Reducing Costs with E-Learning
E-learning is electronic learning. It is learning carried out on any electronic device and often online. COVID-19 and the growth of technologies has meant that the e-learning industry is a massive growth industry. It is estimated to be worth US $315 billion currently, and to grow by a further 20% by 2028.
Many course providers offer courses solely as e-learners. Many traditional course providers, such as schools, colleges and universities now also offer some aspects of their learning via e-learning.
E-learning is a good way to cut costs for students and course providers.
Cutting Costs for Students
Face to face education is expensive. Students may have to pay for the course, but even if the course is free or fairly inexpensive, there are other costs.
- They may have to pay for the course itself. Traditional education at higher levels, such as university, can be costly for students.
- E-learning offers students a more cost-effective way of gaining an education without falling into debt.
- Many traditional courses require the student to purchase additional materials, such as books. With e-learning, additional course materials are often provided, for example, as eBooks. Or may be sold more cheaply than paper books.
- Traditional education requires travel. Lucky students may be able to walk to their place of study, but for many, they may have to pay for buses, fuel, train fares and so on. With online learning, the student doesn’t have to go anywhere, they can study where they want. So there are no travel costs.
- With traditional learning, the student will be required to attend lessons at a certain time in a certain place. This can mean that the person has to take time off work, or work reduced hours to allow the time to study in this way. With e-learning, the student can study when and where they want to. They don’t have to take time off to study, so they do not lose their wages and income. They can study around the requirements of their working life.
- If a parent wants to study at a traditional place of learning, they may need to pay for childcare, but with e-learning, they can, again, study when and where they want to. They can, therefore, study to fit in around their family life and responsibilities.
- If a student is ill or for some reason can’t study, they may find that they are not able to keep up with the course with face to face learning. They may end up having to redo the course, having to repay tuition fees, take more time off work etc. With online, self-paced learning, the student can still study if they feel up to it, as they can study at home. Or they can start studying again when they are ready. Again, saving costs with e-learning.
- Reduced subsistence costs. This might sound trivial, but if a student attends college for the day, they will most likely spend money on food and drinks. Take this over an academic year, and this can actually be quite costly. Studying at home can reduce the costs of this substantially or to zero.
E-learning can therefore be less costly to the student than traditional, face to face learning. This means that many students are more willing to study via e-learning than in the past, opening up a massive potential market to e-learning course providers.
E-learning does not just save money for the student though.
Cutting Costs for Course Providers
E-learning can also cut costs for course providers.
- E-learning reduces the costs of textbooks to the course provider as well. Some course providers may be required to provide textbooks as part of their courses. By offering ebooks, the course providers can reduce their costs.
- Course providers who provide e-learning do not need to provide a space for students to attend a lecture or study. This save a lot of money in terms of rent or mortgage of the building, insurance costs, cleaning costs, paying a tutor to be there, administrative staff costs, janitorial staff etc etc. Providing a face to face lecture can be costly. With e-learning, no physical space is required, which cuts costs substantially.
- Again, there are no travel costs. Some colleges will pay staff travel costs and time, so there is no need for this cost either.
- The costs of delivering the course are lower. Most e-learning courses are provided via an LMS (learning management system). This means that the course is added online by an administrator. The student can then work through the course at their own pace with reduced administration costs for the course provider.
- The learning provision is also more effective. The student can see exactly what they need to do and how they are progressing with the course. The tutor can see any questions they need to answer or assignments they need to mark. The administrator can see the progress of the student and oversee the whole course provision.
- Course delivery is faster. The administrator can enrol a student on a course fairly quickly and the course is there, ready and available for the student.
All of this means that the administrator and tutor spend less time on administration of the course, which, again, reduces costs.
- As well as cutting financial costs, e-learning also offers environmental savings. There are no or reduced travel costs, no printing, no course materials to provide, all of which are beneficial to the environment.
E-learning can save money for the student and the course provider. If you are an existing course provider looking for ways to reduce your costs, why not consider adding an e-learning provision to your existing provision, or expanding what you currently offer?
We offer over 700 courses and 150 plus eBooks.
These courses are in a diverse range of subjects – specialist and generalist topics, such as –
- Horticulture
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- Business
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- Creative writing
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- And much much more.
If you would like to offer a wider range of e-learning courses to your current stable of courses, or even start an e-learning business, come to us.
We have been distance learning providers since 1979 and fore-runners in e-learning.
We are experts and have a great deal to offer.