Lower Costs By Blending Learning

In a recent survey conducted by Expertus and TrainingIndustry.com, training leaders were asked how they were going to reduce training delivery costs. 65% of the respondents indicated that they were going to migrate from classroom training to eLearning or blended learning.

After all, organizations need to keep their employees as productive as possible, and this can happen with on-demand, reusable chunks of training that minimize time away from the job.

If you want to migrate to blended learning, remember that there's more to it than just classroom training mixed with eLearning. Try mixing things up a bit!

There are some on-demand opportunities you can try...

• Instead of spending time in a classroom, give learners a case study to solve. A popular way to complete case studies is to complete a webquest.

• Hold online debates to enhance collaborative learning without pulling employees away from their desk.

• Create a learning portal on your content management system, where employees can easily access reference materials, case studies, FAQs, lessons learned, charts, job aids and other materials that have been repurposed from your existing classroom training.

And here are some additional things to consider and possible blended learning solutions that could meet your needs:

Considerations		​Possible Solutions
Content	Is your training content subject to continuous change, or it is relatively stable?	Stable content Printed workbooks Online help Printed job aids Workshops	​Unstable content Online resources On-the-job training Listservs Online bulletin boards Blogs Email Social media
Development time	How long do developers have to create the training solutions?	Limited time Role modeling scenarios Job aids instead of full workbooks Webinars Coaching	Extended time Facilitator-led training eLearning Simulations Video
​Learner needs	​For learners to develop their new skills, attitudes, or competencies, how much human interaction do they need? Can independent learning be integrated into the mix?	​Collaboration Coaching Blogs Discussion boards Listservs Facilitator-led training Team role play	​Independence Knowledge databases Online help eLearning Podcasts DVDs Self-paced workbooks
Cost	How much is your organization willing to invest to achieve the desired outcomes?	​Small budget Knowledge databases White papers on company Intranet Listservs Email Work groups	Large budget Simulations DVDs Podcasts Email Facilitator-led training

Remember, though, transitioning from classroom training to blended learning means much more than just converting PowerPoints to electronic presentations. Don't sacrifice quality when you make the transition; instead, ensure that the materials you develop reflect the learners' needs.