The rise of e-learning.

There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic — and its longer-term effects on our personal lives, work, and the economy — is far from over. But as the world finds itself in various stages of reopening, what’s the initial outlook for learning and development?

E-learning and online learning have always been top of the agenda for many companies, but with some staff still furloughed, and many others wanting to upskill, it has seen a resurgence over the last few months.

In August 2020 Glen Dimplex Heating & Ventilation launched its new LMS Totara, this new portal replaced our previous Campus Academy LMS which had successfully engaged with our employees since late 2018.

What is learner engagement?

It's a willingness for the learner to interact consistently with the training provided in order to achieve a learning goal. This willingness relates to curiosity, interest, perceived value, and reward. A learner can be many people including employees, partners, or customers.

Engagement is a very broad subject, far too broad to cover in one article. Engagement requires an interesting, well-explained, and relevant training topic, delivered with the right tools, in the right way. 

We feel that we have in Totara the right tools to engage, with a range of Compliance Training modules, Webinars, Seminars, E-learning programs, and Product Information Articles, all of which can be done in " Bite-Size " chunks and in the learners own time.

Creating learning pathways and structured learning programs allows us to follow employees along the learning journey and, with regular monitoring and feedback, we can encourage, mentor, and support them to a successful learning outcome.

5 Advantages of E-learning.

1. E-learning saves time and money.

With online learning, your learners can access content anywhere and anytime. They don’t need to take time out from their jobs to attend classes. E-learning is also cost-effective; companies save a substantial amount on the travel and accommodation costs of both learners and instructors, as well as the venue and materials. No printing helps reduce your carbon footprint, too.

2. E-learning leads to better retention.

Modern learners prefer bite-sized, interactive content. They would rather watch a video or listen to a podcast than read through pages of a manual. E-learning tools enable learning designers to make content interactive. The more engaging the content is, the better the learners remember information. If they enjoy learning, they can able to recall and apply the concepts at work.

3. E-learning is consistent.

In face-to-face sessions, every instructor has his or her own method of teaching. Each varies in approach and style and is susceptible to mistakes. You can eliminate these issues with e-learning. Online learning provides consistent training every time. Each learner goes through the same experience regardless of when and where he or she takes the course.

4. E-learning is scalable.

Online learning is scalable. You can roll it out to as many employees you need and is a one-time investment. The more learners take the course, the faster you can write off the expense.

5. E-learning offers personalization.

Each learner has unique preferences and learning goals. E-learning makes it possible to cater to individual needs. It allows learners to choose their learning path and navigate at their own pace. When they decide what to learn and when they remain invested in the course.

Cadence

With regular communication, you can weave training programs into your company's culture. A consistent cadence is very important. The goal is for learners to describe training as “something we do” rather than “something we have to do”.

Finally:

I am proud to say that at GDHV we believe strongly that training should be informative, educational, enjoyable, rewarding, and engaging and that we have developed a culture of wanting to learn and to be part of the wider GHDV community.

Regards

Craig