How can customised e-learning enhance your business performance?
The eLearning industry is currently worth nearly US$6-billion (almost R59 billion) in the US and an estimated 77% of American companies are using online learning to develop and retain staff. As about 12 million people use the Internet in South Africa, it’s time for us to embrace this very lucrative industry.
When employees are engaged and actively growing, they are committed. In South Africa - where an estimated 50% of top performers within a company are continually on the look-out for new jobs, and highly-skilled applicants are sometimes few and far between - retaining valuable staff and upskilling those with potential is a wise move.
The e-learning training platform is fast becoming the most beneficial business tool to date and businesses need to get on board so they don't get left behind. Supply and demand for e-learning in South Africa is evolving so quickly that defining the size of the industry is no easy task. Quality e-learning, however, is simple to describe.
Our learning habits must keep up with rapidly changing technology
As the way we work continues to evolve in this technology-enabled world, we also need to adjust the way we learn. We can see this in the 70:20:10 framework which has made us focus on the link between learning and working. E-learning offers an effective, flexible and sustainable way to bring formal learning closer to the learner when he or she needs it.
Supported by cutting-edge technology, the anytime-anywhere convenience of e-learning means it can be paused and then picked up again later at the learner's/manager's discretion. The functionality of the solution is critical as it eases learning and ensures that the learning process can take place in different environments with the same outcome.
5 Benefits of e-learning
1. Staff spend less time away from their desks.
2. There is greater communication and synergy in the work environment.
3. Travel and hotel costs are reduced as you’ll need less tutor-led courses.
4. You’ll be able to share knowledge with more people. E-learning also extends your reach immensely:
- For example, in a classroom knowledge can be shared with 20 to 40 people.
- On a shared portal, like a learning management system, the amount of people who can benefit from standardised information is potentially limitless.
Many organisations in Africa who choose e-learning also benefit from overcoming language, literacy and numeracy gaps by investing in specifically visual material that makes training accessible to all staff, irrespective of differing education and socio-economic levels.
We are not a cookie-cutter factory. It is our role to improve performance and the only way to do that is to change behaviour. This is achieved by engaging with the audience and giving them a positive experience. Gone are the days of video lectures and electronic page turners - 'glorified e-book/PowerPoint presentations on steroids'. Although these modes still have a place in the quick-to-market and promoting awareness areas, we must advocate real, quality e-learning to affect change in the workplace.
3 Ways you can introduce e-learning into your company
If your staff has a need in their real-world work environment, they need specific, customised solutions to satisfy that need so they can increase their performance:
1. Blend various methods in your e-learning strategy to create benchmark experiences. Visuals, infographics, video, gamification and scenario-based training make the experience memorable and appealing.
2. Make sure that each solution includes a wow factor so that your staff gets what they need to out of the interaction. This will inspire course participants to stick it out which will let them achieve their potential.
3. Incorporate conventional face-to-face strategies into your e-learning programme to ensure that course participants apply and practise what they have learned.
