Remote learning may have radically changed how the world approaches education, but instructor-led training (ILT) remains one of the most effective training methods at play today.
Research indicates that 60% of people prefer in-person learning. 54% of all teaching is still conducted face-to-face.
And 36% of large companies leverage classroom-led instruction to nourish their employees’ knowledge and uplevel their skill sets—even in a landscape heavily influenced by technological advances.
But what is ILT, exactly? And what are the benefits of instructor-led training? Above all, should you implement it into your overall training strategy?
If you’re exploring fresh ways to educate your customers, Thought Industries has the intel on ILT you need. Let’s dive into the nuances of the oldest teaching method and how to integrate it into your educational blueprint.
Understanding Instructor-Led Training
Instructor-led training is precisely as it sounds: It’s a live, interactive lesson conducted by an instructor or a facilitator, typically in a classroom or training setting. It’s further divided into two categories: ILT, which refers to face-to-face instruction, and virtual instructor-led training (vILT), which characterizes virtual sessions held in real-time. Unlike eLearning, which is conducted on participants’ time, vILT still involves an instructor.
The Fall and Rise of Instructor-Led Training
Your own experience likely mirrors the evolution of the traditional training method. Until the advent of the internet, education—be it that comp class or learning a new system within your workplace—took place in person. This transitioned from online learning to blended learning, combining learning modalities that merge online education (such as on-demand eLearning and videos) with classic classroom instruction.
As sophisticated as training has become, ILT has repeatedly demonstrated its staying power; today, 44% of small companies prefer to train their staff with an instructor.
Benefits of Instructor-Led Training
Instructor-led training provides a host of perks, including:
- Enhanced engagement and interaction: Self-paced, online learning may be convenient (and just as critical to learning). But few environments beat the excitement of a live classroom, where questions can be asked and answered in real-time, ideas can be shared and debated, and spontaneous interactions might nurture inspiration. Group activities (like role-playing) and collaborations may also help students strengthen their “soft skills,” such as leadership and innovative thinking.
- Personalized feedback and support: Another advantage of ILT is that it offers trainees targeted guidance and immediate feedback. It also fosters one-on-one and group mentoring, which is key to employee confidence, satisfaction, and retention.
In addition, instructor-led training programs may help people sharpen their problem-solving and networking skills via the social situations it creates.
Implementing Instructor-Led Training in Your Organization
Our brief rundown on the pros of instructor-led corporate training (or customer education) may be reason enough to fold it into your organization. But how do you go about doing so?
Your first order of business is determining what your employees, customers, or trainees may need. Perhaps it’s providing your employees in-depth instruction on a new technology your business has adopted.
Or maybe it’s vital to explain the inner workings of a product to your customers or stakeholders. Whatever the case, your primary objective should shape your program.
From there:
- Establish a budget for additional educational tools, like whiteboards and polling software.
- Choose a learner engagement platform that fulfills your requirements.
- Design a curriculum and schedule, the goals of each session, and whether your training will involve virtual instructor-led training.
- Assign an instructor(s).
- Engage participants.
Further, you may want to define your metrics before launching customer or employee training. This will allow you to evaluate your program’s efficacy and make necessary tweaks.
Lastly, consider instructor-led training best practices before inviting attendees into your organization’s “classroom.” This includes dividing sessions into digestible chunks (and providing students with replenishing breaks) and including team-building activities that will promote social interactions, live and in person.
ILT vs. eLearning: A Comparative Analysis
The advantages of ILT may be clear (and intuitive). And yet, how does it compare to eLearning?
eLearning has proven its worth as an indispensable educational tool. It allows for tremendous flexibility and enables individuals to work at their own pace (which is crucial for those who have limited time to learn a new product or procedure or tend to work better in isolation). What’s more, the Research Institute of America found that online learning may boost information retention rates by as much as 25% to 60%.
That said, eLearning isn’t without flaws and limitations, such as:
- Reduced interactivity and real-time engagement
- Decreased personalization and collaboration
- Fewer opportunities (if any, in some cases) to solicit feedback
- Technical issues
Yet, the benefits of eLearning, such as convenience, cost (and resource), and effectiveness, can’t be overstated. This, combined with the beauties of ILT, emphasizes why more and more organizations are leaning toward a blended learning model.
This rich, often ideal combination mixes the accessibility of eLearning with the personalized, hands-on training that may be needed for complex subjects and practical applications.
Capitalize on Future Trends in Instructor-Led Training With Thought Industries
A mere glimpse at the statistics shows that instructor-led training is making a huge (and welcome) comeback. From virtual reality (VR) in the classroom to online microlearning, education will continue to transform right alongside technology.
But one thing is bound to hold steady: Amid Zoom fatigue and remote work, people are hungry for human interactions, camaraderie, and live instruction.
Whether you’re crafting an ILT program or a comprehensive strategy, Thought Industries can enhance your efforts. Our award-winning platform lets you build and deliver a hyper-personalized learning experience that will keep attendees engaged—and eager to return from more.
Transform training and education with Thought Industries.
