Why e-learning? The benefits of e-learning in the workplace

E-learning is a very efficient training solution which allows employers to provide training that can be accessed when best suits your employees.

It reduces time away from the workplace, eliminates the need for travel, and removes the need for classroom-based training. 

These are SIX reasons why e-learning can benefit all companies and industries…

E-learning is a more flexible way of delivering courses online that enables employees to train at their desktops, or on mobile devices. Web-based learning gives staff the flexibility to fit in training around work commitments and make maximum use of their available time while working at their own pace. With the added bonus that giving employees the freedom to learn at their own convenience improves wellbeing. 

Today’s workplace involves a higher number of remote worker, for whom web-based learning is ideal. 

A huge advantage of e-learning is that staff can be trained in remote locations, and as all employees will be receiving the same training - thanks to technology - e-learning is more consistent.  

E-learning is cost effective. Delivering essential health and safety training via e-learning saves your business time and money. 

A lot of training time is dramatically reduced: studies show e-learning typically requires 40-60% less employee time than learning the same material in a traditional classroom setting. 

There are also substantial cost savings as e-learning nullifies the need for expenses like classroom trainers, travel, course materials and accommodation.

IBM saved approx $200 million after switching to e-learning!

If you’re new to the concept of digital training, you’ll be pleased to know that saving time doesn’t affect learning quality; in fact, e-learning has a higher knowledge retention rate. The material is easier to digest at a comfortable pace instead of being restricted by specific training session times and even office hours (with the huge trend of flexible working and working from home). Some studies show that e-learning courses which provide interactivity can boost the overall knowledge retention to anywhere from 50% to 90%. 

E-learners can also refresh and update their training whenever needed. 

Full management audit trail

A major benefit is the fact that online training provides an audit trail which tracks your staff progress and you can make an accurate assessment of their understanding. This data and reporting can be crucial in the event of a health and safety incident and settling liability.

A full management audit trail allows you to prove full compliance in the face of legal action. 

Some online training providers (and yes we are one of them!) can customise training to suit your company’s specific issues and challenges you want to address. We created a health and safety training course for McDonald’s which must be taken by all sub-contractors. 

Making training as engaging and as customised as possible helps employees take it seriously. 

An online training course especially designed for your employees can simulate your workplace’s unique circumstances and increase employee engagement. 

Using e-learning dramatically reduces the need for printing out paper-based assessments, as well as eliminating the need for travel.  

A study by the Open University found that producing and providing e-learning courses consumes an average of 90% less energy and produces 85% fewer CO2 emissions per student than face to face training. 

One disadvantage that can be said of e-learning is that the face to face learning experience is missing, which will be important to some, as of course there is no one-size-fits-all approach for anything; training is no exception. However, ETD’s training videos all have integrated avatar technology, which adds another dimension – breathing life into digital learning. Research shows that avatars can be beneficial to e-learners by giving them a person to connect with (effectively standing in for a human instructor in a more traditional setting). The avatar can present material in a more conversational tone that will further engage learners and encourage knowledge retention. 

For more information on what we do click here https://www.etdtraining.com/what-we-do.

Fancy seeing the benefits of online training for yourself? You can demo two of our courses. Just go to our login page  https://www.etdtraining.com/login and sign up as a Demo User.