Pros and Cons of eLearning Platforms

Last Updated on December 9, 2023

Finding the best eLearning platform can be a difficult task. eLearning platforms offer so many different features and options that it can become overwhelming. The key to finding the best eLearning platform for your team, online student, and online education is knowing precisely what you need.

Understanding the Advantages and Disadvantages of eLearning Platforms

The popularity of eLearning platforms has grown in recent years and for a good reason. They provide a way for businesses to deliver their training programs more efficiently and cost-effectively. There are many advantages and disadvantages to using eLearning platforms, but one of the most important things you need to consider is which platform best fits your needs. Understanding what each platform offers is essential before choosing a platform that will work best for your organization.

Pros of using eLearning Platforms

Ease of Use: eLearning platforms are straightforward to use. You don’t need any particular technical skills or prior knowledge to start. They’re designed for people who want to create online training courses but don’t know where to start or have time to learn new software packages or coding languages.

Cost-Effective: Most eLearning platforms offer free trials or low-cost monthly plans that are affordable for small businesses and nonprofits. You can upgrade your account for a small fee (usually less than $100/month) if you want more features.

Easy Customization: The best eLearning platforms are easy to customize, so you can build exactly what you need. If something is missing from their templates, they’ll often offer customization options that allow you to change the look and feel of your courses as needed.

Focus on Learning: Some eLearning platforms focus more on learning than others. For example, Lectora is designed to create educational content for K-12 students, whereas Articulate Storyline is intended to develop training materials for employees in your organization (or clients). These tools make it easy for anyone on your team to create engaging online courses without requiring advanced technical knowledge.

Scalability and flexibility: eLearning platforms are scalable, which means they can be used to create large-scale or small-scale courses with just one person. These platforms support creating an online course, including complex systems with various interactions. They also allow you to create customized templates that can be used in future classes. This means that you can reduce costs by reusing content that has been created previously. For example, if you have a large department with 100 employees, you could use an eLearning platform to create a course that teaches everyone how to use new software or update their skills. The same platform would also work if the entire company only had one employee who needed to learn something new.

Increased employee engagement: eLearning platforms offer greater flexibility than traditional classroom training. They allow employees to learn independently and at their own pace. This level of control can increase employee engagement with the training program, leading to better performance at work. Employees who receive eLearning content improve their knowledge and skills and become more productive, ultimately increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The best eLearning platforms can be accessed anytime and anywhere, which means employees can learn at their convenience. They also allow you to track how much time your employees spend on learning new skills or improving existing ones so that you can monitor their progress and measure productivity improvements.

Cons of using eLearning Platforms

Lack of communicational skill development in eLearning Platforms: The first major drawback is the lack of communicational skill development in eLearning Platforms. Students who attend online courses cannot communicate effectively in person, which can harm their education. This is because most online courses are taught by one instructor who uses a lecture-style format for their classes. This means that students do not have the opportunity to interact with one another during class time and, therefore, cannot develop their communication skills face-to-face as effectively as they would if they were attending a physical classroom setting.

E-Learning requires strong self-motivation and time management skills: Just like in real life, you can’t expect to learn something if you don’t apply yourself. If you don’t have the self-discipline to plan your studies and study regularly, e-learning will only be a waste of time.

You need to pay for the courses: The user will pay for all the systems on these platforms, so you must invest money into your education. This can be good if you want to ensure that the courses are high quality and cover all essential topics. However, if you aren’t willing or able to spend money on your education, another option is to enroll in in-person learning.

E-learning platforms aren’t designed for every type of learning: While many different types of e-learning platforms are available today, they were not all created equal. Some are better suited for certain types of knowledge than others.

 For example, some e-learning platforms are designed specifically for technical training, while others are designed for soft skills training, such as leadership development or customer service skills training. If your organization needs both types of exercise — technical and soft skills — then you’ll need two separate platforms or courses within one platform that will allow employees to learn both technical and soft skills simultaneously.

Selecting the Right eLearning Platform for your needs

When deciding on an eLearning Platform for your organization, you should weigh the pros and cons of each system to make an informed choice that aligns with your business goals. Consider the following factors:

What are your learning objectives?

The first step in selecting an eLearning platform is determining what capabilities you need to support your learning objectives. Do you want to deliver interactive content that teaches technical skills or simulates real-world scenarios? If so, look for a platform that offers advanced interactivity tools such as branching scenarios, simulations, and gamification elements. Or, if you want to create courses that build soft skills like communication or collaboration, look for a platform that offers advanced authoring tools for developing rich media pages with audio and video capabilities.

How many users will be accessing this platform?

The best eLearning platforms offer multiple solutions for different types of learners and learning environments. Some companies may only need one answer, and others may require multiple solutions depending on the training they are trying to provide their employees with.

What types of content will be included in this platform?

Most eLearning platforms can handle simple text-based courses, high-quality videos, interactive simulations, and more. Some platforms also offer quizzes, discussion forums, and other features that can improve the learning experience. eLearning platforms are easy to use and can make it easy for non-developers to create interactive courses quickly and easily. Moreover, some venues offer a wide range of features, including analytics and reporting tools that can help you track your learners’ progress.

What features should my eLearning platform have?

• A wide range of templates and reusable elements.
• They have advanced editing tools like hotspots, text boxes, and buttons.
• An intuitive interface so that non-technical users can also use it easily.
• A built-in analytics tool to track learner data (like time on page or session duration).
• Support for multiple formats such as videos, images, audio files, etc., along with animations like scrolling text boxes or buttons that can be clicked on/off individually.
• An easy way to embed external content from third-party websites like YouTube videos or images in your course.
• Ability to add quizzes into your classes (with multiple choice questions, actual/false questions, etc.), which can be graded automatically by the system after the end user submits so that they know their score.
  

Conclusion

The right platform can make all the difference for an organization’s training initiatives. They allow real-time collaboration and interaction, significantly enhancing the user’s learning experience. Ideally, your online learning platform is easy to manage, flexible for growth, and effective at improving employee skills. Do some research before selecting an eLearning platform provider to be best able to consider these attributes and more to determine which platform is right for you. For more information about eLearning platforms, please visit our blog.

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