Benefits and Challenges of Remote Training
By the term “remote training”, we actually mean training that uses various approaches such as e-learning courses, webinar, face-to-face live training on the web, pre-prepared customized podcasts, and so on. There is no need for the trainees to be present in the room which is undoubtedly extremely useful for those who reside in some other city or even country. Nowadays, almost everyone is conversant with the Internet and thus it is quite easy for them to get information in this manner. Apart from saving one’s valuable time, remote training likewise aids in minimizing the travel and lodging expenses as well.
Now that we are aware of remote training definition, we are going to mention some of the significant benefits as well as challenges of remote training.
Benefits of Remote Training:
Remote training has quite a few advantages and below are the top 3 benefits of remote training:
1. Affordable
In a typical classroom, it is mandatory for both the instructors as well as the pupils to be in the identical geographical location. However, there is no such requirement when it comes to remote training thanks to the advancement of the Internet plus communication technology. At present, it is feasible to conduct a training session between two or more locations on the planet which helps a lot to curtail the expenses needed for transportation, lodging, and so on.
2. Resource Availability
It is almost impossible to have the most competent instructors at a typical face-to-face training mainly due to issues with visas, programming conflicts and so forth. Thus there is a possibility for the info to pass through a number of channels prior to reaching the intended trainees which might lead to a breakdown in communication in the long run. On the other hand, virtual training will help to overcome all the hurdles when it comes to choosing the best instructor or trainer. There will no chance of any breakdown in communication since the trainees will be able to access the best resources for their training.
3. Convenience
There is a need to follow a stringent routine when it comes to face-to-face training. No external factor will be permitted which is beyond the control of a trainee such as travel problems, inclement climatic conditions, and any other emergency. Remote training, on the contrary, will be capable of compensating for these things since it is usually a lot more adaptive to the schedule of a trainee. On top of this, it is also customizable to the requirements of a trainee as opposed to face-to-face training. Apart from registering the responses of a trainee, it can likewise personalize their eLearning experience.
Challenges of Remote Training:
Besides all the above-mentioned advantages, you will also come across several negative aspects related to remote training. These challenges are mentioned in the following paragraphs.
1. The Level of Privacy
Remote training will allow for anonymity while it is not possible in case of face-to-face interaction. Both the trainer as well as the trainee will be visible to each other in a face-to-face setting which will not give any chance of privacy. This will result in a more connected learning setting. A virtual interface is employed in remote training which will disconnect the trainer and the trainee to a certain extent. Remote learning, unlike the face-to-face method, will thus create some sort of disconnection between the instructor and the trainee.
2. Absence of Any Human Contact
Interpersonal interaction will be allowed by face-to-face learning where individuals will be able to interact within a controlled setting. This is not feasible in case of remote training since the main means of interaction between the trainee and the trainer is sophisticated equipment as well as virtual systems. This is, in fact, undesirable given that human beings are by nature social animals.
3. eBarrier in Communication
It is feasible to deduce memorable experiences by means of one's body language as well as his or her behavior which includes one's gestures, language, tone, not to mention mannerisms. We can realize this in the gradual shift from typical classroom training interface to the more recent remote training. As a matter of fact, our computers are not able to pick up specific behaviors like body languages and gestures. This will undoubtedly alter the intended significance of a specific training or even discard that implication altogether.
ezTalks Meetings happens to be a reliable remote training application providing online training on various computing devices such as iOS, Mac, PC and Android gadgets. The software will allow you to conduct training online for as many as 100 trainees from anywhere on the planet.
Conclusion:
Thus it is evident from the above discussion that although remote training does offer us quite a few benefits, it is not free from drawbacks and flaws. However, it has a bright future and it certainly helps to supplement face-to-face learning. Technology is going to advance with the advent of time and we all expect that remote training will become prevalent everywhere on the globe in the upcoming days.