Hi

I was wondering if anyone had any experience or thoughts regarding on-line 'digital training' v traditional face to face 'classroom' training in a health and safety context. For example do your colleagues/employees prefer to do 'IOSH managing safely', NEBOSH Cert., or specific topic training (fire, first aid, Work at Height) on-line or in a class with a tutor? As an organisation do you see any benefits of on-line training or barriers to taking it up?. Any comments regarding this topic will be greatly appreciated.

I did the NEBOSH General and the NEBOSH Fire Certifcates via e-learning.

Online allows flexibility to go through the material in your own time. The online content is good and you have access to a tutor via email, as well as forums with other students for help.

A negative to this is sometimes finding the time or the motivation to do this. At home and at work you can have many distractions.

I still think traditional classroom courses are the best method of learning, as I find the tutor and fellow students stories and experiences are often a good way of learning. These can be quite intense though and can often end up with you being overloaded with information.

The problem with classroom courses is the lack of flexibility. You need to work yourself around the provider.

The main reason I used e-learning was for the cost and I couldnt afford to take the time off work (my employer at the time wouldnt fund this) 

I think it first necessary to make distinction between "training", "learning", "information", and "instruction."

While training can (and should) be a blend of all of these aspects, it is primarlity concerned with imparting and confirming (often over an extended period) necessary skills and behaviours. I find that many people refer to training when they mean something else.

e-learning is often a very convenient method for delivery and consolidation of learning, information and instruction however use of PCs for "training" is IMO essentially limited to PC-based applications.

Classroom based delivery in whole or in part - along with PowerPoint presentations are the comfort zone of many practitioners is often wholly inappropriate but often goes unchallenged.

Ironic too when considering Driving Instructors. Aren't they the Trainers of new drivers?