E-learning courses: why are they so popular with companies?

Autonomy, flexibility, comfort... taking an e-learning course has many advantages for learners. Aware of these advantages, more and more companies are banking on e-learning and distance learning to train their staff in the best possible way.

And recent technological advances, particularly in artificial intelligence, are not going to put the brakes on the e-learning boom. Quite the contrary, in fact!

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Definition of e-learning

E-learning is an increasingly popular learning tool in the corporate world. A source of many advantages, it is highly appreciated for its practicality and fun.

What is e-learning in simple terms?

E-learning is a system based on online learning. Made possible by the democratization of the Internet and the digital transformation of companies, the main advantage of this educational solution is that it enables courses and modules to be delivered remotely.

👉 In other words, courses can be accessed at any time and from anywhere. A major advantage for learners, who gain greater autonomy and comfort in their training path.

Mainly published in the form of software as a service ( SaaS ) and mobile applications, e-learning platforms are now an integral part of the educational landscape. They are used in a variety of settings:

• in the corporate world, for ongoing employee training ;
• at school, to support student learning;
• privately, for individuals wishing to progress in their chosen field.

What are the origins of e-learning?

The origins of digital learning as we know it today date back to the 90s and the advent of the Internet. A number of American universities took advantage of this innovation to offer online courses. Of course, at that time, there was no question of e-learning platforms as we know them today. Training was delivered in a rather archaic manner. Initially, they were based on the transfer of teaching documents and e-mail exchanges, before gradually taking advantage of the technological boom (instant messaging, webcam, etc.). The aim? To streamline content distribution and encourage greater interactivity.

• It wasn't until 1999 that the term e-learning made its official appearance at a seminar on e-learning systems.
• The 2000s marked the start of a spectacular boom in distance learning. More and more companies and schools were integrating these new platforms and contributing to their popularity.

At the same time, the cost of IT equipment is falling drastically, enabling computers and the Internet to gradually enter the majority of homes.

📍 Today, the e-learning training market is enjoying growing success. In fact, it has recently been helped by the Covid-19 health crisis, which has had a major impact on companies' relationship with digital. To give you an idea, it's estimated that the French e-learning market will be worth around 4.2 billion euros by 2024!

The anecdote to shine in society ✨: while it's customary to date the birth of e-learning to the 1990s, there are actually even earlier traces. Between the late 1960s and early 1970s, several computer programs based on digital learning saw the light of day. One example is the CBT (computer-based training) program developed by the University of Illinois.

The different types of e-learning

There are a multitude of variations on the e-learning concept. We take you on a brief tour of the most popular methodologies.

Integral e-learning

As the name suggests, full e-learning is 100% distance e-learning. Courses and assessments are taken and completed from the virtual platform.

👤 Generally speaking, integral e-learning is preferred for learners wishing to practice self-training.

✅ This means they can progress at their own pace and define an individualized training path, tailored to their desires and needs.

Blended-learning

Here, we're dealing with a methodology that combines face-to-face courses with online content distribution. The idea of blended learning is to offer learners additional training through specific pedagogical modules.

👤 For example, the trainer can assign each student a particular course to follow, depending on their progress or needs.

To this end, blended-learning is often associated with so-called flipped pedagogy, culturally rooted in the North American education system. In this way, face-to-face courses are devoted more to exercises, case studies and exchanges with the trainer, while online courses are reserved for a more traditional form of learning.

Social learning

Also known as e-learning 2.0, social learning is characterized by the horizontal transmission of knowledge. In other words, this method is largely based on the sharing of knowledge and skills between learners, and departs from traditional vertical pedagogy.

The emergence of collaborative platforms and social networks has gradually democratized social learning. We all have access to some form of social learning on the content that interests us, as long as we know where to look!

✅ Look here, for example:

• private groups,
• forums,
• the comments section of a publication.

Immersive learning

The concept of immersive learning is simple: immerse the learner in the most realistic situation possible. So, just as we're talking about virtual distance learning, immersive learning relies primarily on simulation-based technologies such as augmented reality.

👤 As you'd expect, this is an expensive form of learning, and not within the reach of every company.

✅ Nevertheless, we can reasonably imagine that virtual reality tools will become increasingly accessible, enabling the gradual emergence of immersive learning.

Video learning

The video format is praised for its particularly high information retention rate. Unsurprisingly, it is found in most e-learning courses. Video learning is simply the use of video as a medium for teaching modules.

👤 More engaging for the learner than a traditional course, video is also a very practical tool for the trainer.

✅ Easily and widely distributed, it's synonymous with interactivity and learning comfort.

Mobile learning

One of the great advantages of e-learning training is the ability to take online courses remotely, wherever you are. But in some cases, learning on a computer is not always the ideal solution. Thanks to mobile learning (or M-learning), it's possible to access all learning modules via tablet or smartphone.

✅ Among the main advantages of mobile learning are :

• greater flexibility for learners accustomed to business travel ;
• greater freedom in the time devoted to learning;
• the possibility of learning from home, from the comfort of your sofa or bed (and that's priceless!).

