Contact or Non-Contact, weighing your options.

When looking a few years back, online training and learning were not things many people participated in or were as easily available as it is now as it was an option frowned upon by many. However, in recent times and with the evolution of technology, things have picked up, and there are options now available to you when participating in various training modules or workshops. Of course, there are pros and cons to both face-to-face and online learning, but many people would argue that face-to-face learning and training is the better option, which is not always the case. Additionally, in line with the rise in technology, if you are looking to partake in an online course, there is a wide variety to suit every niche and market.

Considering the good and the bad.

Deciding which form of learning or training to do ultimately depends on you; if you are an employer and want to do some training for your employees, you would have to consider what would be the most beneficial and which option would allow for your employees to take away more in their training course. However, both options have their benefits; for example, if you have an in-person training course, you are able to fit more people into the same space and have everyone learn the content at the same pace; one of the downfalls of this is that every person does not understand at the same rate, so someone might be lagging behind but doesn't say anything out of fear of keeping everyone up. Whereas with an online training course, everyone can be given a due date and must have completed their training by this time, which allows everyone to go at their own pace, but many people don’t often take note of the content as they would a contact lesson, as they are able just to save the information and go through it properly when needed.

Knowing which option to choose

When considering the options, the content will be a good indicator of whether it will be suitable for online learning or if it is best suited for contact learning. If there are certain things that are better when shown practically, then a contact training course would be best suited, whereas if it is just a content course, it could be an online course which makes it much more convenient for everyone. One of the main benefits of contact learning is that there is social interaction amongst peers, which could help many people as peers often help one another understand better than when doing it yourself or with an instructor; however, with online training, you are able to do it in the comfort of your own home, at your own time. For example, when taking a Harvard online course, you are easily able to complete it online. Still, when doing something such as a driving course online, it is simply not wise as driving is a practical activity and is required to be taught face-to-face.

Hanging on the line

When considering your options, you need to make the best decision suited to you. For example, if you can learn on your own and meet strict deadlines, then you can do online learning or training, but if you need a formal learning setting while being surrounded by peers, then contact learning would be your best option. However, it is all about how you handle it and what you are capable of. Furthermore, assessing your employees' needs and capabilities would be beneficial before making a decision if you are an employer.