Technology knocks down traditional barriers to learning by providing accessibility and a chance to connect meaningfully. Classrooms are no longer limited to four walls and a blackboard. eLearning takes cognitive development above and beyond, giving students the liberty to receive their education in more flexible and engaging ways.
Companies and organizations across the globe utilize eLearning tools to foster employee connectivity by reinvigorating the learning process and helping them develop both task-based and communication skills. Online training programs create a framework for employees to learn, as well as process the kind of professional development that happens all the time at work, directly translating into employee satisfaction and retention. VP Legacies helps your company develop the eLearning tools to help your business reach its bottom line while reminding your employees how much you value their professional growth, both for your good and theirs. Here’s our guide to what eLearning is.
What is eLearning?
Elearning can be defined as a learning system that entails the combination of formalized teaching and technological resources. The use of computers and the internet led to the development of eLearning. It enables the transfer of skills and knowledge beyond just physical classrooms, with a large number of recipients receiving education either at the same time or different times. Custom elearning has proven to be an especially useful resource for companies and businesses, helping learners and users achieve their training objectives with ease and flexibility. eLearning employs an assortment of techniques, such as presentations, quizzes, surveys, audio-visual recordings, discussion groups, and so on. These modes of learning enhance corporate learning that might occur in physical spaces and during day-to-day task completion. Providing an extra platform for learning helps employees connect with each other and communicate shared goals.
Using a learning management system (LMS), eLearning courses can be published online. Course creators are able to streamline all the content in eLearning into an accessible location with the use of LMS. There are quite a few eLearning trends that are pretty popular. Some of them are as follows:
- Artificial Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as one of the strongest elements in eLearning in 2019. Using the past modules, AI deciphers the behavior of the learner, along with his/her strengths and weaknesses. This allows it to personalize the learning for the user by recommending them certain modules.
These modules are selected with the aim of filling the gaps that exist in the learner’s knowledge. Chatbots are available round the clock, and they take the responsibility of a lot of admin work, including onboarding the learners. The ease and accessibility of AI along with its smaller workload makes it a preferred approach, using automation to fill employees in on mundane tasks so that executives, administrators, and managers can focus on personal connections with employees when it truly matters.
- Microlearning: Microlearning is a go-to option for numerous organizations to use small amounts of learning to boost knowledge retention more easily and more regularly. These smaller modules are object-driven and high on impact.
The modules can be implemented on various devices, and are easy to be repeated and updated whenever required. They can also be made more interactive by using quizzes, games, infographics, and the likes. Learning tools that are logistically easier to access mean that they can better integrate with employees’ day-to-day routine, preventing self-isolation and allowing personal connections to continue.
- Mobile Learning and Videos: Any visual medium allows us to remember easily, and that’s why videos are so integral to eLearning. In addition to making learning more visually pleasing, they are more interactive. Also, using elements such as realistic scenarios, challenges, decision times, and characters, further boost knowledge retention. That’s why at VP Legacies, we create video content tailored to your company’s brand.
With mobile learning, the communication between the learner and the manager increases. It enables the manager to always be around to answer any queries the learner might have, and be available as a collaborative resource rather than an authoritative instructor.
- Gamification: In addition to improving retention levels and engagement, gamification has also proven to accelerate sales and business performance. Employees engage in the process of learning in exchange for rewards. Plus, this makes learning become more of a social interaction and a chance for connection rather than a dull module to sit through. It boosts the motivation of the learner and leads to a positive behavioral change.
Benefits of eLearning
The fact that eLearning saves training costs is a known fact. However, it also has many other benefits. Some of them are as follows:
Create Higher Engagement
The eLearning methods are more engaging. Utilizing various formats, ranging from text and videos, to animation and gamification, allows employees to feel connected to their company in new dimensions. Since every user reacts to learning differently, this mix of learning methods proves to be very useful.
Eliminate Travel Costs
Companies usually end up spending millions on having instructors and employees fly in to participate in a particular course. The cost of scheduling classes and sourcing trainers is quite hefty. These costs are eliminated through eLearning, since online courses can be conducted within a much smaller budget. This is also why so many companies are able to work with teams from all around the world, increasing the chances for overseas connection and collaboration.
