Sometimes, pairing two things together just makes them both better – peanut butter and chocolate, for example. When it comes to corporate training, you may find that a combination of training methods makes for the best solution. By incorporating blended learning into your training curriculum, you get the best of both worlds – high-tech delivery paired with face-to-face education to ensure the best outcome. Check out the results of a 2007 case study at an Intel manufacturing plant to see the difference a blended approach can make.
When choosing a classroom approach only, you’re required to dedicate a significant amount of time and resources to training employees. And, since most employees won’t want to come to class on the weekends, it means taking up precious work time to complete training. When Intel swapped a 12-day equipment training class to a five day in-class experience, plus three hours of web-based training, time away from the factory was slashed by 60 percent. Mixing online solutions into your traditional training methods mean less time learning and more time doing.
While it’s often difficult to quantify the ROI for a web-based learning experience, Intel completed an in-depth analysis of the benefits of blended learning solutions, finally arriving at 157 percent ROI for the new training format. The training module also resulted in a 50 percent reduction in training throughout time, further reserving resources and increasing ROI.
While your organization results may vary, it’s clear that a blended learning approach allows you to marry the efficiency of online solutions, leaving class time for vital skill-building activities and discussion. The result is employees who are engaged throughout the learning process and who spend less time in the classroom and more time applying their new skills. Like peanut butter and chocolate, web-based learning and classroom training can make for a delicious partnership.
