virtual online training

1. Use what you’ve got

a. Don’t recreate the wheel – use the material you have.

b. Don’t convert or change formats unless absolutely necessary. Your virtual classroom solution should allow you to present your content in its native format.

2. Narrow your focus

a. “Chunk up” your content – the shorter you can make it, the better.

b. Try to limit online sessions to 1 hour whenever possible.

c. Smaller classes are easier to manage – 10 to 20 learners max.

d. Supplement the online session with job aids such as hand-outs, recorded content, reference guides, etc.

3. Look for every opportunity to engage your audience

a. Use Q&A, Chat, Polls, White-boarding and other interactive tools to keep people involved.

b. Cover no more than 4 slides without an interaction.

c. Get personal – Involve individual learners whenever you can.

4. Practice, Practice, Practice

a. Master the techniques & the technology.

b. Use 2 computers for both practice sessions and actual sessions to see (and experience) what your audience sees.

5. Automate registration and reporting

a. Use your virtual classroom’s registration function to automatically capture a record of who attended training sessions.

b. Collect poll and test results for assessment and analysis.

6. “Can” what you can

a. Record static content and post for on-demand viewing.

b. Offer live sessions for material that needs context and interaction.

During the training session…
 

7.  Set the stage

a.  Start with a 5 minute intro to familiarize attendees with environment.
b.  Focus on how to participate (chat, Q&A, raise hand, audio, etc.)

8.  Keep it simple

a.  Avoid “dense” material such as intricate charts or lengthy spreadsheets
within a slide.
b.  Keep it short & sweet: Limit your talk time to < 5 minutes per slide.
c.  Use videos and animations sparingly.  

After the training session…

9.  Follow-up for follow-through
a.  Don’t assume your audience “got” what you taught – ask them! Use e-
mails, surveys, polls or phone calls to follow-up.
b.  Provide opportunities for questions or coaching after the session.
c.  Schedule a follow-up session within 30 – 60 days to see if learning was applied.