What is E-Learning?

Quite simply, e-learning is electronic learning, and typically this means using a computer to deliver part, or all of a course whether it's in a school, part of your mandatory business training or a full distance learning course.

Here are 5 key benefits in which e-learning has transformed the landscape of learning and development. When compared to the traditional mode of classroom learning, there is clear evidence that e-learning brings:

“Essentially, E-learning can deliver outstanding results, lower costs and an easy, improved way of learning for everyone involved, below you can read in more detail about the main benefits of E-Learning.”.

It’s what learners want - really

A recent report from Towards Maturity on the gap between corporate learning and what learners actually want highlights that, when given a choice, learners want mobile, relevant, personalised and self-paced content at a point of need. What they get, is often a little different - with too much emphasis on face-to-face and long courses.

The digital revolution and smartphone boom has triggered huge changes in how we access, consume, discuss, and share content. Naturally, learning is following suit. Whilst many want learning at a point of need, many learn in evenings and at weekends and on the way to or from work. A key advantage to getting your learning online and multi-device is that it ensures you are in sync with modern learners - delivering the type of content they want, when they want it. Get learners on-side, and you’re more likely to get the results you need. Plus, digital, self-paced learning can be accessed at point of need, not somewhere else - like a classroom far away - so employees can apply what they’ve learnt straight away.

The Towards Maturity report, also highlight learners' leaning towards social and collaborative learning. Technology can support and enable this, at a global scale. So, basically, digital is where it's at, all round.

Faster delivery

At a time when change is faster than ever, a key advantage of e-learning is that it has quicker delivery cycle times than traditional classroom-based instruction. In fact, research indicates that e-learning reduces learning time by at least 25 to 60 percent when compared to traditional learning. E-learning cuts down on the training time required because:

> it does not take as long to start and wrap up a learning session
> learners set their own pace, rather than the pace of the group
> no travel time is needed to get to and from training events
> learners can focus on elements of a programme they need to learn and can skip what they already know


Alongside these factors, there is also a practical limitation on how quickly learning can be rolled out with classroom-based instruction, as the capacity to deliver is limited by the number of available classrooms and trainers. Our E-learning courses on the other hand, has enabled organisations to create and roll out training programmes within weeks, or even days.

Lower Learning Costs

Due to the speed and ease in which e-learning is delivered, the costs of learning and development for an organisation are drastically reduced. There are the immediate cost-effective gains of e-learning in terms of reducing training time as well as cost-effective savings in terms of trainers, course materials, travel and accommodation. However, it is equally important to highlight that e-learning, when done right, can also improve an organisation’s profitability. Phoenix Training Hub has a number of ROI cases which demonstrate the immediate and long-term financial benefits of e-learning.

More effective E-Learning

Our studies show time and again that e-learning courses can have a positive and direct impact on an organisation’s profitability by making it easy to learn and digest information. Studies on e-learning and evidence found in case studies have made it increasingly clear that e-learning has the following positive benefits for learners:

> better attitude toward the e-learning format and training in general
> improved scores on tests, certifications or other evaluations
> increase in number of learners who achieve ‘mastery’ level and / or ‘pass’ exams
> greater ability to apply the new knowledge or processes on the job
> better long-term retention of information

Lower environmental costs

By providing an alternative to the paper-based learning and testing of traditional classrooms, e-learning is an effective way for organisations to significantly reduce their carbon footprint. A study by the Open University found that on average, the production and provision of distance learning courses consumed nearly 90 percent less energy and produced 85 percent fewer CO2 emissions per student than conventional campus-based university courses.

The key areas in which e-learning lowers an organisations’ environmental impact are as follows:

> cuts down on the travel and accommodation costs associated with undertaking a course
> reduces the need for a campus site and the accompanying costs of maintaining the facility and equipment
> eliminates the need for paper, thus saving trees