With refresher courses scheduled for the near future, such as BCP-501 (Business Continuity Planning Review, May 9-10 Melbourne, May 16-17 Sydney), the relative merits of classroom training and online training are likely to be under discussion once again. While it’s also a matter of personal preference, classroom learning is often appreciated for its possibilities of flexibility and immediate feedback. In some cases however, it’s more a matter of comfort: throughout earlier educational experiences, we may have become so used to sitting at desks with other students, that any other learning method may seem unnatural. If so, how can you go beyond the comfort factor and get the most out of a collective training experience like this?
Without a doubt, the answer is participation. This is also where classroom learning has the potential to score higher than other types of learning. “Living” the training experience means you use a lot more of your sensory inputs (seeing, hearing, feeling). The more you use these different inputs, the greater chance that you will retain the information, an important point for refresher courses such as BCP-501, as well as for new material.
But what if you’re the bashful kind, reluctant to draw attention to yourself in a classroom? Then there are still ways to tackle the situation. Firstly, review the course contents before you come, and identify any important questions you want to ask. The more important the question, the less bashful you’ll be. Secondly, try some informal discussion in small groups before training starts at the breaks. You may uncover points that other people are also looking to clarify, another good reason for participating with a question. And thirdly, think about it – when a question is asked, do you pay attention to the person asking it, or more to the instructor answering it? In other words, unless you particularly want to draw attention to yourself, you don’t have to. Yet you can still get the benefit of participating and getting your questions answered.
Review all DRII courses on offer at www.dri-anz.org/education