CLASSROOM TRAINING VS ONLINE LEARNING: WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?May 31, 2014 Alice McLaughlin Online Learning 1 Comment on Classroom training vs online learning: Which is right for you?

So, you’re trying to put together a funtastic training and development plan that will upskill your workforce, secure super return on investment, keep your higher-ups happy and reflect well on your department and company in general (aren’t you demanding!).

If you’re torn between classroom training and online learning, our super quick 3-point guide to picking a training programme can help to set you on the path to training and development stardom and secure you status in your organisation as a Learning Legend!

1. How many people do you need to train? If you have a few employees to train up – say, 10 or so – in the latest sales techniques or compliance with regulations, a classroom training programme might work well. You can get it over with in one day, field any questions from the employees then and there, and send them on their way with a certificate.

On the other hand, if you need to upskill an entire workforce (or anything over about 20 employees), then classroom training is really not the most efficient and effective method. Firstly, think of the logistics. If you need to train 2,000 of your sales staff, how much will the conference hall cost? Over how many days will training have to spread? How many trainers or workshop leaders will you have to employ? How much revenue will you lose from all those employees, and how much will it cost you in terms of travel and food expenses?

I can see you nodding – you’ve seen the difficulty here!

If you’ve got a lot of employees to train, online learning makes the most sense. You can auto-enrol all 2,000 – or 20, or 200,000 – employees onto the eLearning course. They can take the training online in their own time, at their own speed (whilst keeping a close eye on their progress, of course). This negates the costs of travel, food, trainers, venues, missed sales and any other associated costs.

2. Is it one-off training or will others be required to take it in future? If you can be sure that the training you need to deliver is unique and one-off, then by all means, give it a go in a

classroom setting, bearing in mind the other factors. But if there’s a chance you’ll need to train others on the same topics in future – say, when you take on new staff or once other employees reach the same point in their careers – then an eLearning module is a great option: it will always be there! You can simply enrol any new starters on to the course and they can start their training straight away.

 

3. What’s your training budget? You may not realise this, but classroom training is actually more expensive than ‘scary’, ‘technical’ eLearning. Once you add up all the extra costs associated with real-world training, it’ll be obvious that you get more for your money when you take your training online.

Don’t believe us? Find out how to secure return on investment on your training budget but clicking the button below!

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SHIFT'S ELEARNING BLOGeLearning vs Classroom Training—How Different Are They? Posted by Karla Gutierrez on Thu, Sep 11, 2014 @ 09:13 AM

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Just 15 years ago, eLearning was an experimental way of teaching very technical subjects. Today, educators across all fields use online training to teach just about anything; it would be difficult to find a school or training department that does not incorporate eLearning into its programs in some way.

Unfortunately, learning professionals who are new to eLearning are often resistant to create online courses, usually due to a lack of knowledge, and many of those who do dabble in eLearning tend to use the same pedagogical methods for their online training as their traditional instruction, even though replicating online the interactions, activities, and events that happen in the classroom is unreasonable and impractical.

Although online training shares many features with classroom training, it also has some unique attributes. The role of the instructor also differs. All these mean that learning and development professionals need to alter their teaching styles, learn new skills, use different methods, master design and development tools, and move away from a instructor-centered methodology to a learner-centered environment.

The following is a list of the main differences between classroom training and eLearning to help new professionals in the industry get started.

1) The Learning Context

The context in which online learning takes place is very different. In contrast to conventional classroom learning, online training is an individual activity even if learners are in a room with others carrying out the same tasks. Instructors must design courses with this online environment in mind; for instance, isolation makes it more likely that students will drop a course but proper motivation tactics and feedback can reduce this risk. Therefore, personalizing learning, which must include making the eLearning more human, is one important way to connect with learners online and avoid feelings of isolation. 

In addition, the online medium creates a unique environment for teaching and learning: most importantly, the shifting time and pavoidlace of educational interactions. Deadlines are essential to avoid students falling behind.

2) Types of Media

Traditional teaching is limited to words and pictures, whereas with online training instructors have the opportunity to use a variety of media to tell stories, engage learners, and establish a relationship with students. For instance, audio and video are particularly useful for adding a human touch to a course. However, it is important to use media appropriately — content should always add value to the course and offer learners an experience they cannot get elsewhere.

