Adult Learners' Perceptions of a Professional Development Program Comparing Live Distance Learning Versus Live Local Learning

Reduced corporate training budgets require cost efficiencies in professional development. Distance learning, with its lower intrinsic costs, will likely become more prevalent. Therefore, the educational experience will change for many professionals. The objective of this study was to examine the perceptions of adult learners attending a drug development conference. One group participated in the live presentation while a second group joined via a simultaneous webcast. Following the presentations, both groups were asked nearly identical questions concerning their perceptions of their learning environment, course content, and utility to their work. Analysis of the data showed that both the distance and local groups were demographically similar, both groups were satisfied with the presentation method, audio and visual quality, and both felt that they would be able to apply what they learned in their work. The distance group felt more disconnected from the audience and speaker while the participants physically attending the presentations felt more part of a group. Distance learning does provide a viable and lower cost method for professional development but does not replace the traditional learning environment.