Blog Post

While the recent announcements of the end of the Melbourne and Sydney lockdowns are gratifying to read after a gruelling 24 months, one thing won’t change — remote and hybrid working arrangements have usurped pride of place in the corporate world. 

The move away from traditional office cultures brings with it a variety of changes for organisations, including the need to modernise your professional development practices. In-person conferences, live training seminars and full-day professional development courses can be safely considered outdated traditions. 

Not only will most of your workforce be absent from the office, the costs of these traditional training sessions will also be hard to justify when a much more cost-effective alternative is available: online learning.

Online learning isn’t just about cost-efficiency, however. In many ways, it’s actually superior to past training arrangements. Here are nine of the top benefits you can expect when using an online learning platform such as eLurn.  

1. You’ll save on training costs

Online learning represents a far more cost-friendly training base than traditional live training arrangements. Traditionally, you’ll have to fork out fees for travel costs, bookings, catering, and professional speaking fees — which are either eliminated completely or greatly reduced in online learning. 

You’ll also get to enjoy full value for every dollar. For live training sessions, if the workforce is large enough, absent and sick employees can’t be avoided. That means the expensive training costs are never actually covering the full employee base. With online learning, on the other hand, all your staff members have ongoing access to all relevant modules, meaning you’ll get what you pay for. 

2. You’ll accommodate flexible learning needs 

In today’s modern workforce, staff members no longer stick to a 9-to-5 schedule. They may need to juggle work with childcare and exercise, and it’s hard to find a work-life split when people are working in their bedrooms. 

That makes online learning platforms an important solution for today’s busy employee, who needs the flexibility to pursue training and development in their own time. Your team members will be able to visit and revisit our courses anytime and anywhere, as long as they have an internet connection. 

3. It gives ongoing access to all users 

Traditional live training sessions can be exciting, passionate events, but did you know that people forget 75% of what they learned within six days? It’s worryingly expensive if 75% of what you pay for is ineffective! 

eLurn, on the other hand, uses a subscription-based model to give end users ongoing access to the courses your organisation has signed up for. That helps staff members drastically improve learning retention, with experts recommending the scientifically supported ‘spaced repetition’ learning process to help people remember information. 

4. It’s easier to manage 

On the management side, online learning is far easier to navigate than the event management required for live training sessions. Live training sessions present multiple potential roadblocks: an organisation needs to juggle people’s schedules, find appropriate training times, manage breaks between sessions, and efficiently open and end the session. 

All of these concerns vanish when you have one reliable online platform to host all of your training needs. In fact, with our dedicated eLurn support team, your organisation doesn’t even need to worry about managing and troubleshooting the platform, which is all covered in the service offering. 

5. It scales with your organisation’s growth 

Online learning is far more flexible than traditional methods and scales with your organisation’s growth over time. eLurn, for example, provides over 150 modules, with no need to find classroom space or training time. Any additional staff members can be onboarded onto the same modules with no maximum limit, and our subscription-based model easily accounts for new users. 

Plus, as technology is constantly evolving, we constantly update eLurn to make sure it stays aligned with current trends. With the option to host your own customised courses, eLurn easily scales along with your organisation’s needs and follows modern technology trends. 

6. You’ll boost your compliance culture 

Remote onboarding is difficult, not just for new starters but also for your existing team members. Spare a thought for those employees who have still never met their colleagues yet! With team members never meeting face-to-face, one of the most difficult challenges posed by remote onboarding is how you ensure your workplace culture holds steady. 

Here at eLurn, we’ve decided to partner with the Bully Zero Australia Foundation to help solve this issue. We want to help ensure our clients can maintain their supportive and collaborative workplace cultures even through remote onboarding.

Bully Zero is the leading bully prevention organisation in the country. Their comprehensive Bully Zero Workplace Program can raise bullying awareness, minimise negative behaviour, and encourage individuals to step in when they see bullying in practice. 

7. You’ll enjoy improved cyber security awareness 

Cyber security is one of the most important topics today, with breaches costing Australian organisations an average of $3.35 million per attack. Plus, with modern workforces spread out in flexible working arrangements, there are more cyber threats than ever — 81% of organisations report being highly concerned about ransomware. That makes cyber security awareness training a top priority in the modern workplace. 

Here at eLurn, we’ve partnered with industry experts in the Australian cyber security scene to deliver a course with practical tips on how staff members can avoid being tricked by online scams and attacks. We help your team learn cyber security terminology, the modern cyber landscape, and actionable cyber tips and strategies for staying safe. 

