Today’s post comes courtesy of Jo Eccersley, Account Manager for Hospitality at MindLeaders ThirdForce, who shares her experience as a classroom teacher and looks at where elearning can fit in.

I often encounter advocates of classroom training. I used to be one, in fact. Before moving into the corporate world and discovering elearning, I was an idealistic young high school art and design teacher. It’s safe to say that I won’t be going back any time soon.

I can still remember how I felt when I ventured into classroom teaching. I had high hopes of inspiring my students with the wonders of art and design, showing them how creative they could be if only they had the confidence to believe in themselves. The possibilities seemed endless.

But, as most people know, classrooms can be challenging. Kids don’t behave. They don’t concentrate. Heck, if they turn up at all you’re doing pretty well. Sometimes it seems like they’d rather be anywhere other than your lovingly decorated classroom. So why limit study and training to the classroom? I’ve seen how elearning has a role to play.

All teachers want projects to be delivered consistently so that every student feels satisfied and meets the same objectives. This means that they face a huge challenge in managing students who work at different paces, have different levels of intelligence and vary in how they apply themselves. eLearning allows students to study at their own speed, at their own level, and on their own terms. The delivery is consistent. Objectives are met and no-one is left behind.

Whilst classroom training can be fun and informative, it is also a fragile environment. One disruption can set a lesson careering off course, and this doesn’t just apply to kids! Put a group of adults in a classroom situation and watch them revert back to their younger days and all the associated behaviours. eLearning elicits different responses. Those who struggle with authority and can’t concentrate for long periods in the classroom begin, at last, to interact with learning.

At the other end of the spectrum, those students who are too shy to raise a hand can engage with elearning, and anxious learners can rest safe in the knowledge they won’t be singled out for asking a supposedly silly question.

Don’t let flirting, chatting, texting, texting and texting get in the way of learning outcomes. Consider elearning as another tool at your disposal.