Gamification

Motivation is an essential component of any training program. And e-learning publishers have understood this very well. So, to encourage employees to get more involved, platforms have gradually turned to a more playful architecture. 🎮

Some software programs, for example, offer learners the chance to join a training path built around a points and rewards system. The more modules an employee validates and the higher their skills level, the more virtual points they receive and the more bonuses they can claim. For employees with a keen competitive spirit, gamification is a fantastic gateway to the world of e-learning.

But there are also modules focusing on collaboration and problem-solving (escape games, serious games, etc.). In short, gamification is a type of e-learning that relies on a highly playful dimension to motivate learners and get the best out of them.

The virtual classroom

To round off this brief overview of the most popular types of e-learning training, we'd like to turn our attention to the virtual classroom. Having become essential during the Covid-19 crisis, the virtual classroom is a digital transcription of a physical classroom.

In other words, a trainer teaches a class of learners remotely, from his or her own home or any other suitable location. This format is particularly interactive and allows for a high degree of interaction.

E-learning: advantages and disadvantages

E-learning offers many advantages, which goes a long way to explaining its growing popularity, particularly in the corporate world. However, there are certain limitations, which may explain the skepticism of some managers.

What are the advantages of e-learning?

The advantages of e-learning vary according to whether you are the beneficiary or the prescriber.

For learners

The most obvious benefit is learning comfort. This means being able to study at your own pace, according to the intensity of your schedule.

For example, an employee who has a particularly busy week at work can postpone his or her training until a quieter week, when he or she will have plenty of time to catch up on modules missed.

Similarly, it should be noted that not all learners progress at the same speed , nor have the same retention capacity. Whereas some employees integrate the key knowledge of a learning module in 30 minutes, others will need more time, or even return to it several times before validating their skills.

Another significant advantage of e-learning for learners is the ability to study at a distance. No need to travel and attend face-to-face classes. An employee can devote an entire day to his or her training course from home or any other convenient location, without having to incur travel expenses or waste precious hours in traffic jams or on public transport.

This not only saves time, but also empowers learners. Each employee can create a personalized training path and decide to take courses at the times they deem most convenient. 👌

Finally, the diversity of content offered in e-learning plays a very important role in motivating learners. Video supports, interactive quizzes, role-playing exercises... Each employee can rely on the formats he or she deems most relevant to his or her learning path.

For the company

For a company, there are many advantages to offering e-learning training to its employees. These include

• financial savings: in the long term, integrating e-learning tools is more cost-effective than calling in external instructors and organizing face-to-face training days. Indeed, the courses integrated into the platform remain usable year after year, offering an excellent return on investment.

• Increased productivity: increased skills mean increased productivity. Better trained, your teams post improved results and contribute to the development of your business;

• increased well-being at work: with access to learning modules, employees feel more valued. They are also more inclined to project themselves internally over the long term, identifying their development prospects with greater precision.

And the drawbacks?

Although very practical, e-learning does have its drawbacks. Among the most frequently cited drawbacks are :

• a technological barrier for those who are the furthest removed from digital technology;
• the absence of human contact with a real-life trainer capable of motivating us and answering our questions in real time;
• a methodology that can be conducive to idleness if poorly supervised;
• a lack of personalization of pedagogical content, especially if it is not produced in-house or at least verified in-house.

Which tool to choose? The different e-learning providers

First and foremost, e-learning providers are training organizations specialized in e-learning. Accustomed to supporting companies, they offer turnkey solutions that generally take the form of a subscription to a SaaS solution giving access to teaching modules centered on the company's activity.

✔️ What's in it for your company? Peace of mind and the assurance of benefiting from the expertise of e-learning professionals. However, these services come at a cost that not all companies can afford. As a result, it's not uncommon for companies to delegate employee training in-house.

Again, this involves subscribing to an e-learning platform. Teaching modules can be downloaded from a database (usually at a cost) or created directly by your teams.

Among the most popular e-learning tools on the market are :

• 360Learning ;
• iSpring Learn LMS ;
• Didask ;
• Moodle ;
• TalentLMS.

What are the current and future trends in e-learning?

Today, companies are looking for increasingly interactive and immersive solutions to help their employees learn. Augmented reality-based technologies, for example, have been very popular in recent years.

At the same time, it's the ultra-personalization of learning content that's in demand. And it's clear that AI is coming into its own here.

For example, some e-learning software packages incorporate AI-based tools capable of generating learning content from documents (videos, slideshows, text files, etc.) supplied by the trainer. This saves considerable time and money for companies wishing to offer training modules that are as close as possible to the specific features of their field of activity.

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E-learning in a nutshell!

E-learning, or online distance learning, is becoming increasingly popular in the workplace.

A source of multiple benefits for both companies and employees, it is renowned for its simplicity and speed of implementation, particularly via SaaS solutions.

💡 In this regard, if you're looking for the best software to deploy within your company, don't hesitate to consult our directory dedicated to the best-rated e-learning platforms on the market!