As technology continues to advance and with remote working on the rise, is virtual learning here to stay? Why, of course. However, organizations are not doomed to mindless clicking to advance drab slides written in paragraph form. eLearning is evolving and seeks to meet learners where they are. The possibilities are endless!
When are these enhancements coming to a computer or app near you? Time will tell and not every attempt will be beautiful, yet the goal is worth the pursuit. Some organizations have embraced learning as an organic, natural process while others have kept it more formal with corporate universities. The floodgates have opened to third-party curated Learning Management Systems (LMS), such as Udemy, that include topics such as negotiation, origami, watercolor painting, executive presence and mindfulness. Certain organizations curate YouTube videos into playlists. Others are building custom content through Captivate, Storyline or other slick authoring software. Many are employing marketing and tech gurus to produce high quality videos. Still others are uploading poorly made PowerPoints as PDFs.
As this eLearning evolution continues to unfold, is in person classroom learning dead? No, I would venture and champion that it is not. Some topics are best learned through in-person activity-driven learning. Some simulations require peers and hands-on experiments.
Virtual Instructor Lead Training (VILT), more commonly known as webinars, is another learning format that can easily be overlooked. This form of learning, when facilitated well, can double as a valuable, LMS-ready video replay. Webinars may feel more approachable to employees because of the rise of social media “live” features and an increase in video conferencing both at work and at home.
As a global webinar facilitator, I enjoy the unique challenges and creative opportunities that this learning format presents. I have also been the student of many great webinar facilitators, who have taught me that the sky is the limit for what can be achieved in a webinar.
Looking for some fresh tips and tricks to liven up your next webinar? The buzz among the unicorns is:
10 Webinar Do’s
Be inventive and unafraid of the chat feature: Pose discussion questions, and gently fill time as folks type. Once responses populate, read out a few. If your software allows, insert a “whiteboard” slide into your deck and allow participants to type or write directly on it. Adobe Connect is great for this! Plus, unlike side chatter in a classroom course, a busy chat box throughout a course shows participant interest, engagement and boosts overall learning.
Share content in small doses: A webinar should not feel like a college lecture hall, snooze-worthy corporate conference call or learning by fire hose. Be sure to chunk information to suit your allotted time. Do not force feed half day in-person course into an hour webinar simply be talking faster and removing activities. Become crisp and clean in <5 take away messages or lessons.
Follow up with a 1-page summary or max 3-page toolkit: Even though your venue is virtual that does not mean participants do not need to sign off empty handed. Provide a tangible takeaway in the form of a reference 1-pager or few page worksheet.
Embrace emojis and raise your hand: In addition to using a chat box, make use of your hosting software’s emojis and hand raising feature. Highlight participant similarities to cultivate a sense of community.
Tell a story, rather than teach a lesson: As done in classroom courses, create an experience and use storytelling. In an environment where participants can more easily “check out” and get distracted, draw them in through a relatable story. Have a through line that connects all of the webinar’s content. Memorable anecdotes will ring true long after a catchy acronym is forgotten.
End by committing to a small action: When employees carve out time for a webinar between conference calls (a big win in and of itself), be sure to drive home the learning objective by encouraging them to make a commitment to applying what they learned before bouncing to their next call. Ask them to define what they will do and by when; then, have them publicly commit to it by typing it in the chat box for all of their peers to see.
Invest in your visuals: In a webinar, participants will be unable to see and interact with the facilitator in the same way as an in-person course. They may or may not be able to see a small video window in addition to the visual aid. Thus, investing additional time into the visual aid is worth your while. Strong pictures and less text will focus their attention on your voice.
Consider a cohost: To mimic the give and take of a classroom course, consider having one or two cohosts to boost the flow of conversation. This is a great way to tap into a subject matter expert or guest speaker, too, without placing all of the pressure on them to facilitate a full session.
Have an IT backup plan: Test your software beforehand and be sure to have a backup IT plan in case anything goes awry. At the start of a webinar, inform participants how to troubleshoot if they encounter a personal IT issue during the session.
Market, market, market: Just because tuning into a webinar is easier than making a commitment to attend in person, do not skimp on marketing this learning opportunity!
5 Webinar Don’ts
Believe the myth that everything has to be online: Consider offering a pre-read and a mid or post-activity. Also, take confidence and hold firm if you believe some topics or content should be delivered in person. Not everything is better in cyberspace.
Consistently apologize or grumble about being unable to see participants’ faces: Depending upon business circumstance, a passing mention of this is okay. Only do so once. Strive not to make this a habit. Own your facilitation platform and develop your skill set. Display confidence rather than apologizing for your performance.
Be afraid to mix media types: Consider using virtual breakout rooms for group activities or including an application project between sections of a multipart course. Incorporate videos and readings.
Forget or overindulge your “radio voice:” Without physical presence, your voice becomes even more important. Focus on volume, tone and quality. Be mindful not to adopt a singsong quality.
Host a “once and done” session. Record it!: Hosting a webinar takes a considerable amount of prep-time. Increase the return on investment by recording the live session for future streaming.
To the Point
As eLearning continues to evolve, consider how well-designed webinars can enhance learning and development in your organization. Play around and get creative with this limitless platform.
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