E-learning facts and myths
E-learning is rapidly gaining popularity among Lithuanian companies, but there are still many myths about this way of learning. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the most common myths and learn interesting facts about e-learning.
MYTH: E-learning is only for certain types of learners.
E-learning can be easily used by everyone, regardless of a person's computer literacy, age, or other factors. When creating e-learning, instructional designers always take into account the specifics of the target audience and adapt the most appropriate training methods, level of interactivity, design solutions, and more. Besides, e-learning can be completed at a pace convenient for each learner, which makes it suitable for everyone.
MYTH: E-learning platforms are expensive and designed for large organizations.
The growing choice of available LMS systems, growing competition, and advances in cloud technology have reduced costs, making Learning Management Systems (LMS) affordable for almost every organization.
MYTH: E-learning courses are easier than traditional courses.
E-learning courses are not easier. In many cases, they require more learner's engagement than traditional classroom training.
MYTH: E-learning is boring.
Just like classroom training, e-learning can be both very fun and very boring. We at Sparklab are guided by the idea that it should be FUN to learn, which is why we create engaging and user-centric learning content. Game elements, interesting tasks, examples, case studies, problem questions, and beautiful design can turn each topic into an engaging learning journey.
FACT: Interactivity in e-learning is very important.
Interactivity is a unique feature and an advantage of e-learning. Specially designed interactive exercises, animations, videos, or game elements make the learning process much more enjoyable.
MYTH: E-learning is mostly used for safety, compliance, process, and similar topics.
E-learning has long ceased to be just instructions for passive learning. We have worked on gamified induction trainings, leadership, customer service, personal effectiveness, and other topics. In our hands, even safety, compliance, and process trainings can turn into interesting and engaging learning experiences.
FACT: E-learning can be used for "soft" skills training.
E-learning can be used for a wide variety of topics. We have successfully developed e-learning courses on customer service standard, leadership, written communication, and other "soft" skills.
FACT: E-learning can be just as effective as live training.
Research shows that properly designed e-learning can be just as effective and in some cases more effective than live training. Many authors agree that it is not the training channel (live training, webinar, or e-learning) that matter, but the training methods used - the ability to apply knowledge in practice, examples used, feedback, etc. If you want to learn more, we recommend the book E-learning and the Science of Instruction by Ruth Clark and Richard Mayer.
FACT: E-learning allows you to track learner progress and engagement.
In most cases, LMS systems allow tracking and reporting of the training progress and quiz data for all learners quickly and efficiently. If you want more data, use the newer e-learning standards (xAPI, CMI5) and an LRS (Learning Record Store).
MYTH: E-learning is more expensive than traditional learning.
Creating an e-learning course will cost you more than a few groups of classroom training, but e-learning becomes cheaper than classroom training in the long run. E-learning is a one-time investment. Once the course is purchased, it stays with the company forever (or until you decide to update it). In addition, e-learning takes less time to complete, so you'll save a lot of employees' time. There is also no need to worry about renting classrooms, catering, administration, and other organizational issues, and training is always available to everyone.