{"id":4969,"date":"2016-05-06T18:29:56","date_gmt":"2016-05-06T15:29:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.talentlms.com\/blog\/?p=4969"},"modified":"2025-01-15T15:32:59","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T13:32:59","slug":"corporate-elearning-myths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.talentlms.com\/blog\/corporate-elearning-myths\/","title":{"rendered":"The truth about eLearning: 10 corporate eLearning myths busted"},"content":{"rendered":"

Myths are widely held misconceptions. And, on the surface, they may seem harmless. (After all, if so many people have believed them for so long, they can\u2019t be that bad, right?<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Well, there\u2019s another myth right there.<\/p>\n

The truth is, if you\u2019re a corporate eLearning professional, myths are damaging. They block progress<\/strong>. They allow inefficiencies, outdated beliefs, and clunky practices and processes to fester unchecked. And they stand in the way of informed change<\/strong>, and the development of your employees and your business.<\/p>\n

But the good news is those myths can<\/em> be busted.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve taken 10 corporate eLearning myths\u2014common myths most of you may have encountered\u2014and uncovered the truth.<\/p>\n

So, whether it\u2019s convincing your C-suite, your IT experts or instructional designers, your employees, or yourself, you can assess corporate eLearning fairly, using facts, not fiction<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Let the unraveling begin\u2026<\/p>\n

eLearning myth #1: Corporate eLearning platforms are expensive and designed for big organizations<\/h2>\n

When eLearning first hit this scene over a decade ago, investing in a commercial LMS would have used a big chunk of a company\u2019s L&D budget.<\/p>\n

Primarily, on-premise platforms, businesses would have to pay for the system outright and run them off their own servers. And, yes, because of this, functionality was designed to support corporate training in larger-scale operations.<\/p>\n

This changed quickly though.<\/strong> Greater commercial choice, changing market forces, and advances in cloud technology, all drove costs down. With no software to buy or install, no servers to maintain, the option to rent on a monthly basis, and no large upgrade costs to contend with, corporate eLearning soon became an option for small businesses<\/strong><\/a> as well as enterprise organizations.<\/p>\n

Evolving fast to cater to businesses of every size and type, LMS providers introduced flexible and wide-ranging pricing plans<\/strong><\/a>. And design became more accessible, too.<\/p>\n

So, no, eLearning isn\u2019t an exclusive members\u2019 club. It\u2019s accessible to all budgets.\u00a0Add a global skills shortage<\/strong> and increasingly remote workforce to the mix, and instead of asking \u201cCan we afford eLearning?<\/em>\u201d, most businesses are now asking: \u201cCan we afford not<\/strong> to use eLearning?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

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eLearning myth #2: You need an IT department to deploy your own company-wide eLearning solution<\/h2>\n

In 2000 maybe.<\/p>\n

But ever since the advent of cloud computing and Software as a Service (SaaS) eLearning solutions<\/a><\/strong>, even a small team is able to roll out an online training program. All that’s needed is to register for an account.<\/p>\n

When choosing a cloud LMS, there are no complicated server installations to arrange. Your corporate training platform takes care of the IT and all ongoing maintenance for you. So even small startups without dedicated IT departments or specialists can benefit from online corporate training<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

eLearning myth #3: You need an expensive instructor or instructional designer<\/h2>\n

Not really.<\/p>\n

Sure, you may<\/em> (there are no guarantees here) get better results from a professional instructor. But that comes at a price. Besides their pay, you\u2019ll have to spend time and resources familiarizing them with your company\u2019s particular training needs. And that can be a big disadvantage.<\/p>\n

In a recent survey, 78% of organizations prefer to use their own internal training programs<\/strong><\/a> because it\u2019s easier than looking externally for content or 3rd party providers that suit their needs.<\/p>\n

The thing is, you don\u2019t have to have the \u201cbest\u201d course to achieve the best outcomes. A \u201cgood” course that\u2019s quick to produce and tied closely to your organizational goals, makes better business sense. And it\u2019s usually just as effective as a ground-breaking corporate learning program that\u2019s expensive, complicated to create, and a drain on your HR resources.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need an instructional designer, either. Using an LMS for corporate learning, you can repurpose informal content (like PowerPoint presentations and Word documents) you\u2019ve already created to train employees. Just drag and drop them into your LMS<\/strong><\/a> and add in multimedia content, tests, and gamification using your eLearning platform. Ta-da! Formal, bespoke eLearning lessons designed in a flash.<\/p>\n

