Have you ever wondered whether online CPR is as effective as in-person training? It’s a common question, even in the days of digital-first business. Despite the familiarity with online courses on almost any subject imaginable, many people are still skeptical about the effectiveness of online CPR and first aid training.
From our perspective, online and in-person learning have their advantages and disadvantages. While online classes offer greater flexibility and convenience, in-person training often allows for more immediate access to instructor feedback and hands-on practice.
Many perceived drawbacks to online training don’t pose a barrier after all. With our commitment to quality and constant improvement, online and blended CPR training are just as effective as — or even more effective than — in-person classes.
Here are some common pros and cons we hear about online learning. It’s what keeps us striving to continuously improve the quality of CPR and first aid training for every learner.
Advantages of Online CPR Training
An online or blended approach to CPR training offers a number of advantages over strictly in-person classes. These include:
- Convenience. Online and blended courses allow students to learn at their own pace. This reduces scheduling conflicts, makes the training available to remote audiences, and ensures each student trains in the environment most conducive to his or her learning.
- Scalability. Online courses only have to be recorded once and can then be distributed to students globally. This means instructors can train significantly more students, helping balance their workload.
- Cost effectiveness. In-person classes often require expenses like travel, registration fees, and equipment. With online learning, students receive value-packed training without the additional costs.
- Technological advantages. Online learning allows for the integration of multimedia like videos, quizzes, and interactive elements that increase student engagement and retention of the material. It also allows instructors to easily track student progress and other key metrics to help improve the course.
As technology keeps advancing, so does our ability to improve the online learning experience and provide high-quality CPR training to everyone we can reach.
Disadvantages of Online CPR Training
Despite the advantages covered above, some people still might believe online CPR training isn’t as effective or isn’t as legitimate as in-person classes. Here are the common reasons we’ve heard.
Limited Hands-On Practice
CPR is a hands-on skill. Some people worry online training won’t provide them with sufficient practice. They mistakenly believe they’ll be underprepared to offer aid during a real-life emergency.
Traditional classroom learning usually doesn’t involve as much practice as you might think. With in-person classes, you’ll only have access to the training equipment during the class — and not all of that time will be dedicated to hands-on practice.
With online CPR training, students have unlimited access to their own equipment and instructional videos. They can practice as much as needed during and after their training.
In its 2020 updated guidelines, the American Heart Association (AHA) advocates for this type of training format. The AHA recommends a combination of self-instruction and instructor-led training and breaking up CPR training into shorter periods over more time to help with student retention.
Lack of Immediate Feedback
A big advantage of in-person training is the physical presence of the instructor. They can answer students’ questions and address any concerns in the moment. With online learning, you sacrifice that immediate feedback in return for flexibility, rewind and replay functions, and self-paced learning.
There isn’t a perfect solution for tracking physical progress during online training today, but we’re currently testing ideas that could allow for immediate feedback to online students. You could learn on your own time while having quick access to real-time help when needed. More to come there in the future.
Lack of Student Engagement
Another argument against online CPR training is that students may struggle to stay engaged when they’re not in a physical classroom.
First, each of us learns differently. While a traditional classroom setting may work well for some, others benefit more from a different style of learning. Research shows that self-paced, online CPR training is often more effective than in-class learning.
With online and blended learning, students have options to engage with the material in ways that suit their individual learning styles. Instead of only learning by listening to the instructor, they can listen, watch videos, read transcripts and subtitles, take breaks when needed, and revisit any parts of the lesson they missed or didn’t understand.
Technology Barriers
We’ve also heard online learning isn’t accessible to everyone, because students may not have reliable internet access or the technical knowledge to navigate online learning platforms.
Today, internet-connected devices are everywhere. For a vast majority of the population, watching training videos online is far more accessible than getting to a specific location, at a specific time, for an in-person class. People without internet access at home can get it at their local library or coffee shop.
Diminished Instructor Presence
With online training, some worry that not having direct access to the instructor will hinder their ability to learn CPR or first aid. They worry they’ll feel disconnected or confused about the material.
Truthfully, with in-person classes, your contact with the instructor is already limited to the time you’re in the class. What about after the class, when you’re driving home and are trying to remember an important tip about timing?
This is where a digital and blended training approach offers the best of both worlds: self-paced and easy-to-review lessons, along with direct instructor feedback.
With our blended training model, you have access to the instructor’s content to rewatch anytime you need a refresher. We’ll also send you regular follow-up emails over the two years your certification is valid. This ensures you have refresher lessons on essential skills anytime you’d like.
Assessment Challenges
Another mistaken belief about online learning is verifying whether students truly understand the material and have mastered the skills. This is why our blended model includes live assessments with certified instructors, ensuring students can successfully demonstrate what they’ve learned.
Students can take advantage of learning whenever and wherever is most convenient for them. Virtual skills assessments allow instructors to meet with students at the students’ convenience.
Lower Perceived Credibility
We’ll close on the elephant in the room. Online training isn’t as credible or valuable as in-person training. This could be true depending on who you choose to purchase your online CPR or first aid training through, but it isn’t true for our trainings here at ProTrainings.
We’re committed to making our online training courses as value-packed and effective as possible. Video lessons allow us to remove pauses, interjections, and repetition to deliver course materials as concisely as possible, maintaining the expert knowledge you need.
Most importantly, we have instructors who are passionate about teaching CPR in a way that’s engaging and easy to follow. Good instructors can’t be everywhere, but online and blended training courses allow us to deliver the best learning experience possible.
ProTrainings’ Philosophy for Better Learning
To ensure our CPR and first aid trainings continue to meet the highest-quality standards, we’re constantly improving. That means:
- Incorporating your feedback. Our customer service team (the Happiness Heroes) takes your feedback seriously. We work to address any issues that come up and pass that information on to our course development team to get things fixed.
- Prioritizing progress. Our team follows the latest science and learnings. We take advantage of technological advancements to improve our student experience and create better training courses.
- Removing barriers for all. Our CPR and first aid training is for everyone, regardless of background, occupation, or life experience. We’re working to ensure everyone has access to the knowledge needed to keep others alive.
Our goal isn’t just to get more students, but to equip more people with the skills and confidence to save lives every day.
Creating Higher-Quality Online Training
At ProTrainings, one of our core values is “Make it better.” This means we’re always trying to improve CPR and first aid training to ensure more people have access to high-quality instruction. It also means our certified students are prepared to handle real-life emergencies when called upon.
Contact us today to learn more about our online and blended CPR training options.