The Rise of eLearning in the Workplace

By Adrienne Erin - Writer

In 2015, it was estimated that the global eLearning industry reached $107 billion. More and more companies, institutions and individuals are realizing the advantages of online learning versus traditional classroom learning. In community colleges in particular, online distance learning accounted for nearly all their growth in recent years.

As more and more millennials graduate from college and enter the workforce, employers are starting to recognize the benefits of eLearning for staff enrichment and for training first-time employees. Most companies now embrace the process and no longer look down on it.

Let’s take a look at five benefits of eLearning.

You Can Study at Any Time

People today are incredibly busy. The ability to take courses 24/7 on your own schedule means that eLearning provides an opportunity for people with busy schedules. If you might have a hard time fitting a traditional class into your busy schedule, an online class could be a great option. Working parents in particular can complete tasks when their children are asleep or in school. With eLearning, you’re no longer limited to the schedule of available in-person class times.

You Learn From the Experts

Classes and materials can be prepared in advance, so eLearning provides the opportunity to learn from today’s top experts from all over the world. No longer is a student or employee limited only to the professors or trainers in their local area.

For example, if a staff member needs to learn how to use surgical equipment, he or she won’t have to travel out of state to receive the best start-of-the-art training.

It’s Environmentally Friendly

Online training saves on CO2 emissions in a number of ways. First, if employees must travel to a training site, online learning will save on transportation costs. A traditional classroom setting uses quite a bit of energy. There is the fuel used to commute to the location, the cost of classroom electricity, such as lights and electronic learning equipment in the classroom, and the environmental cost of printing any educational materials.

You Enjoy Faster Delivery

Unlike a traditional classroom, where students are limited to meeting at appointed times and classes are typically held a few days or a week apart, an online classroom allows students to work through material at their own pace.

Traditional classrooms and training courses can quickly fill up, which means that students may have to wait until the next time a class is offered to take it. Online classrooms tend to have a much larger capacity. Sometimes tests and other assessments can be graded automatically, saving the professor time and allowing him or her to teach more students than might be possible in a traditional classroom setting.

It Can Improve Your Technical Skills

Although there might be an initial learning curve involved, eLearning can build your technical skills. You’ll learn to navigate an online forum, communicate with other learners online, and progress through a course at your own space.

There are many benefits to eLearning and very few disadvantages. The role of eLearning in education has grown at a tremendous rate and will likely continue to grow in the future.

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