What is virtual training? Training done in a virtual environment that simulates real-life training is referred to as virtual training.
Like eLearning, it was initiated in order to teach students in various locations through online methods. The purpose of virtual training is to help associates in an organization to train using an internet connection. In this type of learning, the trainer is in one location and the trainees are in different ones, and they all access the lessons through the platform of the organization's choice.
Instead of participating in person, companies create virtual training for various reasons, including to reach employees in different locations, to make it more convenient for them to do the training from the comfort of their own home, or to comply with health and safety requirements that don't allow for physical participation in training events.
Virtual training can be run through live meetings, in which the trainer presents the material through presentations or talks and gives opportunities to the trainees to actively participate and ask questions, simulating a real-life training environment. Another way of accessing the sessions could be through recordings, either with the company sending pre-recorded videos to its employees or with the employees accessing the videos at a later period, whenever it is convenient for them.
An organization can create virtual training to train its employees as they're being hired and taking their places in the company, or for already existing associates. The first case is done to prepare recruits for their future roles. Instead of asking them to come to the office, the company prepares their training through a virtual environment, to make it easier for them. The other instance is when a new technology is introduced and current employees need to be taught how to implement it into their work process. Virtual training can also include skill assessment, in which trainees complete quizzes or various tests to determine how successful the training was.
The duration of virtual training depends on the intentions of the company. A one-hour session could be the complete training, or a series of meetings may be conducted between the trainer and the trainee before the training is complete. Different types of workshops can be led virtually, as can other company initiatives for the improvement of employees' skills. To aid companies in introducing seamless training to employees that doesn’t lack any of the aspects of physical training, there are various virtual learning tools.
Virtual training is considered to be more challenging than in-person training due to the possibility of miscommunication and/or some people’s lack of technical skills. To provide opportunities for companies to deliver a training experience that is as efficient as possible for their employees, various virtual training tools have been created which fill in the gaps where the virtual environment may be lacking as compared to the physical training environment. These different types of tools fit into several categories: tools for communication, presentation, testing and quizzes, and tools that enable different types of content to be broadcasted.
One of the biggest criticisms of the efficiency of virtual training is that it deprives employees of the communication abilities afforded to them when meeting in person. Although virtual learning is more convenient for people from different locations to access the same content at the same time, they may have difficulty communicating through the Web. The tools that ease communication in virtual training sessions are applications for instant messaging and chatting, which allow trainees to talk to each other during or after the session, communication through email, or specialized project management platforms made to meet the specific needs of the training. In these ways, employees are able to talk to the trainer and to each other, to receive and send training materials, and to maximize their understanding.
Virtual learning tools for the presentation of material assist trainers in broadcasting their content and making it as interactive as possible. Tools such as presentation programs, virtual whiteboards, and video conferencing applications and programs provide companies with a way to deliver their training efficiently, using different features to adapt real-life training to the digital environment.
Virtual learning tools such as quizzes and tests, polls, and interactive assessments can evaluate the success of the training. Through these tools, companies can measure the effectiveness of the training and narrow any gaps they notice in the learning.
Another set of virtual training tools is related to the broadcasting of the training. Through these tools, companies are able to easily provide users with tutorials, webinars, or different explanations of information through video or audio formats.
When evaluating the most important features of virtual training software, PeerSpot users agree that interaction is of utmost importance; everyone from the trainer to the trainee, to the manager and the HR team should be able to interact remotely online. "Interaction" includes the discussion of development plans, schedules, and feedback. Reports must be easy to find and search, while easy access and utilization of alerts and progress monitoring are also important. Some users would appreciate a range of learning paths from beginner to expert and certification and assessment upon training completion to incentivize trainees and to cater to a wider range of members.
Virtual training is important for companies and their employees for various reasons. Unlike in-person training, virtual training provides greater flexibility and accessibility. If a series of training events is conducted in person, everyone attending needs to coordinate their schedules in order to attend the training session or sessions in the same location. Through virtual training, this inconvenience is removed, allowing the trainer and the trainees to access the training from their locations of choice - and, if a recording is provided, at their chosen time as well. This means that employees can attend a virtual training session and then continue with their workday, without having to disrupt the work process.
Virtual training is also important for organizations because it can significantly lower their budget for training needs. This is possible because organizations do not need to pay a trainer to travel to a specific location, or to pay for the expenses of the employees to attend. They also save on having to rent a venue for the training to be held at.
Virtual training has its benefits for companies and employees, but it also may have disadvantages if not performed correctly. Some of the pros and cons of this type of training include:
