Success with virtual education, how do you do it? During this spring, we conducted all our training and leadership training virtually. Together with our customers and participants, we have accumulated a wealth of good experiences. Now we would like to share our tips on how you can think, do, and prepare for success with virtual education. These tips are things that we think are important to consider when conducting training – both in the role of client and as an educator. Our goal is, as always, to get the best results and the greatest impact of your planned education.
Clear information to participants
One of the basics for succeeding with your virtual training is to have clear communication with your participants. To avoid misunderstandings and provide the best possible conditions for them, you need to be clear about the educational purpose and goals. They also need instructions on whatthey are expected to do, what systems they will use and what they will do in those systems. Your participants need to know the following regarding the training program:
- Do I expect to do something before the training? If so, what, and for what purpose and purpose?
- What is expected of me during the training itself? For what purpose and purpose?
- Am I expected to do something after the training? If so, what, and for what purpose and purpose?
Group size – an important factor
To succeed with virtual education we have seen that we get the best results in groups of up to 10 people. Here, everyone dares to be involved and it is harder to hide behind a screen. In groups with up to 15 participants, the result will be ok, but if we go over 15 we lose both interaction and engagement. This is because it will be easier for the participant to hide in the crowd. With a larger group, there is also a much greater risk that you as a participant will zoom out and lose focus.
Technology preparation is a must
Make sure that both yourself and the participants are making sure that our technology works before we start. By doing so we avoid that time and energy that we need to spend on the training itself is spent on solving technical problems. If technology runs smooth – the greater the chance of succeeding with your virtual education! We therefore always make sure to do the following:
- Ask the participant to test that the sound and camera work before the training starts.
- Have the participants log in at least 10 minutes before the start of the training in order to ward off technology tricks.
- Inform about the importance of participating with the camera on so that the participant understands the purpose and are comfortable with the camera on.
Keep the level of engagement high throughout the course
During our courses, we always strive for a high level of engagement and commitment among the participants. When we meet virtually, this can be an additional challenge. We have noticed that the following helps us to keep the participation of the participants up:
- Mix in questions with the information to the participants.
- Remember to ask questions even to those who are not active.
- At breakout, ask the groups to give feedback, for example, 3 findings that they came up within a chat. The trainer then reposts some of the findings.