Top 15 E-learning Thought Leaders to Follow in 2022

The global e-learning market was valued at roughly 101 billion US dollars in 2019. The learning management systems (LMS) market generated approximately 18 billion US dollars during this same period. By 2026, the global e-learning market is expected to hit over 370 billion US dollars (Statista, 2020). Undoubtedly, the e-learning industry is booming. 

There are several professionals that are instrumental in the e-learning world. Without them, e-learning would not be as fantastic as it is today. 

Below are 15 such thought leaders in the e-learning world to follow in 2022. 

Aaron Silvers

Aaron Silvers joined Elsevier in 2017 as the health market learning analytics. He is an evolution-oriented leader in the e-learning world and one of the most influential stewards of the xAPI standard and LRS sector. 

On top of his expertise in learning technology and data analytics, Aaron is a passionate advocate for learning, collaboration, and community building. 

Aaron has multiple publications that contribute to the SCORM and learning ecosystem sectors, including Creating Data for Learning Analytics Ecosystems and A SCORM Evolution.  

Cathy Moore

As a world-renowned instructional designer and presenter, Cathy Moore is dedicated to saving the world from boring and irrelevant corporate training. Her blog is full of strategic training design insights and has over 15,000 subscribers worldwide. 

Cathy is also an author. Her book, Map It: The Hands-On Guide to Strategic Training Design, was published in 2017. Additionally, she introduced the “action mapping” model: a visual technique for needs analysis and design practice-rich learning solutions. Cathy’s designs and advice have supported many companies globally, including Amazon, Ikea, and Microsoft.  

Dr. Conrad Gottfredson

Dr. Conrad Gottfredson is an accomplished author and speaker with more than 30 years of experience in organizational learning. He is also the Co-founder and Chief Learning Strategist at The 5 Moments of Need.  

He has extensive experience optimizing learning ecosystems and supporting organizations in identifying and implementing The 5 Moments of Need Solutions. He has developed and managed hundreds of learning and performance solutions across various delivery systems, strategies, audiences, and settings. 

Additionally, Dr. Gottfredson developed simple, practical solutions for organizations using his collaborative consulting style, which can save significant costs in resource-constrained contexts. 

David Kelly

David Kelly is a well-known curator, speaker, and author with expertise in managing learning functions, practical training, and performance improvement.  

He has over two decades of experience as a learning and performance consultant and training director. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of The eLearning Guild, one of the oldest communities of e-learning experts. 

He is particularly interested in using niche technologies like AR/VR to improve training, education, learning, and organizational performance. He is well-known for his curation efforts, especially with regards to conferences and events for learning and performance professionals. 

Apart from his role as CEO, David runs a popular blog and Twitter account to share insights about learning and curation. 

Dr. Jane Bozarth

Dr. Jane Bozarth is a valued conference speaker who presents live and virtually at international events. She is an expert in e-learning, instructional design, and employee development. Her famous working out loud model has enabled new learning opportunities for both employees and employers. 

Since 2018, she has been working as the Director of Research at The eLearning Guild. She is also the author of multiple books, including Social Media for Trainers and E-Learning Solutions on a Shoestring.  

Dr. Jane Bozarth is active on Twitter, Learning Solutions Magazine, and her personal blog. You can follow her to learn about her perspectives on e-learning strategies and future trends. 

Julian Stodd

Julian Stodd is a renowned writer, researcher, and social learning scientist specializing in leadership, learning, and culture. He won the Learning Performance Institute ‘Colin Corder Award for Services to Learning’, in 2016. He also founded Sea Salt Learning in 2014 with the goal of “helping organizations thrive in the Social Age.” 

Julian has written 14 books and over 2,000 blog posts and articles. Among his more well-known publications is The Social Leadership Handbook, which provides his unique perspectives on Social Leadership and Social Age. 

In his learning blog, Julian mentions that “This blog is part of my own journey, and I share the ideas in that spirit: not as ideas that are right but to help me make my ideas better”. He is an original and critical thinker who can contribute a wealth of brilliant ideas to the social learning world. 

Karl Kapp

Karl Kapp is a professor at Bloomsburg University and the founder of “The Learning and Development Mentor Academy”. He is an expert in learning and e-learning, with a strong focus on interactive learning and gamification.  

He is dedicated to sharing thoughts and perspectives through writing, consulting, and coaching with practitioners, students, and fellow academics in learning. 

Additionally, Professor Kapp has published many masterpieces, including The Gamification of Learning and Instruction Fieldbook: Ideas into Practice. Within his work, he has shown the world that “Game-Thinking” is a powerful tool for learning. 

