With the E-Learning method, you can accompany many participants simultaneously – and they decide for themselves when and where to learn. But is E-Learning not also impersonal, detached from practice, and technically complex? Such perceived judgments are deeply ingrained in us and block our chance for new experiences. Are you also affected by five typical prejudices against E-Learning?
Enough with the prejudices!
A prejudice is an opinion based on feelings that has (yet) not been examined in detail. Although a prejudice can fundamentally also be positive, we mostly associate it with negative feelings. And: No one is completely free from them. Even if we all know that prejudices are not facts, we find it difficult in everyday life to separate one from the other. This is simple but also dangerous, because we miss out on opportunities.
Often, an indistinct fear is hidden in prejudices that guides us. Even if there is a kernel of truth in a prejudice – what remains of the truth when it is surrounded by misinformation? Only those who look closely and question existing opinions can lift the “veil of delusion.”
E-Learning is a typical topic surrounded by a cloud of prejudices. Many trainers, personal developers, teachers, or coaches have a particular idea of E-Learning in mind without questioning it. What do you think of first when you hear the term E-Learning?
The 5 most common prejudices about E-Learning
Dry, isolated, complicated, abstract…
All these are adjectives associated with E-Learning. However, it is also associated with terms like “future, self-determination, and digital transformation.” In conversations with stakeholders in the education sector, I repeatedly find that E-Learning is viewed with an interesting mix of fascination and suspicion. Research on this topic reinforces this observation: E-Learning is often either seen as THE opportunity of the “digital transformation” or as the enemy of “personal” and “lively” face-to-face training.
But I also see connections between the terms mentioned above. Thus, the fascination with the digital transformation is often accompanied by a fear of technical hurdles. And the chance for greater self-determination for the learner brings concerns about isolation. This is justified initially: Because almost every positive development is associated with potential difficulties.
E-Learning also presents certain challenges. However, many concerns turn out to be mere prejudices that can be easily overcome with the right approach.
Here are five typical prejudices about E-Learning:
E-Learning requires high technical knowledge
E-Learning is completely impersonal and “cold”
E-Learning lacks practical relevance
E-Learning leaves the learner completely to fend for themselves
E-Learning is the alternative to in-person learning
Let’s take a closer look at these five prejudices one by one! What is true about the individual concerns, and what is delusion?
Many prejudices about E-Learning are incorrect and need to be examined more closely.
1. Prejudice: E-Learning requires high technical knowledge
This prejudice is deeply ingrained in many people and prevents successful trainers or coaches from even considering E-Learning for themselves. A wasted opportunity! Because E-Learning has many faces, and the technical requirements vary greatly – depending on the software solution and the scope of the learning.
The fact is: E-Learning means by definition that learning is supported by electronic devices. Both the trainer and the participant therefore need access to digital devices. But that alone says nothing about the difficulty level of the application. After all, we use electrical devices daily without much thought, such as a stove, a coffee machine, or our smartphone.
E-Learning – electronic Learning – is absolutely no longer a cyber trend or science fiction. In fact, it is as old as electricity or at least as old as the invention of the computer.
Resolution of this prejudice: Neither on the trainer's nor the participant's side does E-Learning per se require high technical knowledge. Do you generally want to try E-Learning but have concerns about technically complex applications? Then specifically look for software that is simple and where you can quickly get help with technical questions!
2. Prejudice: E-Learning is completely impersonal and “cold”
Especially experienced trainers or coaches are concerned about the personal relationship with their participants when it comes to E-Learning. Understandably! After all, this professional group is characterized by a passion for working for and with people. Therefore, a “mediated” computer seems to act as a disturbing factor.
The fact is: In pure E-Learning, trainers and participants no longer face each other directly. Therefore, the very direct reference is missing. But E-Learning does not have to be completely impersonal because of this. As a trainer, you can decide how much of yourself you show in your E-Learning, for example, by working a lot with videos.
Film yourself – for example, quite simply with your smartphone – and bring a very personal touch to your E-Learning. Monitor the progress of your participants and respond to questions to be close despite physical distance.
Resolution of this prejudice: E-Learning lacks physical proximity, but through the design of the content, you as a trainer or coach can create a sense of closeness. The E-Learning method even has the advantage that you can quickly exchange and change content depending on the progress and questions of your participants. It’s up to you whether you offer E-Learning as a personal digital accompaniment or as a preset, universally valid online course.
3. Prejudice: E-Learning lacks practical relevance
Another aspect of why some trainers, coaches, or even personal developers are skeptical about the E-Learning method: Particularly soft skills, which are particularly in demand in professional development, require a lot of practical training.
The fact is: Group exercises are difficult to implement in E-Learning. Where participants in a classic in-person training can re-enact situations with each other, individuals in E-Learning rely on the passivity of videos and instructions. However, there is another advantage of practical relevance in E-Learning: Through location- and time-independent learning, the participant can return to real life directly after the online lesson and put what they have learned into practice.
Resolution of this prejudice: Practical relevance is just as possible in E-Learning as it is in in-person learning – it just looks different. E-Learning is effectively implemented when the learner incorporates the digital training into their everyday life in small pieces. Because one thing is clear: Without practice, neither analog nor digital training works.
4. Prejudice: In E-Learning, the learner is completely on their own
If we want to represent E-Learning visually, we often choose a single person who is focused on a screen. This image is associated with the term E-Learning in many people’s minds and creates the impression that the learner is completely alone with themselves and the machine.
The fact is: Independent learning is often portrayed as an opportunity, but that can also become a danger. In poor E-Learning, the learner is completely on their own. However, in E-Learning, the participant is not inherently isolated – good support from the trainer or coach is just as possible digitally as in “real life.”
Resolution of this prejudice: Even with this prejudice, we must differentiate between physical and perceived reality. The learner can be alone in a room and still be in close contact with their trainer or other learners! Especially the aspect of exchanging ideas with others is a great opportunity in E-Learning to learn from each other. In an in-person course, the number of participants is limited – online, an individual participant can quickly and easily start a discussion with hundreds of people.
5. Prejudice: E-Learning is the alternative to in-person learning
Let’s come to the last and most dangerous prejudice: Many discussions revolve around the question of whether E-Learning or in-person learning is more sensible and effective. Yet the question itself is already wrongly chosen: Why should you decide 100% for one of the two methods?
The fact is: Both E-Learning and classic in-person learning have their advantages – and disadvantages! In online courses, participants can learn at their own pace and location-independent. Conversely, in-person learning benefits from everyone’s physical presence.
Resolution of this prejudice: For example, if you find five advantages of E-Learning and six advantages of in-person learning? Then it would be a wasted opportunity to completely turn away from E-Learning options in favor of in-person learning. Instead, combine both methods so that you are convinced of the effectiveness of your training or coaching! This has already been successfully done for many training programs around the world under the term Blended Learning.
Start now with Blended Learning and connect E-Learning with classic in-person learning! What questions should you as a trainer or coach ask yourself at the beginning? We have compiled this in a guide for Blended Learning. 9 steps will lead you from the first idea to the concrete implementation of your Blended Learning!
Conclusion: E-Learning is a method that can be used in various ways
These were five typical prejudices about E-Learning, all of which are based on diffuse feelings and are often not further questioned. Have you recognized yourself in the prejudices? Or do you see other prejudices about E-Learning that are not mentioned here? Feel free to leave a message!
We conclude that E-Learning fundamentally has many facets and that you can address many concerns with simple solutions – for example, by choosing content and formats or selecting appropriate software. Above all, the optimal way often does not look black or white, but is a colorful mix of different methods.
With Blended Learning, you can achieve the balance between the digital and the analog world: How many parts of in-person learning and how many parts of E-Learning you offer in your Blended Learning is up to you. Now take a look at which models in Blended Learning are particularly popular and examine which model is best suited for you!
The most popular models in Blended Learning
Would you like to start with online impulses or prefer a personal meeting? Depending on the framework conditions of your training, various models may be suitable. Take a look at an overview of the most popular models for orientation!
For the free overview of Blended Learning models
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