8. You’ll get feedback, analytics and reports 

Depending on what online platform you choose, you could have access to invaluable feedback, analytics and reports. Part of the service offering for eLurn includes regular reports to see how your organisation’s staff members have taken up the courses available to them. 

That allows you to better manage the learning journey and engagement of your team. Our reports comprise user-friendly graphs that allow you to easily decipher information at a glance. 

You can also elect key stakeholders within your organisation to receive regular emails about course completion rates, both across your entire staff and at an individual level. You can choose to accompany these PDF reports with the raw course completion data and perform your own internal analysis. 

9. It reduces environmental impact  

Online learning is a far more environmentally friendly option than live training sessions, with an average of 90% less energy and 85% fewer CO2 emissions per student, according to a report by the Design Innovation Group in UK. 

Choosing to go with online learning therefore affects more than just your organisation. It also helps us do our part to create the sustainable, eco-friendly world that we want to live in. 

Why eLurn?  

In addition to the benefits mentioned above, eLurn is an online learning platform that provides several other advantages for staff members looking to improve their professional skillset for a modern workforce. 

We are one of the only online learning companies that draws heavily on the expertise of professional, registered teachers as the backbone to our teaching practices. eLurn was uniquely built with guidance from our team of registered teachers in collaboration with subject matter experts from the ICT industry. Our approach allows the platform to blend practical teaching knowledge with deep industry expertise. 

eLurn’s modules are designed to accommodate modern learning styles and trends, enabling users to learn with maximum efficiency and retention. Today’s generation of Millennials and Gen Z staff members learn efficiently in small, bite-sized modules and engage with video, graphics, online questions, and other interactive content found on eLurn. 

If you’re interested in learning more, contact our team today to discover how our platform can help address your learning needs. 

In a world still grappling with the aftershocks of the global pandemic, online training is the only option for most organisations. You can’t host full-day conferences or in-person training sessions, and it’s unlikely that workforces will ever return in their entirety to the office.  

The online learning industry has grown 900% since 2000  and predictions indicate that the global e-learning market will reach $631.57 billion (USD $457.8 billion) by 2026. With Millennials set to make up 75% of the workforce by 2025 and Generation Z employees beginning their careers, it’s safe to say the future of professional development lies firmly in the online learning space. 

An online learning management platform like eLurn is therefore fundamental to enable modern organisations to deliver professional development training. Staff can access the portal at any time and any place, making it suitable for modernised workforces where team members demand better work-life balance or may be dispersed across multiple time zones. 

What is eLurn? 

eLurn is a learning management platform that hosts over 150 modules on various topics including cyber security, compliance, onboarding, team culture, Microsoft Office, and many others. We’ve placed a premium on delivering high-quality professional content: all courses have been created by our eLurn team, consisting of registered secondary teachers, in collaboration with subject matter experts from the IT industry.

Drawing on our expert understanding of modern learning trends, we’ve built our modules with a view to make professional learning an efficient, effective, and enjoyable process for end users. Overall, eLurn is designed to handle the full training process — hosting, delivering, assessing, and tracking training progress — in a simplified, stress-free way. 

How does eLurn work? 

All eLurn modules combine instructional screen recordings, complete with annotations and explanations in clear, concise, non-technical language.  Course questions close each module to help reinforce important information and display the understanding gained from the material. 

eLurn is divided into two options — Tier 1 and Tier 2. The standard Tier 1 course library is designed for general staff members with limited technology expertise, with an introduction to Microsoft Office, Windows 10, and general operating systems. The advanced Tier 2 course library includes further information on cyber security, compliance, workplace health and safety, and advanced Microsoft Office functions. 

Organisations keen on advancing their professional training can also work with us to build out customised course content specific to their needs. This can include organisation-specific onboarding modules that improve onboarding efficiency for new starters, especially if they needed to be onboarded remotely. 

How can eLurn help my organisation? 

eLurn assists you in delivering your organisation’s training and professional development needs in a way that maximises organisational efficiency. It takes training online, making professional development business resilient and consistent in a world that is still adjusting to the aftershocks of COVID-19. 

Specifically, eLurn can help an organisation ease the onboarding process for new starters, improve staff usage of technology and products, and uplift staff understanding of modern cyber security concerns. Subscribing to eLurn gives you access to development analytics and reporting, a dedicated support team, and custom course content options to further help organisations with their training needs. 

