E-Learning Insider Blog

There's no doubt about it: E-learning is booming. According to an in-depth survey conducted by market research firm Global Industry Analysts (GIA), the e-learning industry is expected to top $100 billion in 2015. To date, well over three-quarters of corporations in the U.S. use e-learning for employee training, and that number is expected to grow throughout 2015 as more companies understand just how powerful the approach can be in training both new hires and current employees.

Online learning courses offer a great opportunity to train employees on leadership, ethics, workforce safety, sales, customer service, products etc. However, materials must be written in a way that is advantageous to the employees in order for them to gain the maximum benefit from the course. Companies who consider the goals of their courses and the learning needs of their students will be better able to write effective e-learning curriculum.

Just as some people learn better by seeing things done while others learn better by doing things themselves, there are some men and women who feel more engaged and able to learn in social environments where they can interact with others. These are social learners, and for years, companies assumed e-learning systems were not an ideal solution when it came to social learning-based training. Just the words “social learning” seemed to imply the need for people to be in the same place, at the same time. But it turns out that assumption was all wrong: In fact, workplace e-learning is an ideal solution for social learners. Why? Because an LMS allows you to integrate so many social platforms seamlessly, right in the LMS. Here's how:

Wouldn't it be great if your employees were actually motivated to learn and train on their own, limiting the need for additional staff or trainers so you could conserve resources while still gaining the benefits of state-of-the-art training? With self-directed learning, that's all possible. Self-directed learning is defined as learning that's “owned” or controlled by the learner. It's “DIY learning” that lets your employees learn at their own pace for a more individualized experience that increases engagement and results in better understanding – and better results for your company.

Did you ever wonder why some people are so good at learning specific skills or information, while you or someone else may not be? It's easy to think you're just “not good” at learning material; but actually, it's more likely the material is just not being presented in a way that makes it easy for you to understand. Decades of research has shown that people learn best in different ways, or styles, and most of us benefit most from a learning environment that uses multiple styles to increase engagement and understanding. You've probably experienced this yourself without even realizing it; that's because most tasks naturally use this blended process. Even something as simple as baking a cake can use multiple learning “types” to get the best result: You watch a cooking show where a cake is made; your read the recipe; and then you engage in hands-on learning when you actually mix up your ingredients and pop the batter in the oven. That's three types of learning – and “all” you've done is bake a cake.