The Best Methods of Continuing Education

  • Oct 31
The Best Methods of Continuing Education

These days, there are many ways out there to obtain continuing education credits. Obviously, some are good and others are not so good. Let’s go over the options that are predominantly available to you and see how we can work them into your daily schedule. Here are a few of the best methods of continuing education.

The Three Best Methods of Continuing Education

1. Seminars

Seminars are a great way to get in front of real people and discuss current affairs. They give you the opportunity to engage with industry peers and discuss cutting-edge developments in your field. They can also be a great way to learn from other people’s mistakes. Furthermore, the speakers tend to be very vibrant people with great backstories of success, meaning seminars can be great motivators as well. However, there are a couple of drawbacks.

First and foremost, the best seminars can be very expensive to attend. This is not a problem when your company covers the cost, but for those that are part of a startup, the cost can be hard to justify when there are other, more-critical operations to fund. Seminars that apply to your interests or skill set can be hard to come by and require extensive travel to attend, thus adding to the cost. Most people don’t have the time to put their workload on hold for several days to attend.

The main drawback that can occur is having speakers that are ill-prepared and, thus, boring or unhelpful. It is very hard to stay engaged when the person talking does not appeal to you. All in all, seminars are great but do your research beforehand and make sure that the money you spend is worth the investment – even if it’s on your company’s dollar.

2. Webinars

Webinars can be just as valuable as seminars if you’re not interested in engaging with like-minded peers. They have all the benefits of seminars, except peer engagement, plus you can attend from the comfort of your own home. They also tend to come at a substantially lower price than seminars.

The primary drawback to webinars is that you must be a disciplined learner and willing to sit at a computer and focus for long periods of time. Sometimes webinars can be paused, which allows you to take a break when you start to feel mentally fatigued. There are many webinar platforms available to everyone and, therefore, are a great option for those who are trying to learn and grow on a budget and on their own time.

3. Online Courses

Online courses are arguably the best way to learn and grow. Obviously, we at VTR have a bias toward this form of learning. But allow us to lay out the benefits, so you can come to your own conclusion. Online learning gives people the luxury of learning on their own time at their own pace. You never have to worry about making travel arrangements and there is an endless variety of online programs and courses. The costs tend to be a fraction of Webinars and Seminars, which is beneficial to the learner on a budget.

Best of all, online learning keeps your mind engaged by presenting the content in a manner that requires interaction. The time commitment for courses can range from 10-minute refresher/basic knowledge lessons all the way to 50 hour/multi-week/month commitments. The online learning industry continues to grow and thrive thanks to advancements in modern-day technology. Some online learning providers even offer certificates of completion which you can add to your resume.

Discover the Best Continuing Education Methods

In summary, Seminars, Webinars and Online Learning are the top three means to earn continuing education credits. All three have pros and cons, but we feel that Online Learning offers the most bang for your buck. Fortunately, VTR Learning can help you discover the best continuing education methods. We offer dozens of courses for business professionals – all online and self-paced. So, be sure to check out our full catalog for more information.

If you want to learn more, consider reading about VTR’s approach to distance learning.


Article written by Vaughn Pourchot

Last updated March 7, 2023