7 Effective Training Delivery Methods for Enhanced Learning

7 most prevalent Training Delivery Methods in use today

Training aims to provide individuals and firms with varied benefits. Focussing on one delivery method has certain drawbacks and makes the learning process uninteresting. It is therefore essential to employ a variety of modalities as they cater to diverse learning styles, preferences, and requirements. Here are the 7 most prevalent training delivery methods in use today.

Instructor-led Training

Instructor-led Training (ILT) refers to the direct training led by an instructor to the trainers in real-time and is considered the classic training delivery method. Even though this method is old, it is not time-worn and is preferred by a large majority of learners. For instance, the 2019 Training Industry Report suggests that ILT is the highly chosen delivery method by trainers, incorporating around 30% of all corporate training. This training modality has pros and cons, but the first outweighs the latter making it widely accepted.

Pros of Instructor-led Training

1. Maintain proper eye contact: Proper eye contact is essential for the smooth functioning of a training process. ILT provides scope for maintaining eye contact, thereby, capturing the attention and involvement of the learners.
2. Personalized Training: Since ILT mostly happens in a synchronous environment, the trainers can personalize their content as per the needs of individuals in the group. In addition, it provides a chance for customization by addressing the pace of understanding of the team and its members.
3. Enhanced intrapersonal relationship: ILT helps build a strong network between the team members as there is an opportunity for interaction and learning.
4. Hands-on- experience: No other modalities of training can match the level of practical experience provided by ILT. The real-time nature is a boon in this case also as it offers more practical exposure to the learners with the right feedback.
5. Immediate feedback: The instructors can provide immediate feedback to the learners which is a demerit in most other delivery methods. This improves the working capability of the individuals as well as the firm.

Cons of Instructor-led Training

1. Difficulty in addressing diverse learning styles: A group of learners includes individuals with diverse learning capabilities. This makes it difficult for the ILT to meet the pace of slow and fast learners.
2. Real-time availability: All the learners in a team need to be available simultaneously, making the process inconvenient for everyone to schedule their timings.

Virtual Instructor-led Training

Virtual Instructor-led Training (vILT) offers a shift in the ILT from a traditional training setting by offering a virtual setting to the face-to-face interaction of the instructor and learner. Similar to ILT, vILT is a training delivery method that provides synchronous learning. The most common vILT platforms are Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Abode Connect and Webex. In the past five years, offering more developments in the field of technology, vILT has become a preferred training delivery method by professionals.

Pros of Virtual Instructor-led Training

1. Personalized Training: Since vILT also includes an instructor and a learner in real-time, it can be tailored to the specific needs of the learners.
2. Cost-Effective: It does not require the firm, instructor and learners to spend money on the physical requirements.
3. Accessibility: vILT offers remote learning experiences to the learners which in turn can lead to better learning outcomes.
4. Diversity: Being available in remote setting, it incorporates diversity with people from different regions joining at same time.
5. Reuse content and materials: This factor is an advantage to the organization as well as the trainer as the content and materials can be reused. According to the study conducted by the Training Industry, it is suggested that one feature that is considered a high or moderate priority for opting vILT is the provision to reuse the training materials and content.

Cons of Virtual Instructor-led Training

1. Limited Hands-On- Experience: As the training takes place in a virtual setting, the training cannot offer complete practical experience.
2. Interruptions: Amidst the boon that vILT provides convenience for accessibility from different geographical locations, the learners can get distracted due to other distortions like environmental and psychological factors affecting their productivity.

eLearning Courses

eLearning or electronic learning is a training delivery method that involves delivering instruction using an electronic medium. This enables learners to participate in the learning process irrespective of their physical location (anytime, anywhere learning). eLearning courses for employees can include SCORM-compliant eLearning courses, microlearning, scenario-based learning, simulated learning, gamification, and video-based learning. This method overcomes the limitations of traditional ILTs but has certain limitations of its own.

Pros of eLearning Courses

1. Flexibility and convenience: It allows both learners as well as instructors to move through the content at their convenience. Learners can learn at their own pace leading to better learning outcomes hence called self-paced learning.
2. Cost and time efficient: eLearning courses save substantial amount in terms of travel, accommodation and instructor fees. Furthermore, it can save the time of both the trainers and trainees by offering them their pace.
3. Wider audience: The learning is not limited to a small range of audiences, unlike ILT in the case of eLearning courses.

Cons of eLearning Courses

1. Reduced personal Interaction: eLearning courses limit face-to-face personal interaction between the trainer and the trainees leading to an absence of human touch.
2. Pitfall of excessive flexibility: The excessive flexibility of eLearning courses can at times disrupt the productivity and learning curve of learners as they tend to procrastinate their learning.

