Facing your screen or sitting in a classroom? This question divides professionals seeking training. Each format has its champions and detractors. The truth? Neither is objectively superior. Everything depends on your personality, constraints and learning objectives. Here's how to decide intelligently.
Flexibility versus Immersion
Online training reigns over flexibility. Learn at 6 AM or midnight, from your couch or a café on the other side of the world. Pause, review a difficult concept, advance at your pace. For parents, shift workers or globetrotters, this freedom becomes decisive.
In-person training imposes its rigid but effective framework. Mandatory appointments, fixed schedules, required presence. This external structure disciplines chronic procrastinators. Total immersion for a few days disconnects from daily distractions. No notifications, no laundry waiting, no excuses. You're there to learn, period.
Human Interaction: Real or Virtual?
Nothing replaces coffee shared during breaks, spontaneous discussions that extend the course, the collective energy of a physically gathered group. In-person training weaves lasting professional bonds. Your table neighbor becomes your future business partner. The instructor instantly captures your confusion and adjusts their discourse.
Online training is progressing spectacularly on this front. Breakout rooms, live chats, community forums: interaction exists, differently. Some introverts express themselves better behind a screen than raising their hand in a room. Modern collaborative tools create real group dynamics, even remotely. Less spontaneous, certainly, but sometimes more inclusive.
Budget: The Complete Equation
Online training often displays lower rates. No room rental, no travel costs for the organization. These savings impact the price. For you, add hidden costs of in-person: transportation, accommodation if necessary, meals, vacation days taken. A €2000 training can easily cost €3500 in the end.
But beware of miscalculations. A €500 online training you'll never complete costs more than a €2000 in-person training you'll finish. Dropout rates explode in remote learning. Your personal discipline enters the financial equation. If you know you procrastinate, the extra cost of in-person becomes an investment in your success.
Your Learning Style: The Final Key
Some brains love digital autonomy. Learning by video, reading materials at their pace, seeking complements online: this self-service path stimulates them. Others need physical presence to stay focused. Touching materials, practicing side by side, feeling group energy: these sensory dimensions anchor their learning.
Test both formats if possible. Start with a free MOOC to evaluate your online discipline. Attend a one-day workshop to experience in-person immersion. Your personal experience trumps all generic advice. What matters isn't the format but your actual commitment. Mediocre training followed assiduously beats excellent training you abandon. Choose the format that maximizes your chances of completing it.
