You need to create virtual training that’s engaging. How can you ensure it doesn’t fall flat?

Virtual training rocks in our remote work reality, but keeping it lively is key. Start with clear goals – know what you want and how to measure it. Personalize the training to fit your team's needs, and make sure they're on board. Clear goals keep it focused, relevant, and meaningful. It's not just training; it's a journey that counts.

I always start with a Check-In question for several reasons. It is a low-risk way to help people warm up to participation and begin to build relationships. It is also inclusive in that everyone participates and equitable by being time-bound. It is also an opportunity to practice active listening.

First consideration for me is that people learn differently whether it is virtual or in person so engagement is key and harder to gauge with virtual learning. Ensuring time and opportunities for controlled discussion and continued feedback is important, so with virtual learning I feel more planning and set goals are imperative and must be adhered to. Freeballing so to speak, is easier to manage and control in person; with virtual it has the potential to disrupt training.

This is no different that in-person training. Determine 1. What is your purpose? 2. How are you going to accomplish it? 3. How will you know you were successful? Do this and you will create successful training.

One major pitfall I see often, is people thinking their content that worked in person is automatically going to work virtually! It can, but you must be more thoughtful. This is where being an Instructional Designers vs a Facilitator really comes into play. Be thoughtful about your learning objectives- are they measurable? If so, in which ways to you plan to assess these objectives? If you don't know how to assess measurable objectives, how can you state that your course is successful? Simple, you cannot. I love teaching practitioners the "art" of instructional design so they can create workshops/courses that are impactful and include adult learning theory.

Don't overthink which tool you are going to use. Almost all of them are relatively good now. Pick one, stick with it, and become a master at it. A mediocre tool used well is far better than an excellent tool used poorly.

In my experience it’s really important to ensure the training is highly relevant to real life scenarios and is interactive so that people can relate to it. Doing a pilot/MVP and testing it with a representative sample is also important before launching wide scale. Evaluation is critical and using the data to course correct and intervene to drive adoption also important..

You need to consider your audience’s abilities and knowledge in what you are teaching so you have the right tools to support them.

Check where participants are at. Which tools are they used to have? And remember: any tech layer added in a session must create more connection or enable more collaboration. If it does not add one or another, it doesn't make sense.

Embrace modern learning with Watch and Learn by setting up a free account and inviting learners. Stream live videos for interactive cohort-based learning, utilize breakout sessions for social engagement, and record meetings for microlearning. Create bite-sized videos or screencasts easily with the Chrome screen recorder. Analyze attendance and replay data to measure engagement. This platform offers a dynamic way to engage learners, enhance collaboration, and tailor content for effective education.

This is key AND there is a risk of making the activities fun and interactive - but that don't support the purpose of the session. ? Stop doing ice breakers and energisers - it's not 1997 The more you can get people out of their chair and go and do something that relates to the objective - the better. ?? Collect things and describe them in relation to the subject ?? Get them to demonstrate skills ?? Go off and practice then come back and debrief ?? Drawings and doodles ?? Break the session so they can go and visit somewhere relating to the subject and report back (Did I mention about ice-breakers and energisers? ??)

Bite size learning is the key.Today we are not as focused as we used to be several years ago. Flash cards and gamification are important to keep the learner engaged.

It’s important to provide multiple opportunities for participants to engage in a virtual session. However, the engagement must be authentic and useful. Additionally, avoid platforms that are too confusing or require too many steps. As the facilitator, it may be easy for you to access these platforms, but your participants may be introduced to this platform for the first time at your session. To ensure participants are able to access your platform, consider telling them in advance what you intend to use so they can familiarize themselves. If this isn’t possible, embed a few minutes into your session for a brief “tutorial”. This will ensure that participants can have the intended experience and maintains engagement throughout the session.

Always ask yourself why you want to include a certain activity when you are designing the virtual learning experience. Everything you include needs to align with the purpose, goals, and learning outcomes you’ve written. We don’t just add a breakout room experience (or any other activity) because we want to break up the times when someone is presenting information, we do it because its going to lead people to achieving learning outcomes. Use a proper lesson plan template, don’t start designing in a slide deck. If you include a column for ‘Participant Activities’ it can help you design an interactive session, especially if you’re new to the work, because it shows you when participants have been ‘listening’ for too long.

Para manter os participantes engajados em treinamentos virtuais, diversifique os métodos com intera??es ricas: Projetos Reais: Aplique o aprendizado em situa??es práticas. Gamifica??o: Use jogos e simula??es para prática em cenários divertidos. Fóruns e Discuss?es: Promova troca de ideias online. Quizzes Interativos: Recorra a ferramentas como Kahoot! para revis?o dinamica. Trabalho em Grupo: Facilite colabora??o via plataformas como Slack, MS Teams, Discord... Vídeos Interativos: Inclua conteúdo que exija a??o do usuário. Peer Learning: Estimule o ensino entre pares. Feedback Regular: Ofere?a avalia??es construtivas para orienta??o e progresso. Essas estratégias aumentam a interatividade, tornando o aprendizado mais eficaz e envolvente.

