When facilitating a virtual event, the facilitator has three jobs:

1. Foster environmental engagement by creating a place where people can and want to learn.
2. Stimulate intellectual engagement by encouraging learner curiosity and emphasizing content relevance and applicability.
3. Foster emotional engagement by enabling learners to feel good about the experience.

We have mentioned the role of a virtual classroom producer in several previous posts. As the support person on the delivery team, the producer is an invaluable resource before, during and after a virtual training event. He or she is there to support the facilitator, the participants and the technology.

“My Subject Matter Expert (SME) is totally devoted to the new course I’m developing! She accepts every meeting request and stays until every question is answered. When I send an email question, she is incredibly quick to get back to me and answers every question thoroughly and succinctly!”

Years ago when I was teaching virtual facilitation skills, there was a section called “disaster recovery”. I poked fun at this, saying it seemed a bit too dramatic and asking if there had ever really been a Code Blue in a breakout room. Truth is, though, sometimes things do go wrong, and great staff with a great plan can keep hiccups from turning into full-blown failures.

Recently, learners have flocked to the virtual classroom to continue their professional development. Organizations have started embracing the flexibility and dynamism of this learning environment as a viable option for programs ranging from new-hire onboarding to informational webinar-style updates to complex technical trainings.

We believe in the power of the virtual classroom. But, truthfully, despite its varied functionality and useful tools, learners experience a, well, learning curve when learning virtually.

To help learners – both new and experienced – adapt and thrive in the virtual classroom, our team compiled a list of obstacles to look out for and ways to preemptively overcome them.

Everyday thousands of virtual classroom sessions take place – meetings, webinars, comprehensive training programs. In fact, Microsoft Teams set a one-day record for their platform and hosted 2.7 BILLION meeting minutes in a single 24-hour period this year.

This trend does not surprise us - the world, and our classrooms, have changed. And while instructional design and facilitation approaches need updating, learners also have to adapt to this learning environment. Participation, collaboration, interaction, and contribution look different in the virtual classroom.

What do platforms like Webex Training, Zoom, Adobe Connect, and Microsoft Teams have in common? They all include a variety of virtual classroom tools!

When instructional designers incorporate their use into training programs and facilitators leverage them during delivery, tools can increase learner engagement. Learners feel more connected to their fellow participants, to the instructional team, and to the training content. Plus, when the virtual classroom supports active participation and collaboration, concerns about learning in a new environment fade away.

Lately, the virtual classroom has become the most popular kid in school. From team meetings to global training programs, platforms like Zoom, Webex Training Center, Adobe Connect, and Microsoft Teams, have enabled businesses to adapt to the unexpected and unfortunate current circumstances.  

But switching learning environments involves technical, instructional design, and delivery considerations. When asked by clients what a new virtual blend involves, we liken it to a stage production. Behind the scenes, experts coordinate and orchestrate acts to wow an audience, all while making the featured talent look good.  

More virtual classroom events than ever have happened in 2020. In fact, the CEO of Cisco announced that Webex hosted 5.5 BILLION minutes of virtual meetings in the first eleven days of March. Combined with the spike in usage of other platforms like Zoom, virtual events have become a staple in today’s businesses and educational institutions.

And whether you elected to make the transition to live online learning or took the leap to adapt to corporate circumstance, the steps you take before a virtual training event begins can determine if the final outcome is successful.