With COVID restrictions relaxing around the world, more employers have been eager to get their teams back into the office either full time, or part-time alongside working from home. But why should remote learning not become a thing of the past?
Whilst face-to-face learning and development initiatives are certainly valuable, we should not yet discount the benefits of virtual learning courses that are available for remote access. Here are some reasons why remote learning should not be brushed aside as the world begins moving back towards in-person work experiences:
1. Some training is better accessed remotely
There are certain skills that are better learnt with a cup of tea and your laptop, opposed to in the boardroom with a workshop facilitator and the rest of your team. Remote learning can allow participants to give their full attention when taking notes and increases their comprehension.
Indeed, after analysing 12 case studies with thousands of participants, Studocu.com found that e-learning increases learners retention rates to 82% on average, thus demonstrating one significant advantage of remote learning.
2. Cost savings and the operating logistics of attending a physical training event.
With remote learning, the costs of attending training events in-person are almost eliminated. Of course, there may be significant fees to pay for the right training for your employees, but overall training costs are undoubtedly far cheaper when training is delivered online.
In fact, Training Zone has highlighted that in-person training carries the cost of factors such as venue rental, refreshments, travel, accommodation, and full days away from work -remote training does not, and instead only a facilitator and the relevant module materials are required.
3. Your employees might just prefer virtual remote training.
If the above reasons alone do not highlight the benefits of remote training, your employees' happiness just might.
The simple fact is that some employees do not feel the value of all their training being delivered in-person and would much rather learn in a remote environment. It could be that this can allow individuals to engage more with the information they are given (as we saw in point 1), or it may be that this type of learning is better suited to their unique learning style. Interestingly, as discussed by Shift Learning, it was found that companies which invested in virtual e-learning and training technology saw an 18% increase in employee engagement, suggesting that this type of training is favourable amongst employees.
On a personal note, as someone who has worked largely remotely throughout my career though still experienced with both virtual and in-person training, for me, remote learning is certainly better suited to my behavioural preferences and learning style. Although I can still recognise the value of in-person experiences and all the benefits that come from being immersed in learning sat next to your colleagues, online courses have been greatly advantageous in allowing me to get to know content in great depth and feel completely comfortable in the learning environment while I do so.
Are you familiar with your employee's learning styles? Do you know what environments they find engaging when it comes to their training and development?
If not, then understanding them can directly affect the success of your training and learning programmes and even increase your employee productivity, target achievement and retention.
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Written by C-me Research Team,
