45 Questions to Ask Before Designing Your Next Learning Intervention In The Age of AI

As a learning professional, you're not expected to have all the answers before a project begins, but you are expected to ask the right ones. Before building e-learning modules or planning a workshop, the planning phase is where the real work happens.

Here are 45 essential questions to ensure your learning intervention truly hits the mark.

1. Clarifying the real need

1. What ultimate business goal or performance problem are we really solving here?

2. Who exactly are we trying to help, and why them specifically?

3. What new skills or behaviours should we realistically expect from learners after this intervention?

4. Why aren't these skills or behaviours already happening, have learners succeeded before?

5. Could this issue actually be solved by something simpler, like clearer processes?

6. What does success look like practically: are expectations clear enough?

2. Defining the learning requirement

1. What's the absolute minimum knowledge learners must remember for this intervention to be effective?

2. What can we provide as just-in-time resources instead of overwhelming learners upfront?

3. What core ideas or principles must learners genuinely connect with emotionally?

4. Which skills require practice opportunities versus simply theoretical learning?

5. How and when will learners get meaningful feedback?

3. Understanding your learners

1. What's their starting point: novices, veterans, or a complicated mix?

2. How genuinely interested or motivated are learners likely to be?

3. What anxieties or aspirations might learners have about this learning experience?

4. Are learners' basic skills, digital literacy, numeracy, language, sufficient, or do we need additional support?

5. How might cultural or generational factors shape learner preferences?

6. Have similar initiatives succeeded or failed previously, and why?

4. Mapping and managing stakeholders

1. Who else, beyond learners, cares about this initiative, and what exactly do they care about?

2. What outcomes specifically matter to these stakeholders?

3. Could stakeholders' biases or preferences derail or enhance the project?

4. How and when should stakeholders be involved throughout the design and delivery process?

5. What evidence or success metrics will stakeholders actually trust and value?

6. Who has the ultimate decision-making power?

5. Navigating logistical realities

1. Exactly how many learners are involved, and how dispersed are they across time zones?

2. What's the real budget, not just the optimistic projection?

3. What are the exact deadlines for starting and completing this initiative?

4. How much learning time can realistically be allocated without sparking organisational panic?

5. Who internally can help, and what hidden talents might they have?

6. What systems, software, or equipment are genuinely available?

7. Are there hidden logistical constraints, firewalls, internet reliability, data security, to consider?

6. Exploring modern technology and learning experiences

1. Could tech solutions genuinely enhance learning outcomes, or are we just chasing trends?

2. Are learners comfortable enough with advanced tech, or should we keep things simpler?

3. Would lower-tech digital options, mobile, microlearning, blended formats, be more practical or effective?

4. What ethical, practical, or accessibility concerns must we address when integrating technology?

5. Do we actually have the internal skills to deliver tech-driven solutions?

7. Implementation and sustainability

1. Who's responsible after the initial launch, clearly and practically?

2. How will we ensure learners genuinely apply new skills rather than simply nodding enthusiastically in class?

3. What reinforcement, refreshers, or support will learners receive post-intervention?

4. How will we track and measure long-term impact?

5. What's our backup plan if the intervention fails?

8. Leveraging generative AI for real learning value

1. Could AI-generated scenarios or simulations realistically enhance learner decision-making and practice opportunities?

2. How might generative AI help personalise content delivery to learners' individual needs and skill gaps?

3. Could we effectively use generative AI as a content curator, providing timely resources and just-in-time learning support?

4. How might generative AI streamline the creation and updating of learning content without losing human quality?

5. What guardrails do we need around AI use to ensure accuracy, ethical compliance, and genuinely helpful results?

Final thoughts

Creating an impactful learning intervention isn't magic, it's about asking meaningful, strategic questions before diving into shiny solutions or defaulting to familiar methods. Use these 45 questions to engage stakeholders, define the real learning need, and leverage technology (including AI) responsibly and effectively.

No question is ever wasted. The alternative is guessing your way through yet another uninspired training programme.