Here’s Why People Complain About E‑Learning & How to Fix It

Some feedback that surprised me…

I’m a big fan of e‑learning! I’ve been in the industry for almost 30 years and I think it’s a great way to learn. I also think it’s a great way to keep people engaged in their work.

I recently had the chance to ask a group of people about their training experiences and I was surprised by how negative much of their feedback was. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not surprised that there are problems with many training courses. I’m just surprised that so many people have such negative things to say about them.

The top complaints about e-learning

People complain about the courses they’re taking, the quality of the courses, and the fact that they’re often forced to take courses they don’t want to take.

I understand where this negativity comes from. Most people only take courses because they have to, not because they want to. And let’s be honest, a lot of courses are pretty meaningless. They’re boring, uninteresting, and poorly designed. But I think there’s a way to change this.

A few simple changes that fix common problems with e-learning

I think we can make e‑learning more valuable for learners by making a few simple changes.

• Make sure the courses we’re creating are actually worth taking. They should be interesting, engaging, and relevant. You’re asking a person to commit their time to the course, we should respect that.
• Learners need a reason to take the course. We need to tap into what motivates them and give them a motivation to learn.
• The courses should be an actual learning experience and not just content. It’s content with context. They should be interactive and engaging, not just a glorified brochure.

If we can make these changes, I think we can make e-learning more valuable for learners. And that’s something we should all be striving for.