Getting the visible message right is very as important in eLearning, if not more, than the instructional design and learning theory. Leaving it to chance isn’t wise. The elements of visible language in eLearning design include:

Layout of the eLearning course features; Typography, including font styles and sizes;  The color and texture of various elements; Signs, icons, symbols and pictures in the course; Animation or video; And the sequencing of features that result in storytelling.

These rules help achieve that purpose:

Illustrations and animations can both improve learning, although neither is inherently more productive than the other.

Audio in the form of narration can enhance learning, but background music can be distracting.

Words and graphics for purely aesthetic reasons detract from learning.

Economize on features by only using as many elements as you need and eliminate extras, which distract learners. And ensure the message is communicated clearly by making it visually readable. 

3) Social Dynamics

One of the main focuses on online learning is communication. Unlike in a traditional environment, interactions with other students and the instructor are only possible through discussion boards, chat, bulletin boards, and emails in online learning. Communication through these means is essential for effective eLearning because courses lack the face-to-face characteristics that allow students to form social bonds in classroom training.

To be successful, therefore, the instructor needs to be socially present, provide clear instructions as to how students should participate in discussions, and be ready to intervene if discussions are inappropriate or not occurring. This will help an online class form a community and avoid turning learning into an individual process.

For further information on social dynamics in eLearning environments, read this article: 3 Types Of Interactions You Should Be Sustaining in eLearning

4) Time

One minute of classroom time does not equal one minute of online training. The same subject covered by an eLearning course typically takes between 25 and 60 percent of the hours needed for traditional learning due to a lack of logistics and more condensed modules.

However, courses almost always span over a longer period of time; for instance, whereas a traditional course with 16 hours of content may cover two days of classes, an eLearning course may run for two hours a day over one week. eLearning developers should remember that it is always best to chunk content into smaller parts — three 90-minute classes are better than a single 4.5 hour continuous session.

Bite-sized eLearning courses, unlike the traditional classroom training sessions, focus on meeting the needs of modern learners. It enables them to access small chunks of information at their fingertips, anytime and anywhere. No more lengthy lectures. And no more rigid schedules. People can now learn on their spare time and learn only what they're interested in.

5) Mediums

Instructors cannot simply transfer material from classroom settings to the Internet. Although objectives may be the same, delivery and interactions are very different. Content needs adapting for an online environment through a new agenda, flow, visuals, and activities. Adapting content for the online environment also gives eLearning developers the chance to reexamine the design of their courses and reconsider curriculum strategies. 

Recommended article: The DIY Guide to Converting Existing Content into an eLearning Course

6) Written Content

Writing for the web is a different skill from creating material for classroom instruction. Developers should bear in mind that users typically scan pages, and they can accommodate for this by using punchy headlines, bold or highlighted text, subheadings, lists, and chunking content into short paragraphs. The following tips can help to create effective written content:

Tone. As learners rely on the written word in online training, it is important for instructors to ensure they get their meaning across.

Clarity. Content must be as clear and concise as possible; it is impractical to expect the instructor to clarify instructions. One of the best ways to test for clarity is to read aloud and listen to the flow. Even better, instructors can read content to another person.

Brevity. Content should be as concise as possible to avoid important points becoming lost in the text.

Avoid tangents to avoid wasting learners’ time.

7) New Language

Trainers need to become familiar with a range of online tools and infrastructures including Learning Management Systems and Content Management Systems.

Also they need to become familiar with these eLearning design terminology.

Here are also some of the commonly used eLearning vocabulary every industry professional new to eLearning should know.

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Advantages

Sharing of ideas

Online learning enables each student to view another student's answers and learn through the exposure to different perspectives through tools like Blackboard's Discussion Board and Chat. This benefits students because they can combine new opinions with their own, and develop a solid foundation for learning. Research supports that "as learners become aware of the variations in interpretation and construction of meaning among a range of people [they] construct an individual meaning."

Instructors accessibility

Online learning benefits students by providing additional layer of instructor accessibility. Students in courses that are supplemented by products like Blackboard no longer have to worry if they cannot make an instructor's regular office hours, as they still have the ability to

submit inquiries via e-mail at any time. This is good for the instructor too, as they can respond at his/her convenience instead of being tied to a desk or office. This is particularly helpful when a student’s schedule conflicts with office hours or if a question arises at the spur of the moment.

