By now, most educators are familiar with the many benefits of eLearning. The number of companies and educational organizations that use a Learning Management System (LMS) as an integral part of their learning program is growing.
While much has been written about the benefits of eLearning, it’s also important to recognize that being an educator is no easy task. No matter the method or platform of learning, challenges always arise, and eLearning is no different.
Whether it’s dealing with eLearning skeptics, finding the right balance in a blended learning program, or getting to grips with the difference between open source and proprietary LMS platforms, eLearning has its challenges. Read on to discover some common eLearning difficulties, and how to help resolve those issues.
READ: How To Get The Most From Your Budget While Increasing ROI of eLearning
Why LMS?
Before taking a look at some eLearning issues, it’s worth stopping to note that Learning Management Systems have been developed in part as a response to a number of issues with traditional educational methods.
The ability to automate content, organize marking, and facilitate remote learning are all major top benefits of online learning for teachers (check out this article to learn more about the benefits). The fact that educators can also measure the effectiveness of teaching methods using analytics is also a revolutionary capability, and worth bearing in mind when considering the challenges of eLearning.
Proving eLearning ROI
Despite the popularity of eLearning, it’s not uncommon to come across eLearning skeptics. According to these people, eLearning diminishes the relationship between educators and students, with many feeling they need to look their students in the eye to effect real learning.
When such views are held by management, L&D employees can be faced with the task of demonstrating the value of eLearning. And for those who appreciate the complexity of an educator’s role, it can sometimes feel difficult to know where to begin.
Understanding How to Encourage Management Buy-In Using LMS Learning Analytics can save you considerable time and effort.
Luckily, most LMS support analytics, giving educators access to learning data that provides clear evidence of program successes. Dashboards are a fantastic way of presenting this information to stakeholders.
Proving eLearning ROI was identified as one of The eLearning Professional’s Biggest Challenges. Snag your copy of this white paper to see exactly how prove the value of your eLearning and the other most common eLearning challenges!
Tailoring eLearning for your organization
The global eLearning market is large, diverse, and highly competitive. For users, especially those new to eLearning, this can result in an intimidating amount of flexibility and options for customization. While the opportunities for personalizing an LMS to fit your learning needs are fantastic in theory, it can be difficult to understand the ins and outs of customization.
One way to approach this challenge is to find an experienced eLearning solution vendor that understands your organization's needs and have the eLearning features you need to deliver the eLearning or training programs.
LMS integration with existing training
Organizations with an existing traditional learning program, which may have been in place for some time, often face challenges when transitioning to eLearning. Although there is no requirement to digitize all aspects of a course, decisions will need to be made about how to integrate offline and online content.
Blended Learning is an educational model that aims to solve just this issue. By enhancing traditional learning features through eLearning technology, a blended learning curriculum can promote the best of both worlds.
There is no one way to achieve a blended learning approach. Learners may attend physical classrooms, where lessons are then delivered using an LMS. Or, a pre-recorded lecture might pave the way for a traditional in-person seminar. The advantage of creating a blended learning curriculum lies in this freedom. While challenging in comparison to sticking with tried-and-tested training, educators who embrace the possibilities of blended learning will reap rewards in the long term.
Choosing the right LMS for your business needs
Perhaps the biggest challenge facing eLearning users is deciding on which LMS to choose in the first place. The debate between open source models versus proprietary, license-fee platforms is not simple, with a variety of short and long term implications for companies to weigh up.
Proprietary LMS vendors offer a fully comprehensive service to users. This means that organizations outsource their eLearning development to external providers, which can be a great option for businesses with limited resources.
On the other hand, open source LMS like Moodle are intended to provide the open-source code upon which organizations can then develop their training program.
Looking for more ways to solve your biggest eLearning challenges and get the most from your budget while increasing ROI? Download your free copy of our White Paper and discover how you can.
Whether you’re looking to implement a new Learning Management System, are looking to optimize your LMS and eLearning programs with learning analytics, or need any other eLearning solutions for selling training courses online (eCommerce), we have the expertise to help you reach your goals. Contact us today. We’d love to help you create a better way to learn!
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