The positive trend towards online learning during Covid-19 and beyond

Over the past few months Covid-19 has created challenges that every business has had to contend with. That has been no different for training provider ABSTRACT, the leading experts in business improvement through people. Here their CEO, Andy Nicol, explains how engaging virtual training has been in high demand during the pandemic.

The new digital normal

“We initially found that businesses were addressing an immediate need to provide their people with the tools and inspiration to adapt, survive and thrive during the sudden adjustment that lockdown brought.

However, we are already observing a clear shift in the way clients are approaching corporate learning. Virtual solutions have been given an unexpected opportunity – and have already proved to offer several advantages for businesses that will last long after lockdown, including:

• Reduced attendance and travel costs
• Removal of geographical, logistical and travel boundaries for clients, delegates and facilitators
• Support a better work life balance through reduced time on the road, which decreases disruption to family and personal time
• Interactive tools like whiteboards, polls, videos and chat are capable of engaging participants, and this interactivity will rapidly increase as innovation and skills develop.

We believe our industry will never revert to the way it was. To that end we as an industry must meet the challenges of the new normal with progressive, innovative and engaging online learning solutions.

Evolving our approach

Despite the challenges Covid-19 presented, we have embraced the exciting opportunity to adapt our existing award-winning learning and development programmes for virtual delivery. Our programmes are very interactive, so we needed to find a way to continue this virtually.

We have also developed new lockdown-relevant content, including a series of webinars on several key topics including; building confidence, effective communication, resilience for the modern day, and sound judgement and decision making.

It’s been a voyage of discovery for us to find the technology and digital techniques to ensure all our virtual programmes, like our face to face programmes, provide interesting, stimulating and engaging content, delivered with artistry and panache.

World events have plunged our virtual training into the limelight, and it has proven extremely effective. Face to face delivery will return, but the benefits of online learning will mean that the future will see a blended proposition of face to face and virtual delivery – and we are excited to develop and generate new and innovative learning solutions to meet this demand”.

For further information visit  https://www.abstractuk.co.uk/ or contact the ABSTRACT team on info@abstractuk.co.uk