Free e-book. Full of insights.

Understand what truly makes learning meaningful and effective

See how small design choices can make a difference in learner engagement

Learn from 25 years of hands-on EdTech experience

Good instructional design changes how people learn. This e-book by Lars-Petter W. Kjos, Co-founder and CPO at We Are Learning, shares lessons from decades of designing training that truly connects with learners. Six short pro tips to inspire, guide, and simplify your design process. 

Practical insights from 25+ years in instructional design by Lars-Petter W. Kjos

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The tools might change, but the goal remains the same: helping people grow, learn, and perform better.

conversation with Stine Snekkenes exploring the evolving role of L&D

, one idea kept coming up again and again: Sometimes there’s a gap between how learning professionals describe their work and how the rest of the business understands it.

We speak in terms like “learning outcomes,” “engagement,” and “instructional design.”

We know those things are essential. But our stakeholders? They’re usually tuned into performance, productivity, and results.

That doesn’t mean they don’t value learning; it means they value what learning enables. And if we want to be seen as strategic partners (not order takers), we have to start speaking their language.

Pedagogy isn’t the problem, but it’s not the whole solution

. Good instructional design, grounded in how people actually learn, is foundational to the work we do. But, too often, we treat pedagogy like the goal when really, it’s the engine that gets us to the goal.

The shift happening in L&D right now isn’t about abandoning learning theory. It’s about connecting it more directly to performance.

If your course is beautifully designed, but no one uses what they learned? That’s not a win. If your simulation is wildly engaging but doesn’t move the needle on behavior or business outcomes? That’s a missed opportunity.

When I speak to organizations about their learning strategies, I often share something that often makes people uncomfortable:

“Most organizations don’t really care about learning. They care about what learning helps people do.”

It sounds harsh, but it’s actually freeing. It clarifies what success looks like.

Different stakeholders define “working” in different ways:

A compliance officer wants to know: “Did everyone complete it?”

A manager wants to know: “Did it help my team perform better?”

A business leader wants to know: “Did it drive results?”

None of them are asking if the instructional strategy was sound or if the learning objectives were aligned to Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Our job isn’t just to design effective learning experiences. It’s also to translate those experiences into a language the business understands and values.

Reframing a learning solution as a performance improvement initiative

Describing learner engagement as a readiness metric

Talking less about “skills” and more about capabilities

Reporting not just completions, but behavior change or time to proficiency

Here’s a quick shift in vocabulary that can help:

One of the biggest mindset shifts we can make is to see ourselves not as service providers, but as strategic enablers.

That shift happens in small, intentional ways:

Asking better questions in intake meetings

Understanding the KPIs that matter to stakeholders

Designing learning experiences around behavior and performance, not just content delivery

This is at the core of what being a learning leader looks like. Being a learning leader doesn’t require a fancy title; it requires a mindset that sees learning not as the end product, but as the means to drive something bigger.

Our roots in learning theory and instructional design are what make us effective. But the impact we make is only fully realized when we connect those roots to the outcomes our organizations care about.

This idea sparked a lot of energy during 

, and for good reason; it’s one of the most important shifts L&D professionals can make.

So let’s not abandon pedagogy. Let’s connect it more deliberately to performance.

Let’s not water down our expertise. Let’s translate it into something others see the value in.

Learning isn’t the goal. Performance is.
Learning is how we get there.

 constantly explores the convergence of learning and tech, demonstrating a profound commitment to transforming workplaces and enriching lives through innovative learning strategies. With 20+ years of experience in L&D leadership and consulting, he brings his passion to life in his daily work as a dynamic strategist, speaker, and writer, inspiring others to view their work through a fresh, tech-enhanced lens. He is the former Chairman and CEO of the Learning Guild.

Missed the webinar? This was just one part from a conversation that touched on strategy, design, and even quick-fire questions (like what David would be doing if he wasn’t in L&D). If this sparked your curiosity, you can watch the full recording 

Get started with We Are for free

 The best way to know is to try it.

Curious how interactive, scenario-based learning can change the game for your team?

Performance. Productivity. Results. That’s the language business leaders care about. But is everyone in L&D fluent… or do we sometimes get stuck in “learning-speak”?

In this guest piece, David Kelly, with over 2 decades in L&D leadership, makes the case for going bilingual — helping learning professionals connect great instructional design with business performance. David breaks it all down for you here.

