Whether presenting an informational webinar or facilitating a multi-part virtual learning series that’s part of a larger blend, teaching live online requires pizzazz and purpose.

As more corporate L&D programs move online, a tried-and-true facilitation process can set you up for success (in fact, we offer a comprehensive train-the-trainer program to help practitioners create a comprehensive toolkit).

In the mid-1990s, virtual classrooms (then known as ‘synchronous’ classrooms) were new. (Don’t believe me? Read some history here!) So new, most people had never heard of them.

But the people who HAD heard of virtual training were very excited. Soon, they proclaimed, none of us would ever have to go to a brick and mortar classroom again! All the ingredients were present to disrupt the Training & Development industry: trainers, participants, and PowerPoint slides! What else did we need?

Has your organization jumped on the blended learning bandwagon, yet? This formal- and informal-learning combination approach to training moves beyond “hot trend” – it offers the opportunity to support learners after structured events end.

We focus quite a bit on the instructional design required for this more comprehensive learning model. It makes sense. Blended programs include many moving parts, and the associated complexity requires thoughtful design. After all, we have to create an environment that supports learner engagement and knowledge retention, and this begins at the proverbial drawing board.

But, facilitation matters, too. Design helps us plan for program success. Solid instruction enables that success.

Adoption of virtual classrooms for training delivery has become a critical component of an organization’s learning strategy. Unfortunately, we’ve been delivering one-way webinars for so long, it is difficult for facilitators to make the transition to a more collaborative instructional approach. 

New facilitators need to start with the basics, including being able to:

• Use collaboration tools to support communication between everyone in the virtual classroom;
• Work effectively with a producer to effectively manage the experience; and
• Be able to effectively manage any technical or instructional problems that arise.

Designing and delivering an engaging learning experience is an effective way of keeping people in the virtual learning experience once they've started, but getting people to enroll and attend in the first place is a matter of motivation.

Motivation is an entirely different animal than engagement, and as learning professionals, it's our responsibility to "set the stage" such that learners show up ready to engage. 

You just became a virtual learning facilitator or your organization has made the leap from face-to-face learning to the blended virtual classroom.

So now what?

The live online training environment does not provide a carbon copy instructional experience to the traditional classroom. Oftentimes, you cannot “see” the learners. You have to contend with technology, and sometimes decision makers did not invest in content redesign. Add to these factors the angst associated with assuming new responsibilities and getting started as a facilitator can feel overwhelming.

Very often you will read or hear about “learner-centric” learning methods.  These articles stress techniques that accommodate the learner’s needs and address expectations of the learner in the learning experience.  One commentator I heard recently likened this to “putting yourself in the shoes of the learner in the learning experience.”

Fair enough as a start – certainly we need to understand how the learning experience is perceived by the learner, but I would argue that in lieu of trying to put yourself in the shoes of the learner you should instead provide a learning experience where everyone’s shoes already fit. 

Since virtual classroom skillsets are not as off-the-shelf as face-to-face training skills, we often wonder just how well we are doing at this virtual facilitation gig. Often, our only feedback comes from “smile sheets,” the surveys at the end of class to see what people thought of the program.

But how do these really help guide our professional development when only five out of 30 learners actually filled it out? How can we assess how things are really going in a virtual facilitation setting?

To be or not to be in the virtual classroom – that is the question, right?

Well, to find the answer for your training, take this quick quiz.

First impressions are key to developing rapport with learners in any classroom, but especially in the virtual environment. Facilitators in the virtual classroom must grab the attention of the learner right away and keep it to be successful here.

When trainers fill their delivery with verbal crutches, learners get distracted and possibly annoyed.