Introduction
Whether you’re already at the advanced level of your learning of the Power Platform or you are only taking your first steps, you always want to aim to improve your knowledge and learn new skills and approaches.
With Microsoft frequently releasing new updates, features, (and deprecating some too!), continuous learning is essential to remain effective and innovative.
However, constantly learning new things can be daunting, and not everyone learns in the same way. That’s where understanding learning styles through the VARK model (Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, Kinesthetic) can significantly help us.
Today’s blog has two parts. In the first one, I briefly explain the VARK modalities and give some examples of Power Platform methods and resources that you can use that fit bests with your preferred method.
In the second, I summarise and bring all together some of the best YouTube channels, blogs, podcasts and more in a single place to allow you expand your methods to find the most suitable for you. Also, I reference some of the methods to use to seek the support from others in the situation where need some help to resolve a problem and the knowledge is not out there.
VARK model & you
The VARK model categorises learning preferences into four main types: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic. It is used to identify individuals' preferred learning methods, allowing study approaches to be more effective by aligning them with each person’s unique learning preferences.
To identify your learning style and optimise your study methods, reflect on how you’ve learned best in the past, paying attention to your natural tendencies and preferences. Here are key indicators for each learning style:
Visual learners prefer visual aids like video content, diagrams or colour-coded notes. They may create visual mind maps to understand concepts, showing a clear preference for seeing information presented to them visually.
Auditory learners often prefer listening to explanations and may talk through problems aloud. They thrive in group discussions, lectures, and enjoy learning through sound, showing strong recall of spoken information.
Reading/writing learners show preference for written words and they absorb information well through reading and taking extensive notes. They may prefer reading instructions or writing summaries and feel more comfortable processing information in written form.
Kinaesthetic learners are often active and hands-on and they benefit the most in environments that allow movement or touch. They learn best by doing, preferring activities like experiments or building models and often need tactile engagement to fully absorb information.
Power Platform VARK Learning Styles
So how can this model be translated into Power Platform methods of learning? Proposed best resources per learning style include:
Visual learners:
YouTube channels, virtual sessions and workshops;
In person and virtual User Group meetings;
Microsoft Learn visual aids, training sessions with diagrams in
Blogs rich in screen shots and pictures.
Auditory learners:
Podcasts and audiobooks;
YouTube channels and webinars;
User Groups and engaging in discussions during meetups.
Reading/Writing Learners:
Books, LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft Learn;
Reading LinkedIn posts and white papers;
Taking notes from books and blogs and creating written summaries of Microsoft Learn modules.
Kinesthetic learners:
Experimenting with trial environments;
GitHub repositories - analysing sample projects, cloning and modifying code;
Hands-on labs at bootcamps and workshops;
Participating in hackathons.
YouTube channels
YouTube is a great free resource to start your journey or dive deeper into Power Platform. Here are some of the most popular channels:
Channel | Link | Details |
Shane Young | Learn about all things Power Apps, Power Automate, SharePoint, Copilot, Power Pages, and Office365. | |
Reza Dorrani | Various aspects of the Power Platform Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, SharePoint, Dataverse, Microsoft 365 and more. | |
Scott Durow | In-depth how-to style videos to help with both low-code and pro-code covering Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, Dataverse, Teams, Azure & D365. | |
Kristine Kolodziejski | The best content covering UX & UI in Power Apps | |
Lisa Crosbie | Business apps, low code development, Copilot solutions, and essential AI skills. | |
Matthew Devaney | Power Apps tips (more on Matt’s blog) | |
Dani Kahil | Microsoft Business Applications, D365 and Azure DevOps | |
Rory Neary | Power Apps, Power Automate and Power BI Tutorials | |
Citizen Developer (by Griffin Lickfeldt) | Created to drive Citizen Developer learning in the ever changing low code environment. Also, weekly series of Power Talks! | |
Colin Kelly-Cook (Novalogix) | Power Apps and Power Platform tutorials | |
April Dunnam | Tutorials and insights on how to use AI and Power Platform | |
