The Multidimensional Approaches of Sustainability in E-Learning

A great deal of sustainability lies behind the new interactive tools

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To tie our previous two blogs together, here we dive deeper into the specifics of sustainability of e-learning.

A healthier planet and a safer environment are not enough when talking about sustainability. There is a need to acknowledge other relevant components that cannot be ignored if we want to understand the bigger picture of a successful sustainable business model. The following facets of sustainability should be considered as we approach the new generation of work environment, supported by more flexibility and higher efficiency of both the training and the working systems: 

• Human and social sustainability – all individuals should feel safe, protected, included and respected at the workplace, not only for their knowledge and the way they directly contribute to the organisation, but also for their soft skills, value and energy that they add to the overall business and working climate. The working environment, along with the systems and training tools used by the corporation should be able to promote equity, integration, diversity of capabilities, talents, and social skills, together with an improvement of life quality. In all honesty, life is too short for boring or irrelevant training. Therefore, optimising these by including the most relevant content for each business area, that is also engaging for the participant, makes a whole deal of difference and maximises everybody’s precious time.

• Technical sustainability – the employees should be given the opportunity to use company resources that are up to date and that keep pace with the modern world, encouraging them to cope with the constant evolution of technology and systems. This will make it easier to adapt seamlessly to organisational changes and to a faster pace of life.

Mountains of paper, shredders and many extra hours put into getting rid of physical documentation is an inefficient use of human resources when we have sustainability and added value in mind. Eliminating all those obsolete systems by adopting paperless and digital training systems, will save the organisation time, money and accidents at the workplace, not to mention that it will contribute to fuelling productivity, talent and that needed feeling of reward amongst the employees. E-learning goes beyond text, saving those tons of trees from being cut down, and transforming the unengaging traditional information into fun visuals and interactions, through which we can test our skills on actual problems.

• Environmental sustainability – developing new technologies and systems should never go against protecting nature. Everything that is being technologically developed should always be checked for natural compatibility and by no means should put the environment in danger. If it is possible to contribute to a healthier environment by travelling less and emitting less CO2, through the adoption of an edtech system, this will make a positive environmental impact long term. At the end of the day, every positive gesture for our planet matters - our actions today make a big difference tomorrow and a huge difference the day after tomorrow.

• Mental sustainability – the employees should feel safe in the workplace, not only from a physical perspective, but also from a psychological one. But that is not everything within the mental sustainability concept. The feeling that only certain employees are handpicked for training, on account of budget, might be an important factor that drives exclusion and inequality. This impacts morale and is also a factor in talent fleeing, which is hardly ever considered. When it comes to e-learning or game-based training, the employees can feel safe that the training is tailored to their expertise, time, qualifications, and capacities, knowing that they are included for upskilling, and are being considered valuable assets to the organisation. At Apprend.ly that’s how we envision sustainability: through safety and inclusion at work.

• Economic sustainability – when implementing digital tools for learning into the business environment (not only LMS, but all of them), another aspect comes into play, that is related to budget and financial resources. Every employer starts with this simple question in mind: “How much will it cost the organisation to implement them?” These systems have proven to save resources for the business, as they can constantly be adjusted to different courses and activities without additional costs, while being able to encompass a wide and growing audience. The more skilled and trained the employees are, the more the organisation pivots toward success. It is proven that with the right tools and training, employees develop a more flexible attitude towards business, they are happier and ready to contribute to the organisation’s ROI.

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At the end of the day, cheap means expensive when we think about the traditional training methods. Long term adopting a system that lasts and that can constantly be updated with the latest resources in terms of safety, ethics, and market trends, means embracing a resource efficient approach. Nowadays, sustainable means built to last and fit for the future, where endless updates can be applied without extra costs for the user. At Apprend.ly, sustainable means friction-free, accessible learning to all, centralised service and constant updates that don’t impact the organisation economically.

More detailed information about the various aspects of sustainability in e-learning are contemplated in this research led by the University of Hanoi, concluding that the courses which include e-learning or a blended learning system lead to promoting a sustainable environment. 

There are so many interconnected dimensions of “green” when we talk about e-learning, edtech or game-based learning, and considering all of them is necessary if we aim to promote a healthier and more sustainable organisation, where inclusion, brainpower, agility, and respect come together. When green and fun meet, you can be sure the smartest mix of intelligence and sustainability have joined hands into a more flexible and efficient future.

With e-learning, less unleashes more: efficiency, engagement, enjoyable experiences.

To try out these three concepts within your organisation and benefit from a more sustainable training, book a demo with us. Fun is guaranteed!