There’s no debate that things were shaken up by COVID in 2020. And certainly in the training world, adjustments had to be made! While online training has been around for many years (I’ve been doing some form of online training for 20 years), the option of virtual, live training became the norm in 2020.
Now that things are somewhat back on track, the question we hear is if traditional, in-person training is still better. The short answer is yes, it is better for a number of reasons — the biggest reason is that it’s simply more effective. When using Zoom, WebEx, Teams (insert your favorite meeting platform here), there is an unavoidable detachment that creeps in, even if the participants are super-excited to hear about the topic! And as an instructor, I can’t read the body language of participants, so it’s harder to draw into the discussion those who might be a little more shy.
So I suspect that very few people will disagree with me that a traditional-style class is still the best. But there is still a place for virtual training (and we continue to offer that option if a client really prefers that) because it can be more convenient and is often less expensive. Plus, your team members can join from any location!
I recall that one of my GD&T mentors said back in the day that he could teach even if he only had a barn door and a piece of chalk. While I think I could do the same, technology certainly helps! But we want to make sure that the technology is helping, rather than adding a barrier.
So if your team is ready to get together and learn GD&T, please know that both options are available. Contact us to discuss your options.