Online training is convenient and cost-effective – but how much you get from it is up to you. Travel education experts give us their tips
Debbee Dale, AA People Development managing director
Managing your own e-learning is easy if you are motivated, have great time management skills, if you like self-study with no people interaction and have no other serious deadlines that would prevent you from taking the time to learn.
Not many of us can tick all these boxes, but it’s still possible to gain hugely from learning online.
The first step is to decide which course is right for you. It could be that you are responsible for choosing your own course, or that your company has a choice of courses for you. Think about which suits you best, or plan the modules that your company asks you to complete.
Start with clear goals – what do you want out of the course? Why would you be motivated to take it? When do you want to complete the course by? And what will you do with what you have learned? Write these down and make a commitment to achieve your goals.
Plan your time for learning
Think about this as if it were a trainer-led course. If you schedule a time to learn, stick to it, otherwise you will not complete your course. Other things will get in the way and that will seriously hinder your progress. Do not set a time when you know you could be interrupted or may not be in the right frame of mind to study.
Organise your own work and commitments around the time scheduled for your online course. Remember that one of the biggest benefits of e-learning is that you can learn at your own pace, if you dedicate the time you may find you complete your course quicker than you originally planned. This should motivate you to do more if it is of value to you and your day-to-day job.
Monitor your progress
Most courses have tests or quizzes to check your progress. If you did not do as well as you wanted to then look at redoing that particular module or section. Some courses come with a workbook, so look over the detail of that section. If there are no workbooks make some notes of the key learning points and review them to help make sense of what you’re learning and to digest the information.
When monitoring your progress don’t just highlight the things you may not have grasped but also recognise your achievements. Allow yourself a bit of self praise when you do well.
Evaluate what you have learned and use it in practice
Trial something that reiterates the courses modules and then bring the training into your everyday life. Recognise when you use the skills or knowledge from the course and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done.
Bruce Martin, Online Travel Training operations director
A good place to start for anyone reasonably new to travel is to take the Introduction to Travel course from New Frontiers. It’s free and has been accredited by ABTA’s Accredited Travel Professional scheme to earn 35 points.
It’s a good all-round course as it has a module introducing the travel industry, one on how to sell more travel and then some modules on key destinations such as the US, Europe and Asia. Most other free training courses tend to focus on one particular subject such as a destination.
It takes between one and four hours to complete most training courses. Most allow the user to log back in where they left off previously. The courses tend to be simple comprehension tests where you are tested on what you have just read.
For free courses the old adage is true – you get out what you put into it. It’s tempting to just try to pass the test but the best students are the ones that take time to read and learn the information provided – not just the bits that are relevant to the quiz at the end. Those students are going to really take in the information, and therefore be able to sell the product better.
Most courses allow the user to return after completing the course to revisit information they have learnt.
There are many free travel training courses online so it’s easy to lose track of what you’ve done. Our advice is simple – add them to your CV as and when you complete training. It shows you are proactive and keen to continuously improve.
There is a big push these days to get training and continuous learning recognised in the industry. This is reflected by ABTA’s ATP scheme, which recognises all the extra learning agents undertake.
Another form of online training is computer reservation systems training. This is paid-for training and provides agents with the ability to learn how to use systems such as Galileo and Amadeus by studying in their own time. CRS knowledge is a key skill needed to progress in travel and is often not taught as part of a college course.
David Wootton, T&T Training Solutions training manager
Online training has many benefits. Students can attend a course at any time and from anywhere and also learn at their own pace. In the workplace online training can be undertaken in quiet periods and it reduces the amount of time staff are away from the office, making it a time and cost-effective mode of training. It can feel less intimidating and competitive for students than classroom training.
CRS online training is beneficial to any travel organisation as it can be used as a tool to cross-train between computer reservation systems. On average, a person with a good knowledge of a CRS can cross train in approximately 20-25 hours at a time that suits them and the business.
Companies with a large volume of high-turnover positions where continuous training is necessary can save thousands with online training programmes. This can eliminate classroom related costs and materials expenses. It can also allow the trainer to develop course content, present it once and go on to the next project. Trainers will only need to revisit the content if the material needs to be updated.
Since trainees are learning at their own pace, the learning retention rate is often higher than the classroom setting. There is still the opportunity to email or call the tutor to ask questions, although many online courses now offer an updateable Frequently Asked Questions section, which saves time.