Pros and Cons of Online Coach Training

There are a number of options available for training courses. In case of coach training, one can select the medium of delivery. According to an international survey, 92% organizations use the Internet to impart online coach training. E learning has its own share of advantages and disadvantages.

The following are some of the online learning advantages:

. Writing enhances the relationship of a person with himself.
. No time and travel costs to classroom.
. No geographical location constraints.
. It can prove to be more effective for some type of learners.
. You may feel more comfortable writing about what you have learnt, rather than talk about it.
. One can learn at a self-set pace.
. One can email the instructor on any given day.
. You can read and re-read your emails.
. You can take as long as you want to complete your work.
. Flexibility in scheduling of course.

According to a study by the American Economic, virtual courses are more effective in teaching basic concepts. They facilitate the learning process in students and the application and problem solving that need analytical thinking.

Resource-Based Learning- This type of learning method concentrates on the interaction between the computer and the human. The approach primarily focuses on making available media-rich resources to compliment learning. Although it has many advantages, there are some disadvantages that have been recognized. Some teachers feel that since the inception of the e-learning method, they have lost their control over the learning system, thus making it less effective and lose out on contributions to the learning process. In addition, the inherent difficulties and the traditional learning criteria have also been in question. This is applicable to both, the reflective skills as well as the cognitive skills.

A major disadvantage of online coach training is that it requires extra discipline in the study process. In personal learning groups, everyone is able to offer encouragement, mutual support and even deal with friendly rivalry, making the process more of informative and motivating.

The following are some learning disadvantages:

-Less face-to-face interaction leads to nil visual cues.
-New skills and responsibilities are needed from the learners.
. There is less or no interaction. Since it is not a structured classroom, there may not be any question-answer sessions or discussions among the students. There is a difficulty in staying on track, without a structured classroom.
. It is difficult for teaching instructors to give individual feedback.
. Educators ought to be qualified and effective online instructors and virtual trainers.
. Problems in gauging the educational quality of the course material.
. It is difficult for instructors to set online content.
. Issue with the effectiveness of student assessment.
. Learners face difficulty in assessing the expertise and knowledge of the instructors.
. Students need to be self-organizing and motivated learners.
. Academic honesty of online students.
. Lack of interaction and peer contact for students working alone.
. There might be a delay in response from other classmates or the instructors through asynchronous communications bulletin boards, forums or discussion boards.
. A student may also face technical problems with the online process. This could be inability to login or slow network processes.