8 Benefits of eLearning for Your Organization and Your People

Organization leaders want the best for their companies and their people, and getting it right when it comes to training and development is essential. So here is our case for why eLearning is a complete solution for all your learning and development needs. 

Total flexibility

Where traditional classroom training requires a physical location at a set time, eLearning offers flexibility regarding when and where learners complete their courses.  With eLearning, learners can access training 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from any device with internet access. Learners are given the freedom to learn in the office, at home, on public transit or wherever else best suits their busy schedules. Giving learners a choice in when and where they complete their training means they can focus better, leading to higher learning outcomes that weren’t previously possible.   

Learner Learner watches video on a tablet. Flexibility is a benefit of eLearning

Adaptability 

eLearning is a truly adaptable medium. It can be designed to fit an organization’s brand, learner population and overall training needs. Even after design and implementation are done, adaptability continues to be a defining characteristic and benefit of eLearning. Here are 3 key areas where it excels:

Learning styles

There are many different types of learners, including visual, auditory and kinesthetic.  Recognizing and accommodating these various learning styles leads to better learning outcomes, but can be difficult in traditional approaches to training and development.  Fortunately, a well designed eLearning course is able to not only accommodate different learning styles but capitalize on them with activities, knowledge checks and simulations via various types of media.

Pace

Instructors know that different people learn at different speeds, but in a classroom setting they often have to make compromises to cover all content in the time they are given. With so many asynchronous options, eLearning is able to offer each learner exactly what they need with options to speed up or slow down narration and repeat content whenever needed. 

Situations

The same eLearning module can be useful in several situations. A HR professional, for example, may receive interview training during their onboarding with a new company and then go several months before they need to put that knowledge into practice. With an eLearning training module, they are able to go back and review the content just before performing their first interview, ensuring better outcomes.

Save time 

eLearning saves time all around. Managers and HR professionals are able to assign courses to employees as needed without having to put together a full training session. This saves time finding instructors, either internally or externally, and negotiating terms. 

For learners, eLearning may cut commuting time to training premises, and it allows them to find the most convenient times to engage with learning. For those who already have knowledge of their course content, eLearning gives them the possibility to treat the course as a review and speed up the content.

Track progress

For managers, eLearning takes training measurement to the next level. They can plan a personalized learning path, keep up with the progress of each learner through assigned courses and check assessment performance. In some cases, progress tracking will even help organizations comply with policies, regulations and laws. 

ROI

Costs are an important consideration when it comes to training and eLearning can offer a great return on investment. It eliminates several costs that come with classroom training, such as training space rent, instructor’s hourly wage, transportation and accommodation, which are recurring each time a new training session is run. Even though eLearning usually has a higher upfront cost, it makes up for it by allowing courses to be taken at little to no cost after that. Check out this post on eLearning ROI to learn more. 

Consistency

Classroom training can be highly inconsistent. Even providing instructors with the same training and learners with the same materials, each section will inevitably be slightly different from the others. eLearning, on the other hand, is carefully designed and developed so the course is at its best form and will always be available to learners as such. 

Scalability

eLearning courses can be delivered to a large number of learners at the same time, without running into limitations such as instructor availability and classroom size. Online learning makes it easier for organizations to make courses available whenever learners need.

Environmentally friendly 

An underrated benefit of eLearning is its low impact on the environment. If instructors and learners have in-person classes, they need to commute, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Online learning makes courses accessible from any location. 

Additionally, eLearning is paperless. While classroom instructors commonly make use of handouts to help students through their learning journey and to increase retention, eLearning is an all in one solution. Visuals, text and audio all work together to create a complete course that allows for review without any need to print. 

Learner looks at the camera happily.

eLearning can be a gamechanger in your organization. Its flexibility and adaptability enhance the learner experience. For organizations, eLearning can be part of their efforts to reduce costs, ensure quality and be sustainable.   

While the benefits of eLearning are undeniable, a sound strategy is an essential piece of your success. Download The Six Strategic Pillars of eLearning to learn more about building your own Strategy.  

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