“…Has anyone actually taken an eLearning course and learned something?”

"...has anyone actually taken an eLearning course and learned something?" 💡

I saw that line in a recent post that seems to devalue eLearning in favor of experiential learning.

I can’t entirely disagree; I get where it’s coming from.

eLearning, especially when it’s just page-turners (you know: “click next”, “click next”, “click next…”) and a quiz, often misses the mark when it comes to real skills development.

But I don’t think that means we throw it all out.

I see eLearning as part of a larger ecosystem.

Not the answer. But definitely part of it.

Pilot training is an example I’ve used before.

If I’m a passenger on a commercial flight? I would hope my pilot has had immersive, hands-on practice with high-fidelity simulators and real-world hands-on practice before stepping in to the cockpit.

But earlier in their learning journey? There’s ground school. That’s where foundational knowledge like “rules of the road,” cockpit protocol, airport protocol, navigational systems, and so on get introduced.

For that part? I’d be perfectly comfortable knowing my pilot learned through a mix of classroom and eLearning.

When it’s well-designed and placed with intent as scaffolding for a larger program, eLearning can be an effective learning modality that supports skills mastery.

eLearning isn’t the whole answer.

But it’s not the villain, either.

Where do you see eLearning working best in the programs you’ve built or experienced?