Enabling student-centered teaching approaches

Every student has a unique learning style. Some are visual learners while others learn better when they "learn by doing." Online learning environments permit the instructor to build one course, yet implement a variety of resources, so students can utilize materials in whichever way works best for them.

Providing 24/7 accessibility to course materials

Some students work best in the morning, some in the evening. Some students commute to campus and others take night classes. Scheduling time for homework and group projects can be difficult depending on each student's course, job, and personal responsibilities. When course content and activities are provided online, students no longer need to worry about accessing course materials. Students can complete assignments during their most productive times.

Adds pedagogical benefits

Online learning features also have pedagogical benefits. From the student viewpoint, frequent assessment provides concept reinforcement and increases motivation. Instructors can post practice exams and end-of-chapter reviews without worrying about finding the time and resources to analyze results. Students can access these assessments at any time, privately and in the comfort of their own home. Since grading is computerized, students receive immediate feedback. This may also help students who suffer from test anxiety; allowing students to relax and minimize embarrassment for those that do poorly.

Helpful for instructors

Online Learning also helps instructors save time as they can use several useful features. For example, when the Quiz/Survey generator is used to deliver tests, all the grading and analysis

is automated. Time previously spent correcting, formulating statistical deviations, and analyzing specific questions can be used for other things. Even student records can be exported directly into spreadsheets for turnover to the registrar.

Disadvantages

Costly to Produce

E-learning costs more to develop due to the advanced technology needed to run it, especially if visually rich content is used.

New Skills Needed

It requires the learner to obtain new skills to achieve success; however, some users may find technology not only to be intimidating and overwhelming, but also confusing or frustrating. This problem is evident in older users such as Generation X more than it is in Generation Y, younger consumers. Although some learners may prefer e-learning to classroom learning, they may find the resources they need to be out of reach.

Affordability

Not everyone is able to afford the technology needed (computer, software, and hardware) to make e-learning work.

Minimal Social Interaction

The main problem associated with e-learning is the lack of social integration. In classroom setting there is formal and informal face-to-face interaction as well as cultural interactions. Without this, users may become more secluded in society. Finally, the learner must take on a greater responsibility and self-discipline to keep up with the learning schedule.

Classroom Learning

How It Works

Classroom Learning requires a number of students to be both active listeners and participants in the learning environment. A teacher is present; the role of the teacher is to educate the students on various subjects and life skills. In primary schools, one teacher is often present for the duration of the day. Once a student rises to higher levels such as secondary school and post-secondary school, teachers specialize in one subject and students experience different

teachers for each course they take. Classroom learning allows for many different types of learning, such as, lectures, debates, labs, tutorials, and question/response discussions.

Who Uses It

Classroom learning is for all those that wish to be active participators and learn life experiences such as group work and learning. Unless parents choose electronic or home based schooling, primary to secondary schooling is all set in traditional classroom learning that involves teachers and various classmates. Post-secondary institutions also offer a variety of classes that can be taken in the traditional classroom setting, however, these often involve lectures, some tutorials, and certain classes require labs.

Advantages

Exchange of Ideas

Classroom learning provides interactive classroom setting that promotes the open exchange of ideas. Having numerous students learning in the same classroom has the added benefit of allowing students to exchange ideas and questions with one another providing another valuable learning medium that online environments cannot replicate. First-hand interaction with the educating professor also allows for ideas to be exchanged freely and without any communication barriers.

Development of Skills

In a classroom, the student not only develops his or her technical skills but can also develop presentation skills. There is interaction with people with different mind sets and a student can gain versatility.

Student-Teacher Interaction

In a class room, students can instantly clear their doubt with the teacher. The teacher can continually observe students for clues about their level of comprehension, probe their understanding, and respond to difficulties with a wide range of strategies. The teacher can engage the students in an endless variety of individualized and cooperative learning activities. The teacher can attend to student motivation and work to maintain or deepen interest and enthusiasm. Through his or her physical presence, the teacher can instil confidence and spark insight. Finally, by the instructor sharing his/her experiences, students can build upon their own knowledge and skills.

