There are a lot of online learning opportunities out there today – courses, workshops, bootcamps, etc. I’ve seen some posts on social media asking how you determine which are worth your time and money – and which aren’t.
As someone who has been teaching workshops, online and offline, for more than 10 years, I’ve spent a good bit of time thinking about this. So here are some things to consider.
1. Is the workshop live or recorded?
Online workshops are often recorded. While it’s nice to be able to go at your own pace, there are downsides. For instance, have you ever paid for an online workshop – and then gotten busy and had trouble finding time to take it?
And what if you need clarification on a point – would you rather rewind and listen again to what you weren’t clear on the first time? Or would you prefer to enter into a dialog with a live person?
I vote for the latter – which is why all my workshops happen live, in real time – no recordings. This allows me to answer questions as they arise. It also allows for feedback on the hands-on exercises we do that allow you to practice, right away, what you’ve learned (more on those in a bit).
2. Is the workshop interactive or just lecture?
Who wants to be lectured at? None of us. That’s not a recipe for learning – it’s a recipe for boredom.
That’s why my workshops are more like discussions. Attendees are encouraged to participate and ask questions at any time – and I’ll happily go deeper into topics the attendees are most interested in.
3. Does the leader of the workshop have deep expertise in the topic?
Even get a promo for an online workshop and look up the instructor on LinkedIn, only to find out that they have less experience with the topic than you do?
There are a lot of self-proclaimed experts out there – but how do you that they know their stuff? Here are four ways to find out:
- LinkedIn: do they have the topic-specific experience necessary to teach? Are they posting about the topic, and, if so, do they seem knowledgeable about it? Are other people you respect in the industry commenting in a positive way?
- Online Publications: are they writing about the topic they are teaching? If so, does their approach make sense to you? Look for publications they write for as well as their own blog.
- On-demand Videos: are they engaging to watch and listen to? Is their presentation organized and understandable? Even if the topic is different, you can get a feel for their teaching style.
- Testimonials: what do people who have taken their courses or worked with them say about them? Look for specific comments, not just general satisfaction. LinkedIn can be a good source, as can testimonials on the workshop information pages.
I’ve been working in the digital marketing arena more than 30 years – and focused on email marketing for more than 20 of those years. I write and speak on email and digital marketing for two reasons – to drive business for my consulting and training work, but also to help people do better email and digital marketing.
If you follow me on LinkedIn, you’ll get a steady stream of email marketing content, my own work and the work of others in the industry who I admire. In addition to writing for my own Email Optimization Shop blog, I am a regular contributor to MarTech.org and the Only Influencers blog.
If video is more your style, the ‘past speaking engagements’ page of my website has a lot of on-demand content, so you can get a feel for my presentation style and knowledge. I also feature testimonials from clients on my website as well as on my LinkedIn profile.
4. Does the leader of the workshop have experience teaching and/or training?
We’ve all sat through workshops where the content was stellar – but the presentation style was lacking. The slides weren’t very clear, and the presenter wasn’t as articulate as needed to provide value.
The best way to avoid this is to see if the workshop leader has experience. Experience leading workshops is good; but even better is experience teaching at the college or graduate school level.
An industry colleague encouraged me to teach – she said that teaching had improved her presentation style exponentially. Because each class is a presentation, it’s a good way to get up the learning curve more quickly.
I took her advice – I’ve been an adjunct professor teaching Digital Marketing in the Master of Integrated Marketing program at Georgetown University (my alma mater) since 2017. I teach in person as well as online (both synchronous and asynchronous). She was right – not only do I enjoy teaching, but it has made my industry presentations and workshop trainings better!
5. Does the workshop cover the details of the topic, not just a brief overview?
Even been to a workshop where the topic is covered at such a high level that you don’t have any practical takeaways? That’s the worst. It’s like going to someone for diet advice and being told to ‘eat less and exercise more.’ It’s not bad advice, but don’t we all know that?
Here the description of the workshop is key. Take a read and make sure that it covers the learning you want and need. Also critical – be sure there are bullet points that outline what you’ll learn in the workshop. This will tell you if the practical learnings you’ll gain will help you move forward.
6. Does the workshop include real-world examples as well as theory?
Theory is great – but it will only get you so far. Real-world examples bring the learnings to life; they not only illustrate the theory, but they can provide inspiration for how you might implement what’s being discussed.
My workshops always include:
- Case studies
- Real-world examples
- Personal experiences
I’m lucky – and so you are. My 20+ years in the email marketing industry allow me to share more than just theory, whether it comes to strategy, tactics, standards, best practices or something else related to email.
7. Will you get hands-on practice to apply what you’re learning?
This is the best way to really master a concept – to apply it. For me, this is the real value of a workshop – if you just wanted to hear about a topic, you could read a book.
Which is why each section of the workshop includes lecture, discussion, hands-on exercises, and feedback on those exercises. This helps me confirm that you’ve mastered each topic we cover – and gives you the confidence to know that you’ve got it!
8. Is the time allotted sufficient to cover the topic?
Learning takes time – be sure that the course description seems realistic for the time allotted. The best workshops move at a brisk pace and cover all the content – but also have time for discussion and to go deeper where the attendees want to. Some workshops are too short – can you really master a digital marketing channel in an hour? Probably not.
Most of my full-length online workshops are a total of 6 hours, broken into two 3-hour sessions over two days. This is a good amount of time, it allows for discussion and hands-on exercises at a pace that’s comfortable, not rushed.
9. Do the workshop session(s) fit into your schedule?
It’s lovely to get out of the office for a day or two for offline workshop training – you’re away from your desk and you can focus. But online training is different.
It’s difficult to be at your desk and try to focus on a workshop for 6 or 8 hours, ignoring emails, chats, phone calls, and other work communication.
That’s why most of my full-length online workshops are broken up into two 3-hour sessions over two days. You won’t be ‘unavailable’ to your colleagues for an entire day – and you’ll have time before and/or after the workshop to get your regular work done.
Another plus – shorter sessions help you absorb the new information without becoming overwhelmed.
10. Will you get personal attention from the workshop leader?
Some online workshops have so many attendees that the instructor doesn’t even know your name. It can be difficult to get your questions answered, as everyone is vying for the leader’s time. Personal attention isn’t an option.
But this isn’t true in my online workshops. I limit the number of attendees – to 6. You read that right. Just 6 people per course. That allows me to know your name, provide feedback on your exercises, and learn about the specific challenges you’re looking to solve the knowledge gained in the workshop.
Having just 6 people attend also allows for more group discussion; most people keep their cameras on so they can actively engage.
11. Is the workshop a good mix of lecture, discussion, and hands-on exercises?
I learned long ago that interaction is the key to success with workshops – whether they are online or offline. Each module of the workshop is comprised of:
- Lecture: as little as possible to share the concepts you need to understand
- Discussion: to answer questions but also allow attendees to share experiences
- Hands-on Exercise: applying what you’ve just learned, solo or as part of a group
- Readout and Feedback: sharing your work with – and getting feedback from – the other attendees and your instructor (me!)
Conclusion
I hope this list of questions helps you evaluate online workshops and choose the ones that are the best fit for you.
If you found this useful, I’d love to have you join one of my workshops.
Until next time,
jj
Photo by Ashes Sitoula on Unsplash
