CBT and WBT Advantages At Little Planet, we have found that there are times when live group learning is best for learning, and times when computer-based training works best. Often, CBT abd WBT work best when the student needs to learn procedural knowledge. When E-learning works best, it has the following advantages: Learning Comprehension Many people struggle to learn in a classroom setting. They become distracted easily. They don't understand concepts when they read about them or hear about them from an authority figure like a teacher. Or they get bored when other students don't understand what they already know. Many bright students struggle in classroom settings. They are experiential learners. If they are going to learn how to play baseball, they have to get into the batting cage. Classroom discussions on the theory of hitting a baseball don't help them learn. Good multimedia instruction is ideal for these students. They arrive in the classroom expecting to fail. Then, they put on their headphones and discover an entertaining world just like they are used to on television. They surprise themselves, because they are completely engaged in the learning process. They are even more amazed when they discover they can be successful learners. They are driving the process, and they feel like they are using their own intuitive street smarts to pick up the information. Consider the problem of teaching people how to find their destination in a car. If learners sit in the backseat, and the driver is constantly pointing out landmarks and offering helpful hints, there is a good chance they will become overwhelmed with information. They will become resentful, feeling helpless, totally at the mercy of the expert. They probably won't learn the route. But put them behind the wheel, and give them a tutor who answers the questions they ask, and they easily master the route. The computer places the learner in the position of the driver. These learners receive the information through experiences that are authentically engaging; they control when they want input and help; and they rapidly gain a sense of mastery and achievement. E-learning can give learners more freedom and empowerment. Learners advance at their own pace; they are not held back by others' abilities or pushed forward before they're ready. E-learning enables them to control the pace of the course, review information at will, and bypass non-applicable information. People who take charge of their own learning have the attitude and self-confidence to take initiative on the job as well. Because E-learning puts learners in the driver's seat, they become immersed in the authentic challenges that they are given to solve. The challenges they confront are the same ones that they will have in the real-world. Transferring the knowledge to real world settings and activating it there becomes much more successful. According to ASTD, typical retention from classroom sessions is 38 percent to 58 percent. Elearning boosts retention to a range of 65 percent to 84 percent. Learning Compression Many companies have found that their learners learn procedural tasks such as computer entry a lot faster with CBT than with classroom training. It is generally accepted that well-designed E-learning programs teach learners at least twice as much (better comprehension) in half the time (better compression). There are several reasons for the compression. The elegant toolset that custom E-learning employs streamlines communication. It is not unlike converting a book to a movie. The movie script has one-tenth of the words that the book has — the experience takes one tenth as long to process. The experiential nature of well-designed E-learning communicates volumes through lessons, scenarios, activities, simulations, assessments, and games. The approach allows much quicker transfer than a teacher can typically achieve through lecture With custom E-learning, compression is enhanced because learners go at their own speed. In classrooms, the teacher often travels at the pace of the slowest learners. Classrooms also offer unlimited potential for distraction. To keep learners engaged, teachers have to put up with lots of diversions. Students have a lifetime of experience in drawing teachers off track. CBT provides for learner engagement through entertainment that is folded into the lessons with remarkable efficiency. Trainers Go to a Higher Level Many traveling trainers are bored with teaching the same basic information over and over again. They never get to try their powerful interventions, because they have to make sure everyone knows the basic information before they move to more complex topics. Consider the problem of teaching a mechanic to fix an alternator. E-learning can do a good job teaching a mechanic the basics. He might learn how to troubleshoot electrical problems, how alternators fit into the overall electrical system, how to stay safe while fixing an alternator, how to fix a generic alternator, and how to read technical manuals and drawings. The mechanic gains perspective, confidence, and experience. When the time comes to fix a different alternator, he should be able to grab the applicable Chilton's Manual and go to work. But what happens when he is fixing an exotic Lamborghini alternator and there's no manual? He has to consult an expert. He needs a coach and a mentor to proceed. When companies use E-learning to teach the basics, people learn a common language and perspective. But when, for example, a tough problem arises between two people who have interpersonal difficulties, a coach is much more valuable than a computer to help resolve the impasse. Solving these kinds of problems and working personally with people are what coaches and trainers live for. Because E-learning has already given each participant a common framework, coaches and trainers have a head start for taking advantage of the teachable moment and, in the process, adding huge value to the organization. Trainers and coaches now get a chance to continue to grow personally, to stay engaged in the organization, and to model their commitment to lifelong learning in their own careers. Consistency When companies have to rely on classroom trainers, people get radically different information, depending on the personality of the trainers and the complexion of the people in the classes. According to Training magazine, E-learning courses have a 50 percent to 60 percent better consistency of learning than classroom-based courses. Customized E-learning reduces the variability of knowledge in an organization, creating higher quality output and more satisfied customers throughout the organization. E-learning allows organizations to simultaneously train thousands of employees in multiple regions worldwide — it's the gateway to creating a total learning community within an organization. Flexibility and Efficiency When there are large audiences that need to receive similar information, E-learning can be much more economical than leader-led training. Besides the shorter learning times, E-learning can be delivered anytime and anywhere. Nobody has to travel. No hotel rooms, no expense accounts, no meals. People can learn in their own downtimes, instead of when a class happens to be scheduled. The E-learning can be accessed in digestible 10-minute chunks instead of eating up entire days. This makes the training work both as an original training instrument and as an ongoing refresher/decision- support instrument. Learners are much less fatigued and overwhelmed. Learners can access the learning just-in-time when they need the information and are in a teachable moment. They use the information they learn right away, cycling between E-learning and OJT. This works much better than trying to pour massive amounts of information into people's heads at once. Because E-learning is accessed through a network, there is no need for costly duplication of workbooks, manuals, and other training materials. E-learning can be integrated with learning management systems to give organizations tools to evaluate the progress of individuals. Features such as pre- and post-assessments and a built-in learning management system enable companies to measure the ROI. Organizations can make changes in the course files and repost the revised course on their networks. No more expensive hardcopy redos. E-learning also makes it simple to customize content by "chunking" material (taking parts of different courses to create content for specific needs).