Benefits and Drawbacks of an eLearning Course

The popularity of eLearning has skyrocketed due to its impact, convenience, and flexibility. In today’s digital world, we’re seeing the eLearning industry take the world by storm. In fact, eLearning is expected to become a $275 billion industry in the near future.

There are too many benefits to ignore. Employees get to enjoy a highly flexible learning style that caters to their unique needs. On the other end, businesses save time, money, and enhance the skillset of their workforce. Seems like a win-win situation, right?

Benefits from an eLearning Course

Both companies and their employees benefit from eLearning courses. Here are some of the amazing benefits that come with taking advantage of eLearning.

Take Full Control Over Your Development

One of the biggest advantages of eLearning is that it provides you with the unique opportunity to take control over how you learn. With in-person training, you’re at the mercy of the instructor. They set the tone and decide the learning approach even though that approach might not resonate with you. With eLearning, you get to choose an approach that works best for you.

Employees are able to update their skillset in specific industry-related fields. In a world where technology requires constant adaptation of skills, an eLearning course provides a convenient way for you to ensure that your skills are always up-to-date with current requirements.

We’ve all grown comfortable with having access to information when and how we want it. Answering a question is as simple as pulling out a phone and typing it into Google. eLearning provides this same on-demand access. Looking at today’s society, it’s easy to see why the traditional learning approach feels restrictive. You can access a quick answer to a question from a previous lesson  easily on an eLearning platform rather than having to dig through a notebook hoping you took notes about that specific question.

eLearning is More Efficient

A phenomenon called the forgetting curve shows us that most people forget what they have learned within a few hours. In fact, 75% of individuals forget what they have learned. There’s a neurological explanation but rather than bore you with technical details, I’ll summarize it in two words: Information overload.

We’re given so much information that we can’t possibly memorize it all. That’s an area where eLearning excels. You can access lessons in short doses and then revisit them when necessary. This helps you avoid the forgetting curve.

The fact is that eLearning is much more efficient for businesses and its employees. You’re able to learn at your own pace rather than being forced to keep up with lessons in-person. If you miss a vital piece of information, it’s easy to go back and replay a video or screen or look it up.

Many people struggle to keep up with in-person training because they have no control over the pace. It’s easy to get distracted and miss something entirely. If you miss key information when learning from home, you can simply go back and review the lesson. This isn’t always possible with in-person training.

Learn From the Comfort of your Home

Today’s corporate culture has shifted to more work-at-home friendly options. Many people find it less stressful to study at home than in the office. It’s more comfortable and you can choose your own pace. The Covid-19 pandemic has taught us that strict learning schedules and the limiting environment of in-person training is inefficient. I’m not saying that you won’t be held accountable or that there won’t be balances to make sure you’re actually learning at a steady pace. But having the power to schedule your own time gives you a way to control the amount of information you learn.

eLearning Comes with Two Pitfalls

As you might expect, eLearning doesn’t come without its own obstacles. Fortunately, the benefits far outweigh the downfalls and what’s even better is that these pitfalls can all be mitigated. Let’s look at the two most common pitfalls with an eLearning course and how to work through them.

#1: You Might Feel Isolated

Since you’re training from home, you’ll be isolated from your pears and might miss having the ability to collaborate with colleagues or get feedback that isn’t from a computer program. Social interaction is one of the reasons some people still prefer in-person training

Solution

Consider forming a study group with other people from your workplace. These don’t have to be in-person meetings. Having a group on Facebook or LinkedIn could work.

As course creators at Beyond the Sky, we purposefully build in these social learning interactions and provide the means for learners to engage in a blended learning solution with their peers.

This mitigates the isolation experienced from learning at home and also gives you a platform to ask or answer questions.

#2: You Must be Self-Motivated

This is the biggest pitfall. With eLearning, all of the responsibilities fall on your shoulders. No one is telling you what to study or giving you a schedule. You have to do this yourself. Since learning isn’t on a fixed schedule, it’s easy to fall behind. Even if the training is structured well, you still must find the motivation to sit down and interact with the eLearning course.

Solution

Lay out a plan that details how you will approach training and then stick to it. We tend to work better when we have a schedule. Without a plan, you’ll be tempted to procrastinate and put off clicking that next video. In essence, you are creating your own fixed schedule so that you are sure to stay on-track.

At Beyond the Sky, we carefully create a learning plan that provides learners with clear expectations. We break down the course into phases, with suitable on-the-job application to accompany each eLearning

The eLearning Industry Will Continue to Grow

eLearning is empowered by flexibility and helps employees build their skillset. Businesses also benefit from this approach as it reduces expenses, saves time, and provides avenues for their employees to grow. When compared to the traditional approach, it’s hard to argue that an eLearning course is not superior. Even the pitfalls can be mitigated with a few additional steps.

If you’re looking for a talented to create a fully customized learning experience that delivers results, then contact us today.