Perceived Advantages and Disadvantages

Yesterday, I presented an overview of e-learning for an audience of classroom trainers and training managers. Among the many things I covered, I included an exercise where they identified advantages and disadvantages of e-learning. I thought I would share the results. Keep in mind, these are classroom trainers that are open to e-learning and the use of technology in training, but they are not the choir. I found this exercise enlightening on how trainers outside of the online training realm perceive e-learning and where our strengths and weaknesses lay. Below are the lists just how they were recorded on the poster-boards. FYI: Some of the disadvantages or "challenges" can be minimized in e-learning and I did address this. Either way they are on the disadvantages list like it or not.

Advantages of e-Learning

• Lower costs - travel and expenses, expense of training rooms


• Environmentally friendly, green


• Fewer designers/facilitators


• Anytime/anywhere


• Can take repeatedly


• Consistent


• Reaches larger audience


• Relatively easy to update


• "Trackable"


• Can customize vendor’s online courses


• A trend with younger generation – "They like to learn that way"


• Self-paced, self directed


• "Just in Time" training


• May be an easier medium for ESL (English as a second language)

Disadvantages of e-Learning

• Not for all learners


• Not for all types of content


• Development time/cost


• Need an LMS to implement


• Out-of-date content (if not reviewed regularly)


• Not for computer illiterate


• Self-directed – not always good (e.g. skip content)


• Fraud (e.g. other people taking a test for another employee)


• Technology differences of end-users’ computers


• Not cost effective for small audiences


• Less interactive/social than classroom training


• No face-to-face social interaction

Those are the perceptions, good or bad, of e-learning in my part of the world, much of which I am in agreement. But if I was to conduct this exercise again I would title the poster boards "Advantages" and "Challenges." Or would that reveal my bias?