Designing Learning Content for Engagement: What Actually Makes the Difference
Engagement in digital learning doesn’t fail because people lack motivation. It fails because learning is often designed to be completed, not used. This article explores what actually drives engagement in practice, and why intentional social design, meaningful feedback, and modular content are key to learning that improves performance over time.
When LMS Eras Don’t Line Up: How Vendors Bridge the Strategic Gap
The LMS market isn’t moving through neat, linear eras. Different organisations operate at very different levels of maturity at the same time. This creates tension between vendors and buyers, especially when expectations don’t align. The vendors that succeed are those who design for layered maturity and guide customers forward without leaving anyone behind.
The LMS Industry Isn’t Where You Think It Is
The LMS industry isn’t standing still. It’s cycling through overlapping “strategic eras” that shape how learning platforms evolve. Borrowing from Alex Smith’s framework, this article explores how supply, performance, democratisation, specialisation, and redefinition show up in L&D today. Understanding these eras helps us see where the industry is headed next and what truly meaningful progress looks like.
From Courses to Conversations: How Totara Enables Learning That Actually Sticks
Totara Engage, now part of Totara Learn, brings learning into the flow of work with collaborative workspaces, curated resources, and peer-driven knowledge sharing. This article explores how social learning strengthens engagement, accelerates skills development, and supports real performance improvement across the organisation. See how leading companies are using Engage to build connected, learning-ready cultures that evolve with their people.
6 Strategic Traps That Sabotage L&D Planning (and How to Avoid Them in 2026)
Most L&D teams enter planning season convinced that the next year will finally be different, yet familiar habits quietly undermine strategy before it even begins. Inspired by Georgiana Laudi’s research with over 200 organisations, this post explores six common traps that can derail L&D effectiveness and how to avoid repeating them in 2026.
Totara in the Field: Tracking Skills, Compliance, and Impact Across South Africa
Totara gives NGOs more than training records. It connects learning to performance, compliance, and real-world outcomes. This article explores how South African NGOs can use Totara to generate funder-ready evidence, strengthen program quality, and create measurable impact that goes beyond completion rates or box-ticking exercises.
Phillips ROI: What Counts, What Doesn’t, and What Really Measures Value
Most learning programs get measured on completion or satisfaction, but that rarely tells the full story. The Phillips ROI Model helps L&D teams connect learning to real business results, showing how skills and behaviour changes translate into measurable financial impact. Learn when and how to apply it effectively.
How Leading Hospitality Brands Strengthen Learning and Performance with Totara
Tourism and hospitality teams operate in high-pressure, high-turnover environments. This Totara Thursdays article explores how leading brands use Totara to link learning with real performance outcomes. From role-based pathways to skills tracking and manager-led coaching, it shows how modern learning design strengthens capability, consistency and retention across dispersed, customer-facing workforces.
Start Strong: How Smart Pre-boarding and Onboarding Win Talent
Onboarding isn’t an HR formality. It’s one of the strongest predictors of retention, engagement and time-to-performance. This article breaks down why onboarding matters, why it should start before day one and what an effective, learning-rich journey looks like. Practical examples and research-backed insights show how better onboarding creates confident, capable employees who contribute faster and stay longer.
From Groups to Growth: Unlocking Strategic Learning with Totara Audiences
Totara audiences go beyond simple user grouping, they’re a powerful way to deliver personalised learning at scale. This article explores how organisations like MindEd and MediaPharm use audiences to automate enrolment, target content, and align learning with performance, turning an administrative feature into a strategic driver of engagement and impact.
