Over the course of a few short weeks, the Covid-19 Pandemic has driven a focus towards almost a complete virtual reality. During this situation, I became laid back and relaxed considering this as an everlasting holiday. However, one day, I took a journey towards my past and did some accounting of how time was spent during my previous so-called normal Professional Routine.  

I realized that I had become engaged with my official assignments and follow-ups constantly. This had forced my work life to become monotonous with lowered upgradeability of skill sets. To upgrade my knowledge, I used to read multiple books and watch as many videos that were available. Mostly, this was time-consuming and in bite-sized fragments of learning. Bringing this knowledge together into one concise learning outcome was un-imaginary, due to random fragments of knowledge. 

Finally, during COVID, it was time to upgrade my skills and I was presented with an opportunity to attend a couple of virtual training sessions. Here started a new journey of education for me. The first day’s session started when the participants had to switch between mute and unmute due to external disturbances. Introductions were done and expectations were set. We started asking questions vocally and the trainer was patient enough in addressing every question. I had a few silly ones which I was too shy to ask and hence, typed them into the chat feed and I received prompt responses. I suppose others too had similar experiences. My learning experience was almost like a classroom-based physical session except for the face to face and physical experiences. 

Virtual training reduce cost and lost time. At the end of the day, the important factor is finding the answer to the questions.  

Did I gain Applicable Knowledge with fewer efforts and time, and not in fragments? “Yes”.  

I do agree that there are pros and cons to both forms of learning. However, based on my experience, I am sure both outcomes are pretty much equal in terms of the goals achieved.  

“Knowledge Gained at Convenience”. 

 

By : Nanda Kumar (Ananda) Ananda

Senior Instructor/Consultant at Red Education