Finding the Right Balance with Blended Learning

Summary: When it comes to employee training, sometimes finding and choosing the best eLearning method is difficult. Getting everyone to agree on one training method is often the most difficult task. For example, online training is extremely cost effective and time efficient, while classroom training has different yet equally important benefits. This makes it especially difficult to decide which method to use.

Blended learning can be the solution to this dilemma and to successful employee training. More and more organizations are seeing the benefits and adopting a blended learning method that gets great results for their employee training.Check out the answers to these top questions about using blended learning for employee training:

Top 4 Blended Learning Questions and Answers For Employee Training

  1. What is blended learning?
    Blended learning is training delivered through both online and face-to-face techniques. It takes the benefits of online training and the benefits of classroom training and blends them together. Like any successful employee training, the goal of blended learning is to teach employees the topic, improve job performance and encourage results that support business objectives.
  2. What benefits does blended learning have for your organization?
    Blended learning programs reduce both time and cost of training by 50 percent, according to a University of Tennessee study. When compared to traditional training methods in the same study, blended learning showed a 10 percent improved result in learning outcomes.In addition, blended learning is a great strategy to break up concepts into smaller, more manageable learning segments, while allowing time for learners to process information, ask questions and discuss what they’ve learned with their coworkers. Since people learn in multiple ways, not just one, blended learning provides many avenues for learning the material. This enhances their on-the-job performance later, the ultimate goal of any well-planned employee training.
  3. How does blended learning work best?
    According to Training Today, learning experts believe that a big advantage of blended learning is its ability to more closely replicate how people actually learn on a job. It does this by including experience and interaction with other coworkers. Blended learning also lets employees choose how they want to learn the material, which is perfect for appealing to different learning styles among employees. Successful blended learning just means you have to find a balance that works for your organization. What’s nice about blended learning is that it can be customized and modified along the way! Many factors affect training, like subject matter, audience, learning styles, budget considerations and space and location constraints, which all affect the way you structure employee training.
  4. So why is blended learning the solution to successful employee training?
    As much as 70 to 90 percent of workplace learning occurs informally and socially through reading books and articles, discussion with fellow employees, water cooler discussions and even trial and error, according to several recent research reports including the landmark U.S. Department of Labor Statistics report. One easy way to share informal content is through an online learning management system like Lectora Express – The Easy LMS. Many organizations are successfully combining formal e-Learning with classroom training, mentoring support, simulations, online reference material and virtual tools to support blended learning focused toward on-the-job success. Read the Lectora Express review to see one user’s experience sharing informal and formal content with Lectora Express.

To learn more about blended learning and how to make it successful at your organization, check out this blog post: 5 Best Practices for Blended Learning.