When looking at training opportunities, you may need to decide between the online version compared to on-site training. Both have their benefits over the other, but how would you choose between the two options? Well, allow me to weigh up both sides to make things easier.

1. Do You Work Better Face To Face?

First, do you work better face to face? There are some individuals that find it easier to learn when a tutor is talking to them. It gives them the opportunity to ask questions at any point. It has also been shown that this tends to be the more effective approach even though it will not be the best method for everyone.

If you are the type of individual who does perform better on their own, and without distractions, then the online environment would then be the better option in this instance. Alternatively, if being side-tracked is easy, then putting yourself in a situation where that’s not possible would lead to faster progress.

2. Is The Topic Suitable?

You need to ask yourself if the topic is suitable or not for being online. If you are studying something that can be video based, then an online course will be suitable.

In this instance, the ability to rewind the video in order to review certain aspects will be useful, and this is not available in the classroom. With this, it can be used to really hammer home various key points that you struggle on.

For example, imagine studying something you need to follow on a step-by-step basis. Using video will be easier as you can stop and do the action rather than listening to a tutor explain it and then try to recall everything on your own.

3. What Is Your Attention Span?

Another important point is your attention span. If you find it difficult to sit around for a prolonged period of time, then on-site learning is not for you.

With online courses, there’s a tendency for each section to be shorter in length so you feel as if you have some bite-sized chunks to learn. The way in which these courses are split up makes it easier for individuals with a shorter attention span. Also, it allows you to stop when you want and then go back to it after a break, so there is less pressure.

Honesty here is important as it will influence your ability to make progress with your training and education.

4. How Important Is Being Supervised To You?

When training online, there is a distinct lack of supervision and that could be a problem for some people. There are those individuals that need to know that a tutor is there in order to help them deal with questions or difficulties that they have, but that rarely exists with an online course.

Also, if you are the type of individual that needs a certain amount of guidance or a push in the right direction, then it would be all too easy for you to become lazy with the online course. With that, you need to have the desire and determination to get through it even when there are those distractions around you.

5. The Ease Of Taking Part

Finally, there is the ease of taking part in the course. It may be the case that you are studying something a bit more specialized and are unable to physically get to a classroom. In this case, finding an office location could prove costly. Alternatively, there could be other reasons why you cannot dedicate the time to being there in person.

When you then take into account your own personal circumstances, it will then become clear that the ease with which you can get involved in the course will be a huge deciding factor. There is little doubt that the Internet has opened up a wealth of opportunities for people to advance their training and education unlike anything ever before, and it is all thanks to its accessibility.

In short, when choosing between online and on-site learning, you have to take these different factors into consideration before making your decision. Each option certainly has its positives and negatives, and it is up to you to decide on what is important for your needs. After all, the most important thing is you receiving your training no matter the format that it comes in.