Choosing between an in-person training course and an online course involves weighing the various benefits unique to each format as well as your own preferred learning styles. Here are some of the advantages and possible reasons why an in-person training course may work well for you:
Some of The Benefits of an In-Person Training Course:
Immediate Feedback and Interaction:
Direct Access to Instructors: In-person courses allow for real-time questions and immediate clarification of doubts, which can be more challenging to achieve in online settings. Often, confusion or clarification can quickly and easily be resolved when connecting in a 1-on-1interaction.Interactive Learning: Face-to-face interaction facilitates dynamic discussions, instant feedback, and more personalized guidance, especially when learning in a 1-on-1 environment or within a small group.
Hands-On Experience:
Practical Application: Many in-person courses offer hands-on activities, lab work, or simulations that provide practical experience, which can be difficult to replicate in an online environment. These may often be quickly tailored to suit the immediate need at hand and, in so doing, often facilitate faster, more meaningful results.
Collaboration: Group work and collaborative projects are often easier and more effective in person, fostering teamwork and communication skills. Body language is more likely to be accurately interpreted when interacting in-person than via an online video meeting for example since the people involved are more likely to be aware of and effectively perceive how and when to adapt to the group’s requirements.
Networking Opportunities:
Peer Interaction: In-person courses provide opportunities to build relationships with peers, which can lead to further networking opportunities and future collaborations.
Professional Connections: Meeting industry professionals, guest speakers, and instructors face-to-face can be more impactful and memorable than virtual interactions. Why? Generally speaking humans are highly visual individuals and so images impact more deeply and thus remain much longer in our memories than most informational memories gleaned from our other senses.
Focused Learning Environment:
Minimized Distractions: A physical classroom or dedicated learning setting can reduce distractions common in home environments, helping participants to stay focused and engaged. There’s nothing worse than the phone ringing, a child crying or the dog barking to keep our minds wandering in an attempt to try resolve the distracting event.
Structured Schedule: In-person courses typically follow a set schedule, promoting discipline and time management. Good courses ensure that the duration of individual learning modules work to elicit the best retention from participants and so tend not to be so short as to lack content and not too long to tip participants over the edge beyond acceptable levels of concentration into boredom.
Enhanced Motivation and Accountability:
Peer Pressure: Being surrounded by peers who are also committed to the course can create a supportive environment that motivates participants to stay on track. Listening and even co-creating with others can also help deepen our understanding of the subject at hand and broaden the knowledge gained beyond the minimum remit of the course.
Instructor Presence: The physical presence of an instructor can enhance accountability, as participants may feel more compelled to prepare and actively join in. It is not uncommon for participants to want to make the most of the opportunity to spend time with their instructor and so commit whole-heartedly to participating, especially when time is limited and/or an in-depth learning and appreciation of the subject matter is required.
Access to Resources:
On-Site Facilities: Participants in in-person courses can benefit from the institution's environment and facilities, such as libraries, labs, and equipment.
Supplementary Materials: Often, in-person courses provide physical materials, textbooks, and other resources that enhance the learning experience. The need for and ability to provide these important supplementary materials immediately or within a short time delay often arises spontaneously from a group interaction or discussion.
Learning Style Accommodation:
Kinaesthetic Learning: Individuals who learn best through physical activities and hands-on experiences may find in-person courses more effective.
Immediate Adaptation: Instructors can adapt their teaching methods in real-time based on the participants' needs and responses. This works for both content and style.
Social and Emotional Benefits:
Sense of Community: Being part of a learning community can enhance the educational experience and provide emotional support. Memories of these physical interactions can not only stay with us for a long time but also grow to enhance our personal and working lives in rewarding ways for many years to come.
Engagement and Enthusiasm: The energy and enthusiasm of an in-person class can be contagious, creating a more stimulating and memorable learning environment.
While online courses offer flexibility, convenience, and access to a broader range of topics, the benefits of in-person training often lie in the rich, interactive, and immersive learning experience they provide.
When deciding what route you may prefer - in-person or online -, perhaps you could think back to a time or place when you enjoyed and benefitted from some of the best learning experiences you ever had. Consider the following for starters:
Were you alone or part of a group? Did you learn a lot during the experience, perhaps from quietly reading on your own or from an in-depth discussion with your peers? Do you prefer to attain your knowledge under your own steam and through using the tools that support you best according to how you feel at the time? Or do you like to receive your information from a professional and informed instructor with the possibility of discussing its direct applicability to you, your workplace and/or even personal life?
Taking the time to consider how you respond to the above will likely point the way to your preferred way of learning.
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