Does Online Training Work?

online training

Does Online Training Work?

Rochelle van Rensburg | Nov, 23 2020

In recent years, online learning has been on the rise. E-learning courses have become increasingly more popular because they are so much more convenient than traditional face-to-face classes. Students can fit them in around their existing commitments and responsibilities and engage with learning materials at whatever time is most convenient to them. They don’t have to travel to study and simply log in to the virtual campus from their office or home’s comfort zone.

Another reason why online learning has become so popular is that it’s much cheaper. Cost is often a reason why students don’t enroll in courses and why companies can’t encourage their employees to undergo further training. Online training courses are much more accessible on smaller budgets.

Another advantage eLearning (also known as web-based training) has is that all the trainees will use the same program, which means that training materials are standardized and easy to update. It also makes tracking results easier as an employer can see who has completed their training and review their scores.

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How online training works

Rapid technological advancement has made online learning a part of many institutions’ course offerings. It is straightforward – all you need is an internet connection and a suitable device. Some of the world’s top-ranked institutions offer online training courses, giving you all the perks of attending your dream university, with a learning experience tailored to your schedule. You could even study abroad remotely at a university, not necessarily in your home country.

With flexible timetables and courses available in almost every subject, students are increasingly turning to online learning as an alternative to on-campus study. You can study online while still socializing with classmates by participating in discussions and watching lectures.

As online learning requires more self-motivation, institutions ensure that they offer the necessary support and tutor feedback so that their students receive the same support levels as they would on campus.

We now know how online training works, but what exactly is it?

 

What is online training?

Online training is a software teaching program that you install on your computer. There are sections for teaching, tests and informal quizzes, and a final exam. Tests may be true/false, fill-in-the-blanks, essays, or multiple choice. Some advanced programs even have audio content, flash animations, and videos.

There are two forms of online training:

  • Closed network.
    • This requires users to log in with their employee number and password and complete the training, ensuring company secrets stay within the company’s network.
  • Public Internet connections.
    • Users are allowed to log in around the clock, anywhere in the world.

 

Why is online learning important in today’s world?

Keeping aspects in mind like COVID-19 and the fact that companies are transitioning to work from home, online learning is becoming very important. An estimate showed that 56% of the U.S. workforce holds a job that is compatible with remote work and that by the end of 2021, 25-30% of the workforce will be working from home multiple days a week.

One of the biggest problems of remote work is trust. Managers are used to managing by counting people physically at the workplace instead of results. However, research has shown that managers who have worked from home themselves are more likely to endorse it for others. They realize that their staff is much more content without the stress of commuting and being away from loved ones.

In the early days of COVID-19, we saw a dramatic reduction in traffic and pollution. COVID-19 will most likely cause companies to rethink the need for travel to work, conferences, and meetings. Work at home will save employers over $30 billion per day in what would otherwise have been lost productivity during office closures due to COVID-19.

 

Online training needs

It is vital to identify whether training needs exist in your company and what they are. Here are some steps you can apply to fine-tune your online training and boost your employees’ performance.

  • Take a close look at your current online training strategy.
    • What activities are currently being utilized, and are they effective?
  • Create a list of carefully crafted questions.
    • These may differ according to your business department, for example, managers versus your sales team.
  • Analyze your findings.
    • Analyze the data collected. This will assist you in developing a comprehensive picture of the obstacles and challenges you need to address.
  • Develop learning goals and strategies based on the data.
    • The assessment will allow you to develop new objectives and goals that are truly effective.

 

Online training problems

E-learning is not without its complications. Here are some obstacles you might encounter:

  • Online training is boring.
    • The best solution to this is to offer courses that are interactive, fun, and dynamic.
  • Students don’t have time for online training.
    • Send reminders and set a time limit.
  • Students encounter technical difficulties.
    • Give them special attention and offer multi-device courses.

benefits of online training

 

What are the benefits of online training?

  • Flexibility and mobility.

The only requirement for an online course is an internet connection. Flexibility in terms of effort and time is ensured, as you can take online courses anywhere, anytime. Listening to audio or video files while traveling to and from work or sitting on your couch at home and taking online courses instead of watching television are ways to accommodate these courses.

Since browsers are available on laptops, phones, and tablets, online courses are not only restricted to desktops but configured to all types of devices. Any place that has an internet connection can be utilized. In other words, you can continue with your course while, for instance, traveling.

  • Easy on the pockets and community.

Online courses are cost-effective and can be utilized efficiently. Traditional software training courses come with a high price with all the physical copies of notes, books, and tutors to handle them. Online learning E-books and notes are saved in your hard drive, and certifications are provided online in printable format.

Meeting people and joining forums is another advantage of online learning courses. People with similar interests and the same learning goals may join a community that interacts by exchanging questions and ideas, offering more insight into where the course is leading.

  • Progress reports and online support.

Online assessments offer a fair scoring system that assists online students to evaluate their understanding of a subject. Some assessments can be retaken if students are not satisfied with their results.

Elearning customer support and professional educators are always available to motivate and assist students. Students can email and interact with them when they have questions, and chat support is available on most online learning portals.

  • Easy accessibility, information retention, and constructive criticism.

Professionals can reach their goals easier if courses can be accessed quickly and without complications. Almost everything is readily accessible in today’s fast-moving world, from assessments and quizzes to online interaction and training videos that can be replayed anytime during the course to help students learn better and faster.

Online courses display information in well-crafted ways like videos, movie clips, and animated descriptions. In contrast, long lectures led by face-to-face instructors, where speech is the primary mode of communication, can lead trainees to deviate from topics. Online courses help trainees understand, retain, and remember the learning content better than taking notes with pen and paper.

Quizzes are an excellent way to provide constructive criticism. The trainees are offered the ability to understand precisely where they stand in terms of knowledge. Open-ended and multiple-choice questions prepare students better for taking an exam, and automated corrections like “wrong answer” and “right answer” allow them to go back and correct themselves if they were wrong. This saves a lot of time and effort than tests and exams, where papers are sent to a professor to correct errors.

 

Conclusion

Although some people might prefer face-to-face training, others like online training The American Society for Training and Development has determined that nearly one-third of all eLearning material and content is pursued online. As many online training courses are free, it is, without a doubt, a huge cost saver if compared to face-to-face training. Using the internet to improve your skills is the ultimate way to climb up the success ladder.

Coggno has a wide range of online corporate training courses. Explore our Coggno Marketplace, or connect with our team to discuss rolling out Coggno training programs to your team.

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