Educating delegates on the benefits of e-learning will have the greatest impact on completion rates, according to new research.

The survey, from by e-learning company SkillGate, foundd that 40% of HR and training managers believe making staff fully aware of the advantages of online learning is the most important factor in improving completion rates. A further 23% felt that the number of people finishing courses would increase if delegates had greater support from senior personnel.

Only 13% felt more relevant course content would have the most positive impact, while a further 10% felt better course design was the key issue. Only 6% thought that better use of on-line graphics and web technology would improve completion rates.

In response to these findings, Ian Page, Director of SkillGate, said: "For a long time, the training industry has blamed poor content and unreliable technology for low
e-learning completion rates. However, our findings show this is not the case.

"Lack of knowledge and support mean delegates do not feel motivated to complete the e-learning offered to them. In fact, many respondents felt that persuading people to start online courses was often even harder than ensuring they finished the training."

Results from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) 2005 Training and Development survey support SkillGate's findings. This research showed that 86% think e-learning demands a fresh attitude from trainees.

"If people don't understand e-learning and feel unsupported in their endeavours, then how can we expect them to complete online courses? In order to combat this issue, managers need to fully understand this training method and educate staff to its advantages. These include increased flexibility and the ability to rapidly complete essential learning, such as compliancy updates," added Ian.