Not all learning is equal

Since the arrival of Covid, we have all got a little more used to engaging through webinars. What many of us have realised, is that a whole day webinar – which many of these courses are – can be soul destroying. This means that as well as often being more expensive than the better alternatives, these kind of training events may actually impede learning.

Who on earth can retain concentration for 6 hours?

Which of us has not tuned into a webinar, and at some point in the proceedings found themselves either staring blankly out of the window, sneakily checked our emails (and maybe answered one or two) or even turning off the webcam and nipping out of the room?

Of course you have! Don’t be ashamed of it. Everyone is doing it.

We can all be forgiven for being momentarily distracted during training. That is quite normal, despite the best efforts of even the most highly skilled trainers.

But there is a big difference between being momentarily distracted, and tuning out from the messages. And an even bigger difference between being momentarily distracted, and ending up ‘brain dead’ as the training goes on too long and is not engaging.

If that is where you or your people sometimes find themselves, then it means that you are wasting both time and money. Whilst a learner’s mind and attention is elsewhere, they are not learning. And you booked them on the course to learn.

When you are considering where you should source your training then you would be well advised to consider the following principles as a quick checklist:

• Is the training being provided by the absolute industry experts in the field?

• What is the track record of the trainers in this area, and do they understand how learners learn?

• Do the trainers understand the existing knowledge of the learners and what they need to provide to build on that existing knowledge?

• Can the trainer explain complex concepts and principles in simple to understand ways?

• Does the trainer use good visual messages to embed learning?

• Does the trainer understand the difference between what you think you know, and what you actually know?

• When you ask a question of the trainer, do you feel that the answer is backed up by years’ of experience and is reliable?

• Is the learning in small enough bursts to aid digestion of new concepts and learning, without burning out part way through?

• Does the structure of the learning recognise individual differences between learners, and different pace of learning?

• Does the learning stretching people, rather than leaving them in a comfort zone?

• Does the trainer make sure that there is horizontal learning taking place across different concepts and themes?

• Is the trainer aware of the need to identify where prior knowledge of the student can actually impede their learning?

These are all important questions and principles, whatever the subject matter of the training you are seeking. That is why we remain true to these principles when we design training at Chris Brain Associates.

This is especially the case of the Asset Valuation Circle, where we have ensured that the learning structure, learning content, and means of delivery is designed to maximise student learning and personal growth, and is a place where knowledge ‘sticks’.

Where do you go to make sure you are up to date with all things asset valuation?

Chances are some of you are still booking yourself onto one of the many webinar courses out there, put on by one of the professional institutes.

But are you getting value for money from this?

You could book onto a webinar training day with a training provider. That will probably cost you up to £375. There are 4 day webinar courses also available out there, and this could set you back up £1,600.

If you are spending that kind of money – and public money to boot – then you have to get real value for it. For example, for £1,600 you could provide access for 7 people to our Asset Valuation Circle for a whole year, including over 20 hours of pre-recorded bite-sized training that you can watch over and over, live events four times per year, online chat room as well as an email hotline.

To find out more about the Asset Valuation Circle, please click here.