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Is Virtual Training For PMs Effective?

When it comes to learning, the experts at companies such as  Parallel Project Management Training believe that human interaction is absolutely vital.  Whilst many individuals would argue that this type of interaction does not necessarily need to take place in a face-to-face form, it certainly helps. There are, however, some occasions where virtual training can be very effective for PMS. 

It can be difficult for some individuals to opt for a more virtual training option, particularly those for whom training has only ever taken place in person. However, with places in face-to-face training solutions often harder to come by, it is well worth considering the very effective alternative of virtual training. 

Training Should Always Engage Its Learners

The entire learning and training process is one that is a two-way experience that should always be made up of content delivered by an instructor, and students taking part in dialogue, questions and answers. It should be stimulating, interesting and successful in ensuring that there is a transfer of all of the important knowledge that is needed by an individual in order to apply any new skills when they return to the workplace. Whether this is done virtually or in person, it could have a significant impact on the success of the student on an ongoing basis. 

Research has shown that engaged learners are, better learners, and this means that any tools that are available should be used in order to ensure that that engagement continues, whether in person or virtually. This might be things like help queues, chat tools, screen-sharing, breakout rooms and whiteboards – anything that can help to produce interactions between learners and teachers. If this happens, there are some benefits to learning online that students could really reap the benefits of. Below, we take a look at these in detail.

Flexibility

No matter how much we try to organise our time, there simply never seem to be enough hours in the day to get through everything that we want to achieve. All too often, you can leave space in your schedule that you have set aside for training purposes, whether these are in person or simply time to brush up on some important skills on your own, only to have something urgent land on your desk that needs your attention. 

Virtual training offers a much greater degree of flexibility over classroom-based learning as it can be done at a time that suits you, your work schedule and even your home life. This means that not only are you more likely to be motivated to fit it in but also, because there is no travel time involved, you will actually not need to factor that loss of time into your day as well. 

Flexibility also means that you don’t have to stick to the same time every week in order to fit your learning in. If you have lots of free time one week but know you will be much busier the next, then you can complete some of your virtual learning to accommodate this fluctuation in your schedule. 

Smaller impact on the company you work for

It might seem a little ironic, but all too often, taking time away from your daily routine in order to improve those all-important skills that help you to perform better in your role can make it feel like you are falling behind, and this can lead to stress in the workplace. 

Continual education is essential, but it is not without its headaches. Just because you need to do some additional training courses for PMs it doesn’t mean that your work will stop. When you choose project management training on a virtual learning basis, you can ensure that the impact on your team and your own workload is kept to a minimum and this means that you can also help to reduce many of the potential stresses. 

Retention of information 

The Covid-19 pandemic made all of us just a little better when it comes to virtual things, whether this was listening to online meetings, taking part in virtual talks or even doing virtual training, whether this was for work, university or even for college. This has led to a number of different studies being carried out, and the results have been a resounding positive for virtual learning, showing that, in fact, this type of learning can in fact increase the ability of individuals to retain information, and in less time. Online learning is no longer just a fad. It is something that is here to stay.

For those individuals who were concerned about the time that they would need to spend on any form of continual learning for their employees and felt that in person really was the only option, this is good news that opens up a range of opportunities. It is also great news for employers because, for many roles, particularly a project manager’s role, retention of information is critical. 

Classrooms are not for everyone

Some people, when put in a face-to-face situation, can find it hard to ask important questions and actively participate in any form of training, they become tongue-tied, and this can actually lead to them learning less. It doesn’t matter how successful a person is. When this happens, it simply isn’t the best learning environment to be in. Choosing a virtual training session that is instructor-led means that those individuals who are more introverted in nature will be able to thrive with their learning in an environment that makes them feel more comfortable and that is highly conducive to a much more effective learning experience. 

Conclusion

The answer is a resounding “Yes”, virtual training for PMs can be effective as long as you ensure that the course is offering everything that you need it to in order to reach your objective. This means that it is really important to check any courses that you are looking at, and if in doubt, ask for the most appropriate course that will offer you everything that you need. 

Virtual learning also means that you need to be motivated enough to find the time to fit the classes in and dedicated enough to apply yourself fully to the work. 

 

Zeeshan

Writing has always been a big part of who I am. I love expressing my opinions in the form of written words and even though I may not be an expert in certain topics, I believe that I can form my words in ways that make the topic understandable to others. Conatct: zeeshant371@gmail.com

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