Online learning (also known as electronic learning and e-learning) for business professionals meets the needs of a wide variety of learners, regardless of their location or schedule. Online classes can be adapted to multiple styles and disciplines, and nearly any topic can be adapted and taught via the Web.

The evolution of e-learning can be attributed to two major developments — less travel and more technology, explains Janet Clarey, a researcher with Brandon Hall Research, an independent firm. In her report, “E-Learning 101: An Introduction to E-Learning, Learning Tools, and Technology,” Clarey says that in the wake of 9/11, companies tightened travel budgets, heavily affecting corporate

education because workers weren’t flying around the country to further their professional skill sets.

Couple the reduction in travel with the ever-growing breadth and depth of technological training tools, and it’s easy to surmise how e-learning has become a mainstay in the corporate landscape. Cost, access and convenience — three characteristics of online learning and three variants that keep business chugging along.

In her research, Clarey outlines the general objectives of online learning:
• To provide remedial training or certification
• To support organizational initiatives
• To provide training for disparate personnel
• Coaching and mentoring
• Standardizing training and knowledge

According to Kathryn Hallenstein, director of instructional design for the Tax and Accounting business of Thomson Reuters, online courses can also be a great equalizer, providing a way for busy professionals to learn the basics, work as a team on a particular case study or even attend a webinar to explore a topic further. For tax and accounting professionals, online courses run the gamut of beginner’s topics to updates about regulatory information, standards, and policy changes.