Most seminars accommodate a large number of attendees. They have an interest in common, making the seminar a networking opportunity. However, the larger the audience, the more difficult it may be to learn, with latecomers, ringing cellphones and individuals talking among themselves. Those seated to the sides, near the back or behind tall people may have a hard time seeing presentation visuals.
Seminars deliver information to a group, but the group comprises individuals with different personalities, tolerances and learning preferences. Business coach Vadim Kotelnikov says learners easily can become bored and inattentive. To prevent this, the educator should engage varied learning styles, such as visual, auditory and kinesthetic. Methods can include short lectures, visual materials, games, brainstorming and small group discussion.
At points in an educational seminar, the facilitator may allow the audience to ask questions. This is an opportunity for individuals to reinforce what they have learned or clarify how the information applies to real-world situations. Unfortunately, people ask questions for a variety of reasons, not necessarily to get further information, according to John S. Lamancusa of Penn State University. Irrelevant questions or anecdotes offered by a participant can be frustrating for others in the group.
Educational seminars that document your participation are an easy way to acquire job-related certification. It's even better when the employer not only pays the seminar fee, but also pays the employee while he attends. When a seminar schedule conflicts with a project deadline, workers may be more concerned about spending time away from work than with what they can learn. A sit-down seminar may be less than effective for individuals accustomed to learning through on-demand multimedia learning tools.