Electronic learning or eLearning is the act of gaining or building on new or existing knowledge through electronic or digital means. Nowadays, eLearning is everywhere, from high schools and universities to corporate offices and regulated professions like health and safety. Learning online, particularly for working professionals, has become a vital component of everyday life. Companies and organizations worldwide are leveraging eLearning to improve upon onboarding processes, training programs and the delivery of industry-specific education. Another core advantage of eLearning is that it is deliverable through multiple different devices and mediums.
In today’s hyper connected world, eLearning can be delivered anywhere, anytime through computers, tablets and cellular phones as long as they are connected to the internet. No matter what industry or sector you operate in, eLearning can help improve your organization in innumerable ways. Read on to learn about all things eLearning and how this critical learning component can add value to your company, your profession and you.
There are countless benefits to eLearning as accessible education online creates a learning ecosystem that promotes self-improvement, knowledge and understanding. As you learn more about eLearning you will see all the ways that this useful tool can generate positive outcomes but here are a few specific benefits that are universally helpful no matter your industry or profession.
COST-EFFECTIVE
As any educator will tell you, traditional learning is expensive and difficult to maintain. For a company whose main objective is to make profit and produce a service or product, managers don’t always have the resources to dedicate to full-time education creation and maintenance. Beyond the cost of having on-site instructors, the lengthy, dense printed materials created for students or employees introduce tons of unwanted costs and frequently need to be updated, which can lead to waste and frustration. By employing eLearning, you can eliminate all these woes and more and actually reduce costs within your organization, first by cost-saving on content production, then long term by improved performance and productivity.
SAVES TIME
Creating educational courses, programs or packages is a time-consuming ordeal. Having to develop, and then deliver, those materials in-person takes time out of peoples schedules and often requires travel time for things like lectures, educational events, demonstrations and more. When you make online education available anywhere, you are giving your student the gift of time and flexibility, encouraging learning at any pace and place. Saving time is important no matter who you are, and by moving learning modules online, you will create opportunity and space for students and employees alike. What’s more, eLearning saves the valuable time of managers, supervisors and others who have to commit working hours to in-person training each time there is a new hire. With eLearning, newly hired employees have the ability to learn new material through pre-approved and developed instruction, granting managers and roles similar to more time for other tasks.
MINIMAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Sustainability and reducing waste is of the utmost importance in today’s climate changing world. Any effort, even the most minor, is a step in the right direction and having learning online is just one way to make an impact. By removing the need for an excess of printed materials and the need to travel, organizations can reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a greener economy. These are just some of the ways eLearning helps the environment.
IMPROVES PERFORMANCE AND PRODUCTIVITY
eLearning makes training and other processes like onboarding quick and easy, increasing productivity and improving performance right off the bat. It also allows for extra time to navigate materials, learn at your own pace and flexibility when managing multiple tasks. It also allows for greater retention, revisiting of material and access to frequently updated content, creating an ever-present learning lifecycle. By offering the freedom of eLearning, people feel more motivated to further their professional goals as they feel their organization has invested in their education, making them feel valued and trusted.
An eLearning platform is a portal, software solution, app or webspace that holds resources and educational content for students or employees including lectures, courses, messaging systems, informative material and more. An eLearning platform is a hub for all online learning resources relevant to the subject being taught.
eLearning platforms are often robust, intuitive and AI-powered. Many offer customizable features, comprehensive dashboards and useful tracking and reporting abilities. Normally, eLearning is most commonly delivered through something called a Learning Management System, or LMS, but eLearning can take place through other verticals as well.
Finding the right eLearning platform for you and your organization can take some time and research. It’s important to take into account all the desired outcomes you want from your eLearning platform and choose a solution that closely aligns with your needs and values. Before choosing an eLearning platform, the prospective user should carefully consider their goals and utilize online research tools to find the right fit.
Learn more about Learning Management Systems (LMS) and other eLearning platforms. READ MORE >
Custom eLearning solutions are platforms that are tailored to suite your organization and built to engage learners by using content, imagery, colours and designs that are consistent with your organization, company brand or business.
eLearning platforms can be constructed for specific purposes and a company or organization can dictate how they would like their eLearning vertical to look, sound, and feel. Custom eLearning solutions are important for specialized industries as content can be uniquely developed for specific job roles and molded by tone for the type of training or education being delivered.
Larger companies or organizations with dedicated in-house resources may be more inclined to create their own custom content that fits with the rest of the brands overall purpose.
However, many companies don’t have that luxury. That is why there are outside service providers who specialize in developing eLearning training platforms – from course development to LMS integration to video and VR production. For organizations that don’t have the resources to develop and execute e-courses on their own, this can fill the need for an online eLearning system that is basic and easy-to-understand.
Check out these custom eLearning solutions and find what’s right for you. READ MORE >
eLearning consultants are helpful for investigating whether your current eLearning platform or system is performing at its most optimal level. eLearning consultants or specialists can analyze data to identify gaps in current programs or indicate where breakdowns in learning or communication may be disrupting student or employee progress.
Consultants can come from two different categories. An internal consultant is an employee of the association that provides guidance and executes on a strategy. An external consultant is someone that is hired by the organization for a period of time to provide guidance, review process and systems and suggest strategy direction.
eLearning consultants can provide the following services:
- Learning business strategy
- Learning technology sourcing
- Content development strategy
- Course conversion
- LMS administration
- Learning business reporting
- Virtual event planning
for any organization looking to get the most out of their LMS or eLearning platform, a consultant is a great way to ensure the time and money you have invested in your program is creating results.
Hungry for more information? Here are more concepts to explore if you are interested in eLearning.
What is SCORM?
SCORM, or Shareable Content Object Reference Model, is a set of guidelines for developing eLearning content that makes it operable on any kind of LMS. Developing eLearning content takes time, and for companies thinking of adopting an LMS system, being SCORM compliant is very important.
What is online compliance training?
Compliance training is a necessary component to almost any onboarding and continuing education process. Fortunately, online compliance training offers a simplified, streamlined way of delivering crucial training that will improve organizations and create effective, well-informed employees or students.