Professor Kapp also addresses gamification for learning extensively on his Twitter and website. 

Kasper Spiro

Kasper Spiro is an influential author and speaker in the e-learning world. He is also the Co-founder and Chief Learning Strategist of Easygenerator.  

Kasper has been actively involved in the e-learning industry for more than three decades. He is a leader in various areas of e-learning, including teaching, authoring textbooks, creating e-learning, knowledge management systems, user performance support systems, and e-learning systems. 

He is also a brilliant blogger frequently sharing his knowledge and perspective on e-learning, with a mission “to facilitate everybody to capture and share their knowledge”. 

Laura Overton

Laura Overton is an international speaker, author, and facilitator, positioning her as an essential figure in the e-learning industry in the UK. 

Without a doubt, Laura is a change-maker in the e-learning industry. Since 2004, she has engaged in the topic of L&D learning innovation. She wrote and published over 70 research reports and over 300 articles and was instrumental in spearheading a research organization called “Towards Maturity”. 

Laura has an entrepreneurial spirit as the founder of Emerging Stronger, an organization dedicated to supporting emerging learning leaders in becoming stronger, smarter, and more prepared to deliver business value in the workplace. She regularly speaks at conferences worldwide and leads masterclasses and webinars to share her findings of L&D learning innovation.  

Lori Niles-Hofmann

Lori Niles-Hofmann is a Senior Learning Strategist with over 25 years of experience in learning and development. She has also hosted a webinar with Easygenerator. Lori specializes in large-scale, digital learning transformations. She is highly passionate about helping organizations navigate the ambiguity of change. 

She has developed data-based methodologies and frameworks that can enable Learning and Development (L&D) teams to transition from a business support role to a strategic business driver.  

In addition to Senior Learning Strategist and speaker, Lori is the author of Data-Driven Learning Design, a handbook for professionals on how to use data to make more effective and fast instructional design decisions. 

She is also active on her personal blog where she shares valuable thoughts on digital learning through storytelling. 

Matt Ash

Matt Ash is the Director of Learning & Performance at Media Zoo, a multi-award-winning creative communications agency in the UK. 

His perspectives on e-learning are highly innovative and rooted in practice. He authored an article on LinkedIn about L&D, sharing his creative insights into the world of e-learning. 

He is unquestionably one of the emerging forces in the world of e-learning, and likely will continue to deliver unique knowledge into the field. 

Megan Torrance

Megan Torrance is the CEO of Torrance Learning and a specialist in e-learning, webcasting, and online training design and delivery. Megan has more than twenty years of experience optimizing processes, implementing changes, and providing learning opportunities for employees. 

She is also the author of Agile for Instructional Designers, a book that provides project management methods to L&D professionals. Additionally, Megan hosted a podcast in 20221, where she discussed data-driven learning, the adoption of xAPI in the learning sector, and the role of women in L&D. 

Nick Shackleton-Jones

Nick Shackleton-Jones is a revolutionary thought leader, author, and conference speaker with over 20 years of experience in the corporate learning sector. He is also the founder and CEO of Shackleton Consulting.  

He is one of the leaders whose goal is to develop L&D practically. In his book How People Learn, he introduces L&D professionals to the 5Di approach to building effective training programs and learning experiences in a user-centered way. 

He has won multiple awards for people development strategy, innovation, and learning content. Notably, Nick was also the winner of the Learning & Performance Institute for Services to the Learning Industry in 2017.  

Nigel Paine

Nigel Paine is a change-focused leader in corporate learning with over two decades of experience. He has developed learning software and multi-media materials, focusing on enhancing human potential through learning technology, organizational development, leadership, and creativity. 

He formerly served as the Head of L&D operation at BBC. After leaving BBC, he established a company focusing on developing effective workplaces through the promotion of learning, innovation, and value-based leadership. 

Nigel has authored and edited 8 books, over 100 articles, and white papers for international publications focusing on leadership, learning, and technology. 

He is also a well-known presenter who regularly speaks at conferences and Learn Now TV. You can check out his webpage to learn more about his work. 

Dr. Will Thalheimer

Dr. Will Thalheimer is an influential author, speaker, consultant, and innovative thinker in the L&D field. He joined TiER1 Performance as the Principal in 2021. 

For over 25 years, Dr. Thalheimer has been a leader in the research-to-practice movement of L&D. He publishes extensive research-to-practice reports to offer his in-depth understanding of how organizations function, how businesses run, and how people may thrive in today’s fast-paced ecosystems.