3 Misconceptions About eLearning Most People Get Wrong
Whenever I’m at a conference, at work, or online, I often find myself interacting with folks that have a lot of misconceptions about eLearning. Usually, these misconceptions “show” themselves when someone is trying to explain why eLearning isn’t effective, or when someone has a very narrow idea of what eLearning should look like.
The truth is these misconceptions about eLearning stem from an individual’s’ inexperience or fear of eLearning. And frankly, I don’t blame these folks for having these misconceptions. It’s likely they’ve experienced eLearning that truly is bad, ineffective, or misused. And it’s these negative experiences that have shaped their misconceptions about eLearning.
Here are three common misconceptions about eLearning that most people get wrong.
1. eLearning Replaces the Classroom.
Perhaps the most common misconception about eLearning is the idea that it replaces the need for the classroom and even the instructor. I believe this misconception stems from the insecurity some (not all) classroom facilitators have about their position in the learning process. As much as I believe the classroom has its place within the learning ecosystem, some (not all) facilitators believe that if the content isn’t delivered from their mouths and into the ears of the learners sitting in front of them, then learning isn’t occurring.
The truth is, eLearning, like classroom facilitation, is just one learning modality, amongst many. Learning isn’t a singular event that happens while seated in a classroom or behind the screen of an eLearning course. Learning is a process that occurs through the progression of multiple events, where learners obtain knowledge, apply that knowledge, and master a skill. This can happen in the classroom, in an eLearning course, with a job aid, while watching a video, having a discussion, or while practicing on the job.
2. eLearning Must Interactive to Be Effective.
eLearning comes in many different shapes and sizes. And when most people think of eLearning, they think of something that has been developed in a tool like Articulate Storyline or Adobe Captivate. While these programs offer the ability to create highly-interactive eLearning content, many folks believe it must be interactive to be effective.
The truth is, there isn’t (at least there shouldn’t be) and single rule for when a course should or shouldn’t be interactive. Interactivity should be included if it can help the learner better understand, apply, and master the skill being taught. If the skill being taught doesn’t require application or isn’t best practiced in a digital interaction, then interactivity should not be included for the sake of interactivity.
This misconception about eLearning is the result of folks having a narrow view of what eLearning looks and feel like. If you take the term “eLearning” literally, it means any learning that is electronic or digital. If you think of eLearning as digital learning, it opens the possibilities to a lot of different types of content. Videos, interactive documents, webinars, podcasts, online discussions, or interactive performance support tools are all examples of digital learning, also known as eLearning.
3. People Hate eLearning.
I have to be honest, I’ve never understood this one. To me, saying you hate eLearning, is like saying you hate the internet. I don’t know about you, but when I need a reminder on how to cook rice, I don’t pull out a big old cookbook or sign up for a class. So, what do I do? I find a quick, two-minute video on YouTube. Now, if you take what I explained in point number two, an online video constitutes eLearning.
The truth is, people don’t hate eLearning; people hate bad eLearning. So, what is bad eLearning? Bad eLearning is eLearning that is poorly designed, isn’t fit for function, and doesn’t effectively fulfill the desired learning need. eLearning is good when it’s designed well and used when it’s most appropriate.
What other misconceptions about eLearning have you experienced? Share them by commenting below!
Additional Resources
- 3 Things Non-eLearning Designers Oughta Know About eLearning
- Instructional Design for eLearning: 4 Things You Need to Know
- 3 Ways to Design Better eLearning
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Head of Learning & Development
6 年Great article! Thanks!?
Head of Marketing at the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade
6 年Great article Tim. If we're looking at misconceptions I'll add the belief that eLearning and traditional classroom learning are completely separate rather than complementary. Provision of online materials prior to a face-to-face course can of course help attendees be better prepared, and afterwards can help ensure lessons are put into practice, and help track progress.
Role Enablement Architect, Talent Development at Cisco
6 年People hate to learn things they think will not benefit them in any way. No one really hates eLearning. How many times have you heard this: "I hate Math!". Adults, always ask the "What is in it for me" question. If the answer is nothing, then they will resent the learning experience.
Edtech Consultant
6 年This is excellent. Especially the point about interactivity. Too often I hear people asking for interactivity, but without any rationale for why the interactive nature is actually needed in that specific situation. We need to look at our audiences more critically and evaluate what they actually need vs. what's popular to do.