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Whether you’re thinking of learning French for the pleasure of the language, or in order to finally obtain that promotion, the world of teaching and learning today includes more and more virtual components. The worldwide eLearning market is projected to be worth $325 billion in 2025! Evidently, digital models of pedagogy are here to stay. And while that might frighten some of you at first glance, virtual learning actually touts numerous advantages for both learners and employers alike.
Benefits for Learners
Learn from anywhere in the world
With in-person learning, if I wanted to learn French, I would need to necessarily find a French instructor within driving distance. This enormously limits options, especially for anyone living in more of a remote area. Online classes allow parties to be anywhere in the world, and also eliminate the time and cost that it takes to travel to and from a physical meeting space.
Fit learning into your busy schedule
Most of us are already overwhelmed managing work and family commitments, so the last thing we need is rigid expectations. Virtual learning is flexible because you can fit it into your schedule—anywhere, anytime. Learners who may not have previously had the time to leave the house to attend a French class can now participate from the comfort of their own homes.
Improve your overall retention of learning
Participants engaging in virtual learning actually retain nearly five times more material than those in-class—without increasing the time they spend in training. Plus, new technologies allow for lessons that are more interactive, personalized, and engaging than they may have been in the past!
Benefits for Employers
Improve your ROI by saving your company time and money
Corporate virtual training takes 40% to 60% less time to complete compared to “traditional” face-to-face learning. Employers need to optimize the precious hours devoted to PD in order to get the best ROI. By reducing the amount of time that your employees spend training, learner satisfaction will be higher as well because they’ll feel like their valuable time is being respected. And did you know that IBM saved approximately $200 million after switching to eLearning?
Increase learner success rates by providing flexible learning options
Rates of learner success and satisfaction will be inherently higher given the flexibility of online learning. For example, you’re no longer limited to having extremely long days in order to accommodate a trainer. Instead, spread your PD into small chunks across multiple days, which will also help to increase engagement and retention.
Provide accessible, equal-opportunity learning
Perhaps you’re a global company who wants to maintain equity for your remote employees who can’t attend in-person training. Or perhaps you want to ensure that the PD you offer meets your company’s high accessibility standards. Virtual learning appeals to populations with diverse needs, due to features like automatic closed captioning, video transcripts, the ability to adjust volume settings, and more. Foreign language learners will love having these options, too!
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