International fears over a pandemic aside, virtual instructor-led training (vILT) is an impactful and cost-effective way to train remote workers, national and international teams, and those who require additional accommodations to work efficiently.
So here are three tips for facilitating vILT that you can use to host your next online training:
1. Plan Ahead
To successfully deliver online training, don't just pick a topic and go off the cuff. Like any learning experience, a great vILT session starts with a goal, knowledge of the learning problem, and knowledge of your learner. From there, you'll want a game plan that details the content, activities, and FAQs you can expect and approximate time allotted for each.
Also, test all your tech with a colleague in advance. I can't tell you how many times disaster has been averted by making my other half sit in on a fake session before I went live-- microphones that wouldn't sync, lighting that wasn't quite right, echoing tech, etc. all caught before my learners were in the room thanks to a 5-minute test run.
2. Make It Interactive
Being a talking head for an hour is easy. Reading slides is easy. Neither is actually all that effective when it comes to learning retention.
Use the tools at your disposal to create meaningful interactions that lead your team towards the larger training goal. The simplest? Allow them to speak.
3. Expect the Unexpected
Murphy's Law comes into play when you're engaging in live training way more often than any of us would like. Just remember, we're all human. It's ok to make mistakes. If you stumble over words, people will forgive it. If you go off your scheduled time for an activity, consider what's important to cover in the remaining time and adjust (just don't make it mandatory for people to stay beyond the allotted time for the entire training). Have a backup plan just in case the entire internet decides to turn against you that day.
Want to Learn More?
If you're interested in learning more about how to conduct vILT, including:
designing vILT
how to talk to people you may or may not be able to see
tools for the job and important tech considerations
activities for online classrooms
setting and managing expectations
getting the most impact from a session
then sign up for my live interactive Zoom into Learning workshop.
In just 90 min, you'll learn all about hosting Zoom-based vILT sessions, as you experience one for yourself.
