E-Learning is often used to deliver training over a wide geography. In this case geography does not only mean wide open plains but can also include diversely spread out organisations within a city or even a building. The reasons for using e-learning are not limited to financial and time savings: they also include other factors such as improving training consistency, decreasing time required to complete mass training and improved maintenance of material.
Furthermore, e-learning gives us the ability to deliver and record prior knowledge, as most training requires an individual to have base knowledge that can be built upon. If the building blocks are not in place then it may take longer for learners to achieve or retain information delivered in training.
By using e-learning to deliver the appropriate base, staff are prepared for the face to face training and will benefit from interaction reinforcing theory in a personalised manner. Prior learning may not always be interesting; mandatory E-learning removes the lecture or book reading stigma by creating interactions to break up learning, reinforcing key points and assessing the individual’s understanding of knowledge. This also ensures that your entire organisation has access to the same information, so that no knowledge gaps result from limited time or from people missing part of the training due to illness or work commitments etc.
By allowing self-service access to this prior learning you can help make the experience less of a “chore” which increases user understanding and allows the learner to see more of a benefit of participation in the training. By combining this with line managers matching available training with individuals training requirements and objectives, you give the individual power to obtain the learning at a pace that suits their workload and learning style.
Allowing both managers and individuals to see available training, which they can link to role and team development e-learning becomes a tool for growth rather than a chore that takes staff away from their work. At the end of the day we all know the saying “no pain no gain” but we can at least make learning as painless as possible.
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