Introduction to Learning and Development: A first dive for beginners

Learning vs. Development: Aren't They the Same Thing?

Let’s clear this up: learning and development may sound like twin siblings, but they’re a bit different. Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Learning is about acquiring new knowledge or skills. It’s a journey that might involve training sessions, online courses, or even just a really insightful article (like this one, right?). Think of it as the first step—a chance to grab some fresh knowledge and level up.
• Development is the big-picture journey. It’s about continuous growth and applying what’s learned to improve both professionally and personally. While learning might be a single step on the ladder, development is the whole ladder, helping people get closer to their ultimate goals.

So, in short: learning fills up the toolkit, and development is about putting those tools to work, over and over again.

What is E-Learning?

E-learning—the “e” stands for “electronic,” not “easy” (sorry!)—is a way to learn using digital resources. It could be an online course, video lesson, interactive tutorial, or even a gamified learning experience. With e-learning, people can learn anywhere and at their own pace, which is a big win for flexibility. We often call this "self-paced e-learning."

E-learning can vary from quick lessons to full-length courses that last weeks or even months. There are lots of advantages, but in practice, pure elearning isn’t always successful as it can be unmotivating and misses the human factor.

What is Training?

In the L&D world, training is a structured way to build skills and knowledge. It’s designed to help people perform tasks or fulfill responsibilities better and usually has specific objectives.

Classroom training (aka "live" or face-to-face training) has lots of  benefits – especially the human factors - but is expensive and you miss a lot of the benefits of online environments. Virtual training with Zoom or Teams is cheaper but misses a lot of the benefits of live training. Combinations of live and virtual (we call that hybrid) training, can help balance the costs and benefits.

What is Blended Training?

Now, we’re getting fancy. Blended training (or coaching) combines the best of both worlds: traditional, face-to-face training and e-learning or other online and offline methods. It’s like the coffee and cream of the training world—bringing together the strengths of both approaches to create a learning experience that’s flexible, dynamic, and effective.

In a blended training setup, learners might spend some time online, and then meet in person (or virtually) to apply what they’ve learned in group settings or hands-on activities. This allows for self-paced learning as well as interactive, guided practice.

Advantages of Blended training and coaching

Blended training is getting popular, and for good reasons. Here are a few of the biggest benefits:

1. Flexibility: People can complete parts of the training or coaching tracks at their own speed.. Then they come together for the “live” training portions, ready to collaborate and discuss what they’ve learned.
2. Better retention: Studies have shown that we learn best by doing and repeating over time. We call that ‘spacing’. With blended learning, trainees or coahcees can try things out in person, building on the theory they learned online. It’s a win-win for information retention.
3. Efficiency: Blended training is often more efficient. Imagine covering foundational knowledge through e-learning, then diving into application and practice in person. Time well spent!
4. Engagement: By using both digital and live elements, trainers can engage a broader range of learning styles. Visual learners, auditory learners, hands-on learners—there’s something for everyone.
5. Cost-Effective: Yes, blended training is be cost-effective! It reduces the need for all-day, in-person sessions (and the catering that often comes with them), and it often lowers travel costs, too.

All of this together means blended training can feel less like an obligation and more like an interactive experience. And who doesn’t want learning to be engaging instead of just “something to get through”?