THE ROI PROMISE OF e-LEARNING

December 9, 2013

E-Learning has hastened the development of a new business model — and, its potential offers the reality of greater profitability for American business and industry!

Instead of formal classroom instruction and prescriptive learning labs, with their predictable media courseware curriculum, e-Learning has allowed a demand-based approach that has effectively replaced the “everyone takes everything at the same time” regimen. And, by placing e-Learning behind the corporate firewall, the best in e-Learning (digitized CD-ROM) becomes available to all.

Combined with the cost savings inherent in on-line skills assessment, the rapid development and changes in technology over the last decade has had a resoundingly positive impact on retention and on-the-job performance. Reduced cost, combined with greater profitability, is there for the taking – – – – – except for one thing!

With the recent flood of new products into the e-Learning market, customers are faced with an extensive range of programs developed without assurance of quality methodologies.

Unfortunately, these counterfeits have damaged the reputation of e-Learning.

Converted PowerPoint presentations and adapted written procedures continue to delay the promise of e-Learning as a premiere training tool. Misguided courseware developers have regarded the e-Learning medium as a “reading” or page-turning activity and, of course, that resultant instruction leaves behind the nearly 40% of America’s workforce which tests below a fifth grade reading level.

So it is not surprising that more than 60% of learners, who have begun such an asynchronous on-line course, do not complete the training.

The many financial advantages that e-Learning can offer business and industry will only be fully realized if the courseware has sound instructional design; is based on the learning principles inherent in full motion video, animations and optional word-for-word audio; while being offered in bite-sized chunks.

Choose wisely. If you embrace the e-Learning that is rooted in multiple media, you will make positive economic contributions to your organization. But, if you continue with a “reading online” approach, your organization will fail to achieve the economic benefits that e-Learning promises.