the death of click-next elearning:
a story-first future

Once upon a time, digital learning or elearning meant bullet points, cheesy stock photos, and an endless “Next” button. Learners clicked. They passed the quiz. And then promptly forgot everything. These ‘click-next’ courses are the VHS tapes of workplace learning: outdated, uninspiring, and unfit for today’s learners. Modern learners expect more. They’re overwhelmed, distracted, and time-poor. They’re craving meaning, connection, authenticity and relevance. This is where storytelling comes in. Not as a gimmick, but as a powerful design principle that changes how people learn, retain, and apply information.

what’s wrong with ‘click next’?

At its core, “click next” elearning is passive. It minimises interactivity, disengages learners, and prioritises completion over true comprehension. It rarely creates the emotional connection needed for learning to stick.

One major problem with this format is its “one-size-fits-all” approach. Most “click next” courses present the same content in the same linear order to every learner, regardless of their background, prior knowledge, or learning style. This standardised design leaves no room for personal reflection or exploration. Learners are given little opportunity to relate the content to their own experiences. They can’t “see themselves” in the material. As a result, they may feel unseen or unheard, leading them to disengage and question the course’s relevance, “What does this have to do with me?”, “How is this useful in my role?”, “Why should I care about this?” Storytelling allows us to go deeper. It gives us the power to make the learning personal.

why storytelling works

Storytelling taps into how we naturally understand, retain, and relate to information. We’re hardwired for stories. Stories help us make sense of the world and connect learning to personal meaning. This makes them a powerful tool for learning.

While dry content slides activate little more than surface comprehension, story-led design taps into empathy, curiosity, and problem-solving, making learning not just informative, but memorable.

from slide-led to story-led

Transitioning to story-led design doesn’t mean abandoning structure or learning objectives. It means wrapping those objectives in narratives that resonate. Here’s how:

• Identify the core message: What do learners need to feel, know, or do differently?
• Build a narrative framework: Create characters (or use real people), conflicts, and consequences that reflect the learner’s reality.
• Use branching or linear stories: Depending on the content, stories can offer choices (branching) or follow a fixed arc (linear) to guide reflection.
• Blend content into context: Present information as part of the story. Do this through dialogue, decision points, or environmental cues rather than as separate slides or pages.
• Create a visual language: Stories go beyond words. Use imagery, movement, video, audio, emmerging technologies like AR and VR to create a rich story that packs an emotional punch.

the impact

Stories allow us to attach personal meaning to learning content. Behavioural science tell us why this is effective. Studies show that personalised, emotionally resonant messages are significantly more effective at changing behaviour than generic ones.

In UK trials, for example, behaviourally informed invitations increased NHS appointment uptake by over 37%. The lesson? When learners see themselves in the story, they’re more likely to engage and act.

the future is story-first

At Mindboost, we tell emotionally engaging stories through inspired UI: crafting words, images and movement to break away from dull elearning and replace it with experiences that make people want to leap out of bed.

We embed learning with emotionally rich narratives and reflect real experiences in the stories we tell. We use branching stories to keep learners active, curious, and invested. We present learning content as part of a learner’s environment, making it relatable and immediately applicable. We use rich, multi-sensory visuals to create dynamic moments.

Drone footage. Real people sharing authentic stories. AR simulation. Interactive video stories. Split screen video. Interactive scenarios. Not a “click-next” course in sight. The era of passive clicking is over. The future of learning is human, emotional, and story-led, and it’s already begun.