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Full Day vs. Half Day Training

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Full Day vs. Half Day Training

 

One of the most common questions trainers ask is: “Should I run this as a half-day or a full-day session?” The answer depends on your learning objectives, content depth, and participant needs. While our Full Course Packages and Mini Course Training Packages come with suggested timelines, experienced trainers often adapt them to match their style and audience.

The Number of Outcomes

Learning modules typically have 3–5 outcomes and run about 60 minutes each. Four modules fit neatly into a half-day session. More than that, and you’ll likely need a full day to allow for breaks and deeper discussion.

The Number of Activities and Exercises

Hands-on activities take more time. If your modules are activity-heavy, expect up to 90 minutes each, which often shifts the program into full-day territory.

The Number of Participants

Larger groups require extra time for discussion, Q&A, and managing varied learning styles. Build in this time when planning.

The Topic

Straightforward topics can work in half a day. Complex, discussion-driven topics benefit from a full day for clarification, practice, and multiple examples.

Planning Tip

Use your facilitator guide to estimate timing. If you anticipate in-depth discussion or extended Q&A, add 20–30 minutes to each suggested time block. Over time, you’ll learn to pace content to suit both your style and participant engagement.

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The Number of Outcomes

The primary indicator of how long your training session should last will be based on the total number of outcomes you need to achieve through your training. A typical learning module, which is a block of time dedicated to one topic, will have between 3-5 learning outcomes. A module is usually taught over a 60 minute period, so if you have 4 modules with 3-5 outcomes each, a half day training session will do just fine. Any more than 4 modules, and a full day session is usually required, to allow for breaks and lunch, as well as the additional information to be covered.

The Number of Activities and Exercises

If your learning modules have 3-5 outcomes based on hands-on activities, you might need more than 60 minutes to complete a learning module, thus extending the amount of time you will need to complete your training session. If you have a higher number of activities or hands-on exercises, you might want to extend your modules to 90 minutes, meaning you’ll need to schedule a full day session if you have any number of modules to get through.

The Number of Participants

If you are going to be training a large group, you might want to extend your training session to allow for discussion time and question periods. Larger groups may take longer to grasp concepts because you are working with a variety of learning styles, so you’ll want to give yourself some room to pace the learning activities and exercises.

The Topic

If you are delivering a high level topic that doesn’t require much discussion, a half day session is ideal. If the training session is more in depth and requires more participation and discussion, a full day training session is probably best. If you expect your participants might have difficulty grasping the concepts, you’ll want to allow ample time for clarification and multiple examples to bring the learning to completion.

If you remain unsure of how much time to schedule into a training session, use your facilitator guide as a way to gauge how much time you will need. If you suspect that your discussions may become more in depth, or if you need more time to spend with participants for clarification, simply adding 20-30 minutes to each suggested time frame will help you learn how to plan your time for future training sessions. Overtime, you will come to know your own training style and understand how much time you need to convey ideas appropriately and effectively.

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