Responding to these trends, Accipio eLearning - part of Accipio Consulting, the London-based organisational development specialist - has hosted a free event to share insights on how training companies can build an eLearning market presence. The event, which was held at the London Headrooms - a meeting space in Clerkenwell, London, which is officially described as "funky"- focused on why and how training companies need to supplement traditional face-to-face delivery methods to survive and gain competitive advantage.

Sascha Benson-Cooper, a director of Accipio Consulting, commented: "Although eLearning has been around for many years, it's not yet found mainstream acceptance - perhaps because of its cost, or because it's not been understood or even because people have been confident with more traditional forms of learning transfer. But research continues to show that blended learning is increasingly effective as a learning strategy.


Moreover, we're now seeing companies putting out tenders not just for learning programmes but for sustainable learning programmes - and that suggests that they need technology-enabled learning platforms. While, traditionally, learning management systems (LMSs) have been expensive, their costs are continuing to fall rapidly - making them affordable and usable."

In addition to Accipio's Andrew Hargreaves - who revealed insights into how training companies need to adapt for the digital world - the other speaker at the event was David Patterson, who is operations director of Learning Light, the Sheffield-based organisation which focuses on promoting the use of e-learning and learning technologies. His presentation - on "how learning and development attitudes are changing" - mentioned the preliminary results from Learning Light's recent survey of nearly 100 learning and development professionals.

"This research forms part of the extensive research which Learning Light has been carrying out into the learning technologies markets in the UK, Europe and, indeed, China," Patterson said. "Incidentally, the Chinese market for eLearning is currently seen as a major opportunity for Western companies involved in the development and distribution of eLearning content and systems."

"From our research, Learning Light has identified some trends that the eLearning market, both in the UK and globally - is experiencing," he explained. "Of course, the key to success - for eLearning developers and distributors - is to respond to those trends and harness them effectively."

Learning Light is expected to be publishing its research into eLearning in these markets - and its conclusions - before Christmas.

For over 20 years, Bob Little has specialised in writing about, and commentating on, corporate learning - especially elearning - and technology-related subjects. His work has been published in the UK, Continental Europe, the USA and Australia.
You can contact Bob.