{"id":17419,"date":"2022-04-11T15:57:25","date_gmt":"2022-04-11T12:57:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.talentlms.com\/blog\/?p=17419"},"modified":"2024-10-15T16:54:50","modified_gmt":"2024-10-15T13:54:50","slug":"what-is-synchronous-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.talentlms.com\/blog\/what-is-synchronous-training\/","title":{"rendered":"Does synchronous training fit the modern workplace?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Use it anytime. Take it anywhere. One of the big benefits of technology is its flexibility.<\/p>\n

With a rich tech stack in place, you can do what you want, whenever suits you. This “self-paced” model is how most of us use technology in our personal lives. And it\u2019s a model that\u2019s also impacted the corporate world. Thanks to digital technology, most of us can work flexibly and remotely if we want to. And train flexibly and remotely, too.<\/p>\n

Powered by technology, self-paced (asynchronous) training<\/strong> is when employees control their own learning journey. And it\u2019s become a well-used method of training in most organizations. Particularly, those with mobile, remote, or globally-dispersed workforces.<\/p>\n

But, while online learning is soaring, there are signs that suggest self-paced learning may be starting to struggle<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Worth $20.85 billion in 2016, the US self-paced online learning market dropped to $15.86 billion in 2021. $15.86 is still a huge figure. But it\u2019s a big dip from previous years. And other stats underline this gradual downward trend<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With self-paced training starting to slump, could synchronous training (self-paced learning\u2019s antithesis) be making a comeback?<\/p>\n

In this post, we ask: “What is synchronous training?<\/em>” and explore if it still has a place in the thriving world of eLearning. The stats suggest it does. But why? Let\u2019s take a look.<\/p>\n

What is synchronous training?<\/h2>\n

You\u2019ll hear the terms synchronous and asynchronous used a lot in conjunction with employee training programs. We\u2019ve briefly touched upon the meaning of asynchronous learning<\/strong><\/a>. But what is synchronous training? And how does it differ from the asynchronous self-paced model?<\/p>\n

Well, the answer centers around its different approach to time.<\/p>\n

When two or more people or things come together at the same time it\u2019s usually described as being \u201cin sync\u201d. And this is how synchronous learning operates.<\/p>\n

Unlike self-paced learning where employees work independently and set their own learning schedule, synchronous training happens for all participants in real-time<\/strong>. And, rather than learning on their own, learners who participate in synchronous training can interact with other learners and their instructors during the lesson.<\/p>\n

Synchronous training is usually instructor-led, which often leads to the assumption that it takes place offline in a physical classroom. Not so. While synchronous learning has to take place at the same time for all participants, none of those participants have to be in the same place<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

So, while classroom teaching is an obvious example of synchronous learning, it\u2019s by no means the most common. Synchronous learning can take place online as synchronous eLearning.<\/p>\n

There are a few examples where the two worlds meet. Blended participation, for example, where some students join an in-person, classroom-based session remotely using technology. But in most instances, synchronous learning happens either online or offline.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at examples from both scenarios.<\/p>\n

Offline synchronous training examples<\/h3>\n