DevLearn

DevLearn
Name	DevLearn
Status	Active
Genre	Learning technologies conference
Frequency	Annual
Venue	Various
First	2011
Organizer	The eLearning Guild

DevLearn is an annual learning technologies conference focused on digital learning, instructional design, and learning experience innovation. It brings together practitioners, designers, technologists, and leaders from companies, Apple Inc., Google LLC, Microsoft, Amazon (company), and Adobe Inc. to explore advances in multimedia, analytics, and immersive learning. Attendees often include representatives from IBM, Accenture, Deloitte, PwC, and KPMG as well as higher education institutions such as Harvard University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Cambridge, and University of Oxford.

Overview

DevLearn serves as a gathering for professionals from AT&T, Cisco Systems, General Electric, Boeing, and Siemens to examine applied learning solutions, learning management systems, and performance support. The event showcases products and research from vendors like SAP SE, Oracle Corporation, Cornerstone OnDemand, Blackboard Inc., and Coursera alongside startups featured by Y Combinator, Techstars, and 500 Startups. Sponsors and exhibitors have included Sony Corporation, Samsung Electronics, NVIDIA, Intel Corporation, and Qualcomm. The conference frequently intersects with initiatives tied to funding organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and Carnegie Corporation of New York.

History

The eLearning Guild launched the conference series in the early 2010s, building on industry events like ASTD conferences and trade shows such as Learning Technologies (conference) and The Learning Show. Over time DevLearn featured keynote speakers drawn from TED Conferences, SXSW, and O’Reilly Media stages and partnered with organizations including IEEE, ACM, ISTE, EDUCAUSE, and SHRM. The event evolved during major technology shifts such as the rise of iPhone, Android (operating system), HTML5, and WebGL, and adapted to waves of innovation from enterprises like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Zoom Video Communications, and Slack Technologies.

Conference Format and Activities

Typical formats include keynote sessions, hands-on workshops, vendor expo halls, learning labs, and panel discussions featuring leaders from NASA, National Institutes of Health, World Health Organization, UNICEF, and Red Cross. Attendees experience demonstrations of virtual reality and augmented reality from creators at Unity Technologies, Epic Games, and Oculus VR as well as analytics use cases involving Tableau Software, SAS Institute, Splunk, and Palantir Technologies. Workshops emphasize practical skills with tools from Adobe Captivate, Articulate Global (Articulate), Camtasia (TechSmith), and Moodle. Certification and continuing professional development sessions reference standards from ISO, IEEE Standards Association, and SCORM adopters.

Topics and Themes

Recurring themes include learning experience design showcased through methods linked to IDEO, Frog Design, and Nielsen Norman Group, adaptive learning systems influenced by research at Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University School of Engineering, and MIT Media Lab, and evidence-based practice connected to studies published in journals like Nature, Science (journal), and Journal of Applied Psychology. Sessions examine competency frameworks used at Google X, Facebook AI Research (FAIR), Microsoft Research, and OpenAI as well as ethical considerations raised in contexts involving European Union policy, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and national agencies such as National Science Foundation.

Notable Speakers and Contributors

Keynotes and presenters have included innovators and thought leaders associated with Clayton Christensen-style disruption narratives, entrepreneurs from Ellen Pao-adjacent circles, researchers affiliated with Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky traditions, and designers influenced by Don Norman and Richard Mayer. Contributors have included executives and academics from Sal Khan, Sugata Mitra, Esther Duflo, Michael Nielsen, Sebastian Thrun, and Peter Norvig-aligned work, as well as practitioners from AT&T Foundry, GE Digital, McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, and Bain & Company.

Awards and Recognitions

The conference presents awards and showcases innovation challenges akin to recognitions from Fast Company and Wired editorial lists, and aligns with industry honors such as ASTD (now Association for Talent Development) Awards, Edison Awards, and Learning Technologies Awards. Companies and projects honored at the event have included initiatives supported by Gates Foundation grants, startup competitions similar to SXSW Accelerator, and case studies cited in publications like Harvard Business Review and MIT Technology Review.

Impact and Reception

Observers in trade outlets including Training Magazine, Elearning! Magazine, Brandon Hall Group, and Chief Learning Officer (magazine) report that the conference influences procurement decisions at enterprises including Walmart, Target Corporation, Home Depot, McDonald's Corporation, and Starbucks Corporation. Academic citations and industry white papers reference collaborations seeded at the event with researchers from University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, Yale University, Princeton University, and University of Chicago. Coverage by mainstream media such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Forbes, and Bloomberg News highlights its role in spotlighting trends in immersive learning, analytics, and corporate skilling.

Category:Conferences