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Virtual Vs Traditional learning
Is Virtual Learning really AS GOOD?
The Covid19 pandemic kind of feels like…ancient history, in some ways – a strange, timeless period that consumed everything we knew, and changed the way everything was done…
Still; in so many ways, life has returned to ‘normal’ for most people, and most workplaces, since 2020. The lockdowns of that strange summer – a summer so bright and filled with sunshine, despite the fear and uncertainty we were facing, saw so many people, in so many industries, scrambling to keep their businesses functioning. Still working, but in new ways, with millions of people around the world completing their usual workload from rapidly created home offices, where virtual meetings replaced the familiar face-to-face.
It might feel like a long time ago but, since the overnight changes so many of us had to cobble together, some of those changes have stuck with a lot of organisations. Remote working, more flexible working hours, with those once noisy offices sitting empty as so many people opted to continue working virtually. Having proved that they could work just as well (if not better) a lot of teams realised that there are just so many benefits to flexible or remote working, and virtual communications, over going back to the office!
(We’ve written a lot of articles about the benefits of flexible working, virtual learning and how to lead a remote team effectively – browse some of them below!)
Leadership in a Changing World
Leadership Beyond the Pandemic
Coaching for Remote Teams
Like so many others, the way we worked had to change – and quickly. We had clients all over the world who were keen to keep up their momentum, and we had to lead our programmes remotely, without dropping the standard of delivery we take such pride in.
The ASK team jumped into action, adapting the activities and practical aspects of our L&D programmes, and supporting our clients as closely as we could, virtually rather than in-person, as we’d originally planned.
Since then, and since people were allowed to go back to the office, we have kept that flexible approach to work – some of our team are always in the office, some always remote – and most working effectively doing a bit of both, depending on what they are doing day to day. Our clients needs are just as varied – some want a traditional classroom environment for their learning, others opt for entirely virtual training – and many blend both, to support as many learners as possible in the way they learn best.
Which is the best choice for you?
No matter what industry you’re in you’ll know that some Leaders and Managers are traditional, and like ‘the way things have always been done’ – whilst some are keen to jump into trying new things, embracing change even if their team isn’t quite as ready. For those in the first camp, the belief that virtual training is ‘second best’ – a back-up plan which is ‘better than nothing’, but a poor alternative to in-person activities – is often used to explain why they want traditional classroom learning for their L&D programmes…but are they right?
No!
Obviously, as L&D providers who offer virtual learning, we’re going to say that – so let’s back that statement up with some evidence!
Way back in 2020 we were the first UK Leadership and Management training provider to take proactive steps when the pandemic began. Even before the first Lockdown was announced we had thrown our whole team behind the changes we needed to make, rewriting and planning all of the programmes we had coming up, so that every single module, in every single programme, could be delivered just as well via virtual learning as it does in person.
It was a huge undertaking – but we knew that it was vitally important, not only so that we could continue to support our clients, delivering the learning programmes they’d invested in, and the change and development they promised, but so that we – and they – could maintain some kind of ‘normal’ for their own people, even in the most pressing of circumstances.
At ASK we are always incredibly proud of the standard of work we deliver, and the impact our programmes have on the Leaders, teams and people we support. Whether it’s virtually or face to face, we are industry leading experts in this arena. As experts, we would like to put the enduring belief that virtual learning is somehow ‘second best’ to bed – and to clear up some of the misconceptions you or your Leaders and Managers might still have about the whole thing!
We have seen first-hand that for many businesses, virtual learning is a far more impactful and successful process than in-person learning ever was for the people in their teams, both in terms of long-term results and as an investment of your time and budget.
The mistake a lot of providers made was in how they switched to virtual delivery. We knew that running any programme virtually wouldn’t work if we just kept the same materials as the in-person learning and just…presented them on a video call. To successfully implement virtual learning – learning that delivered the same standard we take pride in, and gave our clients the lasting, significant change they were seeking, we needed to re-design every module specifically for this new environment.
Our own experience echoes hundreds of industry reports from Google, MIT, IBM and the National Science Foundation, who have carried out countless studies on virtual learning over the past two decades, as the L&D industry globally saw such a significant growth in virtual learning, working and communications.
Despite the concerns so many Leaders voice, research proves that virtual learning isn't only AS GOOD as in-person programmes...in many cases, it's actually BETTER.
Virtual is...better?
In the International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, a paper by David Pritchard, MIT’s Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics, along with three other researchers at MIT and one each from Harvard University and China’s Tsinghua University, research was done into claims by high-level educators that virtual learning could never deliver the same standard of learning, or any significant outcomes for the learners. After thorough before-and-after testing of students taking the MITxphysics class 8.MReVx (Mechanics Review) online, and similar testing of those taking the same class in its traditional form, Pritchard and his team found the opposite was, in fact, true: the study showed that “the amount learned is somewhat greater than in the traditional lecture-based course”
What do our Virtual Programmes look like?
Whether we are designing a programme for in-person, traditional classroom environments or for virtual learning, for an individual or for a vast, global team, the standard of our work remains the same. No matter what the programme we also tailor the specific learning outcomes to your needs. Every programme is bespoke, built around the goals of your organisation, and the individual learning and type of learning that best suits your needs.
Saying that, there are consistent factors across every programme we offer – no matter how you choose to engage with your learning:
- We create a rich learning experience, with varied, experiential learning
- Peer engagement for your learners throughout the programme
- Our Facilitators don’t just present information at you: they interact with learners, on average, every 5-7 minutes to maintain engagement and understanding
- We set a clear purpose and learning objectives for each learner, and support their progress in each interaction
- Every programme delivers varied activities to suit different learning styles, avoiding the ‘zone out’ risks of repeating the same things the same way over and over!