Blended Learning

Blended learning emerged as a solution to the benefits and drawbacks of online and face-to-face learning. This training delivery method skilfully combines elements of both training delivery methods, resulting in a remarkable experience of learning. There are different models of blended learning suitable for diverse learning situations. The pros and cons of blended learning are as follows.

Pros of Blended Learning

1. Personalized learning experience: Balancing both methods enables scope for customized learning for employees and trainees.
2. Interactivity: Blending of technology and in-person training increases the interactivity in the learning process.
3. Collaboration: Blended learning fosters collaboration among peers and team members integrating blended group learning. Additionally, it facilitates the instructor-learner relationship irrespective of the mediums for delivering the training.

Cons of Blended Learning

1. Time management: Integrating online and in-person learning strategies and switching between the two is a time-consuming process.
2. Technological concerns: As the modality uses online and offline mediums, the apt usage of technology concerns the instructor in imparting knowledge.

Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality is rightly considered to be the reality in every sector. In the field of learning, it is gaining prominence as it encompasses elements that appeal to all senses retaining the memory and attention of learners. Virtual reality, as a training delivery method offers such a simulation making the process of learning stay in long-term memory. To cite an example, Dr. Narendra Kini, CEO of Miami’s Children’s Health System responded to Fortune that ‘the retention level a year after VR training session can be as much as 80% compared to 20% retention after a week with traditional learning’.

Pros of Virtual Reality

1. Increased Retention: Since the thoughts are close to reality, the learning can last for a longer time.
2. Highly Engaging: The 3D effects offered by virtual reality make the content interesting and engaging to the learners.
3. Realistic: Virtual reality makes the learning closer to reality thereby, breaking down the complex concepts to be understood by learners.
4. Diversity: Being virtual encourages diversity in a learning atmosphere by enabling individuals from different cultural and geographical backgrounds to collaborate as a team and bring better learning experience.

Cons of Virtual Reality

1. Expensive: Training using Virtual Reality requires a high cost for installation and setting up making it the most expensive training delivery method.
2. Limited Resources: The repository of Virtual Reality is still evolving and it requires immense effort to create ideal content for instruction.

Mentoring

Mentoring is a training delivery method that includes a mentor (an experienced employee) providing right guidance and scaffolding to a mentee (less experienced employee) for better career growth. Mentoring can be both formal and informal depending on the situation. This modality improves the overall quality of the functioning of management as it fixes the weak points of the mentees.

Pros of Mentoring

1. One-to-one interaction: The personal aspect enhances employee productivity and retention.
2. Knowledge sharing: Imparting knowledge by mentors promotes new trainees to get insight into the concepts.
3. Improved Confidence: Proper mentorship aims to raise the confidence level of the mentees, and hence providing greater outputs for the firm.

Cons of Mentoring

1. Probable conflicts: Certain misunderstandings, misrepresentations, and personal clashes between the mentor and mentee can create discord in their communication disrupting the smooth workflow and productivity of the organization.
2. Excessive Reliability: Mentors need to draw a margin between themselves and the mentees as there is a high chance for the juniors to completely rely on the mentors and losing their productivity.

On-the-Job Training

On-the-job training is an essential training modality that involves practical experience gained within a real working environment. It paves the way to observing the work in the initial phase and then applying the insights. This is an efficient training delivery method as learners become proficient in their jobs by the end of training.

Pros of On-the-Job Training

1. Effective for new joiners: The nature of the work is understood by the new employees in their training phase.
2. Cost efficient: This is the most cost-efficient mode of learning as it offers real hands-on experience replacing all other mediums for imparting the lessons.

Cons of On-the-Job Training

1. Stressful: OJT offered to new joiners can sometimes create undesirable stress in the learners as their lack of familiarity can lead to performance pressure.
2. Improper Mentorship: Appropriate mentorship is essential for OJT. Inadequate support and lack of feedback can hinder the growth of the learner.

Conclusion

The different training delivery methods allows the learners to choose multiple strategies to approach the learning. In a corporate setting, it is advisable for the instructors and the trainers to adopt the right modality suited for them considering the strengths and weaknesses. Promoting a multiple approach is a wise way to facilitate knowledge and develop skill of the learners.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which training delivery method creates the best learning experience?

All training delivery methods have their pros and cons. A learner should effectively choose the medium most appropriate for him/her for the best output.

What are the most popular training delivery methods?

The most popular training delivery methods are Instructor-led Training, Virtual Instructor-led Training, On-the-Job training, mentoring, e-learning, and blended learning.