Christmas Day has a different rhythm. Fewer meetings. Fewer emails. A little more space to think. This felt like the right moment to pause the rush and continue the countdown of our most-read learning blogs this year. Today, we’re looking at numbers 7 to 5.

Christmas Day is a strange but useful pause

Even if you’re not officially working today, chances are your brain hasn’t completely switched off.

There’s often a quiet moment between things. A cup of tea you didn’t rush. A scroll without urgency.

That’s usually when reflection sneaks in.

So rather than pushing out something loud or predictive today, this part of the countdown is about ideas that stayed with people. The ones that readers came back to, shared, or mentioned weeks later in conversation.

Let’s carry on.

#7 – How the Guild of Learning Became Indispensable: A Strategic Tale from Ankh-Morpork

🔗 https://www.popcornlearning.agency/post/how-the-guild-of-learning-became-indispensable-a-strategic-tale-from-ankh-morpork

Why it mattered this year

This one surprised a few people. On the surface, it’s a piece of playful storytelling inspired by Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. Underneath, it’s a serious argument about influence, relevance and value.

Readers told us they enjoyed seeing learning strategy explained through story rather than framework. It made complex ideas easier to hold in the mind. It also raised a quiet but important question:

If L&D disappeared tomorrow, would the organisation really notice?

That question stuck with people. And that’s usually a sign a story has done its job.

#6 – Beyond Click-Next: Interaction Patterns That Actually Change Behaviour

🔗 https://www.popcornlearning.agency/post/beyond-click-next-interaction-patterns-that-actually-change-behaviour

Why it mattered this year

This blog resonated with designers who’ve felt the pressure to “add more interaction” without always being convinced it helps.

Rather than dismissing interactivity altogether, it slowed the conversation down and asked a better question: what is this interaction actually doing for the learner?

The popularity of this post suggests many L&D teams are quietly rethinking old assumptions. Less noise. More purpose. Fewer gimmicks. More decisions, reflection and practice.

In a year where attention has felt especially fragile, that shift matters.

#5 – What If the AI Bubble Bursts? And What It Means for Learning and Development

🔗 https://www.popcornlearning.agency/post/what-if-the-ai-bubble-bursts-and-what-it-means-for-learning-and-development

Why it mattered this year

AI dominated the conversation this year. Sometimes usefully. Sometimes exhaustingly.

This post landed because it stepped back from the hype and asked a calmer question. What happens if the excitement cools? What still matters then?

Rather than predicting winners and losers, it focused on fundamentals. Learning design. Human judgement. Critical thinking. The things that still matter whether tools change quickly or slowly.

For many readers, this felt grounding. A reminder that learning isn’t defined by the technology of the moment, but by how people grow, adapt and perform over time.

A pattern worth noticing

Looking at numbers 7 to 5 together, a theme becomes clearer.

People are drawn to ideas that help them rethink their role, not just their tools.

They value clarity over novelty.

They appreciate storytelling when it helps them see their work differently.

That’s telling.

Especially on a day like today, when there’s a little more space to think about what really counts.

What’s coming next

In the next post, we’ll move into positions 4 to 2. These were some of the most consistently read and revisited blogs of the year, and they point strongly towards how learning design thinking is evolving.

For now, if you’re reading this on Christmas Day, we hope you have an amazing day! Have a mince pie for us!