Learning on Demand: The Complete Guide for 2026 

Learning on demand isn't just a nice-to-have anymore, it's becoming essential for organisations that want to stay competitive, keep talent engaged, and build genuinely future-ready workforces. This guide explores exactly what learning on demand means, why it works so effectively, and most importantly, how L&D leaders can implement it successfully in their organisations. 

Whether you're dealing with disjointed learning systems, struggling with engagement, or trying to scale training across distributed teams, the option to learn on demand offers a practical solution that puts people at the heart of their learning journey. 

Defining Learning on Demand 

Learning on demand is a flexible training approach that provides employees with immediate access to educational content precisely when they need it, available 24/7. This learning model works alongside related approaches such as just-in-time learning and demand-driven learning, though each has distinct characteristics. Learning on demand specifically focuses on timing and availability, fundamentally transforming how organisations deliver employee learning by giving learners complete control over when they acquire new knowledge or skills. 

Unlike traditional training that follows a predetermined schedule (think mandatory training sessions or quarterly compliance updates), digital on demand learning is available whenever learners need it. They access it when they have a specific problem to solve, a skill gap to fill, or simply when they're in the right headspace to absorb new information. 

The key difference lies in the timing. Traditional training often asks learners to stockpile knowledge in advance of needing it. On demand learning provides the right information at the precise moment it's required. It's the difference between attending a two-day Excel course six months before needing to create a complex spreadsheet, and accessing a five-minute video on pivot tables the moment you're ready to build one. 

The Five Moments of Need Framework 

To understand when learning on demand works best, it helps to consider the Five Moments of Need model. Learning strategists Bob Mosher and Conrad Gottfredson identified that people need learning support at five distinct moments: 

1. Learning something new -- formal training when starting a new role or skill 
2. Learning more about something -- deepening existing knowledge 
3. Applying or remembering something -- when trying to recall previous learning 
4. When problems occur -- troubleshooting unexpected challenges 
5. When something changes -- adapting to new processes, systems, or regulations 

While moments 1 and 2 suit traditional, structured learning approaches, moments 3-5 are where learning on demand truly excels. These are the moments when learners need immediate answers, quick refreshers, or step-by-step guidance to solve real workplace challenges. 

This shift towards learner-controlled, flexible access doesn't mean traditional training becomes obsolete. Instead, the most effective L&D strategies blend both approaches, using structured learning for complex skill development or essential training courses and on-demand resources for performance support and just-in-time problem-solving. 

Content Formats That Engage Modern Learners 

Modern learners expect variety in how they consume content. Some prefer quick video tutorials that feel as engaging as TikTok content, others learn better through podcast-style audio they can consume during commutes, while many still value live virtual classrooms for collaborative learning moments. 

The most effective on-demand learning libraries offer multiple formats to match different learning preferences and situations: 

• Detailed eBooks for comprehensive topic exploration when learners want to dive deep into subject matter, perfect for building foundational knowledge across complex areas like leadership strategy or financial analysis. 
• Conversational Audio Deep Dives that don't require visual attention, ideal for busy professionals who can absorb insights during commutes or whilst multitasking. 
• Short Nano Video clips for engaging, focused learning moments that cover key points from subject matter experts in just a few minutes, delivering immediate practical value. 
• Live Virtual Sessions where employees can ask questions and collaborate with other learners facing similar challenges, maintaining the social aspect of learning while preserving flexibility. 

The key is offering choice - learners can access a system that lets them select the format that best suits their immediate context, learning style, and the complexity of information they need to absorb. 

The effectiveness of learning on demand is backed by solid educational research and cognitive science that explains why this approach resonates so strongly with modern learners. 

The 70-20-10 Learning Model 

The famous 70-20-10 model, developed by researchers at the Center for Creative Leadership, aligns with findings from CIPD's Learning and Development Report 2024, which shows that UK organisations achieving the strongest business outcomes prioritise workplace learning that happens during the flow of work. This model found that effective learning happens through three main channels: 

• 70% through challenging experiences and on-the-job problem-solving 
• 20% through exposure to others (mentoring, social learning, feedback) 
• 10% through formal educational programmes 

This research reveals why traditional classroom training often struggles to create lasting impact. Traditional training addresses only 10% of how people actually learn most effectively. On-demand learning taps directly into that crucial 70% by the ability to provide support at the exact moment learners face real workplace challenges. 

The Science of Immediate Application 

When learners can immediately access and then apply new knowledge, several cognitive processes work in their favour: 

Memory Consolidation: The brain strengthens neural pathways when information is used shortly after learning. This is why someone who learns a new software feature and immediately uses it in their work will remember it far better than someone who attends a training session weeks before needing the skill. 