Plus, for standard employee training topics (compliance, wellbeing, finance, and MS Office skills, for example), there are plenty of professionally made, off-the-shelf courses<\/strong><\/a> you can source straight from your LMS platform. Each one already researched, written, and reviewed by subject matter experts and senior instructional designers.<\/p>\n

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eLearning myth #4: eLearning is all automatic<\/h2>\n

One of the big benefits of using a corporate eLearning platform is that it automates a lot (if not all) of the admin involved in creating and managing corporate training programs. This is a BIG tick in the box of corporate training.<\/p>\n

But, still, it can only do so much. Learning is, after all, about people.<\/strong> And no automated system can completely replace the value of human interaction and engagement.<\/p>\n

First off, you\u2019ll want to get employees on board and motivated. To do this, you need to introduce and nurture a positive learning culture<\/strong>. And design and implement an ongoing internal communications campaign<\/strong><\/a> that supports this. An LMS, however sophisticated, can\u2019t automate this for you.<\/p>\n

Then comes the delivery and design. Facilitating and moderating interactions between peers and instructors, reaching out to learners, sourcing feedback, and making adjustments based on that feedback, all require hands-on input. Crafting compelling courses that appeal to different learning types and which combine targeted, well-researched content with interactivity and inclusivity all take thought and planning.<\/p>\n

Finally, there\u2019s the ROI. For your corporate eLearning program to be a success, it needs to link closely with business goals and outcomes<\/strong> as well as personal ones. And, in this area, automation simply won\u2019t cut it. Again, it calls for the personal and professional involvement of your L&D experts.<\/p>\n

The beauty of eLearning is that it automates everything that should<\/em> be automated.<\/strong> It frees you up to focus and add value on areas that will make your corporate eLearning program a success for your employees and your business.<\/p>\n

eLearning myth #5: Employees don’t like eLearning<\/h2>\n

The stats beg to differ.<\/p>\n

Seventy-six percent of employees say that they\u2019re more likely to stay with a company that offers continuous training<\/strong><\/a>. What they don\u2019t like is poorly designed or irrelevant training. (33% of employees find it hard to stay motivated to complete training.<\/em>) Or, training that conflicts with their work schedules. (Being able to learn at their own pace is the biggest online training motivator<\/a> for employees.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s where eLearning has the edge over traditional, offline training<\/strong>. It lends itself to micro and mobile learning so employees can study at their own pace, wherever they are (rather than on a fixed day at a fixed time).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also feature-rich, versatile, and supports interactivity, multimedia content, and gamification. All of which have the potential to make learning more engaging and keep motivation levels high.<\/p>\n

eLearning myth #6: It\u2019s only for technologically-minded learners<\/h2>\n

It really shouldn’t be. But it does depend on your choice of corporate eLearning platform.<\/p>\n

Using an LMS shouldn\u2019t be any more complicated than logging in and browsing the web.<\/p>\n

If your employees can log into their work laptop, PC, or phone, and access your company intranet or corporate website, they have all the skills and knowledge they need to use a corporate eLearning platform.<\/p>\n

In fact, as long as your LMS is intuitive<\/strong> and designed with the user in mind<\/strong>, your learners won\u2019t even notice the technology. All they\u2019ll notice is a seamless, integrated learning experience.<\/p>\n

But if your LMS is clunky, over-complicated, and over-engineered, it will reinforce the myth that only die-hard, tech-minded employees can use it.<\/p>\n

The only way to eradicate this misconception is to choose your platform wisely. Because usability<\/strong> really is the key to its success.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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eLearning myth #7: There\u2019s no scope for interaction<\/h2>\n

Just because eLearning happens online, doesn\u2019t mean it has to take place in isolation. Quite the opposite in fact. eLearning is in many ways more social and interactive than traditional in-person training<\/strong> because location is no object.<\/p>\n

A remote training platform<\/strong><\/a> brings geographically dispersed employees together far more easily and effectively.<\/p>\n

Through tools such as online discussion forums<\/strong><\/a> and messaging apps, learners can offer support, share ideas, and ask questions when they choose, wherever they are.<\/p>\n

And using the live chat and virtual \u201cbreakout\u201d room functionality supported by most video-conferencing platforms, learners can communicate with each other and their instructor during online group training sessions.<\/p>\n

eLearning myth #8: You can\u2019t measure success or interaction<\/h2>\n

If anything, eLearning\u2019s easier to measure than in-person training. Most corporate eLearning platforms come with a powerful reporting system<\/strong><\/a>. This can be used to track logins, courses (completed and active), attendees, certifications, and other timeline activities.<\/p>\n