eLearning
Also known as: E-learning, online training
eLearning is training delivered digitally, usually online, that people complete on a computer or phone instead of in a classroom. It ranges from a short module to a full course, and can be self-paced or scheduled. In a company, eLearning is delivered and tracked through an LMS, so a training team can reach everyone and see who has completed what.
What eLearning includes
eLearning covers any training people take digitally: online courses, videos, interactive modules, and assessments. Most workplace eLearning is self-paced, so people fit it around their work rather than attending at a set time.
It can stand on its own or be one part of a wider programme that also includes live sessions.
Why companies use eLearning
The main reasons are reach and consistency. eLearning delivers the same training to everyone, wherever they are, which is hard to do with classroom sessions across several sites or countries.
It also scales without adding cost for each new person, fits around shift work and busy schedules, and, when delivered through an LMS, records completion automatically so nothing has to be tracked by hand.
eLearning, classroom, and blended
Classroom training puts people in a room with a trainer. eLearning delivers the same content digitally and self-paced. Blended learning combines the two, using online delivery for knowledge and live time for practice.
None is always better. eLearning suits knowledge and scale, live sessions suit practice and discussion, and many teams mix them.
Read the blended learning definition
How eLearning is delivered and tracked
Companies deliver eLearning through an LMS, which hosts the courses, assigns them, reminds people, and records completion. Courses are usually packaged in a standard format like SCORM or xAPI so they run in any compatible system.
If your material already exists as documents, you do not have to build courses from scratch to make them trackable.
Convert a PDF into a trackable course
Frequently asked questions
What is eLearning?
Training delivered digitally, usually online, that people complete on a computer or phone instead of in a classroom. It can be a short module or a full course, and is usually self-paced.
Is eLearning the same as online training?
In everyday use, yes. Both mean training delivered digitally rather than in a classroom. eLearning is the more formal term.
What are examples of eLearning?
An online compliance course, a short training video with a quiz, an interactive onboarding module, or a self-paced product course, all completed digitally and tracked in an LMS.
What is the difference between eLearning and classroom training?
Classroom training is live and in person. eLearning is digital and usually self-paced, so people take it wherever and whenever suits, and completion is tracked automatically.
Do you need an LMS for eLearning?
For a few informal videos, no. To deliver eLearning to a workforce, assign it, remind people, and prove completion, an LMS is what makes it manageable.
What formats are used for eLearning?
Courses are commonly packaged as SCORM or xAPI, which are standards that let a course run in any compatible LMS and report completion and scores.