10 Training Formats

There’s no getting around the fact that you need high-quality training to keep your people at the top of their game, regardless of the industry your business is in. But with so many training formats to choose from, which one fits the learning needs of your team? Discover more about the most popular training formats through our list below.

1. Elearning

The concept behind elearning is to deliver training online, allowing teams to easily access it via electronic devices like desktop computers, tablets, and even smartphones. This training format is currently well-liked among modern employees, mostly because it allows them to go through the materials whenever and wherever they choose and complete the training at their own pace.

Elearning has also opened up a lot of opportunities to make training fun and enjoyable. You can incorporate elements like images, videos, and audio to engage your learners. Even better, you can include quizzes to unleash your team’s competitive spirit and motivate them to complete their training. 

But that’s not all. Implementing elearning is also easier, and on top of that, less expensive than traditional training. With the help of good elearning software, you can create and design your courses in just a few hours, and roll it out to your teams right away. 

Just take SC Training (formerly EdApp) for example. This learning management system (LMS) has a great course creator tool where you can build professional-looking elearning courses and design them with the most effective learning strategies and trends in mind. You can add images and videos to your slides, or incorporate game-based quizzes and assessments. 

Start using the best elearning platform today! Sign up with SC Training (formerly EdApp) for free*

*Up to 10 learners.

2. In-person training

In-person training is very different from the company elearning strategy in that training takes place face-to-face, typically on a set schedule and in a specific location like an office or a conference room. It follows the traditional learning style where a trainer leads group sessions, and learners must be physically present to benefit from the training. 

This training format, unfortunately, lacks engagement as learners are often forced to simply sit and listen for hours. Even yet, it continues to be a popular training tool up to date, especially when there’s a need to discuss complex topics. This is primarily because learners can directly ask their instructors for clarification and get immediate answers. Plus, it offers greater interaction with their peers, allowing them to get additional perspectives on the training topic at hand.

3. Blended training

Blended training gives you the best of both in-person and elearning training formats. The approach for this training style varies, usually depending on your training needs. You can facilitate in-person training sessions while using online materials for higher learning retention. Or you could also share elearning courses with your team, and ask them to come to the office for an in-person assessment. 

The only drawback is that launching blended training can be a bit overwhelming and confusing, especially since you’ll have to prepare both online and in-person training materials. For that matter, finding a great blended learning tool that eliminates any hassle would be really helpful. 

You don’t have to look far – SC Training (formerly EdApp) can help you piece together both your digital and in-person training using its course creator and practical assessment tools. Create courses and take your team through digital training, and afterward, assess their knowledge on the job using a digital checklist. The results are automatically tracked in the admin experience, saving you a lot of time monitoring your team’s learning progress. 

If you’re a little unsure on how to get started with this training format, you can check out this Blended Training Guide for Enterprises, which SC Training (formerly EdApp) has put together as a guide for L&D managers like you.

4. On-the-job training

On-the-job training method is commonly used to transfer practical skills to new hires and guide them step-by-step on how to apply their knowledge into practice. Through this employee development training, they can better understand how to complete a particular task, learn how to use the right tools for the job, and get a sense of the quality of work that is expected of them.

In most cases, a new hire will be asked to follow an experienced coworker and observe how a job is performed. Eventually, they’ll be given the chance to execute their actual duties and find an approach that works for them. A manager or higher-up will keep watching and guiding them until they gain expertise and confidence in doing their tasks.

5. Coaching/ Mentoring

Coaching, sometimes also referred to as mentoring, entails a direct exchange of knowledge and experiences between a staff member and a more experienced colleague. The process is simple. A coach gives a coachee some advice and guidance on how they can achieve their goals and reach their full potential. An employee can also direct their questions to the coach assigned to them and share their insights about a task. 

While it can be a bit similar to the idea of on-the-job training, the process of coaching and mentoring tends to be longer. This training format can be extended for a year, sometimes even longer. On the other hand, on-the-job training isn’t advisable to last for more than six months.

The benefits of coaching and mentoring also extend beyond just developing certain skills and honing an employee’s performance. It strengthens the bond between your employees and their coaches, significantly enhancing workplace engagement and morale.

Learn more about coaching and how to implement different coaching styles through SC Training (formerly EdApp)’s Leadership and Coaching/Management Styles course. It’s free for up to ten users, plus, it can be accessed across any device, including computers and smartphones.

6. Simulation

Simulation training mirrors actual work scenarios that your trainees will most likely encounter on the job. It’s referred to as one of the training forms for employees since it helps your staff members to put the skills and knowledge they’ve gained from taking their courses or listening to lectures into practice, all without risking any harm or costly damage to your brand. For example, your cashier staff can simulate techniques in cashier simulation training courses. Employees in high-stakes fields that demand optimum expertise in specific skills, like the medical or aviation industries, can benefit most from this training. 

The only catch for this training format is that it often involves the use of expensive equipment, like a virtual reality (VR) device. You’ll also need to find a course designer or at least a course creator software to build interactive, computer-simulated situations.

7. Roleplaying

Role-playing is a cost-effective alternative to simulation training in a way that you can also put your employees in a controlled scenario, but without the need to invest in any costly equipment. Here, participants can take specific roles and act out a real work scenario. It’s usually played in pairs or in groups, although a trainer can also ask their trainees to act individually. Throughout the process, your team will learn how to approach a difficult or unfamiliar situation and build their confidence before putting them to actual work.

8. Peer-to-peer training

Exactly as its name implies, peer-to-peer training involves learning from peers. This training takes form in different ways. In some cases, employees take the lead and present training to their co-workers. Your team members can also arrange informal lunches or dinners to brainstorm ideas, share knowledge about a specific topic, or work on complex problems that they often face at work. 

Since this training involves trainees of the same level, learners are much more likely to actively participate and ask questions without hesitation. This is due to the absence of a teacher-student barrier, which commonly exists in instructor-led training formats. This training also lays the path for better working relationships and stronger teamwork since it exposes your team to other views and perspectives and encourages them to learn from one another.

9. Case Studies

Another great training format to consider is case studies. In your training format template, you’ll get to include situations illustrating the most common workplace issues. You can use real or imaginary case studies, or a combination of both, as long as it connects to the key responsibilities of your team. 

Employees, on the other hand, will work together to analyze the situation and come up with the best solution to solve it. The main goal of this training format is to practice both their problem-solving and decision-making skills, so they can accomplish their tasks and overcome any challenges that may come their way.

10. Mobile training

Mobile training is exactly how it sounds – learning through the use of mobile phones. This means making the training materials, regardless of their format, easily accessible through this hand-held device. This gives the learners the ultimate flexibility to take their training remotely, or even on the go. 

The only thing to bear in mind is that mobile training requires careful planning. After all, using a mobile device for training creates a lot of distractions, especially since it’s also used for accessing social media sites and playing video games. You need to make sure that your lessons are not only mobile accessible but also engaging enough to make sure that your staff members are actually learning and gaining new skills from the training. 

Mobile training app SC Training (formerly EdApp) offers an array of learning solutions that can help level up your mobile training. For one, it has a collection of game-based templates that can turn your boring course quizzes into actual smartphone games, like Jeopardy, Elevator game, Memory game, and more. 

SC Training (formerly EdApp) also features quiz tools like Rapid Refresh and Brain Boost (available upon request), which can automatically set up your quizzes in fun training games and help your team remember key topics from your training.

Sign up with SC Training (formerly EdApp) today to start using the best mobile training platform!