What is face-to-face training?
Face-to-face training: definition and objectives
Vocational training in person is the oldest and most common learning format to date. At school, university or in the majority of corporate training courses, the face-to-face format is preferred.
It corresponds to the presence of the trainer and the learners in the same physical place. This is often a lecture-based course, where the information is top-down: the trainer is teaching the learner something.
What are the pros and cons of face-to-face training?
Face-to-face training has not stolen their reputation! They are widely adopted because they have a number of advantages:
- the learner is supervised and monitored
- the initial goals are set
- the results are properly evaluated
- the trainer can adapt to the student or the employee in real time
- Learners who have difficulty concentrating will prefer a face-to-face format
- the possibility of transmitting technical skills for training in manual trades (cook, artisans...)
Despite everything, face-to-face courses are increasingly criticized, especially because of their lack of flexibility. Today, most learners want to have access to their course from anywhere in order to progress at their own pace. Enforce an hour of attendance in a classroom is no longer adapted to the digitalization of lifestyles.
The top-down information from the trainer to the learner is also contested: numerous studies have shown that flipped pedagogy, learning by doing or Peer to peer allowed better memorization of the concepts learned. The classic face-to-face format is therefore not always the most effective!
What is the difference between face-to-face training and asynchronous training?
Face-to-face training is taking place in dedicated rooms, within a school, a company or a training organization. The learners in this type of training are therefore as much employees in retraining as students in diploma training!
Distance training, for its part, are organized, thought out and produced on digital platforms (elearning). Students validate their course modules online, and are evaluated remotely. Courses can take any format, be done anywhere, anytime and on any medium (laptop, smartphone, tablet or computer). We then talk about training. “ATAWADAC”: anytime, anywhere, any device, any content.
How to design face-to-face training?
Determine the goals of your face-to-face professional training
Before starting the preparation of face-to-face training, the trainer must set two types of objectives: vocational training objectives and The educational objectives.
The training objective is the overall objective that your learners should achieve once your course has been validated. It can be the acquisition of knowledge, knowhow (Hard Skills), or interpersonal skills (Soft Skills). The goals of your training should be:
- Strategic: the reason for this training and the desired changes
- Operational: the concrete changes observed at the end of the training
- General: the skills that learners need to provide to achieve these changes
For example, your in-person training objective may be:”Mastering a new e-learning tool after a month of training with a view to its implementation in 2024.”
Then come The educational objectives. These lenses are more “micro.” In fact, these are steps that will help you reach your overall training goal.
Mobilize the necessary resources for the success of your face-to-face training
Once these objectives are set, the trainer will be able to think about the means to be implemented to achieve them. This includes:
- educational resources: speakers, content...
- material resources: booklets, projector, room...
- the evaluation method: quiz, oral presentation...
It is important that your resources match your resources and your training goals. Scheduling an oral presentation at the end of a cooking course may not be the most appropriate method of assessment: prefer the practical case.
Create a supportive learning environment for your in-person training
For your training to reach all of its goals, it is essential to create a favourable learning environment for your learners. For example, don't forget to think about how to facilitate your training sessions! Multiplying interactions with your learners will facilitate their learning and create a memorable memory.
Ready to launch your face-to-face training? Now you have all the keys! Before you start, don't forget to create your training program, and to present a registration sheet at the start of each course.