Pedagogy meets performance: Speaking the language of the business

Making training impossible to ignore is the dream. Yet, one of the biggest challenges in instructional design is keeping learners engaged. People might sign up for a course or start an e-learning module — but how do you keep them interested enough to continue?

Many are struggling to crack the code. But, the award-winning instructional designer, international keynote speaker, author, and CEO behind 

 knows better and goes beyond the basics. In a recent We Are webinar, expert Hadiya Nuriddin, shared 3 strategies to captivate and motivate learners:

 And here’s a summary of how these 3 learning engagement strategies can turn training from a passive experience into something learners want to be part of.

Episodic learning keeps learners wanting more


Think about what keeps you hooked on a great TV series. It’s not just the information. It’s the suspense, the structure, and the feeling that you need to know what happens next.

“Can we steal from what serial television does and apply it to learning? Absolutely.”​

That’s the idea behind episodic learning: instead of presenting everything at once, break training into smaller, connected lessons that unfold over time.

To apply episodic learning in instructional design, consider these best practices as described by Hadiya:

 Each module should naturally lead into the next.

End sections with a challenge, an open question, or a problem to solve next time.

Keep it digestible and thereby easier to retain.

When training content is designed like an unfolding story, learners want to return because they’re invested in what happens next.

Rhetoric makes training leave a lasting impression

“A rhetorical appeal is a persuasive strategy used in communication to inform the public by targeting their emotions, their logic, and their ethics,” describes Hadiya.​

How information is framed can make the difference between a forgettable lesson and a powerful one. Hadiya explains that rhetorical appeals enhance engagement because they help learners see the relevance of their learning​.

3 rhetorical appeals for instructional design

By using rhetorical techniques, instructional designers can create more engaging corporate training that sticks with learners long after the course ends.

Using scenarios encourages learning application

Scenario-based learning transforms training from passive consumption into active decision-making. 

“I want learners to feel like, ‘I lived that experience already. It’s easier for me to take it back on the job.’”​


For example, see this We Are Story that puts learners in a high-pressure leadership situation where they have to give timely feedback:

An immersive learning experience (Story) for leaders on how to give feedback


Instead of just reading about a topic, learners make choices, solve problems, and see the impact of their decisions.

Want to create your own scenario-based learning content? 

Start for free with We Are and build your first interactive Story today.


As described by Hadiya, “the best thing you can do for a scenario… is to create a situation where people recognize themselves and the people they're seeing on the screen. That's not Samantha going through that. That's me going through that.”

This approach keeps learners engaged while building confidence in real-world problem-solving.

Hadiya is the CEO and Chief Learning Strategist at Duets Learning, a learning and development consultancy in Chicago. She is an award-winning talent development professional with over 20 years of experience in the field, she helps clients create effective, engaging, and interactive learning solutions that support their organizational goals and needs.


Watch the full We Are webinar featuring Hadiya diving into learning engagement strategies

Unlock the secrets to truly engaging learning experiences with insights from Hadiya Nuriddin, MA, MEd. Discover practical strategies that keep learners invested, motivated, and coming back for more.

Captivate and motivate learners like a pro: Expert engagement strategies

We Are Learning achieved significant milestones throughout 2023

The company develops a SaaS solution that, with the help of artificial intelligence, enables anyone to create engaging interactive learning simulations and 3D animations in just a few minutes. The beta version was launched in March, followed by a soft launch in September. In October, We Are made it to the top of the list on Product Hunt, gaining international attention.

"Speed is critical for us. We hold a clear ambition with We Are Learning and aim to capitalize on our past experiences in swiftly establishing ourselves in the international market. It's fascinating to think about how long it usually takes a B2B startup to go from idea to a launched product and securing its first customer. In this regard, We Are Learning truly stands out as world-class," - CEO and co-founder Rolf Risnes.

Corporate learning and EdTech are rapidly evolving, especially with the advent of AI. Creating interactive 3D content that truly engages has traditionally been both terribly expensive and very time-consuming. With the We Are solution, anyone can now create this type of content in just a few minutes, whether it's for producing a 3D animated video for social media or an interactive learning game.

"Bringing over two decades of expertise in crafting solutions, products, and content for learning and communication, our mission with We Are is to empower everyone to become a 'Content Creation Hero.' The brilliance of We Are lies in eliminating the need for investing in a new platform. That's why we describe We Are as a power plug-in seamlessly integrating with clients' existing platforms, whether it's their LMS or intranet, such as Workplace," - Windelstad Kjos, co-founder and CPO at We Are Learning.


In the fall of 2023, the company engaged in discussions with various international venture capital firms. After careful consideration, the choice landed on Dreamcraft Ventures, a Pan-European Venture Capital fund headquartered in Copenhagen, boasting a robust track record in both gaming and B2B SaaS. Their substantial global network played an important role in the decision-making process for selecting a new strategic partner.

"We saw a remarkable opportunity in We Are Learning as they redefine how companies train their teams, by offering a platform that enables anyone to create personalized, AI-powered learning experiences. We believe employee upskilling and engagement are increasingly crucial, and the founders' expertise from the edtech space solidifies our confidence in their ability to transform how businesses approach employee development," - Mathilde Lyet, Investment Manager, and Carsten Salling, General Partner at Dreamcraft.

We saw a remarkable opportunity in We Are Learning as they redefine how companies train their teams

“One of the things I fell in love with about the We Are solution is its ability to transform onboarding and re-onboarding from a disengaged and boring experience into a personalized and scalable critical part of the employee lifecycle. It is my core belief that We Are Learning offers a solution that the market not only craves but also genuinely needs,” - Nico Blier-Silvestri, Platform Partner at Dreamcraft.

During this founding round, We Are Learning has also experienced continued confidence of existing investors, including Skyfall Ventures and Sondo Capital, who have invested additional capital in the company. This ongoing support reinforces the shared belief in We Are Learning's potential to revolutionize corporate learning.

"Following our initial investment in 2023, we're thrilled to invest additional capital in We Are Learning, a company we believe has the potential to disrupt the corporate learning industry. The way We Are leverages AI features to create interactive, 3D courses seamlessly and cost-effectively, combined with the founders' prior experience from both corporate learning and the gaming industry, made for a very compelling investment opportunity for us at Skyfall Ventures," - Espen Malmo, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Skyfall Ventures.

We Are Learning has raised close to 3 million euros in this funding round, primarily intended to accelerate international growth. In addition to the 25 customers in the Nordic region, the company just recently celebrated the signing of its first deal with a US company. Furthermore, within just a few months after launch, the company reached significant annual recurring revenue (ARR).

"With Dreamcraft, we've found a VC armed with an extensive international network that will propel us to new heights. The Dreamcraft team's significant connections in gaming and game technology are expected to strengthen We Are Learning's position in the years to come. Additionally, it's fantastic that nearly all our employees are now shareholders in the company, and the continued trust from existing owners persists in this funding round. This level of confidence reflects belief in the product, the strategy, and most crucially, the team at We Are Learning. Such support gives us an additional motivational boost as we head into 2024," - CEO and co-founder Rolf Risnes.


We Are Learning aims to make everyone a ‘Content Creation Hero’. Founded in 2022 by serial entrepreneurs Rolf Risnes (CEO) and Lars-Petter W. Kjos (CPO), along with Atle Myhrer Knudtzon and Markus Tallaksen Halvorsen, our Oslo-based ed-tech company draws on over 20 years of experience in building companies in communication, technology, gaming, and learning.


We Are Learning offers a revolutionary tool that allows anyone to create high-quality 3D animations and interactive learning simulations in minutes.


We Are already has a user base that includes leading companies such as Jernia, Hafslund Celsio, and Gothenburg Business School.


Its international team, consisting of 19 talents in AI, game development, 3D design, user interaction, and pedagogy from over six different countries, has created a top-notch content production tool that everyone can benefit from!

Rolf Risnes, CEO at We Are Learning
Mobile: + 47 913 43 205
Email: rolf@wearelearning.io

OSLO, January 8, 2024 - Following the successful sale of the EdTech company Motimate to Kahoot! in 2021, serial entrepreneurs Rolf Risnes and Lars-Petter W. Kjos launched We Are Learning in the fall of 2022. The duo, along with co-founders Atle Myhrer Knudtzon and Markus Halvorsen, once again ventured into the EdTech market. In record time, the founding team managed to launch the product, build an international team of 19 employees, and secure contracts with more than 25 leading companies. The company aims to revolutionize the landscape of learning content production globally.

Practical insights from 25+ years in instructional design by Lars-Petter W. Kjos

Read next

Pedagogy meets performance: Speaking the language of the business

Captivate and motivate learners like a pro: Expert engagement strategies

EdTech company We Are Learning joins forces with Dreamcraft Ventures, and gears up for international expansion