Travelling across the country training tax professionals a few years ago, I realised that what I was teaching in classrooms could be easily replicated online. Together with a partner, I launched an online teaching programme for tax professionals. It was popular. Of customers who chose the online service, 20% eventually used it to replace classroom teaching altogether, 60% used it to supplement classroom training, and 20% were new customers.

Tax professionals can now study a range of programmes online, from continuous professional development on many aspects of tax and accounting, to qualification and exam training such as ATT and CTA. Some programmes are simply classroom lectures made available online, but many others make the same content more concise and visual.

Benefits of online

There are obvious time benefits for companies that invest in online training. Most classroom tax training sessions can last for three hours, compared with 15 to 20 minutes for online lectures. This means less travel time and days when groups of employees are out of the office at the same time. A client recently remarked how online training had transformed the way they worked, primarily because it is less disruptive and they could fit the courses in around their day-to-day work.

Shorter lectures also accelerate learning by working to people’s ability to retain more information in short, succinct chunks. Online lectures are just 15 to 20 minutes long so we can drip-feed the information.

People also learn a great deal from pictures and diagrams. Research shows that people retain twice as much when they see something rather than hear it or read it, so we make online training very visual and audio-rich. For tax training it works especially well as it is easy to show graphically what is happening to numbers. While you can include visuals in a classform presentation, it can’t be done to the same extent. Powerpoint is not as visual as Macromedia Flash.

So does online training mean more individualised learning and a movement away from groupwork and discussion? Yes, to the extent that it gives you greater control over when and how you study. If you already know a particular lecture, you can skip it; equally, if you are having difficulty understanding a particular point, you can go through it again. Lectures can even be downloaded to your MP3 player and listened to on the way home.

But online learning also provides opportunities for group discussions. One accountancy firm we work with gets together in groups to discuss each of the topics. Employees still enjoy the social side of classroom training but within an office environment, and at a time convenient to them.

Demise of the classroom?

Online training can never completely replace classroom training. Most (60%) of our lectures are still classroom-based and not all lessons are available online. For corporates, some of the learning is very niche. I have spoken with many lecturers who believe that some complex subjects are better taught one to one, and that online training sessions would not support such expert tuition.

The classroom also provides an opportunity to socialise and network. When looking at the real value of classroom training, people typically overestimate the educational component and underestimate the social. Take CPD; the feedback from our lessons is that people like the human contact of classroom training and the feeling they can share their experience with others.

What is changing, though, is the style of classroom teaching. No longer is it sufficient for a lecturer simply to read out a text for three hours in front of a class. Lectures need to be interactive, animated and entertaining. It is often the things people laugh at that they remember the best.

Nothing can beat the live experience of listening to a lecture if that lecturer is inspiring and knowledgeable. Take Ben Elton – the experience of seeing him live is completely different to watching him on a DVD. In the same way, the hi-fi never replaced live rock performances and online training will never truly replace classroom-based learning as long as the lecturers are good. The assessment forms we receive on our lecturers show that the best ones are those who make the topics practical and entertaining.

Mix of the best

As tax trainers look to offer the most effective and up-to-date tuition we are seeing a real growth in blended learning, where learning in the classroom is complemented and reinforced by online training. Lecturers will set an online module the night before so people can start a classroom lesson with assumed knowledge and better focus. In the classroom, people can come together to test their knowledge and there is a common level across the classroom.

Many of our customers get more from these types of sessions, which bring together online knowledge acquisition and classroom knowledge application. The Big Four, for example, have embraced blended learning as part of their graduate training. Employees will learn a new module online and then apply that knowledge in the classroom.

Looking ahead

Technology is changing rapidly and we are seeing some exciting developments that will affect training and development. One of the most important is the growth of Web 2.0 social networking technology.

As Web 2.0 sites such as YouTube and Myspace take off, so their practices are making the transition into business use. By developing its wider e-learning potential, online training will allow people to work together and discuss issues, replicating the networking that is so valuable in the classroom.

With the rise of mobile platforms that can support online training – the laptop computer, the mobile phone, the MP3 player and the personal digital assistant (PDA) – we will all be able to have learning on demand, whenever and wherever we want it.

For now, online training will not lead to the demise of classroom training; there are pros and cons for each. With the increase in compliance requirements and tax legislation, people need to know more. That makes training more important than ever. Businesses need to look at their needs, discuss them with trainers and decide on the approach which best suits them.

THE BENEFITS

Online training

● Staff spend less time travelling and away from the office
● Lectures usually last for only 15 to 20 minutes, so staff can fit online learning into their working schedule
● Lectures are always available to view online
● People can choose the modules they want to study, skip those they already know and view again those they need to learn more about
● People learn more in short succinct chunks, and so remember more from concise online lectures
●Online training can be highly visual and people learn more from pictures and diagrams

Classroom training

● Lets staff share ideas and network
●Allows one-on-one discussion on complex tax areas
● Live lectures can provide inspiration and entertainment

Blended learning

● Brings together online knowledge acquisition and classroom knowledge application – staff can learn a subject online and apply it in the classroom

Chris Jones is head of Tolley Tax Training, LexisNexis Butterworths