Affordable computers, faster Broadband connectivity, and rich educational content has made it possible for ICT to revolutionise education. These advances allow training providers to improve the delivery of their content, and there’s a fundamental need for this change.

The current educational paradigm sees students paying large sums of money for courses that take several years to complete. Graduates are left with considerable amounts of debt and the rising costs make it even more difficult for mature students to return to education. Return on investment with regard to tuition fees is a key consideration for many learners entering any type of training programme, and the current model is not always providing value for money.

Education-as-a-Service (EaaS) affords students the opportunity to gain accreditation by choosing modules that are relevant to their career goals and only paying for what they need. NMC’s 2016 Horizon Report for Higher Education suggests that many educational institutions will make the transition from simply selling courses to providing educational content ‘on-demand’ within the next couple of years.

So what are the benefits of EaaS?

Learners pay for the education they want/need

Degrees and training courses can be costly and often require the students to follow a dictated set of modules. EaaS gives students the option to pick and choose the modules they want to purchase according to their needs. The training structure is tailored to the student, by the student, and their time and money are not wasted on irrelevant learning.

At 100% Effective, our Training Bank is designed with this in mind. It allows you to decide what your time and money is spent on. By pre-purchasing training credit to use throughout the year, students can select from unlimited course options to suit their needs and budget.

It advocates flexible learning

The flexibility of EaaS allows students to learn at a time, place, and pace that they choose. This method of learning often goes hand-in-hand with blended learning, as both models give the student control and responsibility of their own learning.

It is learner-centric

Traditional education sees the teacher making all decisions regarding curriculum. They impose the place, time and pace of content delivery. This old-fashioned approach forces students to take a passive role in their education. In contrast, learner-centric courses encourage students to be active in designing and executing their own educational journey.

This manner of learning is supported by constructivist theory – the idea that humans generate knowledge and meaning from interactions between their experiences and ideas. This theory is key to corporate learning practices and is commonly used to inform adult educational programmes. By getting students to use previous experiences and existing knowledge in their learning, a deeper understanding of the content can be achieved.
Although our 100% Effective course content is derived from the knowledge and experiences of our Master Black Belts, students are encouraged to relate lessons to their own context. This is achieved through activities and exercises, and is integral in both our online and classroom courses.

It encourages agile content development by course designers

Almost continuous access to the Internet and the popularity of social media has taught many of us to expect dynamic content – content that is constantly being changed or updated, based on new information as it is made available. As such, developing content for an online or blended learning platform requires new ideas and the continual update of learning materials.

Learning experiences must be kept up to date with content curated from recent and relevant headlines, so that examples can be put into context for the learner. We have designed all our online training materials in a way that enables us to update the content with ease. In doing so, we can always provide our learners with the most current and relevant information to get the most from their studies.

The focus is on learners as customers

This is a somewhat controversial suggestion in some academic circles, but education today is considered a product. Online courses can no longer be developed in the same way they have been for decades. If a learner sees no relevance to their individual needs in a course they have paid for, they will be dissatisfied with the RoI.

By viewing the student as a customer, we have created a learning service that offers high-quality service, focusing on the individual learner and their needs, from day one. Alongside our excellent learning materials, expert tuition, and superb technical support, we ensure that all customers receive value for money and an enriched, ongoing learning experience.

If you want to learn more about our online courses, bespoke eLearning services, or want to discuss the benefits of the Training Bank for your company, get in touch on 0800 066 3749.