Why This Question Still Matters
When lockdown hit in 2020, one question kept coming up:
“Are you going to move the new training courses online?”
We could have migrated our programme immediately, as many training providers did. Instead, we paused. Instead we listened to feedback from past and present students and trainers, considered options, and asked ourselves some big questions about the quality benchmarks we wanted to uphold, questions that remain just as relevant today.
The Questions We Asked:
- How can we ensure that online training delivers the same depth of experience and high level of skills as our in-person courses?
- Can we access the best technologies and support to translate our ‘in the room’ content into an online format, beyond simply shifting existing material wholesale onto Zoom?
- How confident are we that new students will graduate with the skills, attitudes, and self-awareness needed to achieve their goals?
Resisting the pressure to rush headlong into action, Nancy Kline’s words from Time to Think came to mind:
“Thinking for yourself is still a radical act.”
What We Learned About In-Person vs Online Training
Research and experience revealed both benefits and limitations.
Challenges of Online Training
- Reduced social interaction, including informal conversations during breaks
- Less fluid exchange of ideas
- Lower retention of material due to multitasking online and home life interruptions
- Limited flexibility for trainers to ‘read the room’ and adapt content in the moment
- Technical issues and the reality of ‘Zoom fatigue’
Strengths of Online Training
Much to our delight, some topics and formats lend themselves beautifully to virtual learning. Here are a few ways we now use online training:
- Practice Clinics: Participants coach each other in pairs while trainers observe and provide real-time guidance.
- Half-Day Live Trainer-Led Sessions: With breakout rooms for practice and discussion, these sessions allow us to bring in trainers from different locations, adding richness to the learning experience.
- Peer Learning Circles: Small groups meet online to practice coaching skills or explore topics relevant to their development.
- Asynchronous elements: Can be effective, for example with powerpoint presentations, where material can be returned to and digested over time.
- Surveys gather real time feedback and evaluation easily and quickly
These regular surveys to assess both long term and short term outcomes have given us the confidence to claim:
Long-Term Outcomes: Show that graduates of blended programs achieve the same confidence and career success
Coach Presence: Has not been compromised, we teach and assess presence effectively both online and in-person
Community & Belonging: We have created spaces that foster strong peer networks and alumni engagement virtually and in person.
The Power of Blended Learning
Five years on, our inquiry continues. We’ve learned that the question isn’t “in-person or online?” but “how do we combine the best of both?”
Blended learning, integrating the depth and immediacy of in-person training with the flexibility and reach of online formats, offers the most powerful approach. It allows us to maintain high standards, create meaningful connections, and adapt to the realities of a changing world.
Our Commitment to Quality
At Wise Goose, we remain committed to holding this question open, listening, and evolving. Because for us, quality coaching education isn’t about following trends, it’s about thinking deeply and acting wisely.
Next Steps in Our Inquiry
As we continue exploring the balance between in-person and online training, we’re asking new questions:
- Accessibility & Inclusion: How do we ensure equity for learners with different tech access and needs?
- Ethics & Sustainability: How can we stay up to date with the environmental and data privacy implications of digital platforms?
- Innovation: How might emerging tech (VR, AI, microlearning) enhance coaching education?
Our commitment is to keep learning, and evolving, because quality coaching education is not about following trends, but about thinking deeply and acting wisely.