Businesses Turn To E-Learning To Aid Employee Development

The scope of computer-based training in the workplace has significantly expanded in the last 20 years.

In 1995, only 4 percent of U.S. companies were offering e-learning, or electronic learning, as an option for professional development, while today that number is about 77 percent, said Cheryl Murphy, associate professor and program coordinator at the University of Arkansas’ educational technology academic degree program.

An e-learning industry report from 2014 shows employers are spending billions of dollars on e-training, and that expense is growing 11.4 percent each year, Murphy said.

“E-learning is really big with business and industry right now because when you talk about development of employees, the duties within a workplace are changing constantly,” Murphy said.

As expectations change, so must training, and computer programs offer flexibility, whether the training is taken online or from installed software. 

 “It can be online but does not have to be, because you can actually purchase programs that are placed on the computers in the workplace that do not require an online connection,” Murphy said. “There are branches of it like gamification, where we immerse our learners in game-type situations, or we have VLEs (virtual learning environments).”

VLEs simulate a workplace learning environment in order to give people the feeling of work situations and the opportunity to practice responding to them prior to entering the actual workplace.

This type of e-learning program is especially beneficial for individuals in the medical field, Murphy said.

Cost Effective 

Computer-based training is also filling a gap in professional development education.

Employers no longer have confidence that individuals who have graduated college have the necessary skills to do a specific job, Murphy said. “They will have basic knowledge of how to work collaboratively and problem solve but will need e-learning for broader things like understanding rights and responsibilities as an employee,” she said. 

While face-to-face training is still the standby for some, e-learning is better at accommodating industries with high turnover rates, from a cost effective standpoint. That has made it the most viable option for many businesses and industries.

And that is a trend that is not expected to halt anytime soon. Murphy noted that the global e-learning industry market is expected to eclipse $107 billion by the end of the year.

However, one potential drawback of purchasing e-training products, is that they can be overly broad, Murphy said.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration packages, for example, cover the basics, but might not demonstrate specifics for a particular warehouse environment.

Training software on food safety might cover basic preparation but might not be contextual enough for certain restaurant and food-manufacturing environments.

All Ages and Stages

E-learning is for all ages and stages of professional development, and the interactions can provide lessons in themselves.

“Online learning is very trendy in professional development and we are seeing a surge because people want to learn on their own time,” said Tara Dryer, director of training, corporate development and academic outreach at the UA Global Campus in Rogers. “It allows individuals to learn from people literally around the world and students have to be active learners in an online environment and are not allowed to be passive learners.”

In addition to homing in on skillsets required for a particular job, Dryer said companies may help employees brush up on more general abilities through e-learning.

 “An area that has grown a lot in e-learning are workplace competencies such as soft skills like communication, critical thinking, collaboration and creativity,” she said.

There is an obvious need for e-learning given the way the economy is growing. 

“Everybody does everything via technology and the demand for jobs in it is huge but there are skill gaps, so companies are looking to universities to provide e-learning, as well as other businesses or internal training, to provide continuing education and professional development for their own employees as well as trying to find new talent,” Dryer said. 

You do not have to be at a certain place at a certain time and can learn at your own pace.

“Some companies encourage professional development. Some people look for personal enrichment and want to help their skills or career path so they may take courses for a variety of topics from photography to Microsoft applications to specific industry certifications,” Dryer said. “As technology continues to grow and change, so will the way people obtain their professional development.”