In the Rush to Add Online Training, Don’t Forget the Classroom
by Bob Shively, Enerdynamics President and Lead Facilitator
In the last few weeks, we’ve been writing blogs about a successful digital learning evolution for utility companies. But it is important to remember that online training isn’t always the best solution for every situation. The traditional world of classroom learning is still very much alive, mainly because the inherent benefits to classroom learning are hard to replicate in an online environment. Let’s look at what training needs are often best suited to classroom training. Energy Training Today will continue this discussion in the weeks to come by examining what makes for a successful classroom experience.
The following situations are often best addressed through classroom training or hybrid classroom/online learning:
- Hands-on: Some types of learning require hands-on experience. For example, working with equipment – can you imagine learning to climb a power pole or set a gas meter without actually working with the equipment?
- Peer-to-peer: Participants often can benefit from learning from each other. An example is business acumen training where employees learn how their business works. In this situation, there is no substitute for spending a couple of days in face-to-face discussions with individuals from across the various company departments. This also helps build relationships that can foster ongoing cross-functional learning after the course ends.
- Rapidly evolving: Topics that are rapidly evolving are more suited to the classroom simply because classroom training can be quickly and easily updated, and knowledgeable facilitators can incorporate current issues into classroom lessons and discussion.
- Higher-level topics with need for company specifics: Today’s learners are increasingly intolerant of spending time on topics that don’t apply to them. Learners want to grasp overall concepts, but they also want to know specifically how they apply to their company. For many topics, modifying online training is too costly, whereas a skilled facilitator can pinpoint company specifics and utilize them throughout the class as examples and discussion items.
- High levels of complexity and/or “fuzziness”: As the complexity of a topic increases, or if the topic is one with clear paths and answers, the need for conversation and deep experiential thinking increases the value of classroom experiences.
One reason classroom training has earned the reputation of being outdated is that too many presenters still cling to the front-of-the-room lecture format that commands passive listening. In our future Energy Training Today blogs, we will present ideas on how to transition classroom learning to experiences that leave learners energized and ready to apply what they have learned when they go back to work.
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