As the economy improves and the talent market is becoming more competitive, an increasing number of companies are looking at professional development as an offering that will help attract and retain the best and the brightest. On average, companies are now spending well over $1,000 per worker annually on educational programs; and for that kind of investment, they want to see a substantial return on investment. To get the best bang for the buck, many organizations are grappling with the delivery of their training modules: Is traditional classroom learning best, or should online sessions be embraced? Not surprisingly, both methods have their pros and cons. One of the biggest advantages of instructor-led classroom courses is that they engage learners with the material in a meaningful way. When learners are having trouble grasping a concept, the instructor is there to answer questions; if students are having trouble seeing the relevance of course material, the instructor can offer connections to their day-to-day jobs. Digital learning has different benefits. Its on-demand nature helps employees learn at their own pace on their own schedules, and such programs are scalable, not being limited to physical classroom space. Employers are finding the most effective strategies for professional development often blend the two methods, offering instructor-led courses to help individual employees apply new concepts to their work, and deploying digital courses when information needs to be delivered to a broad audience.