Centralize Programs to One Location
The training processes and requirements vary from department to department in every organization. As a result of this, training programs can feel aimless or lack cohesion. eLearning helps to centralize these programs with one accessible location. Furthermore, our eLearning programs at VP Legacies seamlessly integrate your company’s goals and philosophy to encourage personal connections between employees with shared interests and goals.
Provide up-to-date training
The condition of the marketplace is constantly changing. Due to this, organizational training needs to be agile enough to catch up with those changes on a real-time basis. eLearning provides agility as it updates the training demands within an organization, and upgrades it so that the business stays current with the current trends.
Onboard New Users Immediately
eLearning makes the onboarding of new users simple. Instead of having to wait for the next in-person class, learners can just join in and start learning from day one. This way, everyone stays updated and can actively contribute to the growth of the organization.
Track Business Objectives Faster
Through eLearning, companies get to view how a program is impacting their business KPIs. If you decide beforehand the goals you wish to achieve through eLearning, you’ll be able to reach and track your business objectives at an accelerated pace.
Seamlessly Educate Employees During Shutdowns
Equipment failures, system shutdowns, and lengthy maintenance repairs can all throw off a company’s best laid plans at any time. A recent Gartner survey found that the average business loses $5,600.00 per minute during IT downtimes. That translates to over $300K per hour! How can a company avoid wasted time and lost profits during unplanned shutdowns?
eLearning can be an effective solution in times of unexpected downtime or any other events that inhibit smooth operations at a company. With an established eLearning program, employees can access training sessions and join meetings anywhere in the building or from home, which means no more waiting for repairs, no wasted time, and continued productivity for your company.
Continue to Train New Employees During a Pandemic
Custom eLearning development allows companies to be prepared for any unexpected pandemic situation, COVID-19 or otherwise. In the event that employees are encouraged to work from home, new employees can continue to learn and become oriented with company procedures from a remote location. They have the opportunity to acquire new skills and start work immediately from home, while following CDC protocol and staying safe and healthy. This ability to maintain connectivity with new employees will keep them engaged and ready to hit the ground running once operations are up and running again. At VP Legacies, we help you stay calm, cool, and prepared in the face of any emergency with up-to-date technology at your fingertips.
Maintain Partnerships
Business Insider reported that “The spread of the coronavirus has caused several of the most important tech conferences to be canceled, likely resulting in numerous missed partnership opportunities.” The full impact of COVID-19 on businesses worldwide is still uncertain but it’s undeniable that companies must find a way to conduct conferences and meetings to maintain workflow and partnership with other businesses. eLearning technology allows companies to share information, connect with partners, and make presentations safely and remotely.
Conduct Internal Meetings
An eLearning program also allows companies to conduct important internal meetings from home. More than ever, and especially during a global pandemic situation, there is a need to share vital information amongst your staff. Connectedness, communication, inclusivity are crucial to the well-being of any company. An interactive informational session presented through an eLearning program will not only show your employees you care, but also keep them informed and inspired to stay on task. For more on staying connected in the midst of a global pandemic, check out VP Legacies’ course here.
Stay prepared through natural disasters
If the current pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that companies must prepare ahead of time for the unexpected. Pandemics aside, natural disasters and other catastrophes can lead to extensive shutdowns and halt operations for indefinite periods of time. Building and equipment repairs can extend that period even more. Stay prepared with an eLearning program that allows companies to connect with employees and continue to educate and train them with interactive and engaging content. Meetings, trainings, and conferences conducted through an eLearning platform will motivate staff during a challenging time.
Summing Up
Several organizations, educational institutions, and corporations have started employing eLearning development to replace or enhance their traditional methods of learning. Custom eLearning enables organizations around the world to help employees grow and communicate meaningfully with others at their organization. With the help of eLearning, companies are able to multiply the knowledge and productivity of their workers, as well as create seamless modes of internal communication. So any institution looking to bring about growth and progress in today’s era should definitely look at eLearning to attain the best possible results. As an eLearning company, we here at VP Legacies invite you to learn more about how you can start using eLearning to engage your employees.