An ever-increasing part of training and further education measures takes place in the form of online training and digital seminars. The e-learning industry is growing worldwide. The range of training courses on offer extends from internal company compliance training to additional professional qualifications.
Unlike traditional training courses, which require participants to be present, e-learning is independent of time and location. As a rule, it is not even necessary to install software on one’s own computer. All content is available on the Internet at any time.
The learning speed can be adjusted individually, and it is easy to repeat or deepen topic modules. As experts from buyessayclub.com say, despite the variety of sources of information, students can not always cope with their homework. So, it is recommended in such cases do not to be afraid to ask for help from professionals.
But how can companies use digital learning effectively to train their employees? And for which learning content is online learning particularly suitable? In the following article, you will learn more about the benefits of e-learning and which e-learning tools are suitable for training your employees.
What Is E-Learning? 6 Types of Education
The term “e-learning” means electronic learning. Behind it lies a whole range of different learning technologies, all of which have in common that they use multimedia elements or are computer-based. The most common forms are as follows:
1. Web-based training
In web-based training, the user accesses content on the web and can organize his learning process flexibly in terms of time. Exchange with tutors and fellow learners is usually possible, albeit mostly in written form and time-delayed.
2. Webinars
Webinars are interactive seminars that take place live on the Internet. Questions can be answered immediately and objections discussed with all participants. With increasing digital networking, it is easy to log into a webinar from anywhere.
Web applications such as Google Hangouts are browser-based and allow participation in a webinar simply by clicking on a link.
3. Virtual Classroom
Virtual classrooms are computer programs that have similarities to webinars. However, participants are provided with more features, tools, and opportunities to interact, such as audio conferencing software, text chats, or interactive whiteboards.
4. Video-based content
Video clips of learning content are widely available on the Internet. In addition to YouTube, many websites offer videos on a wide variety of areas for free or for a fee. Larger companies also often create learning videos for their employees themselves.
Videos are suitable for instructions, info clips, or for conveying background knowledge. However, since they are not interactive, their area of application is limited. The viewer’s knowledge that is to be queried later or demonstrably learned cannot be ideally conveyed by videos.
5. Podcasts
Podcasts are audio or video broadcasts that are published regularly. In everyday business, they can be used for current news or notices.
6. Learning apps
Learning apps are small programs that are installed on smartphones or tablest. They are popular for learning foreign languages but can be used for all kinds of topics. In recent years, it has become a trend for companies to impart knowledge to their employees in a playful way, for example with quiz apps.
In this way, colleagues can compete with each other, which increases the sense of togetherness, and acquire important information at the same time. This means a whole range of e-learning options are available for your company. But which learning method is best for your employees and your content?
What Kind of Education Makes Sense?
Of course, the importance of e-learning for a company depends on the industry. Nevertheless, the potential of e-learning for corporate training is enormous in virtually all industries. However, a purely online course can hardly replace training by colleagues or the exchange of experience in seminars.
Many companies are therefore opting for solutions that incorporate so-called blended learning. In this blended learning, digital learning content is combined with face-to-face events, excursions, training sessions, and much more. This creates an ideal learning atmosphere in which the success of the participants does not depend solely on their own motivation.
The limits of e-learning have so far been the teaching of manual skills or training on machines. However, technology is catching up in these areas as well. Companies are already using the possibilities of virtual reality for advanced training.
When developing training and continuing education programs, the focus should be on identifying skills gaps among employees. Are there difficulties in using new software? Have new work processes not yet been internalized? Only when such questions have been conclusively clarified for the various departments and management levels can effective content for training seminars be found.
How Does E-Learning Work?
For e-learning to be successful, it is crucial that the learning content imparted is relevant to practice. If employees are bombarded with information that has no relation to their everyday work, online training will fail to achieve the desired purpose.
The e-learning definition, therefore, does not differ significantly from classic training in this respect. Employees must be motivated by the training here as well as there and be able to see the connection to their concrete work area.
