Organizations have paid close attention to the cost reductions associated with online learning and reduced travel. However, have you ever thought about the environmental energy savings and benefits? Probably not. You may be surprised, then, to discover that a recent study by Britain’s Open University found huge energy savings associated with e-learning! Let’s take a look at what they found.
Consider the energy consumption that occurs whenever employees travel to attend training sessions, seminars, conventions, and face-to-face meetings. Environmental impacts include fuel for transportation (plane, train, bus, car, taxi); electricity to light and heat (or cool) conference rooms, training facilities, and hotel rooms; electricity and water to launder sheets and towels; and gas and electricity for restaurants to cook meals. Imagine also the mounds of paper used for all the training manuals, brochures, business cards, and handouts that are distributed at these events. On top of it all, add in the rising costs of fuel and travel.
Now consider the many e-learning formats that provide energy-saving alternatives to traditional classes and meetings. Synchronous online classes and seminars, asynchronous e-courses, self-study programs, online collaboration (blogs and wikis), rapid e-learning, you name it. Here comes the good part!... Open University’s study found that producing and providing distance learning courses consumes an average of 90% less energy and produces 85% fewer CO2 emissions per student than conventional face-to-face courses. Wow! Double wow!
Now think of all the trees that are saved by e-learning. Using online content, PDF manuals, synchronous classrooms, and other web-based tools, acres and acres of forests can be saved. Factor in the resources required to manufacture paper, such as water, electricity, fuel, bleach, and other chemicals, and you can really see the environmental benefits of online learning.
Mobile (m-learning) provides distance learning via audio and video blogs, web-based conferencing, handheld devices, video phones, iPods, and MP3 players. As m-learning continues to grow, we will continue to see a reduction in energy consumption and an increase in technological changes enabling richer content over ever-smaller devices.
The Open University study also found that learning online transformed students’ attitudes about how they can learn and work without traveling. They began shopping more online, corresponding more via email, and doing more research on the internet.
I hope organizations begin to recognize the extremely important benefits to our environment – not just to a company’s bottom-line – that e-learning provides.
Mother Earth will surely thank us.
posted by Jenna Sweeney
Consider the energy consumption that occurs whenever employees travel to attend training sessions, seminars, conventions, and face-to-face meetings. Environmental impacts include fuel for transportation (plane, train, bus, car, taxi); electricity to light and heat (or cool) conference rooms, training facilities, and hotel rooms; electricity and water to launder sheets and towels; and gas and electricity for restaurants to cook meals. Imagine also the mounds of paper used for all the training manuals, brochures, business cards, and handouts that are distributed at these events. On top of it all, add in the rising costs of fuel and travel.
Now consider the many e-learning formats that provide energy-saving alternatives to traditional classes and meetings. Synchronous online classes and seminars, asynchronous e-courses, self-study programs, online collaboration (blogs and wikis), rapid e-learning, you name it. Here comes the good part!... Open University’s study found that producing and providing distance learning courses consumes an average of 90% less energy and produces 85% fewer CO2 emissions per student than conventional face-to-face courses. Wow! Double wow!
Now think of all the trees that are saved by e-learning. Using online content, PDF manuals, synchronous classrooms, and other web-based tools, acres and acres of forests can be saved. Factor in the resources required to manufacture paper, such as water, electricity, fuel, bleach, and other chemicals, and you can really see the environmental benefits of online learning. Mobile (m-learning) provides distance learning via audio and video blogs, web-based conferencing, handheld devices, video phones, iPods, and MP3 players. As m-learning continues to grow, we will continue to see a reduction in energy consumption and an increase in technological changes enabling richer content over ever-smaller devices.
The Open University study also found that learning online transformed students’ attitudes about how they can learn and work without traveling. They began shopping more online, corresponding more via email, and doing more research on the internet.
I hope organizations begin to recognize the extremely important benefits to our environment – not just to a company’s bottom-line – that e-learning provides.
Mother Earth will surely thank us.
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