What is the PST Model?

PST Persona Strategy Technology MODEL

The PST Model represents three essential domains to consider when planning corporate learning: Persona, Strategy, and Technology. The most effective learning solutions emerge at the trilateral intersection—where elements of all three domains are intentionally aligned to create a more learner-centered, performance-driven experience.

PST is inspired by Matthew Koehler and Punya Mishra’s TPACK framework. In the PST adaptation, TPACK’s Content Knowledge (CK) and Pedagogical Knowledge (PK) are incorporated into the Strategy domain to better reflect how learning decisions are made in corporate environments.

Repurposed for workplace learning, PST is designed to guide organizations of any size or budget as they shape practical, aligned learning strategies that support real performance.

Learning persona (P)

Learning Personas are the foundation for designing learning that feels relevant and useful. They capture the common realities of a job role—goals, challenges, context, motivations, and constraints—so your design decisions are grounded in what learners actually face.

Personas are built from information. The most important first step is gathering data about your learners (through interviews, observation, performance data, and stakeholder input). The final persona is a hypothetical archetype—a pattern of behaviors and needs—not a profile of a real individual.

When learners recognize themselves in the experience, motivation increases and transfer improves. In the PST Model, Personas establish the baseline for a truly learner-centered approach.

Corporate Strategy (S)

Corporate Strategy shapes what learning must accomplish—and what success will be measured against. This domain captures the business priorities that learning should align to, including:

Goals and key metrics
Core values and culture
Benchmarks and performance standards
Resources (time, people, budget, tools, leadership support)

Not every organization has a mature L&D function or a large budget. PST is designed for that reality. The Strategy domain helps you identify what matters most, clarify outcomes, and choose approaches that fit your constraints—whether you’re building a full learning ecosystem or starting with low-cost performance support.

Learning technology (T)

The Learning Technology domain includes the tools and systems an organization can use to deliver, support, and manage learning. This may include:

Learning platforms (LMS/LXP), knowledge bases, and workflow tools
Social and collaboration platforms
Video and communication tools
Authoring and content development tools
AI-enabled support and automation
Gamification and simulation tools
Emerging technologies such as VR/AR/3D and immersive learning

Technology can increase alignment across PST by helping learning show up in the right format, at the right time, in the right place—based on the Persona and the organization’s Strategy.

But technology is never the strategy. It should be applied intentionally, chosen for the performance need, and scaled to what the organization can sustain.

Page updated

Report abuse