Virtual Learning – Everything You Need to Know

Research shows that online corporate learning has numerous benefits – both tangible and intangible. Let’s start with those that have a direct impact on the bottom line. Show me the money.

1. Virtual training typically requires 40 to 60% less employee time than learning the same material in an instructor-led classroom. The most apparent time savings comes in the elimination of travel, but that’s not all. Because online learning can be delivered whenever an employee needs it, enhanced productivity is the result.
Source: Elearninglearning.com. (2014, May 20). Getting Buy-In for eLearning: A 3-Step Process. Retrieved from http://www.elearninglearning.com/brandon-hall/statistics/?open-article-id=2870317

2. In a survey conducted by Ambient Insight,  reported that virtual training has led to increased revenue. Knowledge is more than power: It’s also dollars and cents.
Source: AmbientInsight.com. (2013, December). The 2012-2017 Worldwide Mobile Learning Market. Retrieved from http://www.ambientinsight.com/Resources/Documents/Ambient-Insight-2012-2017-Worldwide-Mobile-Learning-Market-Executive-Overview.pdf

3. Companies that utilize cloud based training methods are able to provide more training opportunities – resulting in higher employee satisfaction and lower turnover. The outcome? Revenue generated per employee is 26% higher.
Source: Arth, B. (2011, September). The Business Impact of Next-Generation e-Learning, A Bersin & Associates Research Report. Retrieved fro
m https://www.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/products/adobeconnect/pdfs/elearning/092111-rr-nextgen-elearning-ba-ctcrevised-vendor.pdf   

4. According to a study conducted by IBM, every dollar invested in online training yields $30 in productivity. With virtual training software, employees are able to get back to work faster and put their new skills into practice right away – a big boost to the bottom line, especially where sales teams are concerned.
Source: IBM.com (2014, May). The Value of Training. Retrieved from https://www-304.ibm.com/services/learning/pdfs/IBMTraining-TheValueofTraining.pdf

5. Big Blue also reported having saved $200 million after switching to virtual training delivery – a 2/3 savings of their prior costs.
Source: Strother, J. (2002, A
pril). An Assessment of the Effectiveness of e-learning in Corporate Training Programs. Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/viewArticle/83/160Tauber

Now let’s move on to look at virtual training’s many intangibles. They still benefit the bottom line, of course, but not in such a measurable way.

6. When IBM succeeded in saving 2/3 of their training costs by moving to online training, did they suffer a corresponding loss in training effectiveness? Quite the contrary! In fact, they found that their training participants learned nearly five times more material in the same amount of time.
Source: Strother, J. (2002, April). An Assessment of the Effectiveness of e-learning in Corporate Training Programs. Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/viewArticle/83/160Tauber

7. Companies that utilize online learning technology achieve an 18% boost in employee engagement. Why does this matter? Studies have shown that organizations with actively engaged workforces have earnings per share growth rate 2.6 times greater than that of their peers.
Source: MollyFletcher.com (2013, April 26). 3 Reasons to Implement E-Learning in Your Organization. Retrieved from https://mollyfletcher.com/3-reasons-to-implement-e-learning-in-your-organization

8. According to a study conducted by The Research Institute of America, virtual training has the power to increase information retention rates by as much as 60% – up from an 8 to 10% retention rate for traditional corporate training methods.
Source: Pappas, C. (2013, December 1). Top 10 e-Learning Statistics for 2014 You Need To Know. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/top-10-e-learning-statistics-for-2014-you-need-to-know

9. 72% of organizations interviewed reported that cloud based training helps them stay on top of changes in their respective industries – thus increasing their competitive edge.
Source: CertifyMe.net (2013, March 5). Important eLearning Statistics for 2013. Retrieved from https://www.certifyme.net/osha-blog/elearning-statistics-2013

10. Last, but not least… A study by Britain’s Open University found that virtual training consumes an average of 90% less energy and produced 85% fewer CO2 emissions per student than traditional face-to-face training models. Definitely the greener way to go!

Source: Articulate.com. (2010, February 2). Why E-Learning is So Effective. Retrieved from http://blogs.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/why-e-learning-is-so-effective

Source for compiled statistics: SHIFT eLearning.com. (2016, April 7). Facts and Stats That Reveal The Power Of eLearning [Infographic]. Retrieved from http://info.shiftelearning.com/blog/bid/301248/15-Facts-and-Stats-That-Reveal-The-Power-Of-eLearning