Socialization

Classroom learning promotes two levels of socialization among students via group discussions, team projects, and peer evaluation and between students and professionals via guest lectures, field trips, etc. Traditional classroom teaching provides students with the opportunity to have real social interaction with one another. This interaction in turn allows for the students to help one another in terms of academics or in terms of personal issues.

Disadvantages

Classroom Sizes

Since class sizes are usually fairly large and there is only one instructor, passive learning may take place. When shy students feel a lack of confidence, they often do not respond to questions they may have the answer to. The more vocal students might dominate the mass of classroom discussion, also forcing shy students to have problems grasping higher order learning skills and critical thinking.

Student-Teacher Ratio

Because there is only one instructor, it is difficult for them to isolate each child’s potential learning deficiency and, in turn, provide close attention to fixing the problem.

Accessibility

Schools and other forms of educational buildings are only found in certain areas and open during certain times. For some, this may be an inconvenience.

Conclusion

E-learning has been around for longer than most would realize, though it has just recently become a more popular competitor with traditional classroom learning. Although there are many advantages and disadvantages for both e-learning and classroom learning, the main deciding factor for the use of either is each individual’s personal learning style. For some, a flexible schedule, ability to work through problems on their own, and personal motivation seems desirable. E-learning would definitely be suitable for this particular individual. However, if someone prefers working in groups and interacting with other people on a

regular basis, classroom learning might have a stronger appeal. Overall, the finishing product is a higher education and a more confident self.

Which is Best Classroom vs Online Training?by Brother Andrew | Nov 18, 2009 | eLearning, Featured, Instructional Design Resources | No Comments

eLearning is better than classroom training!

Ok…I’m just being sarcastic. eLearning is actually just different than classroom training. They both have their pros and cons. I want to list a few areas that are positive “pros” for eLearning.

GeographyAt times you need to train people that are dispersed geographically. They may be in various buildings or working from home. You could send a trainer out to each area or you could have participants come to a central location. There would be considerable travel and time involved.Online training could help. There would be no need for travel and each participant could save quite a bit of time and take the training in the office/home.

Trainer Resources and ScaleThere are times when you have a big system roll-out or maybe even a company merger situation. When large roll-outs occur, do you have enough training resources? Do you have enough time to put a lot of participants through a classroom experience? Do you have trainers who are up-to-speed on the content?In these situations online training may be able to supplement and/or replace classroom instruction. Online training could help take the load off classroom crowding. These courses can also go out to many users at the same time.

MaintenanceThere are certain courses that seem to always be changing. The system is constantly being updated, the policies keep changing, and the product details are a moving

target. How will these changes be handled? How will you update material? How will the trainers get the new knowledge? Will you need to retrain those who previously attended the course?Online content can be changed once from one location. There is no need to get trainers up-to-speed and no need to reprint materials. You could also quickly create a “recent changes” course to send out to previous attendees.

Facilities Training facilities are expensive. You may need computer labs, projectors, space, whiteboards, supplies, admins, and more. You also many need multiple building locations.With online content the user just needs a computer. Now to be fair, there are some eLearning costs that we could consider as “facility”. For example, you need development software and possibly at learning management system (LMS) to launch and track the courses.

ConsistencyThere are amazing trainers in the world but they each have their own way to training and they don’t say the exact same this each time. Even trainers from the same company may be teaching different topics. Consistency is a concern with classroom content. If your content must be the same each time, then eLearning is a good choice. The course content and delivery is exactly the same each time.Does the content and delivery need to be the same each time? Does the content need to be customized for different audiences?

Learning StylesPeople learn in many different ways. Some like reading, others listening, and others watching. An online course can offer many different ways of learning. Images, audio, text, animation, case studies, games, etc. can engage learners.

As I said at the beginning of this post, classroom and online training both have their pros and cons. Some content seems to lend itself more towards one or the other. Do your research and choose the method that is best for your project/organization. (or maybe even use both)

What other benefits can you think of? Leave a comment.

