Self-paced courses are everywhere now and have become very popular.  And rightly so.  I've taken many of these over the years myself.  But when thinking about theses two types of courses, self-serve versus a class led by a live instructor, how do they compare and what are the pros and the cons?

Let's start with what's good:

For Self-serve courses, watching pre-recorded videos is convenient.  It can be done any time of day or night.  You can start and stop as you like and rewind as many times as needed.  When you are done, sometimes there is a quiz that can make you feel like you were successful and often you can get a certificate too.

For Instructor-led courses, the content can be adjusted if needed.  I know as an instructor for many years, I've found that I often come to the class prepared to describe topics in multiple ways using different words and examples.  Not everyone grasps concepts in the same manner.  The course pace, or timing, can also be adjusted, going slower or moving faster adding in additional topics for the benefit of the student, a bonus.  Plus, additional methods of delivering concepts can be layered in as needed.  Students can ask questions and receive immediate feedback.

Then what about the cons?:

For Self-serve, a misunderstanding of concepts will go un-checked.  There's an assumption that what the student is going to watch will be understood.  It's a lonely way to learn and an attendee may not complete the course if they are struggling or unsure.  They can cheat on the quiz by just doing screen captures as they watch.

For Instructor-led, timing can be a challenge though many independent instructors can usually be flexible.  If the class is too big, it can make the session messy.  Training of less then eight attendees is optimal.  If the instructor isn't well prepared, the course can go off-track and become difficult to re-adjust.

In summary, both methods have merit but overall, self-serve tends to be more conceptual whereas instructor-led, when done well, can really drill down on topics and also have the added benefit of providing extra encouragement for attendees.  Plus, if there are additional courses available, the instructor can help the student make the best course selection depending upon their overall goal.  It's best to not discount either method, learning is always good.  Consider your ultimate reason for taking the course, maybe try out both, and then decide where you benefitted the most.