When deciding on a training course, stakeholders frequently debate whether or not eLearning is preferable to more conventional methods. In your role as an instructional designer, you should be familiar with the benefits and drawbacks of eLearning and communicate them to your customers.
Among these benefits are the following:
- Courses available on-demand;
- Learn in whatever setting you choose;
- Gain knowledge at your own speed;
- You should revisit the course materials if you feel the need to.
- E-learning is an excellent choice since it:
- Because of their varied schedules, it might be difficult for a large number of individuals to gather at the same time for an informational session.
- If the student is old or has physical limitations, they may have trouble getting about the classroom.
- If the student is pressed for time and needs to speed up the learning process,
- If the goal of the training is to improve one’s mental faculties,
Costs associated with both the student and the teacher in a conventional classroom setting may outweigh the benefits of developing engaging, engaging online material.
Last but not least, if you’re still not convinced whether eLearning is the right approach, think about these two things:
- In comparison to a traditional classroom setting or on-the-job training, would this method be more economical?
- In what ways are you hoping to provide knowledge and training?
Although there are certain courses that lend themselves well to eLearning, it is not always a viable alternative to more conventional classroom instruction.
Some of the problems with e-learning include:
- Students with little motivation tend to have poor levels of retention;
- Inadequate access to rapid help in cases of confusing data; and
- Because of this, students who lack basic computer skills may not get the most out of their classes.
While the cost to create an eLearning course is more than that of a classroom training solution, the cost to deploy an eLearning course is far lower than that of classroom training (ILT). The expenses of implementing classroom instruction might include not only the trainer’s salary but also the rental of a training space and the printing of course materials. Alternatively, web servers and technical assistance are often the only expenditures connected with implementing eLearning.
The Success of E-Learning When?
Here are some questions to ask yourself to figure out whether online instruction is the best way to provide the information and meet the needs of your stakeholders.
- How broad is the training’s scope, if any?
- Why are we having this training, and what do we hope to achieve by it?
- Do you know how motivated your ideal customer is?
- How proficient are the students with computers?
- From what period do the majority of students hail?
- Where do most of your students live?
- When designing the training program, how many participants do you want to have?
- How much of a budget have we got for the education?