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E-LEARNING OR CLASSROOM – WHICH IS BETTER? Written By Mandal Mohan Rao

The effectiveness of classroom and eLearning often becomes an issue of debate. Can we say definitely which is more effective? While one (classroom) offers real time interaction with an instructor, other (eLearning) allows learning at one’s own pace in a flexible manner! In such a case, how can you decide which method you need to adopt for effectively and efficiently impart knowledge and skills to learners?

These are a few points that can help you to see both classroom and eLearning more closely so that you choose accordingly in context of your requirement.

Nature of both modalities

The one main difference between these training methodologies is that – classroom training allows learners to personally interact with instructors and other learners in live environment, whereas learners have to depend on electronic media to interact with the course in eLearning. There is always somebody in classroom to motive and access the performance of learners in classroom, whereas learners are required to be self-driven and a bit self-disciplined to really benefit from eLearning course.

The one main difference between classroom training and eLearning -is that classroom training allows learners to personally interact with instructors and other learners in a live environment, whereas learners have to depend on electronic media to interact with the course in eLearning. There is always somebody in a classroom to motive and assess the performance of learners in a classroom, whereas learners are required to be self-driven and a bit self-disciplined to really benefit from an eLearning course.

Training requirement

When it comes to only providing information with respect to make learners understand the concepts better, eLearning is definitely a better choice in comparison to classroom training. Presenting huge information in classroom to teach basics of any subject in today’s fast paced working environments cannot be said as a preferable choice, when you can easily leverage the benefit of eLearning in the form of eBooks, online manuals, Online handbooks, audio and training videos to transmit huge information. In addition, for communicating about values and vision throughout an organization or training people on change management, eLearning can be very effective. It can also ensure a consistent learning experience for learners.

Learners’ Requirements

 

If eLearning courses are developed on the basis of sound instructional designing strategies and adhere to adult learning principles as well, they can be highly beneficial and engaging for the adult learners. These adult learners, who are experienced, self-directed and expected to be busy in their lives (playing multiple roles in lives), like to learn in order to just enhance their present performance in doing some work/task. They are more likely to go after such a course which can allow them to experiment, practice, perform, and acquire required skills. Adults learn to get their existing performance problem solved. Another factor with adult learners is they like to take time and learn at their own pace, which can become possible in the case of online training module.

In this way, eLearning courses, which are usually learner centric, can be very useful for these adult learners. The well-chunked, need to know content along with the complimentary real-life interactive scenarios, simulations, problem solving games, stories, case studies etc., in eLearning courses can highly engage them more than classroom training which is mainly focused on presentation of lot more information, including basics and least allows for interacting with course. However, for learners who don’t find it comfortable with technology or tend to lose interest in a self-paced, self-driven eLearning course, classroom can be a better option.

Cost benefits

Coming to the cost benefits, various research reports show eLearning as more cost effective than to classroom training. Corporates save about 50% to 70% on training, when they replace instructor led training with eLearning, due to reduced or eliminated travel costs and more targeted training (IOMA 2002). Unlike classroom training which requires the presence of trainers each and every time the course is supposed to be delivered, eLearning can be developed once and used multiple times for the training requirements. Furthermore, it is now very easy to develop eLearning course in quick time following the advent of authoring tools (a 30 minute course can be developed in about 3-4 weeks of time by using authoring tools like Lectora, Articulate etc.). In this way, eLearning development costs are significantly less compared to classroom training.

Tracking of learners’ progress

This is one more aspect where eLearning surpasses classroom training. The tracking of learners’ progress in the training program is usually done manually in classroom situation, which may sometimes result in incorrect recording of data. The process of assessing learners’ progress in classroom also consumes huge time and manpower. On the other hand, eLearning courses can be delivered on the Learning Management Systems (LMSs), a software platform, for tracking and monitoring of learners’ progress automatically in the course in an efficient manner.

Both classroom and eLearning methodologies are here to empower learners with knowledge and skills. Both have their advantages and limitations. It depends on one’s requirement and approach towards learning. What would you like to say about this? Please do share your view. We would really appreciate your response.

