Online education and training is becoming increasingly popular in the business world. Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

Enthusiasm for digital technology is at an all-time high, not least in the workplace as companies around the world turn to internet-based training to keep their employees abreast of all the latest developments.

Consequently

, I strongly believe that the benefits of online training are still elevated comparatively. One key reason for a positive move away from more traditional training methods is the fact that e-learning offers businesses the opportunity to reduce their expenditure significantly. Another reason is providing face-to-face training can be exorbitantly expensive, particularly in terms of travel costs and lost productivity, and an online program can greatly reduce the expense of keeping employees well-informed and up-to-date.

For instance

, computer-based training renders geographical location irrelevant and

this

can eliminate the need to pay an instructor to travel to your office or cover the cost of sending your employees to a training centre.

Thus

,

this

also

minimizes the amount of time wasted. So, from a purely financial perspective, there is no doubt that the indicated shift to digital learning makes perfect sense, in order to excel in the online mentoring methods.

However

, some research suggests that the quality and effectiveness of web-based series lag behind the efficacy of those delivered in a classroom setting. People crave interaction and while digital training procedures may offer a welcome addition to a company’s professional development plan.

For example

, many educators believe that they should be used to complement rather than replace instructor-led sessions. So that, some subjects, like compliance training is well-suited to an online format whereas management or leadership training, which is more collaborative in nature, are best taught ‘in person’.

Hence

, it is the best option for the companies to implement ‘blended learning’ programs that aim to combine the best of both worlds, to again prove that the better ways are still online programs. In conclusion,

although

the rise of computer-based education is very attractive in terms of reducing overheads, for the moment at least, more traditional training still has its place in the workplace in order to excel the mentorship.

Accordingly

, I personally believe that the advantages are more than the drawbacks of challenging businesses, and has to still find the right balance between the two.