What are the benefits of Live Online Training for companies and employees? 

By Richard Williams, Digital Training Development Lead

You have probably had online training before. It tends to be a never-ending Teams call with full-on death-by-PowerPoint or poorly created click-through videos and unrealistic scenarios.  

Well, IKON’s Live Online Training is nothing like that!

Our Live Online Training is a fantastic experience for learners, described as very insightful, impressive, relatable, and relevant; All delivered through our own platform IKON Live.

How is Live Online Training different from e-learning? 

There are some common factors between Live Online Training and e-learning: They are both accessed through a digital device and planned and prepared by an instructor/trainer – but that’s where the similarities end. Unlike e-learning, which can often be ‘clicked-through’ with minimal interaction from the learner, Live Online Training is a highly engaging way to learn; within a live session, learners are guided by an experienced trainer, who can react and adapt the session to the needs of the learners. They can also ensure that everyone is engaged and that all questions are answered.  

Live Online Training is also known as ‘Synchronous Learning’ as all learners are synchronised with each other and learn together as a community, just as they would in a face-to-face in-class session. In Live Online Training, the trainer sets the pace, answers issues as they arise and can ‘read the room’, none of which can happen with traditional ‘Asynchronous’ e-learning.  

‘Sam was a great presenter; he was flexible in his delivery style to make the information more relatable and relevant to the staff on the course.  He was also able to keep the group engaged for the duration of the course which is difficult virtually!’  Delegate, Central & Northwest London NHS Foundation Trust.  

How engaging is Live Online Training? 

Live Online Training is not a one-directional Teams Call – it is an engaging way to learn. At IKON, we use some of our digital training toolkit’s most tried and tested tactics to engage our learners throughout the session. All our sessions are hosted by one of our highly experienced trainers who has trained to engage in a Live Online session. They spend time greeting and interacting with each participant, getting to know the challenges they face in their workplace and adapting their session plan accordingly. The trainer establishes clear boundaries for good online interaction and communication.  

Sessions are full of variety, moving swiftly between broadcast learning – delivered by the trainer – and participation tasks where learners are given time to discuss issues and ideas with the trainer and their peers in breakout rooms. Learners are accountable for their breakout discussions, feeding their thoughts to the whole group. There is also time for self-reflection and guided sharing of relevant personal experiences. The community approach of our Live Online Training enables each learner to feel that their input is of value to others within the session, increasing the relevance and application of the learning. 

At IKON, we have a ‘cameras on’ policy to ensure that each learner is attentive throughout and to create a personal connection. There are regular live polls and questions throughout the session to keep everyone engaged to ensure that the learning is embedded or whether there are learning points that need to be reinforced by the trainer. IKON is committed to using the most appropriate third-party audience engagement software to ensure that learners’ ideas and questions are captured and addressed during the session.  

‘The course was amazing; I was sceptical that it would work on teams. I really enjoyed it which was due to the trainer. Thank you so much’. Delegate, Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust.

Is Live Online Training better for the environment? 

Live Online Training can help the environment more than you would expect. Firstly, it cuts down unnecessary travel for learners. Transportation is among the most significant contributors to global CO2 emissions. Live Online Training removes these emissions, not just from the learners, but the trainer, who may drive hundreds of miles to a venue. Everyone can join the session from their chosen location, saving time and travel costs.  

Live Online Training also reduces waste consumables, such as paper handouts, reducing deforestation. Live Online Training sessions are accompanied by digital handouts and online learning resources, such as instructional videos, which are often more helpful and engaging and can’t get lost – like paper handouts.  

And Live Online Training also reduces unnecessary heating as delegates can join from their usual place of work, or the comfort of their own homes, meaning that there are no emissions or costs from heating an additional training venue. 

‘Our trainer was the most engaging I’ve ever come across. He managed to deliver his content whilst keeping it very interesting for us’.  Delegate, Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust. 

Is Live Online Training a cost-effective way to train staff? 

Live Online Training not only helps to save the planet and travel time, but it can also save high financial costs to companies and their employees.  

Firstly, there are no costly travel expenses to be covered, as well as reduced wear-and-tear on vehicles. Also, as the whole session is hosted online, there is no need to book a physical venue, nor is catering required. Our sessions include regular refreshment breaks, enabling learners to make their favourite refreshing drink, just the way they like it, in their mug – no queuing for expensive onsite coffee shops! 

Thanks to this, you can save by booking Live Online Training. Over the last quarter, on average our clients who booked a Live Online Training session saved, 24% compared to a face-to-face session. That doesn’t even include the savings a company can make by not having to cover those unnecessary travel costs.  

‘Relevant examples which were transferable to practice. Very insightful. Very impressed, and good use of Teams making it interesting and relatable to the work I do. Engaging and informative – liked the use of the break-out rooms on Teams. Course was very well presented’. Delegate, West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.

How agile (adaptable) is Live Online Training? 

A significant benefit of Live Online Training is the adaptability to meet the learners wherever they are, whether they are self-isolating, in the office, at home because of a train strike, or even out on the go: Learners can join from wherever they are.    

Ideally, learners will join with a device with a stable internet connection, an integrated camera, and a microphone to participate fully. Clear joining instructions are provided to all learners in good time. We are highly flexible about how learners can access Live Online Training sessions: For those who do not have their own device, learners may choose to join a small group, using the same device. Our trainers complete a register based on the number of learners, not the number of devices. Learners do not need to be technologically proficient: we have tested and perfected our delivery and technology to ensure that it is as resilient and robust as possible.   

‘Really helpful session – I usually find it hard to follow on Teams, but it was so well presented and interactive, so it kept the session flowing well and made it very engaging.’   Delegate, West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.

‘I can fully appreciate how hard it is to deliver training remotely, but my trainer was engaging and involved the group.  Whatever questions were thrown at him, he could answer immediately, he really does have great all-round knowledge of the subject matter with fabulous examples that were thought-provoking’. Delegate, Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust. 

In Summary 

Based on our reviews, our Live Online Training sessions are some of the best on offer anywhere. We have worked hard to ensure that our Live Online Training sessions are engaging, adaptable and highly informative. Live Online Training is not only the most cost-effective way to learn, but it is also the most sustainable method.  

If you are interested in finding out more about IKON Live visit our website, or call us on 01473 927333 or email [email protected]. 

Click the button below to make an enquiry about our training.

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Find out more: IKON Live, live online training