Training is crucial for skills development and the entire training process must be efficient to ensure knowledge is being gained in the process. Training is made up of an entire process that begins with the assessment of the existing skills level of the participant, hone their skills further, and impart useful knowledge to them in a structural manner. The process of training concludes with the final assessment of the participants to check the level of improvement as well as to understand the efficacy of the training program.

The advancement of technology has impacted the training process. Unlike earlier training methods, which primarily included classroom training, new methods driven by technological progress has led to several forms of online training methods.

Classroom Training

Classroom training involves face-to-face training, where a single trainer coaches several participants. The training is conducted in person and the trainer is able to gauge the participation level of the participants on the basis of their body language. The participants also get a chance to speak to the trainer in a personal manner.

Online Training

Online training can be in multiple forms. There can be one-way training through a webinar, where the trainer speaks with a large number of participants who are able to listen and watch the trainer, but the trainer is unable to see them. In another training format, the trainer imparts a two way training where the participants also actively participate. This can be single person training or training to an entire group.

Key Differences

In an online training program, if the trainer is imparting training to a single participant, the response of the participant is partially perceptible to the trainer. However, if there are a large number of participants, the trainer will not be able to exactly gauge the level of participation of the individual group members.

To the contrary, in classroom training, the trainer can not just clearly view the participants, but can also move amongst them, thereby ensuring that their participation level remains high. This is where a classroom training method beats online training.

Online training, however, offers more flexibility and is very cost effective. The trainer and the participants do not have to travel to the training destination and can interact with each other from any part of the world. Also, online training is more convenient in terms of time and resources.

The final decision for choosing a specific training method depends upon several factors such as the nature of the training and the types of participants. If the participants are professionals and are mature enough to understand the seriousness of the training program, online training is useful as the trainer does not have to constantly monitor their participation and interest levels.

If the training program involves participants who require constant monitoring, and the infrastructure is available, classroom training is a better option for such training programs.

It’s up to you to decide what option is best fit for your lifestyle.