Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Dispelling the five e-learning myths

by Personnel Today 9 Apr 2002
by Personnel Today 9 Apr 2002

E-learning has picked up its fair share of misconceptions. KnowledgePool’s
Paul Butler sets the record straight.

E-learning is a panacea that can replace traditional learning methods. E-learning
will never be a suitable learning method for all aspects of training and will
frequently fail to deliver if it is seen as a one-stop shop. It must form part
of an organisation’s learning strategy and works best when it is delivered as
part of a blended training solution that may incorporate classroom-based
learning, interactive learning, online support and mentoring. Employees may
feel alienated if a personal or group-based training experience is suddenly
replaced with what they perceive as impersonal technology.

Technology and delivery infrastructure products are the most important
elements of e-learning.
Many companies implementing e-learning have focused
exclusively on the technology and have forgotten the fundamental tenets of
learning itself. However modern, impressive and accessible it may be,
technology cannot deliver a training programme on its own and companies which
have simply installed technology and stood back, have seen their training
projects fail. Technology should never be prioritised over the content of what
is being taught. Engaging with the subject and connecting with the learning is
key to success.

E-learning is only suitable for teaching IT courses to the technically
savvy.
E-learning is designed to be self-explanatory and easy to follow,
especially if it is used in conjunction with online support and mentoring. Many
e-learning programmes are designed to teach non-IT literate staff. E-learning
is a highly effective way of delivering soft skills training such as
communications skills, project management and managing budgets. Companies must
put communications and change programmes in place to ensure staff understand
what e-learning is. Set time aside for employees to use e-learning with
internal support.

Any content developer can become an e-learning company. During the
dotcom boom, many content providers with no background in training, set
themselves up as training providers because they were able to deliver course
content with the help of technology. Content is only one part of an e-learning
offering and companies should ensure they select an e-learning provider with a
training and education track record if they want e-learning projects to
succeed.

E-learning was only a flash in the pan. It is easy to dismiss
e-learning as another ‘crash and burn’ technology trend that is all hype and no
substance. However, e-learning does have proven benefits, for example
up-to-date content, convenience, consistency, flexibility and cost
effectiveness. These benefits can be realised if e-learning is implemented
strategically, as a supplement to other training methods and with a full
understanding of how it works, what it can and cannot deliver.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Paul Butler is CEO of e-learning provider KnowledgePool.

www.knowledgepool.com

Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

previous post
HSE gets to heart of stress problems at work
next post
Government acts to prop up faltering IIP

You may also like

Why we need to rethink soft skills in...

1 Jul 2025

Five misconceptions about hiring refugees

20 Jun 2025

Forward features list 2025 – submitting content to...

23 Nov 2024

Features list 2021 – submitting content to Personnel...

1 Sep 2020

Large firms have no plans to bring all...

26 Aug 2020

A typical work-from-home lunch: crisps

24 Aug 2020

Occupational health on the coronavirus frontline – ‘I...

21 Aug 2020

Occupational Health & Wellbeing research round-up: August 2020

7 Aug 2020

Acas: Redundancy related enquiries surge 160%

5 Aug 2020

Coronavirus: lockdown ‘phase two’ may bring added headaches...

17 Jul 2020

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+