1.2.1 Transferring your training from F2F to virtual classroom

1. Introduction

The virtual classroom is getting more common during these last years. What emerged in the early 2000’s is now growing up, with specific, reliable platforms and a wider impact.

Virtual classrooms are online, synchronous environment, where learners join a group with a live facilitator. This replaces a face to face training room, in a school, office building or conference centre. It does not refer to the world of self-paced e-learning, where learners work individually. More and more organizations are testing and gradually including virtual classroom sessions into their training program.

The development of the virtual classroom represents an important change: there is and will always be a place for face to face training. Training departments are creating blended programmes to create a more complete training paradigm.   Virtual classroom can be equally, or even more effective, than certain F2F lessons. 

Virtual classroom learning is distinctly different from face to face learning and this e-book presents a 5 step o verview of the design process.

Many people still see virtual classroom training as second option. They choose it to save travel cost and travel time. However, gradually the virtual classroom will be discovered as a training tool with its own merits, even outperforming the F2F setting at times. With a digital generation growing up, the comparison F2F – virtual will become less relevant.

2. Design of programme and materials

Five steps to shift learning from F2F to the virtual classroom

1.     Design of programme and materials

If the objectives are clear, it’s time to look at the outline, content and materials.

Consider 2 key differences between F2F and synchronous online learning:

•   Duration: virtual classroom sessions are much shorter than F2F: two hours with a 5 minute break in the middle works best
•   Attention span is short; you are competing with the participant’s environment including their mailbox, browser and visual distractions in the room

Therefore, lecturing content does not work well in the virtual classroom; consider asking participants to read beforehand and use the session for processing, practice and application.

Use a mix of features of the virtual classroom to make it engage: the goal is to engage your audience and make it interactive. Flipcharts become whiteboards where all can draw and write simultaneously. Break out rooms, video, quizzes, assessments, creating and delivering short presentations provide a rich toolbox for the virtual classroom designer.

3. Select the platform carefully

2. Select the platform carefully

Meeting platforms are designed for meetings and lack important features that help to create a training session with impact, such as breakout rooms, a large(r) variety of annotation tools and attendance indicators, to name a few. Each platform has different features, so it is essential to select carefully which one best matches the needs of your target audience and you as facilitator.

For instance, Zoom has excellent Webcam capabilities but WebEx has better annotation. In Adobe Connect, the trainer can open and prepare the virtual classroom beforehand. GoTo Training is very simple and intuitive. Be aware that this landscape changes constantly as existing platforms are being updated and new ones introduced.

4. Tech checks

3.     Tech checks

Although your participants may have used the platform before, it does not guarantee that they know how to access your specific session in a hassle-free manner, nor that their audio quality is as good as it needs to be to ensure a high impact experience. Nothing makes you lose credibility as facilitator as quickly as losing the first 20 minutes to technical problems. Therefore we recommend performing an individual ‘tech check’ a test session of around 10 minutes within a week of the first session. This should be performed by an experienced producer, someone who knows all the FAQ’s in the book

5. Familiarize learners

4.     Familiarize learners

Many participants do not know what to expect when joining an interactive online session for the first time. They may have been in webinars, where people are kept on mute and expected to be a passive audience. Therefore you need to familiarize them with 3 things: 

• The virtual classroom environment and the features available to them
•  Their role as learners: what is expected from them in terms of participation?
• the virtual etiquette of your session: is it OK to speak up and annotate? What if someone has to leave early? Are the emoticons used and if so for what purpose?

6. VELVET virtual facilitator

5.     Becoming a  ‘VELVET’ virtual facilitator

A professional virtual facilitator knows the unique capabilities of the virtual classroom and how to leverage those. VELVET summarizes the essence of the virtual facilitation skills:

V for virtual etiquette

Define, communicate and role-model how you would like the learners to engage and interact during the sessions

E for Emotional connection & ENERGY

Spend time on building the relationship and creating a good learning climate. Use your style and creativity using for instance music, images, meditation or games. Whatever it takes to create the atmosphere that works for you as facilitator and your audience

L for Listening

In virtual space, we do not just listen to words, but we listen to silence, what is not said and what is expressed between the lines. With less body language than in F2F settings, listening is your # 1 facilitation tool

V for Voice

If listening is your #1 tool, then your voice is #2. As you are constantly competing for attention with participants’ inbox, browser and physical surroundings, so your voice needs to be varied, inviting, clear and friendly.

E for Engaging visually

Participants are looking at the screen for two hours. Make sure you create a visual environment that is aesthetically appealing and professional looking. Variety is important too, every 20 or 30 second something new should appear on the screen in order to keep the engagement high.

T for Technology

The virtual facilitator is not afraid of technology but does not have to be a geek. We recommend working with a producer, as a team. The producer takes care of technical issues so that the facilitator can focus on the group and the learning process.