What Is E-Learning? Why It's Important For Your Business

In the field of learning technology, the most cutting-edge tools and techniques tend to garner the most attention: virtual reality, augmented reality, interactive video, and so on. And each of these innovations is fantastic. However, when it comes to laying the groundwork for your learning programme, investing in high-quality custom eLearning development is a good decision.

Section 1: Learning from anywhere, anytime

An internet-connected device or laptop can be a powerful platform for teaching and learning, and internet-based virtual classes are proving particularly popular with businesses who may not have the space to host classes in their own offices or conference rooms.

One of the biggest limitations of physical classes is that you can't always access your learner – you can't join the class remotely, for example. But with e-learning, a remote learner can join in with your online sessions, just as they would via a live webinar.

The right way to create an e-learning programme

What we're talking about here is that you use digital tools to deliver learning for your employees. It can be fun, interactive and different to how it's presented in the classroom – and that's great. But it can also have a massive impact on your bottom line.

The future of the learning industry:

Lecture courses and short-form learning aren't going away. But e-learning's impact is growing.

Studies show that as much as 85% of learning actually happens in real time. And with workers spending more and more time in work-based environments and offices, companies need to engage with their employees while they're doing it. These conversations don't need to be in the conference room or to a physical classroom; they need to happen in a digital environment that engages employees.

Maintaining good design principles

For those familiar with traditional classrooms, design and user experience are practically synonymous. But the environment for learning and training is going through a dramatic change. Since students can learn anywhere, any time, design is arguably more important than ever.

As the education industry embraces the idea of online learning, the way it looks and functions has undergone radical changes. Design has become a crucial aspect of any successful elearning course, and shouldn't be overlooked. Not only does it offer learners a more consistent and cohesive experience, but it also helps to avoid cognitive overload.

And this is why good elearning design principles are so important.

Planning your course

One of the big advantages of eLearning is that it allows for so much more flexibility. What would have previously been years of work now takes weeks, if not days, depending on how you structure the course.

If your organisation is small, you might not even need to make any big changes to your existing course. But there's a way to dramatically change the approach with a single click.

Having a theme is a good place to start. Setting a course around a particular topic or a particular problem area – whether that's hiring new people or training your employees – helps set a direction and structure for your content.

The course content then becomes a series of small learning moments: short video clips, interactive quiz questions and so on.

Digital content and learning

Because they are interactive, elearning content offers students the opportunity to actively engage with the material and retain the lessons better than they would in a passive or traditional learning environment. Where traditional courses might have you sit through lectures, readings and short presentations, elearning is designed to encourage students to interact with the material in different ways: either in workshops, group discussion or online self-testing.

One of the most powerful features of elearning is its ability to connect students to like-minded people who have similarly ambitious goals. When studying the management course, for example, you will probably have your own ideas about the career path you want to take and how you can achieve those goals. 

If you are also planning to convert PowerPoint to eLearning you can check out IKHYA a directory of the eLearning companies who can help you with ppt to elearning conversion.

What is multimedia?

All learning needs to be delivered via a multimedia delivery, or multimedia component. And for learning to be truly effective, it needs to deliver content in an engaging and interactive manner – it needs to engage the learners.

Unlike other forms of content, e-learning cannot be a lecture or a video. Learning materials must include the learner's perspectives, encourage interaction, and have multiple learning components to ensure real-world relevance. They must be engaged with the content, making it as engaging and memorable as possible.

But the only way to realise this potential is through high-quality e-learning.

So what does e-learning mean to your business?

Quality e-learning

E-learning is a multichannel delivery of courseware.

How does multimedia help in elearning?

Just as a picture is worth a thousand words, a video can represent 1,000 hours of information. VR experiences let students step into simulations that walk them through real-world applications. Interactive video lets students learn through the manipulation of their own actions. And 360-degree video lets you deliver information to students anywhere in the world.

Awareness of the power of multimedia

One company that fully embraces multimedia in elearning is FinishLine Media, which recently introduced easy-to-navigate ways to gain and share knowledge to a wider range of learners. With its online teaching portal, FinishLine has been growing its database of elearning courses and making learning materials available to learners of all types.

Interactive features in elearning

The latest VR and AR tech will not make up for a lousy authoring tool. One tool, however, has already caught the attention of many businesses looking to replace online training in the future: Microlearning.

A microlearning approach requires that learners complete a module in a very short time (20 to 60 minutes) and rely on content available on a web page – instead of reading a book or newspaper, for example. E-learning platforms are specially designed to work with microlearning and provide unique ways to improve the learning experience.

Conclusion

Technology trends drive education, and elearning is no exception. Companies must weigh up the benefits and costs of adopting new technologies. Which will give you the greatest return on investment and improve your ability to engage your workforce? While no technology can replace human engagement, there are a number of new approaches to make learning fun, approachable and beneficial.

Making sure your company is a leader in e-learning is vital for the future of your business. Using innovative technologies like interactive video or virtual reality will help you create the best e-learning experience for your employees and lead to improved business performance. So, if you want to improve your skills and improve your career prospects, look to the future of rapid e-learning and eLearning translation services.