Untethered 365 (Sean Astrakhan) | Power Platform including SharePoint, Power Apps, and Power Automate! Perfect for newcomers and seasoned developers, with best practices and how to solve complicated problems with the simplest solutions by following best practices. | |
nz365guy (Mark Smith) | Hottest tips and updates related to Microsoft Business Apps including: How to Become a Microsoft MVP, D365, Power Platform, PowerApps, Power BI & more | |
Rachel Irabor | A Girl in Love with Tech Podcast podcast, Power Platform content + more | |
Nathan Rose | Master of PowerFx & Low Code Plugin | |
DamoBird365 (Damien Bird) | Awesome content on Power Automate and Power Platform | |
Tolu Victor
| Amazing content focused on anything regarding the Power Platform, Sharepoint, Microsoft 365 & more | |
Victor Dantas - Zero To Hero Academy
| technical insights on the Power Platform, D365 technology and AI | |
D365 Goddess (Dian Taylor) | D365 CE, PowerApps, Power Automate | |
Talking tech with Techielass | Azure, MS Ignite, Teams, GitHub | |
Daniel Laskewitz | Power Platform, Copilot Studio | |
Laura Rogers | Power Apps, SharePoint tutorials | |
Matt Collins-Jones | Videos on How-to's, tricks and tips on D365 CE and the Power Platform | |
Charles Sexton | All about Power Platform | |
The CRM Ninja
| Oops Factor interviews with MS technology experts | |
FlowJoe
| Power Automate videos and tutorials | |
Freestyle Dynamics (Paddy Byrne) | Tips, tricks and training related to MS Biz Apps | |
Tomasz Poszytek | Power Platform: Power Automate, Power Apps, Power Virtual Agents, Desktop flows (RPA), Power BI | |
Daniel Christian | 100s of videos focused on Power Platform Content released on a weekly basis with focus on: SharePoint, Dataverse, Azure SQL, Teams | |
Power Platform Geeks | Channel dedicated to Microsoft's Power Platform Stack, which includes Power Apps, Power BI, Power Automate, Power Virtual Agent, Power Pages, Dataverse, AI Builder, as well as SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft 365 | |
Tyler Talks | Channel about codeless application development | |
Ilya Fainberg | All about cloud and technology in the real world | |
TheOyinbooke (Olanrewaju Oyinbooke) | Data Analytics, Machine Learning, AI | |
Vivek Bavishi - That API Guy | Power Apps, Power Automate, D365, SharePoint, Teams | |
PowerApps Tutorial (Darren Neese) | Power Apps training & tutoring | |
Pragmatic Works | Power BI, Power Apps, Azure, SQL Server, and more |
Microsoft YouTube channels
Apart from the individual YouTube channels created by members of Power Platform community and also Microsoft employees, there are also official Microsoft YouTube channels as listed below.
Channel | Link | Details |
Microsoft Power Platform | Official Microsoft Power Platform channel | |
Microsoft Power Apps | Official Microsoft Power Apps YouTube channel | |
Microsoft Power BI | Official Microsoft Power BI YouTube channel | |
Microsoft Power Automate | Official Microsoft Power Automate YouTube channel | |
Microsoft Community Learning
| Channel for technical skilling content provided by Microsoft and community content creators on Copilot experiences, Microsoft 365, Power Platform, Microsoft Viva and more. This includes weekly webcasts, demo videos, tutorials, and best practices for people at every level with our services. Created by Microsoft together with MVPs and extended community members our content is for developers, IT Professionals and those just getting started. | |
Microsoft 365 Developer | Latest updates on how the Microsoft Teams and Copilot Platform can help you build the next generation of intelligent apps |
User Group and virtual series YouTube channels
One of the best way to learn and also to get involve in the community is to join one of the existing User Groups - https://community.powerplatform.com/usergroups
Some of them are in person, some online and some of them offer both types of meetings.
In addition to User Groups, you can also participate in virtual sessions such as the VRT hosted by ShortList Recruitment.
If you're unable to attend a live session, most groups provide recordings of their events, ensuring you won't miss out on valuable content.
User Group | Link | Details |
Power Platform UX/UI A11ys | Recordings of monthly meetings of Power Platform UX/UI A11ys User Group | |
Scottish Power Platform User Group | Recordings of online sessions for Scottish Power Platform User Group | |
ShortList Recruitment | Recording of past VRT sessions (delivered by Power Platform community) hosted by inter alia Sara Jones. |
Blogs
If prefer reading instead of tutorials, then blogs are perfect for you! Blogs offer a continuous source of up-to-date knowledge, practical tips, and expert insights into the latest developments in Power Platform. There are many amazing blog out there and it is not only hard to read them all, but also to list them all! The below is a list of my favourite ones and also the most known ones.
