Technology ← All terms

E-learning

Digital training worked through independently, whenever it suits

01 Definition

E-learning is content somebody works through independently on a digital device, usually with text, imagery, video, interactions and a closing assessment. The content is delivered through a learning platform and completion is recorded per person.

02 Why it matters

It makes training independent of schedules and locations, and produces records without manual work. For organisations with shift work, several sites or many contractors, that is often the only way to reach everybody.

03 In practice

The reputation of e-learning in industry is poor, and mostly it has earned that: too long, too generic, clicking through until the tick turns green. That is not a property of the format but of how it has been used. Modules that do work are short, deal with your own installation, show situations rather than rules, and assess decisions rather than definitions. The distinction between a module that can be ticked off and one that changes something sits entirely in the design.

04 Related solutions
05 Frequently asked questions
How long may an e-learning module be?
For use on the work floor, ten to twenty-five minutes is workable. Longer demands an uninterrupted block that rarely exists in shift work, and attention drains away regardless.
Does e-learning replace classroom training?
For knowledge transfer it often does, and faster and more cheaply. For rehearsing operations, for discussion and for aligning between disciplines it does not. The combination is almost always stronger than either alone.
Why do employees dislike it so much?
Because it is too often generic and too long, and because there is nothing to choose. Material with their own installation in it, with recognisable situations and with real decisions, gets a completely different reception; in practice that is the difference every time.
06 Related terms

Want to apply E-learning in your own training programme?

We are happy to think along about the approach that fits your installation, your audience and your timeline.

M

Milan

Business development, STARK Learning