Adopting a platform like eLurn helps both the organisation and staff members by empowering them to take charge of their professional development. Organisations no longer need to coordinate and book time for all staff members to undertake live training simultaneously. Instead, your team members will enjoy permanent access to frequently updated courses, where they are free to access any time, any place. 

Why eLurn? 

eLurn offers several major benefits to an organisation that can tip the scales when considering what kind of professional development you want to take. All modules within the platform have been designed by our eLurn experts, consisting of registered teachers.

We have also collaborated with industry-leading IT subject matter experts for the content of all courses. This collaboration means our courses cater for modern learning styles with up-to-the-minute course material to maximise learning outcomes for your staff. 

We’ve also partnered with Bully Zero Australia Foundation, the leading bully prevention organisation in the country. We deliver the comprehensive Bully Zero Workplace Program via eLurn to raise bullying awareness, minimise negative behaviour, and encourage individuals to step in when they see bullying in practice. 

To learn more about how eLurn can help take your organisation’s training to the next level and optimise it for the modern workforce, talk to our eLurn specialists today. 

While many schools have been tossing up the possibility of online learning for years, that process has been dramatically accelerated in the wake of COVID-19. Many Australian primary and secondary schools are now looking to upgrade traditional pedagogical approaches to ensure they stay on top of modern trends.

According to a 2021 Monash University study into perceptions on Australian schooling, 76.6% of schools are thinking about creating a more flexible, hybrid school delivery model that integrates online learning into the curriculum. However, only 35.9% believe fully online learning models are the future, with the majority of schools preferring hybrid options.

So what does online learning look like in the future for Australian schools?

The effectiveness of online learning during lockdowns

While remote learning was clearly a frightening prospect at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, general research shows that students were reasonably well-adjusted and satisfied with their experience. Some of the findings include:

• Secondary students adjusted better than primary students.
• Students in urban areas fared better than their rural counterparts.
• Most teachers worried about their students’ emotional development and wellbeing.

According to a national survey led by the Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE), 65% of secondary teachers claimed their students were performing up to expected standards, but only 47% of primary teachers said the same.

Overall, more than half of all primary and secondary teachers believed their students were well-prepared for remote learning at home, but there was a significant difference between urban and rural schools. 64% of secondary teachers at state and territory capital cities believed their students were well-prepared, while only 39% of teachers from rural areas agreed.

An Independent Schools Victoria report on remote learning during COVID-19 reported that students rated their experience a 6.6 out of 10 and were especially satisfied with school resources and support.

One of the biggest concerns raised by the MGSE report was student emotional wellbeing. 75% of teachers believing online learning negatively impacted student wellbeing. It’s essential to ensure online learning remains a classroom discussion with opportunities for student input and collaboration.

Unfortunately, students usually keep their cameras turned off, sometimes by necessity, which can become a significant barrier to the non-verbal communication that is often paramount to effective teaching and learning.

If implemented effectively, online learning can actually enhance the student learning experience. Students must show more initiative and take greater charge of their own learning, developing more confidence with not just technology but in life skills.

Online learning also offers greater opportunities for integrating technology to modernise the curriculum beyond the traditional whiteboard. The options are potentially limitless, but popular initiatives include online quizzes, video modules, and online platforms such as eLurn.

Online learning presents additional challenges

Unfortunately, while there were some positive results from the online learning period during COVID-19, there were also some worrying trends:

• Year 12 students were the cohort least satisfied with their experience.
• Student punctuality was a major issue at all year levels.
• Teacher stress levels and working hours increased dramatically.
• Some subjects such as PE are difficult to deliver online.

To start with, while there were positive trends across most student cohorts, that doesn’t hold true at the highest senior level.

According to the ISV report, Year 12 students were the least satisfied year level. While overall satisfaction for Years 5-11 ranked 6.6 out of 10, Year 12 students only rated their experience of remote learning a 5.4. Online learning offers little social development and wellbeing support for students, and Year 12 students preparing for their final exams found their needs were not met.

The MGSE report data also shows some worrying trends. Students were consistently returning their assignments late; a minuscule 2.4% of primary and secondary teachers reported their students always completed assigned work on time. Online class punctuality was also an issue, with only 15% of teachers claimed their students always attended online lessons on time.

Online learning also brings additional stress for staff members, with 68% of primary teachers and 75% of secondary teachers stating they worked more hours per week during the remote teaching period in 2020.

