Preference for training staff in new system - classroom or via virtual training sessi

[simplicity]

Has anyone done a mass roll-out using virtual training courses? I'm thinking of using this approach as the the organisation has not got sufficient training rooms to accommodate the number of staff.

It's for a CRM system training.

What do you think?

[TheFaQQer]

Are the end-users already vaguely familiar with the system, or is it going to be completely new to them? If it's completely new to them, then a virtual class may make it difficult for the users to appreciate everything that they need to learn.

Are you looking to run the course with remote access, or have a recorded session for the users to run through in their own time? If so, then you need to look at some kind of metrics afterwards to check that they have understood the key parts rather than just saying they did the training because they have to.

If you are delivering in person, I think you'll get better results, because you can gauge better the level of comprehension in your audience than you will ever get from a virtual training course. Unless you can rely on the audience to ask questions or ask for help when they need it remotely, then you will be hard-pushed to get the same level of understanding.

[simplicity]

Thanks - I was thinking a "live" virtual session rather than recorded. It's a totally new system so like you say it might be a bit daunting. I was thinking of small virtual classes rather than lots of people at once.

[cojak]

I've run virtual training courses and I think that if you use a combination of video (for instructor interaction) and Webinar (for the whiteboard) it works quite well.

I would advise not to mix classroom with video though - the remote audience always loses out in my experience.

[sal]

Thanks - I was thinking a "live" virtual session rather than recorded. It's a totally new system so like you say it might be a bit daunting. I was thinking of small virtual classes rather than lots of people at once.

If you are going for multiple small classes, and you are not aiming at one massive session for the entire staff, why dismiss the delivering in person?

It also depends on the skill level / age of the staff. People over 40 tend to prefer in person and are often confused by online systems. Same goes for people with low IT skills.

[simplicity]

Space is the real issue - I will investigate further and look for a training venue. I accept the point about older learners, thanks for the feedback.

[GillsMan]

You could look to develop some e-learning as a pre-requisite to the class to ensure some knowledge before the virtual classrooms start.

I'm a learning technologies consultant, and I think your suggestion re: virtual training classes is a good one. I can give you some pointers about how to make it successful. First, and major one: make it interactive and engaging. If it's just a trainer droning on, you will lose your user engagement. Have the trainer know who is in attendance, and sporadically ask them questions throughout the session, this will keep users engaged and listening.

Feel free to PM me if you want some more advice.

[GillsMan]

If you are going for multiple small classes, and you are not aiming at one massive session for the entire staff, why dismiss the delivering in person?

It also depends on the skill level / age of the staff. People over 40 tend to prefer in person and are often confused by online systems. Same goes for people with low IT skills.

Wow, that's quite the assumption Sal. Not sure I agree with that at all. It's true that some older people are confused, but the trend is decreasing and you're almost as likely to see an 18-25 year old confounded as you are a 40-50 year old.

[sal]

Wow, that's quite the assumption Sal. Not sure I agree with that at all. It's true that some older people are confused, but the trend is decreasing and you're almost as likely to see an 18-25 year old confounded as you are a 40-50 year old.

It's not an assumption nor am i trying to discriminate an age group, it's just an observation of real life. Older people tend to prefer in person interactions largely because they are used to that, because that's how they got their education in school / Uni. 18-25 year old are largely used to multimedia content in their study and are all-in-all more "in-tune" with the tech. Even if the trend is decreasing it's still there.

That is not to say that EVERY 40+ will be unable to comprehend an online course, or that 18-25 will get it for sure.