Electronic learning (e-learning) has gained massive traction in workplaces around the world, though South African companies have been slower to embrace its potential.
But its benefits are clear, and it can offer organisations more effective, cost-efficient ways of delivering training and educational content to employees scattered around the country, says Ansie Snyders, head of the Department for Training and Seminars at Sage VIP Payroll & HR.
Here are five reasons why companies that have not added online learning to their training approach should consider doing so:
The workplace is digital
Today’s businesses depend on digital systems to keep their workflow going – from cloud-based accounting and payroll systems to customer-facing e-commerce sites and intranets for their employees. Employees interact with technology every day to do their jobs, and when they get home, they use technology to entertain themselves, find information and communicate with their friends.
It makes sense to use this existing infrastructure, technology and end-user behaviour to provide training and education to the workforce.
It’s cost-effective
Without downplaying the costs and commitment a successful e-learning strategy will demand from the organisation, digital delivery reduces training costs while maintaining or even enhancing the quality of the learning experience. Companies will need to invest in developing or buying materials and ensure they have a robust network in place, but they can achieve significant savings on hiring classroom venues, trainers, and travel costs.
It’s flexible
E-learning is flexible, both from the perspective of the organisation and the employee, because it doesn’t tie training down to rigid times and places. Because it’s self-directed, employees can learn at their own pace and in their own time, rather being pressured to sit in a training room when they’re worried about a deadline.
Usually, companies can also provide them with a range of materials to support different learning styles – for example, some absorb information best by listening, others by reading, and yet others by practicing and interacting. However, it is important to note that e-learning still demands commitment from the learner in terms of time and actual completion of the course.
It’s fun and practical
Even if the training is done online, it can still be practical, interactive and use real-life examples. Today’s courseware is rich, interactive and fun to use. Our e-learning tools, for example, include online reading material and limited use of video, basically guiding a learner through the relevant screens of the payroll module. There are also interesting exercises to test the understanding of specific topics, and the learner will receive supporting documents for reference purposes.
No geographical barriers
Today, most corners of South Africa have broadband Internet connectivity, so e-learning is a great option for companies with people to train in a lot of towns and cities. They can easily deploy training to people in offices around the country without needing to send trainers on the road for weeks at great expense, and they can better coordinate training across multiple offices from a central point.
Closing words
Of course, e-learning won’t completely replace classroom training in the foreseeable future because many employees value the opportunity to learn from trainers and their peers in a formal classroom setting. But in our experience, e-learning is superb for some types of training—for example, in new systems and business processes—and it also complements classroom training by promoting self-study and enhancing retention.
E-learning can make the subject matter come alive in a way that textbooks and the classroom cannot by themselves. E-learning tools and techniques are getting better all the time, and are an essential component of any company’s training and development strategy in a world of digital technology.
