Learning theories

What is learning theory? Explore how people learn and investigate fundamental learning theories so you can support your organisation’s learning methods.

Essential Insights

Free for core learning subscribers

Access to the CIPD Learning Hub

£49.50 exc. VAT

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Online
Free for members
Self-directed
Bitesize
Flexible

Perfect for:

L&D administrators
L&D officers
L&D managers

You’ll learn how to:

  • explain why L&D practitioners need current knowledge of learning and motivational theory
  • explore the CIPD’s philosophical approach to learning
  • compare different learning theory approaches and how they apply to learning design and delivery
  • describe the key motivational theories relevant to L&D practitioners.

About this course

Course length: 60-90 minutes

Delivery: Online, self-directed

Suitable for: Anyone involved in workplace learning, development and training.

This course is included as part of the Core Learning Subscription.

What to expect from this ‘learning theories’ course

Learning and development professional, Fiona McBride, has developed this short course which will help you understand how people learn. You'll investigate and compare different learning theories and understand how these apply to learning intervention design and delivery. You’ll explore some of the main concepts and philosophical approaches to learning theory and discover how the CIPD created their learning philosophy.

What you’ll need to do in this learning theory course

This bite-sized training consists of written, video and interactive content. You can work through the content at your own pace. At the end, you can test your understanding with a brief knowledge check. This is not a formal assessment; you can repeat it several times to help reinforce your learning.

What you’ll get on this learning theory course

Taking part in this course gives you access to the CIPD Learning Hub for 12 months. Here, you can access your course content together with other valuable resources and tools. When you finish your course, you can enjoy an additional 12 months of access to other resources on the Learning Hub.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

  • explore some of the key theories about how people learn
  • explain a range of academic studies and insights
  • transfer your learning and appraise your organisation’s learning practices
  • recognise outdated learning models and create a plan to transition your organisation’s learning methods.

Team bookings

Interested in booking this course for your team? We offer group bookings solutions for teams of four or more people.

When your teams learn with the CIPD, they get direct access to the latest professional research and insights.

And through courses co-created with industry thought leaders and practitioners, they’ll build the skills and confidence they need to inspire action, influence change and drive business value.

We offer a wide range of Learning and Development solutions to suit employees at every level – whether in HR, L&D, OD or wider people management.