E-learning courses or electronic training have existed for many years and, although they had their peak during the isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The growth in supply and demand for this service continues, promoted by new forms of content consumption and digital platforms.
Digital platforms are all those internet sites that store information and through which users can access content. According to the Comparitech page, the global average time that a person spends in front of a screen is 6 hours and 37 minutes. In Argentina, the daily average is 9 hours.
Digital platforms are work tools, communication and entertainment devices. That is why e-learning has experienced a boom in recent years: it allows access to new information and interactive learning through entertaining and accessible content.
E-learning is a teaching-learning method that uses educational resources through digital media, mainly the Internet. This model is based on synchronous and asynchronous communications, where the trainee can enjoy a didactic and continuous interaction with the content, tutors and other people who are taking or have taken the course, depending on the format.
Although the concept of e-learning was only coined in 1996, its beginnings date back to the 1920s when Sidney Pressey, a psychology professor at Ohio State University, invented the first teaching machine: the Automatic Teacher, designed to allow students to exercise and evaluate themselves.
The advantages of e-learning are multiple. Not only do they have a reduced training cost compared to courses taught in institutions, but they also adapt to each person's schedules, study methods and needs. At the same time, thanks to the wide offer on the market, students can choose the thematic approach that best suits their needs without resigning quality or validity of certifications.
According to data from Grant Thornton's latest International Business Report (IBR), a record number of companies cite the availability of skilled workers as a key constraint to their business growth (57%). This learning modality could reverse this, since there are courses that have specific approaches to the most in-demand skills. Furthermore, they facilitate access to education by allowing training in different areas and with experts from other parts of the world, also promoting self-discipline and self-motivation.
In fact, many governments and public entities are using them to promote the development of employability skills and prepare people for dynamic markets.
The difference with traditional teaching models is mainly the pedagogy that they adopt. E-learning is not based on the simple digitization of theoretical notes or a video in which a person explains the subject. It includes resources such as gamification, infographics, animations and illustrations that streamline the learning process, allowing a higher information retention rate. This happens since the lessons can be reviewed unlimitedly, students learns at their own pace and lesson are entertaining.
E-learning courses are gaining popularity within companies. According to the IBR, close to 30% of the mid-market companies surveyed are focusing on implementing robust training and wellness support programs to attract and retain the leaders of tomorrow. Is for this companies that e-learnig may become trully valuable given that it is a methodology that may inform all collaborators on cultural changes, behaviours and ways of working alone and within a team.
At Grant Thornton we have a team specialized in corporate pedagogy. We understand how people learn and we have experience designing online training solutions for public and private sector organizations in a wide variety of industries.
Our platforms allow the customization of exchange spaces, videos, games, materials and other tools, to provide an interactive experience that adapts to the content that the company must provide to its collaborators and to the learning circumstances.