Online Training - Do the Pros Outweigh the Cons?

Much has been said about the benefits of online training courses over the recent years. There are literally hundreds of different articles and websites over the Internet today that promote the use of online training courses as a means to acquire additional skills to help an individual climb up the corporate ladder more easily. Many of these articles and websites tend to focus on the numerous advantages and benefits that online training courses provide as compared to traditional training facilities. However, there are also a number of different disadvantages to online training. Just what are these disadvantages, and would the benefits outweigh them? To answer that, we first need to know what are the benefits commonly attributed to online training. One of these benefits is the ability for online training courses to be accessed on the Internet. As such, there is no need to have to go to a designated training facility to attend the different sessions. To take part in a particular session, all a person needs to do is to simply go online and log in. Another benefit commonly attributed to online training is the ability to learn at your own pace. Unlike training courses done in training facilities where there is a pre-assigned number of hours to be completed on a particular session or module, the person determines just how fast they would be able to complete the session based on their ability to catch on and grasps the concepts and other pieces of information that are provided. Still another benefit is the cost. Apart from requiring people to pay only a minimal fee, there are actually some online courses that can be taken completely free of charge. While this may be the case, there are a number of disadvantages seen when enrolling in online training courses. The most common disadvantage is that since you can only get the modules via the Internet, how fast your computer is able to download the materials and play the instructional video greatly depends on the speed of your Internet connection. Although this may not pose a problem to people in the United States, it can definitely be source of frustration in other parts of the world where Internet connection speeds and bandwidths are much lower than in the US. Another huge disadvantage is that because there is no one monitoring the progress of the person who has applied for an online course, there is always the possibility that the course itself may not be completed. This is in stark contrast with training courses provided by conventional training facilities where instructors are able to monitor the attendance and progress of the students enrolled in a particular training course. So, to answer the question whether or not the advantages of online training outweigh the disadvantages, this generally all depends. Online training courses are highly recommended and considered to be a viable for individuals who are disciplined and determined to acquire additional skills with minimal supervision. However, if the person needs a little bit more encouragement and monitoring, getting the training the conventional way will be more beneficial.