Topics: Classroom Training, eLearning Benefits, eLearning Course, instructional designing

strategies, training methodologies

- See more at: http://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning-design/elearning-classroom-training#sthash.svdivPMB.dpuf

E-LEARNING BENEFITS AND ROI COMPARISON OF E-LEARNING VS. TRADITIONAL TRAININGSend to a Colleague ► Retweet

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Background

SyberWorks, Inc. (www.syberworks.com) is a leader in the custom e-Learning Solutions and Learning Management System industry for Fortune 1000 corporations, higher education, and other industries. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, the company serves the expanding 11 Billion dollar e-Learning segment (1).

Since 1995, SyberWorks has developed and delivered unique and economical solutions to create, manage, measure, and improve e-Learning programs at companies and organizations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and the world.

Author's Biography

Dave Boggs is the founder and CEO of SyberWorks. He has been involved with computer-based and web-based training for over twelve years. He is responsible for directing the company's overall business strategy and overseeing its financial growth and prosperity. Dave has positioned the company to provide customizable solutions to its customers. These solutions often meld performance support, job aids, reference information, and other tools with e-Learning in one integrated site to increase the productivity of key target audiences such as sales, distribution, and field service.

Before founding SyberWorks, Dave was the VP of Sales and Business Development for Relational Courseware. Dave holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Union College in Schenectady, NY and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.

White Paper Focus

In most cases, the biggest quandary an organization must solve is to put together a rational, i.e., a cost justified, business case why they should spend capital to invest in a learning management system. The focus of this white paper will outline the benefits of web-based training along with a practical framework for developing ROI when looking at the cost of traditional training methods verses e-Learning.

The Benefits of E-Learning

Some of the benefits of realized by corporations and institutions that use web-based training as an integral facet of their organization's training function are listed below:

Strategic Advantages

Creating a Global Workforce — Web-based training is a powerful instrument for developing a global labor force. Web-based training can deliver custom, sophisticated instruction to employees all around the planet. (2)

Reacting to Abbreviated Product Development Cycles — Companies that create today's best of breed products and services are now introducing their wares more quickly into the marketplace. The use of web-based learning management systems allows your organization's training function to keep pace with the market. Web-based training can be used to provide the needed instruction without taking workers away from their daily responsibilities. (3)

Managing Flat Organizations — Down and right sized organizations have now become the norm in today's business landscape. As a result, line managers have multiple responsibilities and are severely time impoverished. E-Learning can help by delivering training for those areas which line managers are normally responsible, such as desktop application training and product training. They are then freed up to tackle other pressing priorities in their workday. (4)

Adjusting to Employee Wants and Needs — Economic and demographic shifts has fueled the growth of telecommuting, virtual offices, job-sharing, and flextime. Delivering training

via the Internet overcomes the obstacles imposed by the exigencies of a transient workforce. (5)

Facilitating a Contingent Labor Force — Contingent workers, such as temporaries, consultants, retirees who work part-time, the self-employed has increased dramatically over the last decade. Companies and organizations have become more reliant on contingent workforces to deal with peak labor demands. E-Learning solutions and web-based learning management systems are invaluable tools to train and manage this unique labor force. (6)

Retaining Valued Workers — Education has become a critical lynch pin in a company's or organization's worker benefits portfolio. Workers in today's new economy are not as afraid to move to a new position if they feel their interests and career welfare are better provided for in a different environment. Web-based training programs that offer certifications, college and graduate school education, and other important job skills become powerful incentives for an employee to stay. (7)

Increasing Productivity and Profitability — E-learning programs and training increase employee knowledge and skill levels. As they become better at their jobs, they sell more products, reduce waste, are more productive and efficient. An educated, well-trained workforce is the main driver to profitability for today's businesses. (8)

Tactical Advantages

Flexibility to Learn Anytime, Anywhere — Learners can access courses and content from their office, home, or hotel room from any spot around the globe. (9)

Reduce Travel and Related Costs — Save on hotels; airfare, meals, and other travel expenses associate with traditional onsite training. (10)

Tools for Tracking, Updating, and Managing Training — Web-based learning management systems make it easy to track, update, and manage online learners. Learning management systems facilitate, reporting, succession planning, and workforce development from one, centralized, web-based source. (11)

Affordable Per-Student Costs — Almost every computer today can be set up with a modem and free browser software with which to access the Internet, so set up costs are relatively low. (12)

Just-in-Time Learning — Online learners can take training just before they need it rather than enrolling in a program months before they need the training or refresher class. (13)

