Is Classroom-Based Training Out Of Date?

Most of the training I do is what I would call ” classroom- based “, which means it involves getting a number of live human beings together in a room for a certain length of time.

However, I’ve also done a lot of one-to-one coaching and I’ve delivered webinars and teleclasses and written self-study programmes for people to work through by themselves.

And, when it comes to my own learning, I often use web-based methods, self-study materials with DVDs and mp3s or even good, old-fashioned books!

There are lots of ways in which people can learn, of course, and they all have their place. But, with all this variety of methods, especially with web-based approaches, I sometimes hear a suggestion that perhaps classroom-based training has had its day, that it’s old-fashioned and ineffective.

Is this true? No.

Thank you, end of article. Next time – is there still a place for pencils in the modern office?

Oh, alright, I’ll elaborate a little.

Why would anyone suggest that face-to-face training might be outdated?

Well, as usual, I think money has something to do with it. It can cost a lot to get a group of people together in one place, including perhaps room hire, travel and accommodation.

Also, it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to find the time to spend away from their work to attend training. This is especially tricky if it involves a number of people from the same office or department being away at the same time.

There is also a cost in non-working time ( although, in my experience, anyone who attends training catches up on their work afterwards so it still gets done ).

Computer-based training programmes, or “e-learning solutions”, if you want to make them sound more interesting, can be very cost-effective as you only design them once, then you can use them for years – and people don’t have to travel to get the training.

Another potential criticism of classroom-based training is that it is not tailored to the individual. Because it involves a group, it has to be more general and it may not be at exactly the right level or come at exactly the right time for everyone who attends.

For this reason, individual coaching or some form of self-study may be seen to have an advantage.

And, sometimes, I think this comment arises just from the fact that classroom based training has been around for a long time and some people think anything new, especially if it involves computers and the internet, must be better in some way.

So what can I find to say in defence of classroom-based training?

Well, let’s go back to the idea of “brain-friendly” learning – in other words, based on what we know about the brain, what are some of the things which seem to help people to learn effectively?

These would include:

• a chance to interact with other people as they learn
• a chance to contribute to, and process, the information they receive
• an opportunity to create meaning rather than just consume information
• physical movement and activity
• variety of approaches and stimuli
• engaging as many senses as possible while learning and the material having an impact at an emotional level as well as an intellectual one
• having controlled repetition and reinforcement
• learning being fun or, at least, an enjoyable experience
• being able to practise and apply skills as they are learned

I would say that well-designed and delivered classroom-based training can tick all of these boxes where no other form of learning can.

It’s certainly not the only method which can offer some of these things. Other approaches can certainly offer a few of them  and, sometimes, perhaps even better than classroom-based training.

Other forms can offer more individual tailoring of learning to suit the individual and perhaps be timed more accurately so they occur just when needed.

And I do believe that, in some ways, individual coaching is the most powerful tool for personal development and change there is.

But I still think, at its best, classroom-based training can be the most effective way of offering learning to a group with similar needs.

It also allows people to share their knowledge and insights, to get away from the workplace for a while to focus on their learning and to get great value from participating in a shared experience with other people.

However – to be effective, there are a few things which need to be addressed:

• there needs to be effective training needs analysis to ensure the training is relevant and pitched at the right level
• the timing has to be thought out carefully
• the delivery needs to follow “brain-friendly” principles
• there needs to be support within an organisation for people to apply the learning back in the workplace
• classroom-based training is far more effective if combined with individual coaching to help learners to implement what they have learned

So, overall, I think there is scope for all sorts of training or learning approaches and I’m not ruling out any of them.

There’s a place for webinars, teleclasses, audios, DVDs, etc – but these offer only part of the whole learning experience. Classroom-based training offers far more – if properly designed and delivered.

I’d love to know what you think, so please leave a comment.

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