There’s a perception – and stigma – out there that virtual trainings are inferior to Face-to-Face (F2F) trainings.
But why is F2F favored by many individuals over virtual?
Well, there are the obvious benefits of Face-to-Face trainings. Learners react to emotional cues defined by visual communication. They can also directly interact with fellow participants. When you have to present ideas or thoughts, your interactions tend to be richer in-person. Virtual training can feel like it lacks the immediacy of personal interactions, and so it has been deemed second-rate to its in-person counterpart.
That said, there are some drawbacks to in-person training. The classroom setting limits the frequency of participation. When you get down to it, you can’t have five people answer an instructor’s question at once! That would be pandemonium. Even a diligent teacher can become a bottleneck when trying to hear everyone’s opinion. As a result of this limitation, fewer participants interact in the conversations.
Should we be so hasty, then, to assume that virtual training is the red-headed step-child to Face-to-Face?
What are the benefits of virtual training?
There is plenty of research to suggest that virtual trainings can significantly benefit your participants. According to Shift Learning, e-learners have a 60% faster learning curve than do their instructor-led counterparts. The Research Institute of American found that retention rates can increase 25-60% through eLearning.
The benefits of virtual training stem from its more open construction. Contrasted with the talking-head lecturer of the in-person setting, virtual trainings encourage an open forum feeling. Multiple respondents can address an instructor’s question without any harm to the overall training. Thus, virtual training can encourage the engagement you want from online classrooms.
Furthermore, virtual trainings represent the most convenient way to bring knowledge and education to your remote workers. They’ll be pleased not to have to commute, and you can feel confident they will get the information they need.
Harnessing those Benefits
Is it possible to bridge this gap with virtual training? We believe so.
In fact, we feel 100% confident a virtual training can be just as effective! If you’re ready for your virtual training to be on par with your F-2-F sessions, download MeetingOne eBook, “5 Ways to Make Virtual Training as Effective as Face-to-Face.”
If you’re looking for an expanded conversation on this topic, check out the MeetingOne webinar recording with the same title, “5 Ways to Make Virtual Training as Effective as Face-to-Face“. We delve deeper into the benefits of virtual training, and how you can make the most out of your online sessions.
