Despite the seeming popularity of e-learning, instructor-led training (ILT) or “classroom” training continues to be the favorite method of corporate L&D managers worldwide. According to a 2015 report, close to 46 percent of training hours were delivered exclusively through ILT programs.

There is a certain degree of skepticism about using technology for training. Many subject matter experts (SMEs) and functional training managers question its effectiveness. “Can you really expect a person to learn something important and/or complex sitting in front of the computer?” seems to be the question on their minds, even 25 years after e-learning made its appearance.

That said, there seems to be a very clear shift in corporate training that is slowly but inexorably obliterating the line demarcating ILT and e-learning. Some have stopped viewing ILT and e-learning in separate silos. Instead, they are using both methodologies seamlessly and quite adeptly. What e-learning evangelists were always shouting from rooftops is becoming more obvious: that ILT and e-learning are not mutually exclusive but complementary, offering a blended training solution that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Let’s see how.

1. Using E-Learning Before a Classroom Session:

E-learning is increasingly used to conduct pre-assessment quizzes so that classroom training can be customized and more aligned to the specific learning needs of trainees. It is also used to provide prerequisite training so that learners will come better prepared to the class. This preparation reduces the duration of the classroom training substantially.

This kind of blending is quite popular for soft skills training, such as selling, communication, teambuilding and leadership, where the prerequisite knowledge would be theoretical models, industry standards, processes, model case studies or even research studies. Having been thus equipped, the trainees hit the ground running in the classroom.

2. Using E-Learning in the Classroom:

Corporate organizations and institutes of higher learning, such as the Indian Business School, increasingly use web trips for additional information and resources; small, self-learning modules for practice sessions; and online polls in real time to improve involvement and interaction in smart, wired classrooms and training halls.

For example, a large petrochemical company in Saudi Arabia uses multimedia Flash pieces as teaching aids for technical trainees. Another company, a global packaging leader, uses e-learning tools like virtual polls to provide leadership training to young managers across the globe.

3. Using E-Learning After a Classroom Session:

Research demonstrates that learners are likely to forget about 70 percent of what is taught during training. However, if learners are helped to refresh their knowledge after a formal training program, they are likely to retain their learning for a longer period of time. Online learning modules can be effectively used for such reinforcement. While pre-classroom e-learning sets the stage for learning interaction, post-classroom e-learning can work as reinforcement of training.

A research report by Bersin affirms that employees today have less time to spare for training – just 1 percent of a typical workweek. Technology-enabled learning options such as bite-sized learning modules, video-based learning or mobile learning courses enable employees to update their knowledge or skills just in time. They don’t have to wait for a formal classroom training session but can access knowledge at the time of need. As a result, training can be an ongoing process rather than an event.

ILT and e-learning are merging into a seamless and potent force in the hands of today’s L&D professionals. This development may accelerate the adoption of e-learning by SMEs and functional training managers of sales, quality, EHS, legal and compliance professionals. Let’s join this movement and start using both ILT and e-learning together to reap rich dividends both for our organizations and for our learners.