For me, working to establish a rapport and engagement is just as important online as in person. When checking in I always like to respond with a short but genuine personal comment... "Thanks Lisa it's great to have you here", "Thanks Tom, by the way I love your wallpaper in the background!", "Dave, it's lovely to see you again after all this time" etc. If they feel you're invested in them, they're more likely to invest in your session. If it's a big group you won't have time for individual responses, but something poignant or observational about the group can work in the same way... "It's great to see so many new faces and I'm looking forward to getting to know you", "I really appreciate you all taking the time out to contribute today".

I have found that you need to create multiple avenues for expression. How can attendees interact with each other and you during the presentation/workshop? In addition to encouraging the use of the chat, I create a question parking lot (online whiteboard or collaborative document) so attendees can park a question for you or another attendee to answer. It is just one easy way to determine if you're being understood.

It is also important to share tutorials for the platform snd demonstrate the tools that will be used during the virtual training. Virtual training can be done through various modes now so we should not assume that learners are already familiar with the format we are using.

O my word! Training can be so mind-numbingly boring. And the difference between online/remote and in-person is that more things can take someone's attention. But a distracted person is a still a distracted person. Stop with the boring powerpoints and lists, stop with the classroom approach. Instead try a completely different approach, for example where the team is a fictional business team, dealing with a situation or scenario where the skills to be learned in the training, is learned, tested and demonstrated by means of live experience. Learn by using a case study that is played out, with relevant insights and learnings along the way.

Follow the same golden rule that you follow in a face to face session. Keep it interactive. Use tons of examples and case studies, consciously. Use check ins, quizzes, polls to compensate for physical presence. Do not accept low energy. Do not let your expectation go slack just because the medium is virtual. Keep a surprise element in every session.

Some online trainers are like professors in the brick-and-mortar classroom, they forget that the goal is learning and learning development. These forgetful trainers see themselves as the “sage on the stage” with much knowledge to dump. Effective trainers, whether online or face-to-face, must use tools of engagement to understand what the learner knows and needs to know, and should deliver learning that closes the knowledge gap, while continuously assessing learning, and achievement of the intended learning. Next: Tools to Engage Learners.

You can never go wrong by focusing on your learners. Engage them early. One simple tactic is after going over the agenda, ask them to self-evaluate their knowledge of the topics. Acknowledge their answers, provide feedback, and use the information to tailor the learning experience. Maintain that feedback loop throughout the training in order to enhance the learning process. Another way to engage learners is to encourage them to collaborate and apply what they are learning in real-time. Gamification, breakout rooms, and open-ended discussions are just a few techniques that work. Invite learners to share when content helps them overcome a real-world challenge. Finally, be enthusiastic because learners notice and feed off your energy.

Evaluation should be in real life work situations which will lead to empowerment of team members. Do not give fictitious examples. Always remember patience is the key for follow ups.

At the completion of a virtual training, be sure to conduct a follow up poll. Two user friendly platforms one has found to general simple and detailed surveys are Survey Monkey and Doodle. ????The data collected (based on an organized poll intended to capture essential feedback) will help develop poignant virtual trainings for the future.

A avalia??o de um treinamento presencial ou online, deve estar obrigatoriamente correlacionada a sua aplicabilidade no dia a dia do colaborador, em muitos casos estamos tendo uma enxurrada de treinamentos, para "cumprir" um indicador, ou algo relacionado, e muitos destes treinamentos n?o est?o sendo pensados lá na ponta, como o colaborador poderá utilizar no seu dia a dia? E a partir disto avaliar a eficácia do treinamento/facilitador/conteúdo.

Virtual training needn’t be death by PowerPoint. A trainer needs to be engaging and interesting. It helps if you’re passionate about your teaching ?? In my training I use puppets and props. I try to use the flip chart and I rely heavily on as much face and eye contact with my delegates as possible. Virtual training will never be as good as face to face but it can be effective. As in all things, developing the relationship and maintaining the connection is important.

Ensure engaging virtual training by: Interactive Content: Incorporate quizzes, polls, and discussions. Multimedia Elements: Use visuals, videos, and real-world examples. Clear Objectives: Clearly outline what participants will learn and achieve. Varied Formats: Mix presentations, group activities, and individual tasks. Engagement Tools: Utilize breakout rooms, chat features, and collaborative platforms. Feedback Channels: Encourage real-time feedback for continuous improvement. Participant Interaction: Facilitate discussions and encourage participant contribution. Regular Breaks: Include short breaks to maintain attention and prevent fatigue. Post-Training Resources: Provide supplementary materials for ongoing learning.

Ensure you have strong prompts to create an engaging discussion. Avoid closed questions. For example change:”Will this practice help our team build trust?” To “How will this practice help our team build trust?”

Your target audience is the number one thing to consider when creating virtual training. Ask yourself if this is something people need or want. Are you duplicating training? Are you spending time and resources on something your audience isn't interested in? A way to help with gathering information is to ask questions and complete surveys and polls. Taking inventory of what your audience needs can help create the perfect online workshop. This helps with focusing your energy on visibility and access to the workshop. The ideal training can be built, but if no one knows about it, it doesn't matter. So, figuring out who you are doing your workshops for is essential.

Take into consideration the differences between generations. Today’s workplace is a mix of people coming from different backgrounds, cultures, and generations. A cookie cutter approach will not be flexible enough to accommodate your content. Learning capabilities and the ability to use technological tools aren’t always similar between participants, so plan to build an engaging experience based on your group’s skills. So if your audience isn’t super focused and specialized on a single subject, avoid getting too “technical” or using language that may alienate either spectrum.