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.

In the modern classroom of today, trainers find themselves in various situations they may not have prepared for. One of common situation is going virtual.

Does this sound familiar? You’re going along training for years and then BOOM your company decides to jump on the virtual classroom train. The big question settles in, “How do I make this virtual classroom space feel like a face-to-face classroom?”

Are you one of the many accidental trainers out there? The function or topic expert so good at their job that management asked you to train others in your organization? You aren't alone! InSync Training's lead facilitator Karen Vieth discusses four key areas you can focus on to become a dynamic virtual facilitator. Learn how to identify your natural skill, learn tips and strategies for better virtual facilitation, and take your sessions to the next level — on purpose.

Chances are, you didn’t dream of being a virtual facilitator when you were little. But here you are, quite by accident. You may have recently graduated and landed a sales position that turned to training. Or you had a job for a while and found yourself in the training department years later. Regardless of how you landed in training, it's a great spot to be, where you help others learn the tricks of the trade.

This is the second part of a blog post from our guest blogger, Susan Bassett. To view the first post, "It's Amazing What Creating Online Energy Can Do!," click here. 

Passion and Courage
Love what you do. Whether you call yourself a trainer, instructor, facilitator, presenter; the nom de guerre doesn’t really matter. Being a great online trainer requires soft skills and a high level of motivation to share your passion about the subject being presented.

This is the complete opposite of finding yourself online with a trainer who reads the slides and notes word for word. Listen in on any outstanding online trainer and you will experience passion about using their energy to impact other people’s lives.

With that passion, comes calculated risk that requires courage. If you want people to learn before, during, and after your online training, create a safe learning environment where risk is encouraged.