Kerrin Badham 2026-03-05 15:31:49
The cost savings of online training make it an attractive option for developing employees without breaking the bank. By online training, I mean live instructor-led training that is not pre-recorded and takes place at a scheduled time over a platform like Teams, Zoom or Meet.
There are times when it works brilliantly and times when it fails dismally.
Let's unpack the factors that make it successful so that you can decide if your work would be a suitable place for online training.
The Ideal Online Training Scenario
A Quiet Private Space
If you have your own office or work in a quiet space, or you can access a spare meeting room for the duration of the training, where you won’t be disturbed, then you have met the first criterion for online success.
Connectivity and Power
Next, you need stable, reliable high-speed internet (you will be using up bandwidth to watch videos and to use your camera). With loadshedding a possibility, it is best to have backup power for your laptop and Wi-Fi, and spare data if your internet drops. Charge all devices beforehand.
Sound and Camera
You are not out of the woods yet. Don’t underestimate how important it is to have a working webcam/camera (usually embedded in your laptop). It is especially important to maintain human contact in training to avoid online fatigue, and your facilitator will value seeing your face and interacting with you, even if not all the time. Humans learn best from humans.
The next key criterion is being able to hear clearly. Plug in a set of cheap external speakers to boost sound quality, as laptop speakers are not usually high-quality. Better yet, invest in a set of noise-cancelling headphones, or borrow from your teenage relative. This is essential if there are background noises that will disturb you and others on the webinar if you unmute.
No Distractions
If you access the webinar at work, place a huge DO NOT DISTURB sign on your door or ask your supervisor or boss to clear your workload for the day so that you can focus fully on the learning. Learning takes focused attention. And they will benefit from the knowledge you gain and apply.
Learning Material
Check if the learning material (training manual or guide and activities) will be accessed online via a platform or emailed to you as a pdf. Access this the day before or print it out if you need to. Be prepared.
A Second Screen
This is immensely helpful for online learning, as it means that you can watch and participate in the webinar on one screen, and access learning materials or practice activities on another. This is particularly useful if you are doing technical training, such as learning Excel or coding. There is nothing more stressful than trying to find the meeting window underneath layers of online platforms and documents. Practice using two screens and moving documents or windows between them.
Check all Equipment a Day Before
Test your equipment and access to the meeting platform a day before with your IT support or the training provider. Make sure you have read all the instructions sent and downloaded any software or guides needed. Test that you can access your built-in webcam and microphone and that you can mute and unmute.
If technical things stress you out, ask someone to do it for you and help you again on the day. You can’t learn if you are stressed.
The Ideal Candidate for Online Learning
So that brings me to the final part of my discussion. Who is an ideal candidate for online learning?
I think it is someone who is:
- Open to learn and trying new things
- Comfortable with computers and technology
- Is willing to try new platforms
- Is comfortable with interacting with humans online
- Has most of the criteria above or can source what they need
If not, consider blended or in-person training.
It is okay to accept that your circumstances do not suit the above or that you are not quite ready for online. The main point of training is to derive benefit for and growth in your teams. Sometimes it is a journey to get the skills you need to be comfortable with technology. Your training provider can help with that, too.
If your team have circumstances that make online training challenging, then consider in-person. It still is the best way for humans to learn.
Yours in training,
Kerrin Badham
Facilitator, HR Professional, Instructional Designer, Project Manager and Leader of the Learning & Development Team at Leading Training
My next article will deal with ideal scenarios for in-person training.