Decision-makers in the field of Learning & Development are increasingly faced with the question of how useful E-Learning is for their company. However, pure E-Learning will never replace traditional training! Find out now what typical forms of E-Learning are and why companies are safe with Blended Learning.

What do you understand by E-Learning?

Digital processes are continuously changing how we live and work. Accordingly, corporate training is also changing: E-Learning has been a frequently heard buzzword in the Learning & Development community since 2018. In discussions, I often hear, alongside the impression that digital learning "somehow belongs to it," a certain skepticism: To what extent can people learn from and with machines?

There are actually two fundamental misunderstandings in this question.

1. Even in E-Learning, the content is fundamentally developed by people.

2. "The E-Learning" does not exist: Digital learning forms have many faces.

Regarding the first point: The "E" in E-Learning is not as relevant as you might think! The digital learning platform is ultimately just a medium, like a book or a presentation. The content and the didactic preparation still depend on people who must empathize with their training participants.

Regarding the second point: When specialists talk about "E-Learning," they usually mean a broad learning form where participants learn with digital devices. This can be a purely online course, a webinar with an expert presentation, or a mix of traditional in-person training and digital learning impulses. All mentioned methods fall under the category of "E-Learning" – yet they are completely different in process and effect.

Typical Forms of E-Learning: Mainly Self-Directed

So let's approach E-Learning in this article completely unbiased and initially clarify how typical forms of E-Learning differ. Take a look at the following graphic:

On the right side of the graphic, you will find typical mainly externally directed learning forms. A seminar is a traditional in-person event. A webinar is a seminar on the web and only differs in the learning environment: As with the seminar, the learning process here predominantly takes place under external direction.

Both seminar and webinar do not fall under the term E-Learning due to this external direction and the requirement for presence!

On the left side, you can see typical E-Learning methods. A purely online course is usually available to the participant already pre-prepared. Learning with online courses is therefore very self-directed. In learning forms with Learning Management Systems (LMS), there is usually some form of communication among participants. However, even in a typical LMS, the participant is mostly on their own and learns predominantly in a self-directed manner.

In the middle of the graphic is the method Blended Learning: Here you combine self-directed and externally directed learning forms. Depending on the requirements of the participants and the framework conditions in your company, you as a decision-maker in Learning & Development can choose how high the (predominantly self-directed) share of E-Learning should be!

Blended Learning is a method where traditional in-person learning is interconnected with E-Learning components.

In the next section, find out why the Blended Learning method is the future of corporate training!

The Future of Learning & Development is Blended Learning

We at blink.it are convinced that pure E-Learning will not prevail. Although our software is 100% suitable for creating standalone online courses, we advise companies to prefer the Blended Learning method. Why is that?

As you can see in the graphic above, Blended Learning contains both externally directed and self-directed elements. Thus, Blended Learning is comparable to a yielding material that also closes the smallest gaps:

With Blended Learning as a learning method for your corporate training...

• the trainer is flexible in moving content from the in-person part to the online support as needed – and vice versa

• your company benefits from relatively little work absence

• the employees achieve a higher transfer performance than with pure E-Learning or pure in-person learning

These are just three of many reasons why Blended Learning will prevail in the long term. The numbers have been in favor of this flexible learning method for several years: Since 2013, Blended Learning has been in 1st place in the annual Trend Monitor of the mmb Institute as the most significant learning form.

Why pure E-Learning, on the other hand, has no future is elaborated in the article E-Learning Seeks Partners.

Overview: E-Learning versus In-Person Learning

If you choose the Blended Learning method, the question remains how high the share of E-Learning should be and how high that of traditional seminars, workshops, and other in-person events should be:

For what is E-Learning suitable, and for what is rather in-person learning? What are typical methods? I will present the answers to these and other questions in the following table:

Of course, every training depends on many factors – the learning form is just one of them. The trainer should be didactically trained, the learning environment and technical aids (e.g., the LMS) should function flawlessly and be easy to use.

Now Choose the Right Model for Blended Learning

However, studies show that Blended Learning as a mix of E-Learning and in-person learning tends to produce the greatest learning effect. Provided that the supervising trainer or coach adapts the appropriate Blended Learning model to the needs of the participants! How high the online share and how high the in-person share is, or how much time lies between individual impulses – that looks different for each Blended Learning model.

We have summarized the most common models for Blended Learning in an infographic and made it available for you to download. How well do you know the needs of your company’s employees? Take a look at the infographic and get an impression of which model may be suitable for your company!