Blog | Link | Details |
Matthew Devaney | Nr 1 blog for Power Apps | |
Craig White | Blog of the year covering tups, tricks, hacks, Power Platform admin and more. | |
Dani Kahil | Amazing cheat sheets, Azure Boards, mastering requirements and more. | |
Power Platform & Dynamics CRM Tip Of The Day | It is what it says on the tin! | |
Franco Musso | Power Pages | |
Ulrikke Akerbæk | Power Pages | |
David Wyatt | Power Automate and Power Apps - insights, best practices, and tutorials | |
Simon Owen | Blogs with practical approach on Power Platform | |
Carl de Souza | Focused on Dynamics 365, Power BI, Azure, and Power Apps | |
Angeliki Patsiavou | The most impactful stories in Microsoft business applications Enabling humans by reigning in tech chaos, sharing best practice. | |
Charles Sexton | Amazing Power Apps tips | |
Joe Griffin | Anything and everything to do with the Power Platform, MSDYN365, Azure and more | |
Tomasz Poszytek | Amazing Power Automate and Power Apps content | |
Mark Smith aka nz365guy | Power Platform and career advice | |
Dian Taylor | D365 CE | |
Bülent Altinsoy | Copilot Studio, Community Appreciations, Tips | |
Carl Cookson | Power Platform, D365 and details on custom tools developed by Carl for XrmToolBox | |
The CRM Ninja | Omnichannel for Dynamics 365 | |
Cat Schneider | Power Apps wizardy | |
D365 Demystified | Dynamics 365 & Power Platform | |
Nati Turtledove | Power Platform, Azure, AI | |
David Warner II | Screenshot summaries for the community calls | |
Power Platform Weekly | Content from the community and news from Microsoft. | |
XRM Solutions UK (by Parvez ) | Power Platform, ALM, D365 | |
Lisa Crosbie | Power Platform and Dynamics 365 | |
D365Ni | Blog focusing on Dynamics 365 Marketing, Sales, Customer Service, and the Power Platform | |
Neil Parkhurst | D365 Customer Service, help to revise for MS exams | |
Power Platform Cookbook | Essential Power Platform & D365 recipes |
Podcasts
Podcasts are an excellent way to learn about Power Platform on the go.
Some of them can help you learn, while others host guests, allowing us to understand the stories behind amazing content creators and the journeys of tech experts who explain how they reached where they are today.
Podcast | Link |
Power Platform Boost Podcast | |
Sprint Zero | |
Amazing Apps | |
OnAirInTheCloud | |
nz3665guy MVP Show | |
nz3665guy Ecosystem Show |
Books
Books are another great way to learn Power Platform. However, rather than listing any specific book titles, I am sharing a couple of sites where you can look for them. Some of them offer free trials where you can check on the content in a digital version of a book before your purchase.
Newsletters
If you prefer content to come to you, many bloggers offer email notifications for new posts - simply check and subscribe to stay updated. Additionally, several of the newsletters provide summaries of the latest Power Platform content, bringing together links to recent articles, videos, and tutorials in one convenient update.
Newsletter | Link |
Power Platform Weekly |
Links
Apart from the blogs, there are also other interesting online resources out there like e.g. release planners, MS learn or community samples.
Content | Link |
Power Platform Community | |
Official MS User Groups around the world | |
Microsoft Power Apps Samples | |
MS365 Roadmap | |
Release plans for Dynamics 365, Power Platform | |
Release planner | |
MS Partner (only for Partners as login required) | |
Samples & Solutions | |
MS Learn | |
FastTrack for Dynamics - Success by Design Overview |
Mentoring Programs
Other method to boost your knowledge is to join a mentoring program. These programs typically include live sessions, interactive discussions, personalised guidance, hands-on exercises and more. I personally joined the below two and I highly recommend them:
90 Days Mentoring Challenge by Mark Smith https://ako.nz365guy.com
Architect Accelerator by Sean Astrakhan https://www.untethered365.com/architects-accelerator
MS Events
Microsoft organises and hosts a variety of conferences, training and regular online sessions.
The next big event is MS Ignite – register here: https://ignite.microsoft.com/en-US/home
Info on the regular weekly and monthly Microsoft 365 & Power Platform Community Calls can be found here: https://pnp.github.io/#events
Additionally, Microsoft also organises events and (free!) all day workshops that are regularly added here: https://events.microsoft.com
LinkedIn is a powerful platform to network with professionals and see daily updates or best practices. It is worth checking out on some of the LinkedIn free training and joining some of the LinkedIn Groups.
WhatsApp & Discord
If you are looking for real-time interaction and support, you can join some of the community chats on WhatsApp or Discord.
P.S. Just don’t post about Stock Exchange (IYKYK)!
Content | Link |
Power Apps | |
Power Automate | |
Power Pages | |
Power BI | |
The Power Platform Club | |
Dynamics 365 | |
Power Platform Level Up | |
Power Platform Community
| |
Microsoft 365 & Power Platform Community | |
CLI for Microsoft 365 | |
Power Platform UX/UI A11ys Global User Group |
Conclusion
Continuous learning of the Power Platform can be both exciting and challenging. Fortunately, the Power Platform community is incredibly supportive, offering a wealth of knowledge to help you grow rather than overwhelm you.
With numerous resources available, consider identifying your learning style to make the journey more engaging. Also, try to secure some time on a daily/weekly basis to visit your favourite resources and more importantly – enjoy the process and celebrate each step of your progress!
Terrific collection!