It’s Cheaper and Faster to Produce
Let’s start with what really matters - budget. eLearning cuts cost on travel, printed materials, venue rentals, and trainer hours. With reusable templates, fast deployment, and scalable online training - it’s no competition.
A 2024 report indicates that average training expenditures for large companies decreased from $16.1 million in 2023 to $13.3 million in 2024. eLearning is the most budget-friendly way to go, and it’s not slowing down. Technavio projects that the corporate eLearning market will grow by USD 131.01 billion between 2025 and 2029, driven by cost reductions in employee training.
You Can Track Progress with Data
Decision-makers love metrics. With any decent modern LMS tool, you can monitor learner progress, course completion rates, quiz performance, and engagement levels.
This shouldn’t just be used by the business decision maker of the company - this is needed for the eLearning author to continuously improve their training and stay in tune with the learner. This is training you can prove is working, with data to back it up.
It Helps Learner Focus
Designing content with a focus on engagement and interactivity creates a more immersive e-learning experience, improving learning outcomes.
Distractions are ever present. eLearning comes with an abundance of ways to keep learners in the flow of training. Interactive and engaging content in eLearning platforms enhances learner focus and motivation compared to traditional training methods. Content can be delivered in short, engaging bursts that are easier to digest and can fit into someone’s daily routine. Paired with interactive formats, learners are more focused and motivated compared to your average lunch-and-learn.
It Beats the Forgetting Curve
The forgetting curve suggests that memory retention declines over time unless the learned material is actively reviewed, emphasizing the need for reinforcement in eLearning.
We don’t learn by listening one time. Spaced learning, which involves revisiting content over time, has been shown to improve learning retention, making it a valuable strategy in eLearning. We learn through repetition, practice, and reinforcement.
eLearning allows learners to revisit concepts as needed, and in the same detail that they were given the first time around. This improves retention, and because the training stays the same and is always present, makes your financial investment in eLearning go far.
It Empowers Learners to Own Their Development
With access to learning on demand, employees take the wheel. On-demand training enables learners to maintain skills even with busy schedules, promoting autonomy in their professional development.
They can easily identify their own gaps and proactively build their skills. They can fail safely, without repercussions on the business, and figure out where they went wrong and where they need to improve - like any good training should allow for. This means a more agile, upskilled workforce.
It’s Available On-Demand
Modern workers don’t want to wait for everyone to gather and settle down before they can tick ‘training’ off of their to-do list.
With eLearning, training is accessible anytime, anywhere - on lunch breaks, on the train, after dinner. It doesn’t need to take up a dedicated chunk of time, it needs to fit into the learner’s day and work to their schedule. The convenience and flexibility offered by e-learning, including not traveling and saving time, contribute to increased learner satisfaction. That flexibility improves adoption and completion rates.
It’s Self-Paced
Not everyone learns the same way. People understand things differently, and take different amounts of time to retain information. Self-paced learning allows employees to spend more time on tricky topics and skim the information they already know. That personalization leads to more effective and efficient learning experiences.
It Aligns with Remote and Hybrid Work Culture
Training that happens only in-office should be left in 2010. A report from Australia's Productivity Commission endorses hybrid work-from-home models, highlighting their positive effect on employee satisfaction and productivity.
eLearning is accessible from anywhere, at any time. This is perfect for distributed teams and global workforces. It ensures consistency, no matter the timezone.
Feedback is Instant
Nobody likes waiting for grades. It’s stressful, and by the time you’re told your results, you’ve forgotten what was in the test to begin with. Immediate feedback in eLearning platforms helps learners quickly understand and correct errors, reinforcing learning and increasing confidence.
Quizzes, knowledge checks, and scenario-based simulations provide immediate feedback, so learners can course-correct in real-time - keeping the learning experience efficient and frustration-free.
It’s Better for the Environment
Switching to eLearning significantly reduces your company’s carbon footprint by eliminating travel, reducing waste, and cutting down on energy use. Good for the planet, good for your CSR report.
The Pitfalls of eLearning
