Creator with DALL-E [Large-text-to-image model]. https://copilot.microsoft.com/images/create
References:
Evanick, J. (2023, April 9). Why rich data is critical to the future of instructional design in higher education. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/why-rich-data-is-critical-to-the-future-of-instructional-design-in-higher-education
Khatkale, S. (2024, January 26). Top trends shaping the future of the e-learning market. Training. https://trainingmag.com/top-trends-shaping-the-future-of-the-e-learning-market/
Kukulska-Hulme, A., Wise, A. F., Coughlan, T., Biswas, G., Bossu, C., Burriss, S. K., Charitonos, K., Crossley, S. A., Enyedy, N., Ferguson, R., FitzGerald, E., Gaved, M., Herodotou, C., Hundley, M., McTamaney, C., Molvig, O., Pendergrass, E., Ramey, L., Sargent, J., … Whitelock, D. (2024). Innovating pedagogy 2024 (No. 12; The Open University Innovating Pedagogy Report Series). The Open University. https://iet.open.ac.uk/files/innovating-pedagogy-2024.pdf
Overton, L. (2024, July 9). Data-driven decision making: A game changer for the learning process. Training Industry. https://trainingindustry.com/articles/measurement-and-analytics/data-driven-decision-making-a-game-changer-for-the-learning-process/
Singh, A. (2025, February 19). Future-proofing your workforce: What are the most effective corporate learning services for 2025? eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/future-proofing-your-workforce-most-effective-corporate-learning-services
Taylor, K. (2017). The future of corporate learning: Stepping into another dimension. Training Industry, 10(4), 34–39.
