There are a variety of in-person and online delivery formats within continuing education. Some continuing education programs result in a certificate for completing a series of courses. The below provides some examples of continuing education formats and their advantages and limitations.
All of these formats take place in real time, whether online or in person. Institutes typically take place in-person only, while other formats may take place in person or online.
Course (Co): A relatively short-term, intensive, problem-focused learning experience that actively involves participants in the identification and analysis of problems and in the development and evaluation of solutions. A course may last for just a few hours or may take place over multiple days.
Seminar (S): A session or series of sessions in which a group of experienced people meet with one or more knowledgeable resource persons to discuss a given content area.
Institute (I): A short-term, often residential program, that fosters intensive learning on a well-defined topic. New material is presented to add to the knowledge that the participants already have on the subject.
Workshop (W): A short-term program organized around a specific topic that is designed to build practical knowledge on a process, tool, or activity. Workshops emphasize hands-on activity, and attendees may bring their own projects to work on.
Clinic (Cl): A short-term program that emphasizes diagnosis and treatment of problems that participants bring to the session. Experts available at the clinic, rather than participants themselves, have primary responsibility for diagnosing problems and prescribing treatment.
Recorded Webcasts (RW): Pre-recorded lectures that can be viewed on demand.
On-Demand Courses (OC): A self-paced online course that can be taken at any time. On-demand courses may come with accompanying materials, such as slides, PDFs, and quizzes.
Advantages of Each Format
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Flexibility in options for duration and whether to host in-person or online (Co; S)
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Flexible for learners to attend at a time of their choosing (RW; OC)
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Many people can attend. (Co; RW; OC)
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Immediate application of results of problem-solving efforts. (S; W; Cl)
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People interact in novel ways. (Co; I)
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Students can engage with fellow learners (Co; S; I)
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Isolation from distractions of day-to-day concerns. (Co; I; S)
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Problem-solving skills refined. (W; Cl)
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Low cost (RW; OC)
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Instructors can repurpose already-created content (RW; OC)
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Accessible to a wide audience regardless of geographic location (all online courses; RW; OC)
Limitations of Each Format
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Fatigue and information overload are always possible. (Co; S; I)
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Little or no opportunity to provide individualized attention for learners. (Co; RW; OC)
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Teacher burnout. (Co)
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Little flexibility to deviate from a schedule; instructor/s may run out of time. (Co; W)
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Engagement with hands-on activities may be limited. (Co; RW; OC)
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Costs can be higher, especially if travel is required (Co; I)
Criteria for Selecting a Format
There are a number of factors that may help an instructor determine their format for continuing education, and whether it will be online or in-person. A course can be flexible in length, take place in a single day or over multiple days, and can include both lecture portions and hands-on activities. A course may be appropriate for an introduction to a topic or for teaching more advanced concepts. Seminars are better for more experienced learners focusing on advanced concepts in a topic, and may include more discussions and readings. An institute can be a great way to teach in-depth knowledge on a topic and create a cohort of learners. Institutes are often intensive and in-person, making them ideal for a summer program. Workshops can be a great option if an instructor wants to teach about a tool or concept, and include lots of hands-on activities. Clinics can help learners troubleshoot issues that they are experiencing in their own work.
Asynchronous options, including recorded webinars and on-demand courses, can reach a wide audience and provide learners with the flexibility of participating in any location, on their own schedule. They can also be a way for instructors to repurpose content that they have already created. A disadvantage is that there is often no opportunity to ask the instructor questions or engage with other learners.
Online learning is now commonplace, and many types of instruction can be adapted to an online format. Online learning takes place on a computer or mobile device such as a tablet or smartphone and may employ various technologies, including video conferencing software and course management systems, to facilitate learning. Online learning formats include live (synchronous) and asynchronous instruction. Both live and asynchronous instruction offer greater flexibility to participants, allowing them to attend from a location of their choosing. Online learning may include activities to help learners stay engaged, including breaking out into smaller groups to work on an activity with other participants, quizzes and polls, and frequent question and answer sessions. One disadvantage to online learning is that learners do not have the same “in-person” experience where they are able to interact face-to-face with instructors and fellow participants. Topics that include viewing and handling physical materials, or that require one-on-one feedback between instructors and participants, may be better suited for in-person formats.