Training & Learning
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Sep 16, 2021

The Pros and Cons of Virtual Training

There's no question that today's workforce is growing increasingly remote. People doing their jobs from home rather than an office can be beneficial for companies for a variety of reasons, including reduced capital costs and fewer office expenses. Remote work has become a viable solution for companies that want to incorporate talent from all over the world — and so, too, has virtual training, which includes the use of live video conferencing and recorded training videos to deliver lessons from afar.

There are many ways that virtual training can work, and it's an option to consider for your company if you want to reduce the amount of time, energy, and manpower you regularly need to put into the training process. However, before you decide to switch to a remote training model, it can help to get a full understanding of the benefits of virtual training as well as its disadvantages. Once you know how virtual training can help, and what challenges you can expect from it as well, you can decide whether switching to virtual training is the right move for your organization.

Related Reading: Ready to supercharge your corporate training videos? Check our our corporate training video production guide blog post.

Using virtual training for your team has many perks. Here are some of the biggest benefits of virtual training and reasons you might want to consider it as an option for your organization.

The Benefits of Virtual Training

Reduced Cost of Training

When you do remote training, you can reduce the costs required to train your team. Not only do you not need physical space and materials with which to do the teaching, you also free up more time for the professionals who would otherwise be leading or guiding the training process. By using recorded training videos that trainees can watch and absorb on their own time, the other people on your team can devote more time to the work they do for your company, ensuring more productivity, less downtime, and more energy to devote to their own specialized tasks.

Increased Retention

If you use videos for virtual training, you can increase the chances that trainees remember more of the information they're learning. Studies show that information learned via video is better remembered than that gathered in settings like lectures or discussions. Virtual video training is thus a more effective method and can ensure your trainees walk away from the training with the greatest possible amount of knowledge.

Self-Paced Learning

Virtual training processes that use videos for training allow learners to learn at their own pace. This means they can ensure they're taking in all the new information in a way they can remember and process it. Every person has a different learning style and preferred way of taking in new information, and when they are allowed to complete training on their own, they can ensure they are taking adequate time to hear, absorb, and rehearse all that they are learning.

The benefits of virtual training can be enhanced by taking advantage of a tool that is often overlooked: your video host. With a professional-grade platform like Viostream, you can use branded galleries and universal links to make learning easier, and advanced analytics will keep you apprised of their progress. To try out all of Viostream's features, start your 14-day free trial now.

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The Disadvantages of Virtual Training

Less Opportunity for Team Building

Having trainees complete virtual training on their own doesn't necessarily help welcome them into the group — or encourage them to bond with colleagues or supervisors. In-person, group exercises are more powerful at creating relationships between co-workers and often result in a greater team-building experience than virtual training provides.

Fewer Opportunities for Guidance or Feedback

Training is a process in which learners may need help or guidance from their supervisors or teachers. When completing training virtually, on their own, trainees have fewer opportunities to ask questions, receive feedback, or learn to trust your guidance.

Greater Chance for Technological Headaches

Hopefully, your virtual training platform (or learning management system) is optimized and it functions well. However, companies that don't use the right tools for video training may see trainees experience technical difficulties with their training process. This can disrupt training and increase the time commitment required from the trainees. Having in-person training makes the technology you use for the process less important so that learning can still happen if your platforms or devices aren't performing as well as you'd like them to.

How Viostream Can Help With Virtual Training

Virtual training can be an extremely powerful and effective tool for any organization. If you want to take advantage of the benefits of virtual training for your team, consider using Viostream. Viostream is a leading video platform for government organizations and enterprises. It offers a centralized video library where you can upload, store, and manage all videos for your company so you can conveniently deliver them when any member of your team needs training.

Viostream also offers powerful analytics capabilities so you can ensure your team members are watching and using your videos and get a sense of which videos you are relying on the most. If you want to find out if Viostream is a training platform that works for you, contact Viostream's support team to discuss your needs. Check out the product page or contact our customer support team to learn more about Viostream's video storage, delivery, and live streaming capabilities that can help you reach your trainees no matter where they are located — and ultimately save precious time and money on your training process.

Stuart Auld
Stuart Auld (Head of Infrastructure) has broad-ranging experience delivering best practice across customer engagement, technology, and change management.
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