eLearning did not spell the end of the traditional Instructor-led or classroom-based training as many might have thought a few years ago. In fact each mode has its place in training today and often the best result is obtained by using a mix. Generally, there are three aspects that should be considered in deciding when to choose online self-paced training over the traditional classroom style. Firstly, the personality type of the learners or the culture of the organisation, secondly, the type of material being trained, and finally, the business case.
Lets first look at cultural aspects:
Where is the motivation?
We all know and understand classroom training, as that was the basis of our school education. We grew up with it and therefore we feel comfortable with it. The advantages were that, for the most part, those who started the class were there at the end. As you need to be in the classroom at a particular time, with someone checking that you are there, classroom training has an inbuilt motivator. Self-paced online learning is, as the name suggests, driven by the learner, which means that there is a large degree of self-motivation required. From an organisational perspective, a motivator needs to be in place. This can be as simple as requiring the training to be completed by a specified event.