eLearning vs classroom learning: How eLearning became so popular

Posted 6 years ago

iHasco have now been involved in ‘remote’ training for just over 25 years now, originally offering VHS videos before moving to CD-ROMs and now to our current offering of over 80 superb eLearning courses and a fantastic Management and reporting system which allows for highly flexible learning. For many of those years, people did not seem to trust eLearning, as one of our Directors recalls…

For about 24 of those years we battled against a preference for classroom training. People didn’t seem to trust online training and wanted everyone in a room. Gradually we won more and more of these arguments and now it seems everyone agrees a blended approach is best. Sure, even we can see a place for classroom training – we do a lot of it ourselves and can see the upside of getting people together in a room to debate and learn from each other. But this method relies on an effective trainer, committed delegates and usually much more money! Unfortunately, those three things are not always easy to find!

So just how did eLearning become so popular and why is it so effective?

1) Learner-focused

With no trainer present, the course immediately becomes more learner-focused. With a correctly formatted course that has clear explanations and support throughout, eLearning is far superior to a trainer-led course, where human error is also likely.

In a classroom environment, the learner may also struggle to keep up with the pace of the trainer and it’s not always possible to revisit certain parts of the course – if you’ve ever drifted off in a classroom you’ll understand just how important it is to revisit the material!

2) Audio and visual elements make it much more engaging

All eLearning should include great audio and visual elements to make courses more engaging (we’ve recently been fighting a war on ‘boring’ eLearning and looking in more detail as to why it simply doesn’t work), if it doesn’t, then you may as well be using classroom training, that would be far superior to a boring eLearning course in my opinion!

With eLearning, your staff will experience a far greater range of media and interactions that you wouldn’t find in a classroom environment. They’ll also be opened up to far more scenario based questions and visual storytelling, which are both great for retaining information!

At iHasco we make sure that whilst the messages in our eLearning courses are clear, they are brought to life with stunning animations and graphics to keep your learners engaged throughout.

3) It’s cost-effective and usually much cheaper than classroom learning

eLearning is usually much more cost-effective than classroom learning. One of the first savings you’ll make is not having to send your team to a learning location or covering the cost of a trainer to come to you – eLearning can be done anywhere, on any device; well, at least ours can!

With the bulk discounts that we offer at iHasco, you can get your staff trained from as little as £4.50 per person.

According to a report published as part of Fordham’s Creating Sound Policy for Digital Learning series back in 2012, courses delivered via eLearning platforms tended to be £4,167 cheaper than classroom-based modules per person, on average!

4) Flexibility

Possibly one of the biggest downsides to classroom learning is its lack of flexibility. Classroom learning usually results in ‘training days’ or even ‘training weeks’ where staff are completely taken away from their daily responsibilities.

eLearning modules should be ‘bite-sized’ and learners don’t need to complete the course in one sitting, they can leave the course at any time and resume from where they left off, allowing them to get on with their daily roles or anything of high importance.

5) Less time consuming

One minute of classroom learning does not equate to one minute of eLearning. The majority of our eLearning courses can be completed in as little as 30 minutes, meaning learners can learn about a wide range of topics such as Fire Awareness, Manual Handling and DSE in just over an hour and a half!

Always challenge what is already in place…

When developing your training and development plans, you should always question the way things are currently being done and how things can be improved. Identify problems and challenge what is already in place, your staff training should engage the learner, provoke thoughts and most importantly create a positive behavioural change.

Ready to make a change? Whether you’re looking to swap classroom learning for eLearning or you want to get away from a current boring eLearning provider, get in touch with us today to see how we can help provide training that your staff will love! Don’t believe us? Check out our Trustpilot reviews, where we’re rated as ‘Excellent’!

Your free trial awaits…

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