Instructor-Led Training Is More Accessible — and Affordable — Than You Think

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edited August 6 in Talent Insights

Think back to your favorite class in high school or college — the one you looked forward to every day. What was it about that class that made you want to actively participate instead of count the minutes until it ended?

Chances are the teacher had something to do with it, right? When you're learning from an instructor who knows their stuff, delivers material in a compelling way, and pays attention to your needs, you tend to learn more and enjoy yourself while you're at it.

 Self-paced, on-demand courses have dominated the corporate learning and development (L&D) field in recent years, and for good reason. This class style is more accessible for the average employee, and it empowers people to take charge of their learning paths. But whether you're taking algebra or training for professional certification, it helps to have a great teacher.

 The only problem is that Intructor-Led Training (ILT) can be costly and inconvenient. But it doesn't have to be. Skillsoft's new virtual Intructor-Led Training (vILT) package delivers all the benefits of ILT in a user-friendly virtual format — and at a lower price.

 That means now is the perfect time to incorporate more ILT into your L&D program. Here's why.

The Unique Benefits of ILT 

The critical difference between ILT and self-paced learning is right there in the name: instructors. When learners have direct access to an experienced subject-matter expert (SME), it opens up new and powerful ways to deliver training. 

By necessity, self-paced courses typically follow a rigorous instructional design. After all, these classes must serve the needs of a broad audience. In contrast, ILT allows for contextualized, individualized learning. Because ILT is led by a live instructor and delivered to a specific group of learners, the content can be tailored — even on the fly — to meet the particular needs of the cohort. Instructors can skip the things their learners already know, and they can even align content to the business dynamics learners will face in the specific scenarios related to their industries. 

Instructors bring to the class their own real-world experiences as practitioners in their disciplines. That's especially beneficial when learners are practicing and perfecting new skills. With an SME by their side, learners can pick up those tricks of the trade you can't find in books. Think of an art class: You can learn a lot about painting from watching a video, but if you want to master the medium, it helps to have hands-on guidance from an expert. The same principle applies if you're learning to code, studying the finer points of compliance, or training for a management role.

The presence of an instructor creates a certain amount of accountability. Because ILT courses are time-bound and guided by the instructor, learners may feel more motivated to attend class and engage with the material. Otherwise, they risk missing out on important concepts or falling behind in their learning. The cohort model of ILT — with the same group of people participating in each session of the class — also opens up opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, should the subject matter call for it. Learners can support one another and cement their own knowledge through group projects, discussions, breakout sessions, and more. 

Where ILT Works Best in an L&D Program

ILT isn't a replacement for self-paced courses. Rather, the two formats complement one another. Some topics — like highly structured and procedural subjects — benefit greatly from the rigorous and repeatable instructional design of on-demand learning.

 On the flip side, ILT is particularly well-suited for subjects and situations that call for differentiated learning — like when an organization needs to upskill or reskill a large, diverse group of people simultaneously. Every learner is approaching the new topic with their own level of background knowledge and preexisting skills. Live instructors can tailor content delivery to meet each learner where they are. This ensures every learner reaches the same level of skill mastery despite starting from different places. 

ILT is also a good venue for exploring the subtleties and nuances of more complex topics, including the theoretical side of technical skills. For example, learning how to write basic functions in Python is a straightforward process that many learners can accomplish through self-paced, on-demand courses. But if learners want to understand how Python functions work under the hood, or how and why they differ from functions in a language like Java, they can benefit from talking it through with an expert instructor.

Perhaps most importantly, ILT is an especially powerful way to close critical skills gaps. A live SME ensures your learners are getting accurate, relevant instruction to build the specific skill sets your organization needs right now. The instructor can also help learners overcome roadblocks and stay on track. These same qualities make ILT an effective choice when you need to level up a lot of learners at once — like when you're introducing new technology or processes to the company.

Finally, it's worth noting that learners retain more knowledge when they learn by doing ILT and on-demand courses are both effective ways for learners to get the hands-on practice they need. In an ILT course, that practice might take the form of instructor-led exercises. In an on-demand course, learners might engage with self-paced practice labs. Either way, learners are benefitting from a safe, supportive environment to master new skills. One format isn’t better than the other; they’re simply intended to meet different learning needs while delivering similarly powerful learning outcomes.

Making ILT More Accessible

ILT sounds great on paper — and it is great in practice. So what keeps L&D leaders from leveraging it more often? 

Usually, the answer is a matter of logistics. ILT is a commitment. Courses tended to be longer and more involved than their on-demand counterparts, and employees don't have flexibility in when and where they attend sessions. As a result, learners may have to sacrifice work time for training.

ILT prices tend to be higher than on-demand courses, and the procurement process can be complicated. Learners may have to seek approval for each individual ILT course, and keeping track of ILT spending can be a headache for L&D leaders.

The good news is that there are ways to make ILT more accessible. Virtual Intructor-Led Training (vILT) helps alleviate some of these concerns by delivering the ILT experience with the convenience and flexibility of virtual learning. And Skillsoft's ILT package can significantly lower the price of vILT while streamlining procurement. 

With the new bundle option, Skillsoft customers can commit funds upfront to be used on vILT purchases over a 12-month period. You don't have to lock into courses ahead of time or carry out the procurement process for every individual class. Learners can choose as they go, selecting from the entire vILT catalog available through Skillsoft Percipio. Plus, you get 30-40% more courses for the same spend when you bundle vs. buying à la carte.

ILT can be a powerful tool in the L&D program's arsenal, and it should be easy to wield that tool when the situation calls for it. Whether you're closing critical skills gaps or giving learners new opportunities to connect with experts in their fields, Intructor-Led Training can help — and now, it's more affordable and accessible than ever.