According to the Canadian Society for Training and Development, approximately 80% of professional development in Canada now includes e-learning. It’s obvious that an increasing number of organizations are seeing the value of investment in e-learning as an alternative to traditional classroom training. We think there are three main reasons everyone should consider e-learning as an option when developing a training program:

1. Economic Value

Travel costs for trainers and learners are significantly reduced, if not eliminated.
Session costs – room rental, catering and the like – are eliminated.
Learner’s training time is maximized.
Tracking functions can ensure manager’s time is used efficiently.

2. Flexibility in Delivery

No classroom setup required; learners can take training from any computer that meets minimum system requirements.
Many learners can participate in training at once, at times convenient to them or to their team, and work at their own pace.
Courses can be updated quickly to accommodate changes to content or make improvements.
Multiple courses from one organization or division, or on a particular topic, can easily be organized and permissions can limit access to them.
Learning paths can be customized for particular user groups.

3. Consistency of Outcomes

All learners learn the same material in the same manner.
There are potentially higher rates of completion and retention.
Learning content can be the “best of the best”: all subject matter experts can collaborate more effectively to ensure all topics and perspectives are covered.

Of course there is also a time and place for face-to-face training, but e-learning can be a useful option that allows you to maximize the time spent in the classroom for those topics that really benefit from hands-on experience.