Making Updates Easy — Web-based training can be updated quickly and easily, so there is no time lag or extra reprinting cost. (14)

Administer Competency and Compliance Management — Multiple spreadsheets across various managers' computers make competency management and compliance management a tedious and time consuming task. A centralized, web-based learning management system aggregates all the data into one location were all the necessary managers can access the information when they need it. (15)

Training Delivery Advantages

Consistent Delivery — Web-based training is delivered uniformly in a consistent framework, which increases understanding and absorption of the material. (16)

“Learning Object” Architecture Supports on Demand; Personalized Learning — Web-based training is designed and developed so content can be chunked into discrete knowledge objects to provide greater flexibility. Students can access these objects through pre-set learning paths, use skills assessments to create individualized study plans, or use search engines to locate exact topics. (17)

Interactive Content, Graphics, and Animations — Interactive content, graphics, and animations make lessons standout and help imprint the material on the student's mind. (18)

Customized Material — Content can be customized to meet the training objectives of a specific program quickly and easily. (19)

Self-Paced Programs — Students can learn at a pace that works for their individual learning style and life circumstances. (20)

Infrastructure Advantages

Leverage Existing Infrastructure — Web-based training makes use of already existing infrastructure such as computers, servers, intranets, etc. There is no addition outlay for hardware or capitol assets. (21)

Controllable and Secure Access — Web-based learning management systems can be easily configured to secure and monitor access. (22)

Private Networks and Secure Server Installation — Web-based learning management systems can have greater security because they can be installed on private networks and secure servers. (23)

Linking with other Training Systems — E-learning programs can link with other human resource development systems or training systems. (24)

ROI Comparison of Traditional Training vs. E-Learning (25)

Our ROI comparison of traditional training vs. e-learning must begin with some constructs:

Classroom (traditional custom training)

Traditional instruction may be developed in-house or outsourced to training development consultants.

Determination by Hour

Reference resources state that the typical development costs for a 40-hour training session would be:

40 Hours Training X $4,000 Development Cost/Hour =$160,000

Using a Training Manual as Criteria

A problem with determining the development of training by length of class is that often trainers will either cram in too much or else pad the time allotted for the training. 40 hours in class may be too little for the amount of material to be covered. It may also be too much time, if there is an insufficient amount of content.

If the training development is done in-house, it is better to consider the cost of developing a good training manual that will cover the subject matter and provide necessary exercises for the students. This would include a trainer's manual that would guide the trainer through demonstrations and such.

A generous estimate of 5 man-hours per manual page would result in 1000 man-hours for a 200 page manual, which could be covered in 40 hours. At a burdened rate of $60/hour, the in-house development cost would be:

$60/hour development cost X 1000 hours = $60,000

If an outside consulting firm did the job, it would cost:

$120/hour X 1000 hours =$120,000

E-Learning (custom training)

The cost of developing e-learning can be more expensive. This is especially true in developing CBT with video and audio. Using multimedia in web-based training can also drive up the cost.

Determined by Hour

Since e-learning takes less time than classroom training, a 40 hour class is usually completed in 25 hours with e-learning. Reference resources state that the typical cost for a high-end e-learning module would be:

25 Hours Training X $16,000 Development Cost/Hour = $400,000

Determined by Page

Using the measurement of an assumed time it takes for the user to complete the training is not an sound metric to represent e-Learning. E-Learning/web-based training is self-paced, so the amount of time required varies. A better way to get at this problem is to figure out how many pages or screens are required to complete the training module.

A good way to develop a fair and representative numbers for e-learning is to start with the training manual concept. This is logical approach because more often than not, e-learning is not created from scratch, but from a content source point, say a training manual. If e-learning is started from scratch, then a form of a training manual is created that may include wire frames, scripts, and a story board, during the instructional design process.

Factors in determining the cost per e-learning page or screen include, writing the content, designing the page and adding illustrations, and producing multimedia effects if used.

Content and Graphics-A generous rule of thumb for writing the content and adding graphics is 3 to 5 days per page. Simple pages can take less than an hour, if the writer knows the subject matter.

Audio and Video-Audio and video are still measured in time, with video costing about $35,000 an hour.

