New research by Echelon Learning, a consultancy-led learning publisher, has revealed that web-delivered learning is gaining in popularity and is now the second most popular way of acquiring both knowledge and skills.

More and more companies, from Burger King to homebuilder Masco Corporation, are requesting e-learning suites for their businesses including learning management systems, Web conferencing, virtual classrooms, and performance management. Companies see e-learning as yet another opportunity to increase business value through learning initiatives, and Web-based learning gives companies more flexibility in structuring learning programs around business needs and delivering learning through multiple channels.

The rapidly changing structure of the workplace, including globalization and the emergence of the remote office, is making Web-delivered learning essential to corporate training. The need to reduce costs and reach a geographically dispersed workforce can only be met through innovative educational environments, and companies are already implementing broad e-learning curricula ranging from ethics and Six Sigma, to human resources and computer training.

(May, 2004)