Training Course Delivery Options II: Online Training

Online training is a relatively new development in the training world. You may here it called a webinar, internet training, remote training etc. In general, attendees log into a website where the instructor shows PowerPoint slides and talks in real time. All you need is high speed internet access and a phone line to participate. The presenter and trainees speak to teach other using either a traditional telephone line or the internet. Depending on the platform the instructor can annotate and illustrate the slides, engage in chat sessions with students, and show other websites or applications to attendees. A web camera can be used to allow attendees to see each other, and allow the presenter to engage in “show and tell”. Students can chat with the instructor, each other, ask questions by “raising their hand” and so on. Online training courses are typically held in sessions of a few hours or less. It is not practical to do all day sessions like traditional training because it is uncomfortable for people to sit for many hours in front of their computers.

There are number of advantages of online training over traditional training methods, which is why it is an increasingly popular training delivery option. Online training is cheaper than in-person training because it eliminates travel costs. There is no need to transport the trainer to the class or the class to the trainer. Another advantage of online training is that it saves on travel time. The hours that would normally be spent travelling to a seminar can now be spent productively at work. Online training is also convenient, allowing people to participate in a training course from the comfort of their own office. Also, If you have employees scattered at multiple locations it is much easier and cheaper to gather them together in a virtual meeting room for a course rather than gathering them in an actual meeting room. Lastly, by spreading shorter sessions over multiple days, attendees have more opportunity to review what they have learned and do homework, much like a college lecture course.

However, online training has its drawbacks. My great frustration as an instructor of online training courses is the lack of human interaction. No matter how hard I try it seems people are less likely to ask questions and participate in discussions online than they are in person. With in-person training I can tell by an audience’s facial expressions and posture whether I am effectively lecturing or not. This type of feedback is not available with online training making it more difficult for me to customize the course to people’s needs. The lack of human interaction also prevents attendees from talking to me outside of class about specific questions and problems they have, which means a learning opportunity is missed. Another thing attendees miss with online training is interaction with classmates. My experience is that attendees at my training courses learn from me and from each other. So, with online training opportunities to learn from the instructor and classmates are limited compared to in-person training. It is possible then that attendees will learn less in an online setting than they would in person.

Ultimately, because of the cost advantages of online training I believe it will become increasingly popular compared to in-person training.