08/09/2026
Is completing training the same as actually learning?
It’s something I’ve been thinking about recently.
Online training definitely has its place in health and social care. It’s convenient, flexible and can be a good way of introducing or refreshing knowledge.
But having spent many years involved in training, I still believe there are subjects where you simply cannot replace the value of being in a room with a trainer and other people.
Take first aid.
You can watch a video demonstrating CPR. You can answer questions about what to do. You can complete an online assessment.
But actually getting down on the floor, performing chest compressions, using a defibrillator, practising a recovery position or dealing with a choking casualty is a very different learning experience.
And it's not just practical skills.
With subjects such as safeguarding, the opportunity to talk through scenarios, ask "what would you do?", hear different opinions and discuss the grey areas can be incredibly valuable.
Sometimes the most important part of training isn't the slide on the screen or the answer to the question.
It's the conversation that follows it.
As a trainer, I also value being able to see when someone isn't quite sure, recognise a misunderstanding and explain something in a different way. That's much harder to achieve when training becomes purely about clicking through modules and passing an assessment.
Of course, online learning has its place. I'm certainly not suggesting it doesn't.
But I do think we need to be careful that training doesn't become something we simply complete so we can put a tick in a box.
In health and social care, training should ultimately be about improving knowledge, confidence, skills and decision-making — and most importantly, improving the care and safety of the people we support.
A certificate tells us that training was completed.
It doesn't necessarily tell us what was learned.
For me, that's the difference between completing training and genuinely learning.