Contextual Learning: Information learned in the context where it will be used creates stronger memory associations. A finance professional learning about new regulations while working on a compliance report will form more robust memories than someone learning the same information in a classroom setting. 

Motivation and Attention: People pay more attention when they have an immediate need for information. The learner who's stuck on creating a compelling presentation is far more engaged with learning content than someone sitting through a general PowerPoint course. 

For L&D Teams 

● Enhanced Strategic Focus: L&D teams shift their role from event coordinators to content curators and strategic advisors, focusing on higher-value activities that align learning with business objectives. 

● Improved ROI Through Better Learning Engagement: When learners access content at optimal moments for their specific needs, engagement and consumption rates typically increase significantly and learning cultures flourish. 

● Scalability Across Distributed Teams: Solves logistical challenges for organisations with remote workers, multiple locations, or shift-based employees without the complexity of coordinating schedules across time zones. 

● Real-time Performance Support: Transforms learning from scheduled events into ongoing performance support that reduces time-to-competency and supports employees at moments of genuine need. 

● Demonstration of Investment: Shows that organisations care about employee development and are willing to invest in modern, flexible learning experiences that respect people's time and preferences. 

For Learners 

● Learning at Peak Performance Moments: Respects individual energy levels and optimal learning times throughout the day, allowing people to engage with development when they're most receptive. 

● Personalised Learning Pathways: Learners create their own journey based on specific role requirements and career aspirations rather than following predetermined plans that may not match their current needs. 

● Better Work-Life Integration: Better Work-Life Integration: Allows people to fit development around their lives rather than forcing life around training schedules, enabling learning on the go during commutes, travel, or between meetings while supporting the flexible working arrangements many now expect. 

● Immediate Problem-Solving: Provides instant access to information when facing workplace challenges, turning moments of confusion into learning opportunities that build confidence and capability. 

Challenge: Content That Doesn't Engage 

The greatest risk with on-demand learning is creating content that feels robotic and impersonal. Learners can spot generic, AI-generated content immediately and disengage. 

Solution:

Focus on resources that address genuine workplace challenges, providing practical guidance with immediate value. Ensure subject matter expert involvement in content creation to maintain credibility and unique insights. The most engaging on-demand learning mirrors consumption habits people have developed outside work; short, focused video content, conversational audio learning, and interactive elements. 

Challenge: Disjointed Systems and Poor Adoption 

Organisations can struggle when on demand learning systems don't integrate effectively with existing workplace tools, or excellent content that people simply don't discover. 

Solution:

Choose systems that work within your existing learning ecosystem, complementing rather than competing with mandatory training systems. Make learning discoverable at the point of need through robust search functionality, clear navigation, and ongoing communication that keeps resources visible and relevant. 

Challenge: Measuring Success Differently 

Traditional training metrics like completion rates don't capture the true value of on-demand learning, where success means having the right resource available at the right moment. 

Solution:

Focus on learner confidence in tackling new challenges, satisfaction with development opportunities, and problem-solving speed rather than just completion statistics. Track engagement patterns to understand what employees actually need and use. 

1. Start with Strategic Assessment 

Identify where your current approach creates friction - areas where people frequently need skill refreshers, where distributed teams struggle with access, or where traditional training creates administrative burden. These represent your highest-impact opportunities. 

2. Define Your Content Strategy 

Decide whether to develop internally, source externally, or adopt a hybrid approach based on your resources and strategic priorities. Establish quality standards for accuracy, relevance, and production quality. 

3. Select Integrated Technology 

Choose an on demand platform that integrates with and complements existing systems like learning management systems, HR platforms, and daily workflow tools. Ensure mobile-responsive access and implement powerful search functionality using language employees naturally use when describing their challenges. 

4. Launch with High-Impact Champions 

Equip managers to guide team members toward relevant resources and model continuous learning behaviours that strengthen your organisation's learning culture. Embed learning within existing business processes where possible. 

5. Measure and Evolve 

Regularly gather learner feedback to identify content gaps and improvement opportunities. Maintain content currency through regular review schedules, particularly for rapidly changing topics. Stay ahead of emerging workforce needs and future skills gaps by ensuring your upskilling content pipeline aligns with evolving business requirements and industry trends, building the learning agility your organisation needs to thrive. Track meaningful metrics that demonstrate business impact beyond traditional completion rates. 

Access Bookboon delivers thousands of regularly updated learning resources created in collaboration with subject matter experts, providing the credible, on-demand content your organisation needs to thrive. 

Whether your learners prefer nano video content perfect for today's attention spans, podcast-style audio learning for busy commutes, live virtual classrooms for collaborative moments, or ebooks for exploring topics in depth, our varied formats support people exactly when and how they need it most.