What Are the Benefits of Offline Learning?

In today’s always-connected world, the requirement to access comprehensive learning resources without an Internet connection might sound unnecessary. But the need for high-quality offline learning can – and does – occur.

While 90% of companies offer digital learning¹, providing reliable access to offline learning for employees on the go is a challenge.

The ability to offer it, though, is incredibly useful when employees have point-of-need requirements. We also know how convenient offline learning can be for learners who find themselves with valuable spare time while they’re travelling.

This blog takes a look at a few scenarios in which offline learning capabilities can be of real benefit to learners and organisations, making training more accessible and increasing productivity.

1) How time-poor learners benefit from offline learning

We are undoubtedly busier than ever at work. In LinkedIn’s 2018 Workplace Learning Report, the number one challenge for talent development was getting learners to make time for learning.

However, people value learning and want to learn. In the report, 94% of employees said they would stay with a company longer if it invested in their career development².

It’s important to meet learners where they are and provide learning on the platforms they are most comfortable with. Three-quarters of learners use mobile devices for elearning3, accessing content as and when they have short amounts of time to do so.

This saves them from having to carve out time to take a course at their desk, which is increasingly difficult when their schedules are already so busy.

Delivering learning that fits into gaps in their working days is key to engagement and success. This is particularly true at times that might not traditionally be utilised, such as during a break between meetings.

Being able to access training in offline environments breaks down a potential barrier to learning. Keep your learning segments short (known as microlearning) to ensure your learners can access concise training material that works within their time constraints.

2) Making the most of the commute with offline learning

When considering how to provide content that fits into people’s schedules, we know there is an opportunity for offline learning when travelling for work.

Sitting on a bus, train or plane provides an ideal time to consume learning on mobile devices, like smartphones or tablets.

This is when learning technologies can allow you to help them learn as they go, on their chosen device, without using up their data.

3) Using offline learning in remote locations

People whose jobs involve travelling to different offices or working in different locations typically encounter unreliable or weak Internet connections.

In some cases, Wi-Fi coverage is intermittent or non-existent. Two good examples of this are learners working on construction sites and oil rigs.

Fortunately, learning technologies mean your employees can get the full learning experience even when they’re offline. Downloading content for later consumption also shouldn’t deprive your learners of all the multimedia elements and sleek design of your courses.

This ability to access offline learning means employees can still read a how-to or watch a video explaining a task without a connection. That prevents learners from having to wait to get back to their office or home before they can find the information they need.

4) Boosting sales pitches with offline learning

In pitch situations, employees frequently find themselves sitting in their car or waiting in a client’s office before their meetings begin.

When they can quickly refresh their knowledge or look up a key point about a product, it can reinforce their knowledge just when they need it.

In sectors such as the pharmaceutical industry, for example, the variety and mechanisms of products such as medical devices, diagnostic equipment and new drugs are increasingly complex.

When the details are available offline as well as on-demand, pharma professionals can better understand and explain how products work to people. In turn, this helps clients to become more informed and make better decisions about their care.

Using offline learning to your advantage

Your employees want to learn anytime, anywhere – so make sure the technology is there to support their needs.

At LEO Learning, we’ve helped many L&D teams to realise that offline learning is not only within their grasp, but also a vital way to connect with people and drive learning success.

Together with our sister company, the cloud-based authoring tool Gomo, we are experts in creating courses that allow learners to easily access courses when they are offline – an ideal way to future-proof your organisation’s learning.

<sup>1. LinkedIn (2018), ‘2018 Workplace Learning Report‘↩
2. LinkedIn (2018), ‘2018 Workplace Learning Report‘↩
3. Ambient Insight, ‘The 2014-2019 Worldwide Mobile Learning Market‘↩</sup>