Are virtual classrooms the future?

Online teaching has progressed a lot over recent years, with new technology now allowing online training to almost replicate a traditional in-person training experience.

With such high quality virtual teaching now available, is there still a place for face-to-face teaching in the health and social care sector?

What are virtual classrooms?

Virtual classrooms provide a platform for teachers to give lessons to students online.

Both parties use either a computer, tablet, or smartphone to login to the virtual classroom from any location with an internet connection.

The teacher will usually give the lesson live, providing students the opportunity to ask questions and participate just like they would during a face-to-face lesson.

Here at CBAT we offer training sessions online via Zoom and using advanced virtual classroom technology that allows us to provide a high quality and engaging online learning experience. The technology we use even allows students to break away and perform group activities together and complete assessments on-screen during the lesson.

Virtual classrooms and the health and social care sector

The health and social care sector are currently overwhelmed and suffering from skills shortages.

Training up existing employees in the sector to help meet skills shortages, improve knowledge and technical ability, and keep advancing employees’ careers is more important than ever.

Virtual classrooms have become a very popular option for training employees working in the health and social care sector for several key reasons, these include:

Convenience

Attending a lesson online is much easier and more convenient to fit around existing work and personal commitments as there is no need to travel, you can simply login to the virtual classroom from any location with an internet connection. Simple and stress-free.

Accessibility

With face-to-face courses you may find the perfect course only to discover that it is too far away for you to travel to. online courses are more accessible to more people, making it easier to find a course that is the perfect fit for you.

Cost-effective

Online training is often more affordable than face-to-face training as it requires fewer overheads to run. It also requires employees to take less time out of work to complete and doesn’t require expenses for travel, saving money for employers.

Time management

In a sector that is already under pressure and suffering staff shortages, employee time must be used wisely. Online training allows the health and social care sector to keep training and developing their employees’ skills without the need for any extra time away from the job.

Virtual classrooms and the Covid-19 pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has certainly played a large part in pushing more organisations and businesses in the health and social care sector to try virtual training for the first time.

Covid-19 has presented the sector with a whole host of challenges when it comes to continuing to train staff.

The sector was already suffering staff shortages and the pandemic now means that it is overwhelmed with patients too.

The increase in demand for health and social services and the staff shortages have meant that keeping up with staff training and development during the pandemic has become crucial.

However, lockdowns, and instructions to socially distance and stay at home to help save lives have forced those working in the health and social care sector to find new ways to safely train staff.

By swapping face-to-face learning for virtual classrooms the industry has been able to continue to train staff in the areas where they are most needed to help tackle the pandemic.

Training staff in virtual classrooms doesn’t only help to keep employees safe, but the patients being cared for by those employees too.

Carrying out training online instead of travelling to complete it in person also means less time taken out of the working day when all hands are needed on deck the most.

Will virtual classrooms replace real classrooms?

Learning in a virtual classroom offers both students and employers a whole host of benefits, but can online classrooms really replace traditional face-to-face lessons?

A few benefits of traditional offline training include:

• Feels more personal – Some people prefer the experience of getting out and meet their trainer and classmates face-to-face.
• Doesn’t depend on technology – Whilst technology has greatly improved over recent years, there is still always the risk that it could let us down. Whether that’s a faulty internet connection or a broken device, it can be disruptive and irritating when technology fails during an online lesson.
• Participation – This point can be a matter of personal preference. Whilst some people find it easier to participate during face-to-face training sessions, others may struggle in-person and prefer online participation.

Often, deciding whether to sign up for traditional offline training or an online course is a matter of personal preference and practicality. The option that best fits will depend on the individual and their circumstances.

With this in mind, it seems unlikely that traditional training is going to disappear any time soon, but demand for training sessions run in virtual classrooms is growing.

The pandemic is forcing businesses and organisations in the sector to find new and innovative ways to remotely connect with employees, patients, and other businesses in a bid to keep everyone safe and healthy.

Many businesses in the health and social care sector are only now trying out virtual classrooms for the first time and discovering the benefits of training employees remotely in this way.

For many, trying out virtual classrooms has been a real eye opener. Students have quickly adapted and found the new method of training to be just as effective, or even more effective, than attending training sessions in person.

Not only is training online convenient, cost-effective, and time-saving, it also makes it easy to access high quality training from organisations located anywhere in the country.

Some organisations may have previously been hesitant to use online training programmes as they weren’t sure what to expect or whether the quality would match traditional training methods. Having now experienced virtual training and seen its benefits, more businesses may be inclined to go down this route again in the future.

When the dust settles and the virus is under control, it is likely that the training landscape will be irrevocably changed, and more organisations will continue to use virtual classrooms to train staff.

Health and social care virtual training with CBAT

Here at CBAT believe that virtual classrooms are an excellent alternative to face-to-face training, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic when meeting in person is not advised.

We have created a first-class virtual classroom training service to help meet the health and social care sector’s needs.

All our virtual training courses are run by our top trainers and delivered using advanced virtual classroom technology to ensure a reliable and engaging experience.

Our team can even create a bespoke training solution for your employees if required to ensure that you receive the best value for your money.

View our full catalogue of online courses or give our team a call on 01772 816 922 to book or find out more about how our virtual classrooms work.