10 Types of Elearning Platforms – The Complete Guide

10 Types of eLearning Platforms: Which One Works for You

The world of eLearning is varied, allowing learners to educate themselves in the way that best suits their needs. The various types of eLearning are just one of the many reasons why the sector has soared in popularity in recent years, giving both learners and businesses the independence to be able to take advantage of such platforms’ flexibility.

Experts in the field of eLearning, at Instinct Resourcing, we can help connect your business with the digital learning professionals who matter. With proven expertise across multiple disciplines and sectors, including financial services and central government organisations, we have over a decade of experience bringing eLearning specialists together with the companies that matter.

Helping you to get the experts you need with pace and efficiency, we promise a 24-hour turnaround time on contract clients thanks to our unrivalled talent pool and network of industry contacts. Tailoring our work to your needs, we are a boutique service that can find you any eLearning role, from LMS experts to development specialists.

But before you explore the full range of our services, explore the ten most popular types of eLearning formats below.

Exploring the 10 most popular types of eLearning platforms

Digital learning isn’t one fixed methodology, with new technologies and practices constantly changing how we learn individually and as part of a team. As the eLearning market size grows exponentially year on year, innovative solutions that take advantage of new technologies have increased in demand. Explore ten of the most popular types of eLearning platforms below, which can be incorporated into a comprehensive digital learning package.

1. Adaptive eLearning

Educational flexibility sits at the heart of adaptive eLearning, with the platforms that utilise this constantly altering the content they deliver based on the skills and abilities of the relevant learner. With adaptive eLearning, the user is given a personalised learning experience that switches up the lessons based on their own pace, proficiency and previous experience.

This gives users:

• A personalised educational journey.
• An intuitive platform that is constantly feeding back.
• An engaging platform that slowly increases in difficulty and complexity.

This makes adaptive eLearning ideal for online universities and other educational platforms that can provide the user with lessons that don’t repeat information that they already know.

1. Asynchronous eLearning

As the name suggests, Asynchronous eLearning involves users from multiple locations learning independently from one another. This type of eLearning allows users to fit their essential education into their own time, accessing content whenever best fits their working schedule. Since users don’t have to rely on live sessions or lectures, this method is ideal for self-paced learning.

This gives users:

• An eLearning platform that promotes self-paced learning without restrictions.
• The ability to fit essential training into their schedule at the most convenient time.
• A level of independence that requires strict diligence.

This makes asynchronous eLearning perfect for companies in the commercial sector who wish to deliver compliance training for their employees through lessons that can be completed in their own time. 

1. Blended eLearning

Wondering what is blended learning? Also known as hybrid learning, blended eLearning combines digital and face-to-face approaches to create a comprehensive solution. Usually consisting of videos, online quizzes, face-to-face workshops and virtual learning sessions, blended learning allows the user to gain knowledge no matter what their studying preferences are.

This gives users:

• Flexibility – digital learning allows users to educate themselves at their own pace and in their own time.
• Face-to-face time with a real educator who can answer questions and ensure the user fully understands the subject matter.
• A form of eLearning that implements the very best of all educational formats.

Blended learning is perfect for professional services that want to onboard new employees with a mixture of online courses and in-person workshops that are more specific to their new role. 

4. Collaborative eLearning

Collaborative learning is exactly what the name suggests. With a focus on teamwork, collaborative eLearning allows users to work together, sharing learning materials and goals. Allowing students to improve their communication and teamwork skills, this form of eLearning makes use of a variety of online learning formats, including digital workspaces, discussion boards and videos.

This gives users:

• The opportunity to collaborate, exchange knowledge and provide peer review.
• A more engaging eLearning experience.
• The agency to create their own resources in the form of articles and presentations that can be shared among peers.

Collaborative eLearning is ideal for businesses looking to implement cross-department training and cooperate on case studies, improving relationships across the company.

5. Fixed eLearning

One of the earliest formats of digital education, during fixed eLearning, users are passed down the same information simultaneously, relying on the leadership of instructors. Offering a rigidity that differs from the flexibility of other eLearning methods, this format is ideal for situations and environments where students possess similar skills to one another.

This gives users:

• The opportunity to learn simultaneously and collaboratively with a team of like-minded students.
• A linear path of learning and progress.
• A curriculum of modules and resources to work from.

Students in education are ideal for fixed eLearning strategies thanks to the similar skill level and working schedule of users. 

6. Game-based eLearning

Game-based eLearning involves the use of gamification, which includes competitive elements to enhance the learning process. These game elements can vary, including levels, leaderboards and points systems, which are implemented into the process to make learning more engaging. Popular game-based eLearning platforms include the language-learning application Duolingo. Such platforms are due to play a significant role in the future of eLearning.

This gives users:

• A unique and addictive way to learn and retain knowledge.
• Clear learning goals to strive towards.
• A motivational platform that provides competition and immediate feedback.

Game-based learning is ideal for self-motivated students and can be beneficial across several different sectors to engage users in a unique format. 

7. Individual eLearning

Individual eLearning relies on the self-motivation of the user since it doesn’t involve any communication with an instructor or peers. As a result of its isolated format, individual eLearning is unique, requiring highly motivated users who can keep up with their learning plan and hit the necessary goals. Crucially, individual eLearning is not suitable for all learners and training programmes and could potentially lead to the employment of a bad hire.

This gives users:

• Total freedom – letting them complete learning at their own pace and in their own way.
• The chance to create their own learning plan, be it fixed or adaptive.
• The opportunity to make use of a range of different learning sources.

Individual eLearning is ideal for users looking to complete self-led modules to earn certification before seeking employment in areas such as the digital sector. 

8. Interactive eLearning

The total opposite of individual eLearning is interactive eLearning, with this format giving the chance for course leaders and students to actively communicate and curate learning materials to work from. Strengthening the communication skills of users while improving individual agency, interactive eLearning allows users to shape the learning experience by interacting with elements such as in-person simulations and practice scenarios.

This gives users:

• The chance to build and enhance learning skills among peers and course leaders.
• Agency and responsibility – their participation can shape how the course is taught.
• A variety of ways to improve their personal and interpersonal skills.

This is ideal for employees in the medical and NHS sector who require online compliance training as well as in-person experience.

9. Mobile eLearning and microlearning

Convenience is key when it comes to mobile eLearning, giving the user the freedom to educate themselves at their own pace and convenience. Accessible by mobile phone or tablet, this method allows users to easily access microlearning lessons of mini modules that deliver information in short bursts, making it ideal for busy individuals. The simplest tech innovation that your business should be using, mobile eLearning is one of the industry’s most exciting areas.

This gives users:

• The freedom to learn wherever and whenever they please, with accessible, short lessons.
• The ability to access modern and intuitive microlearning lessons that easily maintain interest.
• Easy access to quick courses for booster learning sessions.

The benefit of mobile learning is in its versatility, offering busy professionals and remote employees to utilise accessible lessons, making it ideal for the fast pace of the technology sector.

10. Virtual reality eLearning

Virtual reality (VR) technology is one of the most exciting and fastest-growing areas of eLearning, offering users an immersive experience that allows them to put their learned skills to the test in lifelike digital scenarios. Enhance user confidence and allow them to organically develop their performance by placing them in a VR environment which replicates their workplace, without the associated risk attached.

This gives users:

• An exciting way to engage with cutting-edge technology that could considerably improve engagement with the source material.
• A chance to implement their newfound skills in a lifelike, but risk-free environment.
• A statistically higher chance of retaining taught information – students using VR training have been found to retain up to 80% after a one-year period.

VR is one of the most exciting types of eLearning on the market, but it is also one of the most expensive. Yet, the lifelike experience it provides could make it essential for the future of the medical sector.

The most popular eLearning platforms

The eLearning types outlined in the section above have led to a variety of popular digital platforms. There are several types of eLearning content that cross the creative, professional, entertainment sectors and beyond. The following eLearning platforms are particularly popular in 2025:

• Coursera: University-standard educational courses.

• • edX: A platform built by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University that offers educational courses.

• Exercism: A free platform made specifically to train programmers. 

• FutureLearn: Offering digital eLearning courses from over 200 institutions, including the NHS.

• Khan Academy: A completely free eLearning platform for young people in early education.

• LinkedIn Learning: Offering professional courses to upgrade your digital skills – results can be easily shared on your LinkedIn profile.

• • Masterclass: Perfect for users in the creative sector, Masterclass offers video lessons from famous industry experts.

• Skillshare: Offering over 25,000 courses with 600,000 members, Skillshare provides largely video-led content. 

• Treehouse: A coding eLearning platform that uses blended learning to engage users.
• Udemy: One of the most popular online eLearning services, Udemy has over 77 million users and uses practical tests, exercises and quizzes to maintain the interest of students.

Looking to elevate your business’s eLearning offerings?

Having now discovered the ten most popular formats to deliver eLearning, you can pick the most appropriate one for your business’s needs and deliver the method appropriately. But cutting-edge eLearning techniques can’t be carried out without the necessary digital professionals. That’s where we come in – helping to connect businesses with the very best talent in the eLearning sector.

As eLearning recruiters with the needs of your company at the very forefront of our operations, we understand the importance of digital learning in the contemporary business landscape. We’re, therefore, passionate about connecting the best-qualified specialists with the right professional positions, delivering a boutique service to help you get the people you need.

To directly find eLearning professionals in a crowded, competitive market, contact us today, and we’d be happy to help you in your first steps towards optimising your eLearning processes. By working with us, you can offload your recruitment responsibilities and allow us to do the heavy lifting, overseeing the whole process, from our initial consultation with you, all the way through to our aftercare package for new employees.

To elevate your eLearning capabilities, reach out to us today.