E-learning makes trainer-led sessions more engaging

With technology advancing at such a rapid pace, there is a widespread need for learning and development practices within UK businesses to adapt.

Gone are the days where classroom instruction is the most valuable form of training - now it is all about how to combine this with e-learning to create a blended model that is more engaging.

The rise of smartphones, tablets and touchscreen laptops has had a major impact on the world of business, and every day new ways of doing things are finding their way into workplaces.

This cannot be ignored by employers, and should instead be embraced, particularly when it comes to improving employees' skills.

While there are advantages to classroom training, such as interaction with other people, this can be enhanced through online learning platforms that hold individuals' attention. 

When staff find out they are entering a training session, their first thought is that they are going to be talked at for an hour and this will prevent them from taking in the information they are presented with properly.

Trainers who both talk and use advanced technology, however, are far more likely to have good results, with online learning introducing a new and exciting way for workers to communicate.

E-learning permits staff to share ideas from remote locations; access training materials from wherever they are and at any time; and have more control over their personal development.

Similarly, "online training allows instructors to individualise learning, rather than delivering information to an audience," according to the Training Zone blog.

It continued: "Each learner is interacting with their computer, and are not physically present in a group - which for certain types of learning (like transformational/soft skills) is essential."

Experts have agreed that blended learning is the most effective educational model, and Alex Williams from Buckinghamshire New University recently championed a mixture of face-to-face time, which is valuable for receiving feedback, and online resources that can be accessed whenever is most convenient for the learner.