Most Australian teachers have learned about pedagogy that can be used face-to-face during their teaching degrees, and they needed to personally upskill last year to deliver online classes. The last year has demanded enormous discipline, self-learning, autonomy, and accountability from teachers.

While online learning can modernise the learning experience, it also puts more demands on the student to direct their own learning. A student needs to be on time for classes, complete their homework before the deadline, prepare for classes, and proactively eliminate distractions in their home learning environment.

This can be an enormous challenge to students in difficult home environments or who usually require additional assistance, with less forthcoming teacher support compared to the traditional classroom.

Finally, some subjects are historically difficult to deliver online, including physical education, science, arts, and other hands-on subjects. To ensure online learning is delivered with the same effectiveness and efficiency as traditional learning, staff need further professional development.

Technology can introduce better outcomes and efficiencies

Beyond educational outcomes, schools can work intelligently to leverage technology and integrate technology into the school curriculum for additional benefits:

• Online learning better prepares students for later life.
• Online parent-teacher interviews and assemblies are far more efficient.
• Online learning is far better for the environment.

Beyond the educational outcomes, remote learning can also bring long-term advantages for students because it helps prepare them for a modern world powered by technology. While the question of online learning is still being tossed up in the education sector, the practice is now quite established in the workforce.

Most companies now offer work from home policies, hybrid work models, or even fully remote practices. In addition, most higher education providers currently offer dual delivery or fully online learning. If schools follow suit and implement some level of online learning, they’ll better prepare their students at the primary and secondary levels for their future pursuits.

And remote learning can introduce significant operational efficiencies for the day-to-day running of school activities. One highly effective initiative implemented by schools we work with has been the introduction of online parent-teacher interviews and assemblies. Hosting these remotely streamlines the process and removes in-person logistical issues.

To deliver an effective assembly, for example, a school needs to wait for students from all classrooms, arrange all chairs and seating, accommodate guests and school visitors, ensure students are conveyed to their seats in an orderly manner, and solve any additional issues that crop up on the day. Hosting a remote assembly eliminates the time spent on all these concerns, providing significant time benefits.

Online learning can also benefit schools by providing an environmental benefit to the community. Through online modules, schools reduce their consumption of energy, gas, electricity, heating and air conditioning, and printer usage. Students’ parents or school buses also cut down on travel-based emissions.

These environmental benefits can be far more significant than generally estimated; research from the Open University in UK found that higher education online courses produced 87% less energy consumption than full-time, campus-based courses. This was based on a per-student, per-10 CAT points basis, with the UK using the Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) system to measure learning credits; one CAT point is equivalent to 10 hours of study.

The online learning possibilities for the future

Several possibilities have emerged for schools looking to implement online learning outcomes into their curriculums:

Home Learning Days

A Home Learning Day occurs when students have a day at home to direct their own learning with teachers not present, while staff members have a student-free day to work on their curriculum. Integrating Home Learning Days is a straightforward way to begin delivering online learning for students in a hybrid model.

Flipped Classrooms

In the flipped classroom, students learn the content in their own time and come to class to practice it. These classes are considered ‘flipped’ because the homework becomes in-class work while in-class work becomes homework, and students are provided with greater teacher support for the more complex skills of using and applying knowledge.

Online learning can greatly enhance the flipped learning classroom experience for students. Reading a textbook is usually less engaging than undertaking online videos or modules. Retention is also aided as online learning engages more senses, catering for a wider range of students, such as visual, verbal, and auditory learners.

Online Learning Platforms

Online learning platforms can host online courses, modules, and resources for both students and staff members. An online learning platform removes the logistical challenges of getting large groups of staff or students together to provide training and learning opportunities, which can now all happen online.

eLurn in particular contains a wide range of courses and modules designed by professionals with former teaching experience to support staff and students.

How does eLurn enable online learning for schools?

eLurn contains over 50 modules to upskill staff and students, with the ability to customise the platform with additional school-specific courses. All courses are designed by eLurn team members with former secondary teaching experience in conjunction with professional subject matter experts.

Our courses can help students better utilise the technology at their disposal for learning, helping them navigate online resources when researching. We also provide regular reports with data analytics presented in easily digestible summaries.

eLurn incorporates advanced technology, videography, design, and effects to enrich the learning experience. We also have a dedicated eLurn support team to support learning outcomes. If you’re interested in incorporating online and remote teaching to power the future of learning, talk to us to find out how we help.