E-learning is growing at an enormous rate, but that is not only because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The advantages of online teaching have been causing more and more people to embrace it. Since 2000, e-learning has increased by 900%. Of course, digital tools were not used as we use them today.

However, look at these statistics. Between 2010 and 2015, the e-learning market grew by over 200%. I.t was estimated that e-learning would grow by another 200% between 2015 and 2025, to $325 billion. This will only continue to grow as the benefits of e-learning become increasingly important. To stay flexible and up-to-date, you should consider whether e-learning is right for your company.

There are plenty of reasons why companies choose e-learning. Firstly, online learning saves a lot of time, both for the trainer and the learner.

E-learning and its 6 fantastic advantages:

Advantage 1: E-learning saves time for the trainer

When you create a good online training course, you can use it as many times as you want. If you have a good basis, you can reuse it every time, possibly with small adjustments. This saves you a lot of time compared to teaching in a classroom. In a digital learning environment, you also encourage learners to help each other. For example, if they have questions, they can use the chat function in Pluvo.

When they help each other, you don't have to do it ;-). Furthermore, you save time by testing online. Tests are automatically checked by the e-learning system, and your learner gets the result automatically. This gives you more time for things that are really important to you.

Advantage 2: E-learning saves time for the learner

E-learning ensures that your learner absorbs the material much faster. Research by Brandon Hall shows that e-learning reduces the time needed to absorb material by 40 to 60% for an average person compared to traditional training. So they learn 5 times faster (IBM Epic Performance Improvement, 2011).

Learners also memorize your material much better, as e-learning helps them remember 25 to 50% more than offline learning.

Furthermore, each learner can follow a personalized learning path. This means that the learner's answers and scores determine the further course of the training. If someone doesn't understand something, you can automatically offer them additional material. If your learner finds the material too easy, you can give them more challenging material. This way, everyone can train at their own level and pace. It also automatically focuses on the areas that are most challenging, making e-learning more efficient than the offline version.

Ultimately, travel time also plays a role. This is completely eliminated or reduced significantly when implementing blended learning.‍

Advantage 3: Online training is better for the environment

We have experienced this advantage of e-learning ourselves due to the pandemic. How ridiculous is it to take the car for the slightest reason to physically meet someone for an hour? We have realized that we need to make more use of the wonderful technology we have available today. Measures to protect the environment are necessary and are therefore increasingly on the political agenda. You can also contribute to this. In addition to standard measures such as eating less meat and traveling by train more often, you can also consider giving (part of) your training online.

According to the Open University Design Innovation Group (DIG), e-learning results in 90% energy savings and 90% less CO2 emissions.

First of all, you and your students don't need to travel when using e-learning, which has a significant impact. Additionally, you don't need a physical training location, resulting in lower electricity consumption, and you use little to no paper. Even if you opt for blended learning, you still consume significantly less energy and CO2, which is a consideration for companies wanting to take more social responsibility.

Benefit 4: E-learning is good for your wallet

Switching to e-learning or blended learning is also financially beneficial for your company. While it may seem that creating an online training requires time and money at the beginning, it always pays off in the end. It is an investment in the future that is well worth it.

For instance, IBM saved $200 million by switching to e-learning, and research from Ambient Insight says that 42% of companies have increased revenue by using e-learning.

By implementing e-learning, you spend less money on trainers and training locations, and you can even make money!

Benefit 5: Always & Everywhere

You don't have to physically see each other to teach people something. You can transfer a lot of knowledge online. This means you can share information much more flexibly. E-learnings are always available everywhere, all you need is a computer, tablet, or phone with an internet connection.

Unlike regular lessons, where you are often bound to specific hours, you can create an e-learning whenever you want, whether it's at night or when your students are in different time zones. Another advantage of e-learning is that you can re-read information. In a physical training, you hear the information only once and have to take diligent notes.

However, with an online training, you can do it as many times as you want, making it easier to remember.

Benefit 6: Online training is much more fun

Last but not least: (a combination of offline and) online training is often much more enjoyable! It allows you to work with different types of content. For example, you can enrich your training with videos, images, and news articles. This provides variety, making it easier for your students to stay engaged in the online class. With quizzes, you can test your students' knowledge in the middle of the training, making your e-learning much more interactive. This results in better retention of the information.

A possible disadvantage of e-learning is that students may feel isolated. However, there are plenty of solutions to this. You can create a real community within your e-learning, encouraging your students to chat with each other when they don't understand something. This makes your students feel more connected, even though they can't see each other. They are more motivated to finish your course and will give it a good review.

Side note: At Pluvo, we believe that personal, offline contact is essential. Therefore, we recommend a blended training, combining online and offline methods. Online where possible and offline where necessary.

Conclusion advantages e-learning

In conclusion, you now understand the beneficial effects of e-learning and why your organization should use it. You don't have to get rid of all your offline training right away; you can also choose a blended training that combines both online and offline methods.

Personal contact leads to more engagement and loyalty.

With Pluvo you can do both. And the best thing: you can start for free!