E-Reading vs. Virtual Training: Which Helps You Learn Online?

Online courses are gaining in popularity—and for a good reason. If done right, an online course can produce excellent results by improving your performance while being considerably cheaper than a traditional in-person class.

Also, unlike a one-time classroom session, the online courses containing e-reading are available to revisit as frequently as you want to brush up on the topic at hand.

But, not every online training platform offers the same quality of learning experience. What makes the most significant difference? It turns out, it’s how an online course delivers information that matters most.

We’re Not Great at Remembering Information Learned From E-Reading

The Scientific American reports that, despite the popularity of e-readers and tablets that allow for online reading, studying digital print puts learners at a disadvantage. The reason, it turns out, is that our brains do better at retaining information when they can recall it with contextual details.

“Garland and her colleagues think that students who read on paper learned the study material more thoroughly more quickly; they did not have to spend a lot of time searching their minds for information from the text, trying to trigger the right memory—they often just knew the answers.”

The reason is relatively simple: Reading on a screen is more physically and mentally taxing than reading print on paper.

In addition, when reading on screens, online learners are inclined to engage in what psychologists call metacognitive learning regulation—strategies such as setting specific goals, rereading challenging sections, and checking how much one has understood along the way.

In short, all the activities that bridge the gap between “learning” and “knowing.”

LightSpeed Virtual Training Was Designed to Help You Learn

Our virtual online courses go beyond assigning endless chapters of e-books to create a rewarding learning experience that’s designed to bypass the pitfalls associated with simply reading online.

For example, using video instead of digital print allows users to engage with content like they would in a live classroom.

Why is video so important?

According to Dr. Albert Mehrabian, author of Silent Messages, only 7% of any message is conveyed through words, 38% through certain vocal elements, and 55% through nonverbal elements (facial expressions, gestures, posture, etc.).

That being said, a while online reading is a one-dimensional way to interact with information, video lectures offer a dynamic, versatile, and multifaceted platform for interacting with the subject at hand.

True Interactivity Gives Context to Online Lessons

In addition, the true-interactivity of the LightSpeed VT platform gives context to information learned by online users—emulating the benefits of learning from a printed book. When online learners can take control of how information is received by asking questions in real time, it not only increases engagement but is incredibly useful in converting abstract theories into practical understanding.

In short, interactive virtual training creates a sense of presence which supports the cognitive and social process—two components that are critical for successful learning.

Want to know more about the benefits of LightSpeed VT? Check out our Who We Are page or give us a call at 1-316-771-5050 today!