Most people know me as the e-learning and multimedia gal but in actuality e-learning is more of my hobby.

I do create e-learning programs at work but for the past 5 years my biggest role has been to create and produce virtual classes through Adobe Connect.  One of the keys to creating a great virtual class session is to promote an environment that is welcoming to discussion and interaction. Because isn’t that what a class is about? When there is not interaction in a class then it is simply not a class, it’s a webinar or a presentation.

I have had to sit in on some pretty awful “virtual classes.”  I think everyone has. Here’s a narration of what a horrible virtual class experience looks like. Don’t worry I’ll provide some solutions.

The horrible, awful, no good, very bad session 

*Dials into virtual class or puts on headset/uses speakers*

*Elevator music starts blasting* In all truth I would rather be in an elevator right now with 20 other people because this is a prime indicator that the next hour is going to be BORING.

I feel like I just called my internet service provider and I’m waiting on hold.

or you *Sit silently waiting for everyone to join the room* This is the best time to begin multitasking, you already lost my attention.

Then the introductions begin. *Tunes back in to introductions* until…

“Hi, I’m John Doe and I’ve been with the company for 20 years!” For some reason someone in business decided that everyone needs to open up this way or else… I don’t know what the else is but I’d probably prefer it.

You can almost guess what is going to be next. It’s time to go over the agenda. *Someone with a monotone voice, less than enthusiastically rattles off exactly what is on the slide* 

*For the next 15 minutes people literally just talk at you* I’m sitting there wondering why someone didn’t send me a recording instead and why they are calling it a class if it doesn’t involve me at all.

*Chat is silent the entire time if it is even there at all* This is when I, as a classmate, try to interact with others on chat but literally no one is having it. I bet you they are all on Facebook or taking a call.

*30 minutes have gone by* But wait! Some hope. *The host brings up a poll*

You’re thinking okay, now I get to do something.  *You answer and the host tells you the right answer and immediately move to the next part of the presentation* When I ask a question in a face to face class at least I get to get some more clarity and follow up. Oh well.

*It’s 45 minutes into the 1 hr class and the numbers in the room are dropping drastically* I’m one of those people that feels too guilty to leave but I’m totally on board with all of those people that had better things to do.

*The presenter wraps up the session by stating everything that they already told you but at a high level* This is the part where you feel like you have wasted 60 minutes of your life.

*The presenters thank you for attending* They thank you for coming but there is no follow up. What am I supposed to do with this information that you barked at me for an hour? I have no idea.

Rethinking the horrible, awful, no good, very bad session

Instead of using elevator music (possibly from a conference company) put on some of your own music. Download an MP4 and convert it to an MP3. Insert the MP3 into the Adobe Connect room like you would share a PPT or download the MP3 pod.  I like to have fun with music. We had an economics related class and played “Money” by Pink Floyd to open the class.

Get the class engaging right off the bat. Don’t let people enter a room where nothing is going on and interacting is frown upon. Set the mood for interacting by asking people to answer a question in chat, use the LocationMap pod to ask them where they are located or where they’d like to go on a dream vacation, use the Word Cloud pod to create a visualization related to class content.

You might have great content but everyone is going to tune out if you are monotone and it sounds like you are reading from a script. Show personality and try to sound passionate about the topic. You can’t make the class about yourself either, you need to focus on the participants.

Tim Slade runs and presents free webinars for E-Learning Uncovered. Tim is super passionate about what he does and it comes across in the webinar. He also sets a good mood for the webinars. He makes it open for everyone to chat, asks questions, and uses the audiences names in his examples during the presentation. And technically it is not even a virtual class!

 As for doing something unexpected, you should always try new methods of running classes.  Cause disruption in the virtual class arena. I don’t know who said virtual classes need to be run a specific way but they don’t. Use your tools creatively. For smaller classes I have done whiteboard “musical chairs” teams would fill out as many blanks on the whiteboard that they could before the music ended. The team with the most/accurate answer wins. You have to get out of the mindset that tools can only be used in one way. Keep your audience engaging with each other and you the entire time. Use the tools to do so and create the type of environment that rewards conversation.

Things like, giving the participants recognition, creating competition, challenging and engaging them with the use of tools, giving them some control over the class are all keys to having a successful class. Challenging the participants is important. Treat your audience as though they know how to use the tools, foster failure, this way they will learn to use them and the rest of the participants will not be left bored. I’d rather have some participants that feel challenged than have half the class not paying attention and having to do things the same exact way every time.

Lastly, keep the conversation going. Your class shouldn’t end abruptly, stimulate conversation on your social network, or create a sustainability plan around the content.

– Mel