- We pair engaging, impactful slides and presentation with detailed workbooks, personal stories, examples and activities to vary the learning and keep people engaged
- Learning is presented in various ways – combining video presentation with active tasks, one-to-ones and group interaction, giving guidance and support and encouraging peer support within the learners
- Activities always include practical applications, helping you to see how the new information and learning can be applied to your work, in your working environment
- Every single virtual programme has been specifically designed for virtual presentation, not just taking the in-person process and trying to make it work on a screen the way other L&D providers might have done!
Designing & delivering successful virtual learning
We’ve been in this industry for more than three decades – and have some of the most talented, experienced experts in the psychology of learning on our team. All of that expertise and knowledge is why we know that creating a learning programme which engages people is the only way to guarantee that the learning is successful.
Creating a rich learner experience is vital; it’s the only way to ensure that all your new information is retained, and that it’s put into practice in the workplace, beyond the training programme itself. Statistics show that over 80% of classroom learning is lost, which means that the majority of L&D programmes are, quite frankly, a waste of time and money! Whether it’s virtually or face-to-face, that statistic is why we do things so differently. Why the Transfer of your learning is our priority; we don’t just want to tell you this new information, to teach it and walk away – we are here to help you embed it. To change. To develop – individually and as a team, so that every person in your organisation can achieve their full potential.
Virtual training isn’t a new concept; there have been studies into the success of various models of distance learning, for many years, all of which show that active, personal learning – with live communication, interaction, engagement with peer learners and feedback, as well as independent study and application of learning – is not only as good as classroom learning, but in many ways better.
Engaging your learners
We know, from delivering virtual learning so successfully, for so many clients, that you see the most impact from pairing well-researched ‘best practice’ methods with a rich learning experience. Your facilitator will interact with learners regularly (every five to seven minutes is proven to be the most effective model) and will vary these interactions. There’s no ‘one size fits all’ way to learn, and that variety means we can avoid disengaging learners with repetitive patterns, and make absolutely sure that those who prefer different learning styles are supported just as well as their peers.
Every interaction is designed to have a clear purpose, and to link to the learning objectives of each session; every session begins by setting out the objectives for the day, and each activity refers back to these outcomes, to reinforce what is being learned.
Your learners need to know “what’s in it for them” to engage fully with the activities, so we make sure that each activity reinforces those objectives, and that every learner has one-to-one interactions with your Facilitator, to answer any questions, add more detail and personalise the learning, and keep your interest and enthusiasm for the process alive.
Research by Google, the National Science Foundation, MIT and IBM evidenced that participants learn five times more in online learning courses using multimedia content than in any traditional face to face courses. Our virtual learning programmes are, in many ways, similar to our classroom learning – with a mix of presentation, activities and personal learning.
Don’t lecture or monologue
In either environment, your programme leader doesn’t ‘lecture’ or simply speak at your learners – the information is presented in bite-size modules, and then discussed in more detail, with planned tasks for the learners. Every piece of new information is also covered in more detail in the accompanying workbooks, so that your learning is linked to hands-on activities, which help you to absorb information, add your own notes and comments, and understand how it applies to your real, lived experiences in the workplace.
Encouraging learners to practice what’s being learned adds multi-faceted input, building on the information with layers of understanding, with autonomous learning and peer interactions at multiple stages, breaking the learning down and presenting it in a range of ways, allowing for different types of learner to remain engaged and present.
This means that learners can practice what’s being learned, adds multi-faceted input and builds on the information with layers of understanding, with autonomous learning and peer interactions at multiple stages, to break down the learning and present it in a range of ways, allowing for different types of learner to remain engaged and present throughout.
Virtual learning is ‘the new normal’
The phrase ‘The New Normal’ may have been overused during the pandemic, but when we’re talking about virtual learning, this really is the new normal. So many businesses had such success with their move to virtual learning, seeing more impact, more change and better implementation of those changes from their teams, that they have no plans to return to formal classroom learning now.
Instead, they see that training their teams remotely is a viable, affordable option. Opting to run your programme virtually reduces costs for any travel, accommodation and training spaces, and means the number of learners is never limited by physical space. In fact, larger groups of learners can be trained simultaneously.
Your learners can also connect with one another to share ideas, thoughts and learning in a structured and positive way throughout and beyond the programme, with peer reviews and communication – adding significant value to the learning.
Learners being able to access their learning, communicate with their facilitator, and explore their learning materials flexibly, and to schedule their study around the requirements of their day-to-day work, helps them to engage more fully with the programme, and without the distraction or burden of having to be in a specific place at a specific time, with limited access to the learning. It also means that they can apply the learning immediately, with no ‘down time’ where what’s learned is forgotten or dismissed as somehow ‘separate’ to their actual work.
If you want to give your people the best chance to thrive, the benefits of L&D, the multi-faceted learning that can really develop their skills, and the future of your organisation, we can help.
For more information on any of our learning programmes – virtual or in person – call us on 01234 757575 or email hello@askeurope.com to request a brochure.
We led the move to delivering virtual learning for the UK leadership and management development industry, and our expert consultants will design a bespoke programme that will help your team to advance, no matter where they are based, and help you to achieve your organisation’s goals, reach your targets and surpass all of your expectations.