For many years, experts from the international company ROI Institute have been monitoring and comparing the relative effectiveness of full-time and online education. Results show online education programmes usually disintegrate at the level of applying knowledge to practice and contributing to business results. Here are some of the contributory factors.

Multitasking hinders learning

Multitasking reduces a participant's ability to learn. It is said a person can handle multiple tasks at once and still be able to absorb knowledge and information. But this is more myth than fact. Thanks to full-time education, multitasking is better controlled in many respects but, as we have all seen in virtual learning at conferences, meetings and online sessions, it is still very much on the daily agenda. The reality is that if learning is reduced, applications will also be reduced and so will impact. All of this will significantly reduce the return on investment.

Support from the top is usually missing

Participants usually leave their workplaces to attend instructor-led programmes for face-to-face training. Their managers know they are involved; in fact, the manager is likely to have been involved in deciding on participation. The manager creates expectations for the programme. The participant will be away from work, which will be felt by the organisation. Here it is in the manager's best interests to turn the learning into something of use and value for the department, which is why managers are often involved in setting goals before the programme and then actively addressing the subsequent follow-up.

In virtual learning, the manager is usually not involved. They frequently do not even know about a participant's involvement, or they have no such control anyway. This is because most virtual learning takes place during normal working hours in the participant's daily environment and the manager often does not even need to know about it. Without the manager's presence, the most important person who can influence the transfer of learning to employment is removed.

Success is based on learning, not impact

The creators of education systems design virtual programmes that provide learning. They believe their work is over when the participant has acquired knowledge or skills. However, managers who provide the programme budget want to see the links to business from participants who have actually benefitted from the learning. It is rare to find a virtual programme that actually monitors and evaluates impact. Very few virtual learning programmes have impact targets but, without them, some key stakeholders may not fully understand why the programme is being implemented. According to the conclusions of the ROI Institute, companies more closely monitor the return on full-time training than on online programmes.

The role of facilitator is usually missing

There can be a live or recorded facilitator - a programme administrator, host or coordinator. However, virtual education programmes lack the real power and influence of a great facilitator. Facilitators usually inspire, encourage and support participants to benefit from what they have learned. Sometimes a group of participants come together to bring the desired results. Designers of virtual training programmes must design the provision of teaching and its application and must also create a substitute for the influence of the personal facilitator.

How to support a positive return on investment in virtual education

Given the reasons for failure, here are six steps towards designing virtual learning that yields a positive ROI:

• Start with what is defined as a clear business need. Identify this need by asking questions, analysing data, and researching what happens when a programme is implemented.
• Ensure that learning is the right solution and virtual learning is the right solution for learning to improve business arrangements.
• Define the success of the programme at the impact level and set targets for each lower level (responses, learning, applications and impact). Provide these goals to all stakeholders to ensure they are designed for application and business impacts.
• Ensure that all stakeholders develop tools, templates and processes, and provide support and encouragement to make virtual learning a success.
• Try several virtual programmes to ensure you obtain results and measure impact.
• When impact data is collected. If a return on investment is required, the impact data is converted into money. Usually the organisation has, or is able to calculate, these transfers. It is just a matter of finding data or the right person who knows the values. These are the direct and indirect costs of the virtual training programme and the revenues, which are compared based on a formula for calculating the return on investment.

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