Best Training Modality? Research-Backed Steps to Get it Right

The Best Training Modality
Which training modality truly fits your situation?  It depends.

• Inexperienced Instructional Designers Say…
  Ask a novice, and they’ll likely champion their favorite approach — then list every reason it’s superior.
• Experienced Instructional Designers Say…
  Ask a seasoned designer, and their answer is simple: “It depends.” And they’re correct. The right modality isn’t about preference — it’s about the outcomes you need, the audience you’re serving, and the context in which learning, reinforcement, and growth occurs.

Why Experienced Instructional Designers Are Right
Experienced instructional designers know the truth: conversations about training modalities often happen far too early in the instructional design process. Too much attention is given to the “how” before answering far more critical training strategy questions about business goals, learning outcomes, and success metrics. No single modality works in every situation. The best approach depends entirely on what you are trying to achieve, who you are training, and why it matters.

The 5 Most Common Training Modalities When Trying to Identify the Best Training Modality

The five most common corporate training modalities are:

1. Live Instructor-led Training (ILT)
   Instructor-led training brings learners (often in learning cohorts) together in a live seminar led by a facilitator. The content can range from off-the-shelf material to fully customized training programs designed to meet specific business and learning objectives.

   ILT is particularly effective for developing advanced skills, driving meaningful behavior change, addressing cross-functional collaboration challenges, and strengthening team cohesion. Its experiential, real-time format allows for relevant discussion, practice, and immediate feedback — making it ideal when engagement and application matter most.

2. Online Training (eLearning)
   Online training, or eLearning, delivers highly targeted content — microlearning modules, job aids, videos, and business simulations — that learners can access anytime, anywhere.  This modality is especially effective for geographically dispersed teams or employees on the move, providing bite-sized, easy-to-digest knowledge that supports just-in-time learning and skill development in the flow of work.
3. Webinar or Virtual Training
   Webinars and virtual training sessions — typically delivered in 60- to 90-minute sprints — allow learners to participate remotely while interacting with both the instructor and peers.  This modality works best when in-person sessions aren’t feasible, the audience is geographically dispersed, or travel costs need to be minimized. As demonstrated during COVID, virtual training can be highly effective when thoughtfully designed, engaging, and focused on meaningful interaction.
4. Blended Learning
   Blended learning integrates instructor-led training with virtual and/or online components to create a cohesive learning experience. It typically combines pre-work, action-learning assignments, coaching, and reinforcement opportunities.  This modality is particularly effective for increasing knowledge retention, reinforcing new skills, and improving the transfer of learning to on-the-job performance.

   By strategically layering different learning methods, blended learning ensures deeper engagement and lasting impact — hopefully within the flow of work.

5. Train-the-Trainer (T3)
   Train-the-Trainer programs prepare internal facilitators to deliver externally developed content with consistency and confidence.  This modality is most effective when training needs to be delivered frequently and at scale. A large participant population and recurring demand are typically required for Train-the-Trainer to make financial and operational sense.

How to Select the Right Training Modality?
Selecting the right training modality starts with clarity — not preference. You must first understand the goals of the training in terms of:

• Desired business and performance outcomes and their relative importance compared to other initiatives.
• The target audience and their context, constraints, and experience level.
• The specific learning objectives required to achieve the desired results.

A Note about The Risk of eLearning: The U.S. Navy’s Experience
One thing has become clear: eLearning has a relatively narrow range of applicability. When used in the wrong setting — especially as the primary lever for sustained behavior or performance change — it introduces real risks, including low adoption, limited transfer to the job, and avoidable downstream costs.

About ten years ago, the Navy decided to cut costs and eliminate instructor-led training in favor of computer-led training for their entry level programs. But the conclusions of a study conducted by Robert M. McNab and Diana Angelis of the Defense Resources Management Institute showed this was a poor decision.

• Technology maintenance costs were $16m higher than expected.
• Participants were less prepared to do their jobs.

The Bottom Line
Expect disappointing results if instructional designers are debating training modalities or building content before business outcomes and learning objectives are clearly defined and aligned with the strategic priorities of key stakeholders. Once success metrics are agreed upon, you can objectively evaluate the strengths and limitations of each delivery method and select the approach that best fits your specific needs.

To learn more about designing and delivering training that works, download 3 Steps to Building a Smarter Training Initiative – One that Gets Results

Tristam Brown

Tristam Brown is an executive business consultant and organizational development expert with more than three decades of experience helping organizations accelerate performance, build high-impact teams, and turn strategy into execution. As CEO of LSA Global, he works with leaders to get and stay aligned™ through research-backed strategy, culture, and talent solutions that produce measurable, business-critical results. See full bio.