Savings

In determining the ROI for e-learning, you need to factor in the savings due to reduction in time spent on training.

Reduction in Time Spent on Training

Typically, the time a worker must spend being trained is reduced by about 40% using e-learning. This metric is cited in various studies comparing traditional classroom instruction to equivalent CBT instruction at Xerox, IBM and Federal Express.

Improved Performance

As mentioned earlier, our collective experience with deployment of good CBT and WBT is that it is not only faster than classroom training (and nearly always cheaper over 2-3 years), it is also better. People learn better with e-learning. They remember what they learn more accurately and longer (retention) and they are better able to use what they learn to improve their performance (transfer). Across many different studies and reports from the military, education and industry show 15-25% increases in learning achievement.

Example of ROI Calculations

Assuming a traditional classroom training plan that includes 500 trainees who each experience a week of training, travel for half of them (250 employees), the time constraint of a 3 month roll-out (5 trainers, 10 locations)-all compared to an equivalent eLearning scenario using very conservative assumptions, including an opportunity cost rate of $400 per day.

Classroom Training E-learning

Wages of Trainees($20/hr, burdened)

$ 400,000 $ 240,000

Travel Costs(50% of people traveling)

$ 250,000 $ ----------

Trainer Wages $ 47,500 $ 11,400

Trainer Travel $ 20,000 $ ----------

Development Costs(custom training)

$ 160,000 $ 400,000

Delivery Systems(1st year amortized)

$ --------- $ 35,000

Totals $877,500 $686,400

These figures indicate that the e-learning approach, given conservative assumptions, saves approximately 20% in the first year of implementation. In the second and later years when development costs are not a factor for this course, the savings for eLearning grows to nearly 50%. In addition, the CBT or WBT can be rolled out in half the time, once developed.

In conclusion

The return-on-investment for eLearning can be 50%-60% greater than for traditional training, which itself can have a 4x ROI, if done properly.

(1)“2003 e-Learning Survey”, Taylor Nelson Sofres plc, London, United Kingdom, 2003.

(2) To (8) Web Based Training, 2nd Edition, by Margaret Driscoll, Wiley, John & Sons, Copyright 2002, p. 6-7.

(9) “Using the Web for Learning: Advantages and Disadvantages” by Kevin Kruse, E-Learning Guru.com, Copyright 2004.

(10) “Performance Improvements through Web-Based Training” by Anne Kitchen and Jim Ryan, AMEC.com, Copyright 2004.

(11) “Using the Web for Learning: Advantages and Disadvantages” by Kevin Kruse, E-Learning Guru.com, Copyright 2004.

(12) “Using the Web for Learning: Advantages and Disadvantages” by Kevin Kruse, E-Learning Guru.com, Copyright 2004.

(13) Web Based Training, 2nd Edition, by Margaret Driscoll, Wiley, John & Sons, Copyright 2002, p. 8.

(14) Web Based Training, 2nd Edition, by Margaret Driscoll, Wiley, John & Sons, Copyright 2002, p. 9.

(15) “Performance Improvements through Web-Based Training” by Anne Kitchen and Jim Ryan, AMEC.com, Copyright 2004.

(16) “Performance Improvements through Web-Based Training” by Anne Kitchen and Jim Ryan, AMEC.com, Copyright 2004.

(17) “Using the Web for Learning: Advantages and Disadvantages” by Kevin Kruse, E-Learning Guru.com, Copyright 2004.

(18) “Performance Improvements through Web-Based Training” by Anne Kitchen and Jim Ryan, AMEC.com, Copyright 2004.

(19) “Performance Improvements through Web-Based Training” by Anne Kitchen and Jim Ryan, AMEC.com, Copyright 2004.

(20) “Performance Improvements through Web-Based Training” by Anne Kitchen and Jim Ryan, AMEC.com, Copyright 2004.

(21) Web Based Training, 2nd Edition, by Margaret Driscoll, Wiley, John & Sons, Copyright 2002, p. 8.

(22) “Return-on-Investment (ROI) from E-Learning, CBT and WBT” by Ron Kurtus, Kurtus Technologies and The School for Champions www.school-for-champions.com/elearning/roi.htm, Copyright 2004