Why SafetyWallet Health and Safety E-Learning is Effective

Overview

E-Learning can simply be defined as a learning system which is based on formalised teaching but is distributed and utilized through the help of electronic resources such as computers, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones.

Alternatively, E-Learning can also be defined as the network enabled transfer of both skills and knowledge along with the delivery of education and materials to large numbers of recipient either simultaneously or at scheduled times.

When it first emerged, it was not quite accepted wholeheartedly as it was viewed as a system which lacked the human element which was required in learning.

However, the rapid progress made in technology and the advancement of learning systems led to E-Learning becoming more popularised with it being used more in recent years by organizations around the world.

E-Learning can deliver great results by increasing cost-effectiveness and improving performance, amidst various other benefits including collaboration and involvement between learners on a large scale as well as standardization, and more.

There are numerous training providers who deliver E-Learning courses to a variety of businesses and it is imperative for these businesses to ensure that their providers deliver quality material to their employees relevant to identified areas where training is needed.

In addition, it is essential that the training provided will ensure that the Health and Safety compliance, amidst other factors, improves and that the business is compliant with OHSA, and numerous other regulations, and legislation.

SafetyWallet provides businesses with comprehensive training programmes focussed on Health and Safety and notably, there is adequate provision of Health and Safety E-Learning offering SafetyWallet members free access to 36 Health and Safety E-Learning courses.

Despite the technological advances and the improvement in the delivery of training material to employees, there may still be numerous questions surrounding the effectiveness of such Health and Safety E-Learning.

Why the Health and Safety E-Learning provided by SafetyWallet is effective

1.    Supporting the organization’s goals

When considering how E-Learning provided by SafetyWallet could possibly support the goals set by an organisation, it is imperative to consider the following key factors, namely training costs, material costs, productivity, and standardization.

Training Costs

The process involved with the creation of learning content may still be time consuming despite it being online but with E-Learning, this offers organizations a return on investment which improves due to the minimisation of production costs by number of uses.

In addition, organizations save substantial amounts of money as E-Learning does not require extensive travel and less materials are used to produce and distribute learning material and through the ease of access to E-Learning from anywhere leads to increased productivity.

Material Costs

Training often involves the use of costly equipment as learners are required to conduct practical training and assessments. E-Learning provides a simulated environment which can still be used as effectively as real-world situations and it ensures a risk-free training session.

This factor saves organizations from having to hire equipment and running the risk of injury or damage to property, and it is a substantial expense that can be eliminated.

Productivity

E-Learning is not presented in a centralized location and can be accessed across multiple devices regardless of where the learner goes and subsequently, organisations do not require to set time apart during workhours to train their personnel.

E-Learning not only ensures that productivity continues, but that it is increased as learners can access the material after hours and this also offers learners with a less stressful and comfortable environment in which they can learn, increasing the effectiveness of training.

Standardization

E-Learning allows for training material to be presented at a set standard as it removes the factor that depends on individual facilitators who have different ways in which they deliver training material.

With E-Learning there is a set standard and consistency are always improved and ensured. It also can compress delivery time and serves as a point of reference which can be revisited.

2.    Supporting learner development

Different learners have different training needs and goals, along with different ways in which they absorb and retain information and the effectiveness of training depends on how effectively learners work through material, retain, and apply it in real-time.

Real-time Access

Where traditional training sessions are concerned, it requires the scheduling of sessions to ensure participation and this is not always a seamless process along with taking away hours dedicated to work and subsequently may affect productivity, or the learner’s personal time.

E-Learning can be accessed at any given time from anywhere as the training material goes wherever the learner does. Often, training material can be downloaded and accessed offline, with results and assessments completed once the learner can go online again.

Freedom in failing

There is some failure involved with real learning and it is embarrassing to be faced with such failure in a classroom setting where other learners are involved. E-Learning allows learners the freedom of failing without fear of embarrassment.

It subsequently allows learners to explore and test different ideas without having to worry about failure and it creates a safe training environment where learners can start over should they fail, and change their approach, whereas it cannot be done in a classroom.

Retention is improved

E-Learning can be presented in a variety of ways instead of being bound to thick manuals, study guides, and textbooks. Through combining multimedia and an instructional design, learners are presented with an enriching experience which is repeatable.

Learning can be personalized

Learners do not all absorb or retain information the same way, and E-Learning is customizable according to the learning needs and objectives of learners which greatly increases the effectiveness of the training.

3.    Nurturing a learning organization and community

Ongoing access to resources

E-Learning ensures that the material provided can be revisited and referenced when and where needed instead of scouring hand-written notes taken in a real-world classroom environment, which is not always possible.

Learners always have access to the material and can easily refresh their knowledge whenever they need to without much hassle.

The management of knowledge

E-Learning does not merely provide material which has been authored, it also incorporates online technologies such as collaboration and conversation where learners can capture organizational knowledge which is made available for future learners.

Sharing is encouraged

E-Learning creates a learning community which is built on sharing information with other learners. When provision is made for a forum, it allows learners to discuss topics, form opinions, challenge them, and learn more than what the material alone can provide.

Learners can share resources amongst themselves, depending how the course is structured, and it allows for further insight to be gained, which makes the training more effective and long-lasting.

Employer of choice

Personal and professional growth is essential to ensure job satisfaction as it provides employees to grow and develop and opens the doors to other areas of expertise. E-Learning helps employees explore other opportunities within the organization.

Final Thoughts

When considering the efficiency of E-Learning pertaining to employers, employees, and the organization as a whole, it is imperative to ensure that courses are managed and that access to them is managed more by the learners than the organization.

This allows learners to explore different options and not only ensures the increase of training effectiveness, but it tends to keep learners interested in the material and allows for suggestions on improvement based on different training needs and objectives.

E-Learning produces superb results when managed correctly and used effectively. This can be done by reviewing material often, analysing results and getting feedback from learners on how training can be improved to suit the needs of everyone involved.