Agile learning style: methodology, best practices & FAQ

Agile learning: The essentials at a glance

Before we go deeper, here’s a quick summary of the key ideas:

•  Agile learning is a flexible, feedback-driven approach to training and development. The focus is speed, flexibility, and collaboration.

• It uses short learning cycles, regular check-ins, and continuous improvement.

• It supports both individual growth and organizational innovation. And it doesn’t require a major overhaul to get started.

• Tools like a Learning Management System (LMS) make it easier to roll out agile training across multiple clients or teams.

Definition: What is agile learning? 

Agile learning takes its name from agile software development, which involves teams working in short bursts, gathering feedback quickly, and making regular improvements

Agile learning takes its name from agile software development, which involves teams working in short bursts, gathering feedback quickly, and making regular improvements.

Agile learning is rooted in the principles of the Agile Manifesto, originally created by software developers to improve how teams build and deliver products. The manifesto values:

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.

• Working software over comprehensive documentation.

• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.

• Responding to change by following a plan.

In an L&D context, these principles translate into a learning mindset that values:

• People-first training over rigid systems.

• Actionable learning experiences over overly polished, static courses.

• Ongoing learner feedback over top-down instruction.

• Adaptability and iteration over fixed plans.

This means you’re not building a course and walking away. You’re always listening, adjusting, and fine-tuning the experience while it’s happening.

So, agile learning is not just a strategy; it’s a mindset. Agile learners are comfortable with change, open to feedback, and always looking for ways to grow. Agile learning design supports that by making training more interactive, responsive, and far less static than traditional methods.

If you're in learning and development, you must be able to shift gears quickly, and this mindset helps you do just that.

The practical methodology of agile learning

Agile learning doesn’t mean tossing out your whole training strategy. It’s more about how you build and update what you already have. The core idea: small steps, regular check-ins, and room to improve.

Here’s how it usually works:

1. Define the goal: Focus on what learners need to do, not just what they should know.

2. Deliver bite-sized content: No long lectures. Keep your content focused, concise, and easy to update.

3. Get feedback early: Don’t wait until the end. Ask learners what’s working and what’s not as they go.

4. Adjust and repeat: Update your content based on feedback and keep improving.

This method keeps your training fresh, relevant, and aligned with real-world needs. It also gives learners a sense of progress and control, which increases engagement and motivation.

In many organizations, this agile approach to learning draws inspiration from frameworks like Scrum and Kanban.

• With Scrum, learning is broken into ‘sprints’ (short, goal-driven efforts) where progress is reviewed regularly. After each sprint, teams can run a retrospective to reflect on what worked and what to improve next.

• Kanban boards can help visualize learning tasks in progress. They let teams track learning tasks as they move from ‘to-do’ to ‘in progress’ to ‘done’ and support transparency, accountability, and collaboration.

These tools organize work and create a rhythm of learning and improvement. And when applied well, they make agile learning easier to manage and sustain.

Examples for learning agile development in companies

Agile learning can take many shapes depending on the team, the tools, and the goals. Here are a few examples of what it could look like in different teams:

• Sales onboarding: A tech company swaps out its static training manual for short, interactive modules. New hires get real-time support as they need it, and managers tweak content monthly based on team feedback.

• Product training: A SaaS team launches a new product feature. Instead of waiting to build a full course, they share quick how-to video tutorials and update them based on real user questions.

• Leadership development: An HR team uses agile principles to test out short leadership workshops. They pilot one group, collect feedback, and expand the training based on what actually helped.

In all these cases, the training is fast, flexible, and focused on what people need now. Not what someone guessed they’d need six months ago.

A real-world case study

John Deere: Growing skills the agile way

When John Deere’s Global IT team rolled out a new internal training program, they didn’t just drop it in and hope for the best. They took a smart, phased approach to make sure learning fit around daily work, not the other way around.

The results were pretty impressive. In just two years, they boosted their internal training capacity by 64% and doubled the number of sessions led by their own team members. Around 2,500 people completed the training.

It’s a great example of agile learning in action: flexible, scalable, and designed to grow with the people using it. 

How can I, as a trainer, support agile learning?

Agile learning starts with a mindset shift, but it’s also about how you structure and deliver your training. Here’s how you can bring agile principles into your work as a trainer:

• Start small: You don’t have to go fully agile overnight. Try one small training or module first.

• Build feedback loops: Don’t just ask for input at the end; rather, check in throughout the learning process.

• Keep your content flexible: Use formats that are quick to edit or improve.

• Choose the right tools: A good LMS can eliminate a lot of manual work. Consider also incorporating tools like digital kanban boards for learning progress or short team retrospectives to reflect on what’s working.

Once you’ve embraced the agile approach, the next step is setting up systems that make it easy to manage and expand.

Innovation and efficiency: Agile learning in companies with LMS for sustainable growth

If you manage training for multiple clients or teams, things can get complicated quickly. That’s where a Learning Management System (LMS) like Easy LMS makes a real difference.

Here’s what it can help you do:

✅ Centralize your training content all in one place

✅ Reuse training materials across teams or clients without starting from scratch

✅ Brand the learning experience for each client or team, so it feels personal

✅ Scale with ease, minimizing repetitive admin work

There’s more. Discover our complete list of features.

This setup allows you to deliver consistent, relevant training that still feels personal while freeing up more time to focus on improving the content rather than just delivering it.

Agile learning isn’t about doing everything faster; it’s about doing it better and smarter. And Easy LMS gives you the tools to do exactly that.

Useful resources

• Agile Manifesto

• Case study agile learning