“….any instructional practice that uses technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience.”
First of all let’s get rid of the prefixes. Forget ‘e-learning’, ‘blended learning’ or ‘mobile learning’. Your staff and your management don’t care what the learning is called, as long as training and development are achieved. The prefixes primarily exist for L&D professionals and for trainers to gain some kind of descriptive purchase. As Steve Wheeler said in Interface Magazine “Learning will happen if the conditions are right, and it will happen whether teachers and technology are present or not.”
That said, with on-going technical advances the number and variety of digital learning solutions have increased exponentially. According to Toward Maturity recent report 90% of companies are now using e-learning. Only 55% of training programmes are entirely face to face, this figure seems likely to become more popular with some serious implications for learners and L&D professional in the future.
Some of the noted benefits of Digital learning are:
• Easy accessibility – Online training can be accessed anywhere and at anytime. Staff needn’t travel to out-of-the-way training centres and can learn in the office or at home.
• Autonomy of Learning – A very popular aspect is that staff do not feel pressured to keep up with other trainees nor do they feel ‘held-back’ by slower learners.
• Social Elements – Online learning often include forums, social learning and group collaboration elements.
• Convenience –They are usually designed to make it simple and straightforward for the employees to expand their knowledge base and improve upon their skill sets
• Immersive and Interactive – Digital learning often include scenarios, games and other interactive elements in which to hone the training and offering them a safety net that they can use to master skills and acquire knowledge in a secure environment.
It seems a bit of a ‘no-brainer’, doesn’t it? However, before you change all of your training over to digital, there are a few other points that you should be considering:
• Does the topic lead itself to being taught digitally? – Or is a visual/hands-on approach preferable for the subject?
• Will the lack of a ‘formal setting’ be detrimental to learning? – Some students learn better in a classroom environment and the change in style to digital learning can be difficult.
• Technical Issues – Does the learner (or the company, if digital learning will be office-based) have the necessary technology requirements?
• Computer Literacy – Not all of your staff are as ‘savvy’ as others. The supposed ‘millennial’ generation have grown up with technology but older members of staff may find this form of learning more difficult and need longer to become accustomed to it.
• Time Management – Online learning can require a lot of time and intensive investment of energy. Most staff have a lot of commitments outside of work and may struggle to manage their time effectively.
• Motivation – Always a difficult issue. Good intentions can often fade and self-motivation can be problematic for many learners, especially if they feel that they are working in isolation.
So, as you can see, an awful lot of factors need to be considered before instructing employees to use digital learning solutions. The ‘negatives’ above can, of course, be countered by good management and background knowledge. That said, it does put a burden on the shoulders of the Learning and Development professional who sources and books the training in the first place.
This is where a professional Managed Learning service provider can be worth his or her weight in gold. A company such as Optimus Learning Services, for example, will have in-depth knowledge of the courses available and their requirements. Most Managed Learning services companies have a wealth of experience in this field and will be happy to help you to decide what digital learning is right for you, review how it fits in with your current learning and create a blended learning solution for your organisation
If you would like to chat more about digital learning or your learning needs contact us for a chat, call us on 0845 519 7408 or email info@optimuslearningservices.com
