Have You Tried E-Learning Yet?

Corporate training managers are constantly searching for new methods that will be effective — and cost-effective — to ensure as high a return as possible on training. They like e-learning, or online training because it is quite affordable when compared with classroom-based training. With e-learning, you can avoid expenses associated with travel, trainers, facilities, and course materials. Plus, you’ll never have to update, correct or reprint course materials because the online versions are always up-to-date. And e-learning is far more convenient for trainees who work in different offices throughout the country, and it’s easily accessible for quick refreshers and reminders.

Classroom training has some benefits, though. It encourages face-to-face interaction, which is a skill in itself. And it’s ideal for teaching material that requires students to perform instead of just soaking up knowledge. There is a reason you can’t find swimming classes online!

Countless blog posts and articles debate the “Which is better?” question. The real question is, “Which is better for my organization?” It’s possible that a combination of the two is your best option. If you currently offer only classroom-based training, it’s worth investigating the benefits of e-learning.

By 2020, 98 percent of companies plan to use some form of e-learning. Opportunities for small businesses to incorporate e-learning into their training strategy are becoming more prevalent.

Many organizations offer new-associate orientations, training classes or schools. Unfortunately, too often students feel like they are drinking from a fire hose in these classes, especially if no follow-up resources are available for class members to review after trying to absorb the overwhelming amount of information they receive. Many colleges and universities now record and stream lectures, providing students a quick but effective way to review or clarify particularly unclear subject matter.

Low-cost web-based training has been getting a lot of attention. And some organizations now consider web-based training a part of blended learning, which uses more than one method of message delivery. Repetition is the mother of all learning, so when elements of coursework or subject matter overlap, it can reinforce learning.

To increase the effectiveness of any training, it’s important to set up the training platform that works best for your participants and ensures effective alignment with your organization’s goals and objectives.

Specific Benefits of E-Learning

Depending on the material, e-learning can be highly effective, especially for the younger generations, who are accustomed to learning online. More than one in three Americans in the workforce are millennials. Catering to their learning style can help with their retention of information. Here are some additional benefits of e-learning:

1. Every dollar invested in online training results in a $30 increase in productivity.

2. Companies that use e-learning technology achieve an 18 percent boost in employee engagement.

3. Forty percent of employees who receive poor job training leave their positions within the first year.

4. E-learning boosts retention rates by 25 to 60 percent, compared to retention rates of 8 to 10 percent with traditional training.

5. It typically takes employees 40 to 60 percent less time to study material via e- learning than in a traditional classroom setting.

Organizations that use e-learning are also likely to enjoy such benefits as convenience, standardized delivery, and the ability for students to progress according to their pace of learning and availability.