In recent years, e-learning has conquered the whole world and has become an integral part of almost all industries. The flexibility, availability and convenience offered by e-learning make it a worthwhile and effective investment. It is in fact a decisive way to train human resources who can learn anytime, anywhere without stress.
The sudden shift to online training caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has generated anxiety and doubts in the world of work. In fact, false myths are often spread that confuse companies and discourage them from adopting e-learning solutions.
In this article, we debunk some of the most common myths.
Myth 1: eLearning is good only for gaining knowledge and not soft skills
It’s a widely held belief that eLearning is only good for knowledge acquisition and learning theories. For instance, employees can learn a coding language, computer skills, project management skills, etc easily through eLearning. However, many people are skeptical about whether eLearning can help impart soft skills like communication skills or leadership skills to employees.
No doubt that for soft skills training you’d need someone who can assist and assess you regularly, but this can be achieved in an eLearning setup as well. For instance, you can practice your sales pitch in the virtual environment using a VR (Virtual Reality) powered LMS. Also, employees can keep taking suggestions from eLearning professionals to improve their skills and knowledge. Employees can connect with their team members on a video call and learn to communicate.
Myth 2: Online learning isolates employees
Man is a social animal and loves to connect and interact with people. Traditional classroom-based learning cultivates a learning community comprising of employees, eLearning professionals, team leaders, managers, and HR. This learning community could interact anytime on the office premises and discuss various topics and issues. Water cooler conversations during coffee breaks also allowed employees to socialize.
But since the advent of eLearning, many people have this misconception that online learning isolates employees and makes them feel bored. However, this is not true.
Online learning facilitates social learning through social interaction in virtual space. For instance, chat rooms, discussion forums, webinars, video calling, web conferences, etc, pave the way for social learning. Employees can interact with their peers and online instructors anytime and anywhere. Such dedicated community spaces bring employees together and make them feel like a family.
Myth 3: eLearning isn’t so engaging
When we call something engaging, we mean that it has the potential to draw the attention and interest of people. eLearning has been criticized for not being much engaging. People who hold this belief are not aware of the benefits and functions of eLearning.
In fact, eLearning is more engaging than any other form of learning. Employees have various ways to learn and grow. This is something that traditional classroom-based learning might not offer. For instance, in eLearning, professionals use a variety of teaching techniques that keep the employees engaged and focused. They provide employees with videos, podcasts, audio recordings, infographics, etc. that can be accessed anytime and anywhere.
Don’t you think a video lecture on sales training is better than text-based training? Reading and memorizing lengthy or bulky lecture notes can be tedious, but learning through a ten minutes video lecture is way easier.
Myth 4: eLearning costs a bomb
It’s a wrongly held belief that eLearning costs a bomb. In fact, it is the most cost-effective way to provide training to employees. Through online training, organizations can save a lot of money that otherwise would’ve been spent on transportation, the maintenance cost of infrastructure, hiring subject matter experts, stationary, etc. Also, there is no need for employees to purchase additional training materials.