Why Don’t Online Courses Improve Workplace Performance?
Online courses and other forms of online learning have made professional development more accessible than ever. Employees can learn from almost anywhere, often at relatively low cost. But greater access to training does not necessarily lead to better workplace performance.
But completing a course and improving workplace performance are not the same thing.
A learner can watch every video, pass every quiz, download a certificate, and still return to work without making any meaningful change to how they perform.
The Problem Is Not Always the Learner
When training produces little workplace improvement, it is easy to assume that employees were not engaged or did not take the course seriously.
Sometimes the problem is the course itself.
Many online courses are designed primarily around content delivery. The provider decides what information learners should know, presents that information through videos or text, adds a short quiz and considers the learning complete.
Professional learning should go further.
A well-designed course should consider what the learner should be able to understand, apply or do differently after completing it.
Information Is Not Competence
Knowing something does not automatically mean that a person can use that knowledge effectively.
An employee might correctly answer questions on customer service principles but struggle to handle a difficult customer.
A manager might complete a leadership course but still be unable to give constructive feedback.
A digital marketer might understand the definition of conversion rate but not know how to use campaign data to improve results.
This is why professional learning needs clearly defined learning outcomes and suitable methods of assessment.
The assessment should measure the level of learning the course claims to provide.
Workplace Relevance Matters
Courses also become less effective when learners cannot see how the material connects with their actual responsibilities.
Examples, activities and assessments should reflect realistic professional situations wherever appropriate.
This does not mean every course must include complex simulations or practical examinations. The appropriate approach depends on the subject, purpose and level of the course.
It does mean that course design should move beyond the question:
“What information should we teach?”
and also ask:
“What should the learner be able to do with this information?”
A Certificate Should Represent Meaningful Learning
Certificates have value when they represent a genuine learning achievement.
Course completion alone tells us that someone reached the end of a programme. It does not necessarily tell us what the learner understands or can apply.
For professional learning to contribute to workplace improvement, there should be a clear relationship between:
Learning outcomes → Learning activities → Assessment → Professional application
When these elements are aligned, online learning has a much better chance of producing meaningful results beyond the course itself.
Quality Professional Learning Has a Purpose
The success of professional learning should not be measured only by enrolments, completion rates or certificates issued.
The more important question is:
Did the learning help the learner become more capable in the area the course was designed to develop?
That is the difference between delivering online content and designing professional learning.
At the International Professional Learning Standards Organisation (IPLSO), our standards focus on the quality, structure, assessment and professional relevance of learning. Because professional learning should represent more than course completion.
It should represent meaningful development.
What Should Quality Online Courses Include?
Effective online courses need more than useful information. Learning outcomes, course content, assessment methods and the intended level of competence should work together. They should also reflect the purpose of the course and, where appropriate, how learners are expected to apply their learning in professional settings.
Learn more about the standards IPLSO considers when evaluating professional learning in our [Accreditation Application].
Further Reading
To read more about the difference between course completion and competence, read our LinkedIn article: Course Completion Is Not the Same as Competence.