Benefits of IDL vs 4-Walls Training: The Environment

Al Gore is telling the world. Scientists everywhere are warning of melting icecaps and ancient glaciers. Animated kids' movies - like Open Season and Happy Feet are educating our children about the situation and its effects. We can see and experience for ourselves the reality of climate change. Animal species are disappearing for some new reasons - not just because of overhunting or habitat lost to mankind's need to lay blacktop and erect buildings everywhere.

To varying degrees, the corporate world is addressing the need to Go Green. Some give it lip service only, but many businesses are working very hard to identify and implement new ways to reduce their carbon footprint. In reality, most businesses are somewhere in the middle.

But using conferencing technology and "Interactive Distance Learning" is a way that all of those businesses can make a significant difference to our world. And the fact that it saves them $$$ in the process is an added bonus.

How does the Environment benefit?

• No one travels. No exhaust emmissions, no planes or trains or ferries are needed. No use of fossil fuels.
• Far fewer trees are needed for paper. No workbooks or multi-page and all-too-often single-sided handouts are needed. Material is emailed to Learners and many of them use it electronically without printing.

Just two benefits?

Well, yes. But they are huge ... especially the first one. Companies and other organizations that are using technology to deliver their training via Interactive Distance Learning rather than within the 4 walls of traditional classrooms, have - IMOHO - earned major bragging rights in the struggle many of us are facing in Going Green.

Benefits of IDL vs 4-Walls Training: The Trainer

IDL has important benefits for the Company and the Learners ... and also for The Trainers. In fact, virtually all of the benefits are actually advantages. Yes, it's true, for all types of soft skills training and for many other types as well, IDL has been proven to produce better learning outcomes, higher likelihood of skills application on the job, and longer term retention than traditional 4-walls classes.

So, how about The Trainers?

Here are some of the primary benefits for those folks.

• Little if any need to travel! A lot more at home time and a lot less suitcase-packing, flight-catching, and hotel-sleeping.
• Increased ability to respond to training needs. Because the technology is so inexpensive, because no rooms have to be booked, because nobody has to go anywhere ... it is possible for the Trainer to provide courses whenever 1 or 2 or 3 employees need it. No longer necessary until there are enough people "to make it cost effective". This flexibility and availability feels good! (as well as being hugely important to the company's operations!)
• Ability to get "better" results. Because courses are delivered in short segments with days in between, and because Learners are doing their skills application exercises on the job in their real work environments ... Learners pick up the new skills, attitudes and abilities more quickly, and are much more likely to actually learn and use the material.
• A lot less details to deal with. No need for booking rooms, arranging catering, getting loads of printing done ... and then organized ... or schlepped to the training room. Or any of the other little details associated with 4-walls training. Handouts are sent as e-mail attachments or posted on an intranet site ... and people can handle their own coffee!

Post a comment if you have more benefits to add to the list!

Next time: Benefits to the Environment.

Benefits of IDL vs 4-Walls Training: The Learner

First - apologies for the long delay ... busy holiday season!

So what's in it for The Learner? Again, there's a list:

• Small Chunks. Material is delivered in short - generally 1 hour or less - sessions; rather than the half-day, full-day or several day format typical of 4-walls training. These 1 hour, topic & skill focused sessions, make it much easier for all of us, as Learners, to absorb the new behaviors, attitudes and/or skills ... and to actually work with them ... before having to move on to learn some more.


• No horrible in class "role plays" or other artificial, awkward exercises! With an IDL class, we Learners get to practise our new skills and abilities in our real world of work - with real people, in real situations.


• On-Time Learning. Even if the Learner is one of just 1, 2 or a few who need the particular course, it can be delivered ... without waiting for enough people to make it cost effective.

Next time ... Benefits for the Trainers.