Companies should also assess what media competence they can expect from their workforce. Even employees who use computers every day for their work may be overwhelmed by complex web applications or the installation and operation of new software.
The result is then that online training is completed without much motivation. Additional learning resources, such as reference works or other functions that deepen the material, are then left to the left because they are not part of the mandatory program.
To avoid premature disinterest in e-learning courses, it is recommended that learning units be divided into sections that can each be completed within five minutes. This keeps user motivation and attention at a high level.
In addition, it is recommended to pay attention to the following points when setting up online courses that are completely self-paced:
At the beginning of each learning path, users should be informed about the learning objective and the scope of the learning unit. This way, learners know what to expect and how long they have to take.
At the end of each learning unit, there should be a self-test that users can use to check for themselves whether they have understood the content.
All content of the online course should be accessible at any time so that it can always be easily used as a source of information later on. All tests should also be repeatable as often as desired.
If this advice is followed, online learning is a very good way to train your employees.
Why is Education so Important? 8 Reasons
In today’s world, flexibility and the ability to learn throughout life are among the soft skills expected of employees in any industry. Compared to traditional seminars, e-learning has many positive aspects for the company, but also for the employees:
Learning can take place independent of time and location: The user only needs a device with an internet connection and can do the training anywhere and at any time. Business trips to training seminars are no longer necessary:
For the company, this means cost savings because no travel expenses are incurred and the employee is absent for a shorter period of time or not at all. Employees are also generally happy if they don’t have to spend days away from home taking part in-company training courses.
Autonomous learning: Employees are free to decide how they want to learn. They can learn in 5-minute sections or work through the content as a whole in one go. They can also easily repeat individual modules or go into more depth on content that they feel is important.
Standardized learning content: Unlike seminars with instructors, online courses are absolutely the same for all employees. This means that all participants benefit from the same quality and have the same level of knowledge once they have completed the course.
E-learning is multimedia: frontal teaching is not everyone’s cup of tea. Online training appeals to people of different learning types with animations, simulations, audio content, hyperlinks, and other interactive elements.
Online training can be constantly optimized: It can be costly to keep instructors and teachers constantly up to date. With e-learning, content can be updated for everyone at the touch of a button.
Success control: With e-learning, statistics can be used to evaluate exactly which modules are completed, how quickly or how often. Which questions do most people fail in the test? Which information is often looked up? Which learning units are skipped? All of this information helps to identify the need for action and initiate changes.
Multilingualism: Translating e-learning units is easy with translation service providers like Lionbridge. This helps overcome language barriers. It also ensures that the same learning content is delivered in all countries for international companies.
Properly implemented, digital learning is, therefore, an important element of in-house training.
Why Should Employers Provide Training To Employees?
Continuing education has long been an important element of any corporate culture. The use of new technical tools and the introduction of more efficient work processes are necessary in order to operate successfully as a company. However, this can only succeed if employees are trained and educated accordingly.
Technical innovations are only effective if they are used competently. Before putting together an online training program, however, you should determine the learning needs of your workforce. In many companies, compliance training is used to raise awareness of the legal framework and security aspects of the workforce.
Nevertheless, it can be useful to learn more about the current situation in the workplace and the level of knowledge of employees through questionnaires. In this way, digital training can also be designed more effectively and created in a more comprehensible way.
In an e-learning course, personal interaction remains an important element when it comes to acquiring far-reaching knowledge. Supportive coaching can therefore promote learning success.
Always ensure that learning success is reviewed at the end as well. The newly acquired competence of employees should also be implementable and verifiable in everyday work.
Summary: Online Learning Offers Many Advantages For Companies And Employees
The concept of e-learning is constantly changing, as the possibilities of online training and web seminars are constantly expanding. The use of online learning offers many benefits for companies and employees alike, ranging from significant cost savings to greater flexibility and an improved culture of learning within the company.