Virtual training was previously praised before the coronavirus for its scalability, affordability, and flexibility. More than ever, a company’s ability to survive the COVID-19 downturn and remain relevant or face irrelevance depends on becoming digital and doing it well. The good news is that you still have time to change the way you operate.
This article will discuss the advantages of virtual training for employees, how it can be utilised throughout your company for staff development, the best online corporate training programmes, and, of course, how to start developing content. Continue reading to learn how virtual training can help your business!
What Exactly Is Virtual Training?
In contrast to traditional face-to-face training, virtual training is learning that is given electronically, frequently on a computer, phone, or tablet in a simulated or “virtual” setting. The advantages of virtual training are covered below, but one key advantage is that it breaks down obstacles that could arise when learners and instructors are geographically apart. This instruction is frequently used in corporate learning solutions.
Although remote training is sometimes linked to virtual training, they don’t necessarily have to be combined. For obligatory compliance training, online employee training is frequently employed. Employees may complete this training in the workplace just like they would with regular instructor-led training. Here, the primary distinctions are using a computer and utilising online resources rather than learning directly from a lecturer. As we’ll see, virtual training can be delivered synchronously or asynchronously by trainers.
Synchronous Virtual Training for Employees
Synchronous training is the most similar to school instruction because it takes place in real-time. You receive instruction from a trainer on a predetermined day, time, and platform, and you attend just like you would a face-to-face class—you just learn on a tablet.
Synchronous training has both benefits and drawbacks. Live training often has a more engaging and enjoyable atmosphere than pre-recorded training since it allows for more audience participation, such as comments and Q&A. You are, however, more susceptible to elements like user timezones and technical problems.
Synchronous virtual training examples include:
- Streaming live webinars or other types of video
- Live chats that use video (or phone) conferencing
Asynchronous Virtual Training for Employees
Asynchronous training is determined by the schedules of the learners. In addition to assignments and the tried-and-true course exam, it includes video, as well as summary notes, presentations in PDF format, study aids, and other resources.
The advantages of asynchronous learning include flexibility with course schedules and improved support for various learning styles. Disadvantages include businesses attempting to “plug and play” face-to-face methods whenever they are needed.
The issue is that drop-off and disengagement occur far more quickly with on-demand training. Offering several short clips rather than a single, hour-long video is one approach to make up for it so viewers can watch (and stop watching) at their leisure.
Asynchronous virtual training examples include:
- Self-guided lessons and learning streams
- Libraries of virtual multimedia content
- Videos that are being streamed and other supporting materials
- Interaction with other students via forums and personal social networks.
Top 5 Advantages of Virtual Training
1. Convenience
For participants, ease and flexibility are essential, especially for asynchronous virtual training but also for synchronous training. For example, live virtual training can be attended from the comfort of your home. On the other end of the virtual spectrum, learning on-demand can be done while on the go, making it easier for people to fit it into their work and personal lives compared to face-to-face training, which has the disadvantage of requiring participants to be present at the same time and place.
2. Cost-Effectiveness
Costs for face-to-face and virtual training can easily be compared. When using a typical setting, you must consider your trainer’s travel and lodging needs, as well as catering, a potential location, materials, etc. The main expense in web-based training is the time of your trainer, which is a one-time expense for planning and developing scalable content. If an online learning platform isn’t already in place, hosting content is the biggest additional expense for virtual training.
3. Consistency
Face-to-face training has several amazing advantages, including the fact that no two training sessions are ever the same. However, the lack of standardisation can also be one of its main weaknesses. Through regular information delivery, virtual learning corrects this. While self-directed learner streams do have a place, as we’ll see, this consistency is essential for brand and company alignment as well as audience trust.
4. Personalisation
One of the fascinating aspects of virtual training for employees is its ability to be personalised. With the transition to adaptive corporate learning solutions, a model that meets the many educational needs of students, students now have the freedom and flexibility to select specific course modules as well as where, when, and how they learn. Better learner investment and engagement result from the training being seen as more personally relevant to goals for professional development and advancement.
5. Interactivity and Engagement
Gamification is becoming more prevalent in online learning, which helps both organisations and employees by increasing interactivity and engagement. Active learning increases content’s ‘stickiness’ and aids in memory, which can be in sharp contrast to lengthy presentation-based seminars where attendees can easily become disinterested.