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Forum: Has online bioinformatics training replaced in-person courses?

Over the last few years, it seems that almost every bioinformatics course has moved online.

There are obvious advantages to this: lower costs, no travel, and easier scheduling.

At the same time, I sometimes wonder whether something has been lost in the process.

Many of the most valuable discussions I've had during training courses did not happen during the lectures themselves. They happened during coffee breaks, over lunch, during dinner, or while talking to other participants about their own projects and challenges. Some of those conversations even led to later collaborations.

There is also the classroom aspect itself: being able to ask questions immediately, discuss alternative approaches with instructors, and learn alongside people who are facing similar analytical problems.

On the other hand, online courses have become much more accessible and flexible, and many people may feel that they provide everything they need.

I'm curious what the community thinks.

If you had the choice between an online and an in-person bioinformatics course covering the same material, which would you choose today, and why?

Has online training effectively replaced classroom-based courses for you, or do you still see value in meeting instructors and participants face-to-face?

in-person bioinformatics workshop online training
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updated by Michael Dondrup Michael Dondrup • written by ecSeq Bioinformatics • ecSeq Bioinformatics

It's sort of puzzling me why you are asking this, because your organization is apparently focused on in-person courses. If your assumption was true, you of all people, would see the effect in declining registrations. Or are you asking these questions for SEO or something else? I mean, there are pros and cons for each type of course. I think especially since COVID there have been several studies on the efficiency of remote teaching vs. on-site. My experience is that online courses are more tiring for both sides, and giving help and communication with individual participants is less immediate and effective online. The other practical trade-offs you have already mentioned.

There is also the classroom aspect itself: being able to ask questions immediately, discuss alternative approaches with instructors, and learn alongside people who are facing similar analytical problems.

The most important 'feature' of our real world is "I can look over your shoulder and grasp what's going wrong and tell you what to type" (I could even type it for you, but that's discouraged). Despite all remote screen sharing, the 4D world is still much more immediate.

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written by Michael Dondrup Michael Dondrup

We offer both online and in-person courses. We are seeing a decline in both formats. My guess is that AI is also playing its part, because more and more scientists feel they’d rather quickly ask AI for help before signing up (an paying) for a full course. We’re also seeing more and more people having their entire pipelines written by AI agents and placing their trust in them. I don’t want to go into whether or not one should trust the results. That’s a different topic. But perhaps the question should be rephrased: Have AI-generated training programmes replaced online and face-to-face courses?

We’re currently in the process of scaling back our online courses and returning fully to face-to-face courses. However, this is because online courses were always a temporary solution for us during the pandemic. We’re convinced that people are less focused online, ask fewer questions and learn less. And yes, there are some individuals for whom this isn’t the case. That’s simply our personal view.

And I’m asking this question here because our experiences and studies represent just one perspective. Personal opinions and impressions from the community are another matter altogether. Three or four years ago, we had long waiting lists for face-to-face courses, and for the past one or two years, that has levelled off somewhat. That’s certainly not down to the online offering alone. During the pandemic, we definitely saw a rise in online courses and a drastic drop in enrolments for face-to-face courses, but that’s a no-brainer.

And, to be honest, I’m not sure whether an SEO text without a link really makes a lot of sense. Not every issue raised by a company is necessarily about advertising or SEO.

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written by ecSeq Bioinformatics • ecSeq Bioinformatics

My guess is that AI is also playing its part, because more and more scientists feel they’d rather quickly ask AI for help before signing up (an paying) for a full course.

I think that's spot-on and true for most people. The obvious downside is that they won't really learn that much because, in the end, the AI will do the complete analysis for them.

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written by Michael Dondrup Michael Dondrup

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