I’m a tactile learner. Things that I read or hear just don’t sink in until I do it. The simple act of having to do at
Virtualization. Students can be given a virtual pc w/ all needed software installed which they can then use.
Remote access. Students are given access to a facility remotely w/ all needed software and they use their local system as thin client.
Some items just don’t virtualize, such as hardware. Let’s consider something as simple as a forensic clone of two hard drives. The cost for the student to have the actual hardware would be around $700. A training facility could rent the equipment, but they are then limited by the number of simultaneous students. The solution is development of Simulation techniques that can provide through simulation as much of the hands on as possible.
The other possibility is to bring the instructor to the student in the form of videos. I’ve been exploring this for sometime using Camtasia Studio. Reactions seem to be mixed. Unfortunately, I’m not collecting statistics to know if or to what degree others are being helped by the videos. My sense is that they work for some, but still not for others.
And that seems a good summary of the industry. Continual experiementation, always a drive to find what works best.