Freedom to Fail
One of the key benefits and lesser talked about benefits to elearning is the fact that learners are able to engage in an environment free from judgement or self-doubt. As confident as we all claim to be, sometimes it’s difficult to raise your hand or try something brand new when you’re in front of others. eLearning gives the learner an environment where you have the freedom to fail and try new things. One of the primary ways people learn is when they make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. If you are in a learning environment that makes it uncomfortable for people to make mistakes, they will most likely shy away from trying.
The best real-life example is gamification. When someone plays a video game they regularly exhibit persistence, risk-taking, attention to detail and problem solving skills. In real life there will inevitably be failure, so when you’re tasked with learning something new why not experience different scenarios in a safe environment first where you can have as many do-overs as you like?
Of course you will eventually have to hit the real world, but elearning or gamification is a great way to prepare yourself for success.