Why is it so hard to engage participants in your virtual sessions? Are you not sure of the best tools or techniques to use? Engagement isn’t easy, as delivering in a virtual environment is different than in a live classroom setting. It takes practice and know-how. So what is the key to stop learners from multitasking and really get involved in the session? If you can’t answer this question, there’s a chance you aren’t effectively engaging your learners.

Virtual-classroom platforms are not new. In fact, there are probably people in your organization using these platforms right now for training, webinars, and meetings. But are you ready to make an organization-wide move to give up face-to-face classrooms for virtual ones, or is the prospect too daunting?

Questions about mobile and social learning can often take the conversation in the wrong direction, ones about issues of screen real estate, for example, rather than the more important questions about learner experience or if mobile is even the appropriate approach. Mobile, coupled with social media, provides a rich resource for informal learning outside of the classroom, as well as supplemental learning within the classroom. 

You spend an incredible amount of time designing, developing, and delivering virtual instructor-led training (VILT) or webinar sessions. It can be a challenge to find the time to promote the topics and follow up with participants in a way that keeps the content fresh in participants’ minds without a lot of additional work. Oftentimes, the content and delivery can be reused in a variety of ways along the learning continuum, from generating interest to post-training performance support, without a lot of resources or effort.

When planning to adopt virtual-classroom platforms for learning sessions, successful organizations need a clear idea of what management, design, delivery, and technical issues to consider.

Migration to virtual training delivery is a “must consider” strategy for most geographically dispersed organizations. The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) is an $8 billon organization that supports soldiers, airmen, and their families with over 2,400 retail facilities. Training the staff that supports those operations is a worldwide task. AAFES needed a better and more effective training strategy.

Live virtual learning, while not new, has only recently gained momentum due to a down economy and increased travel restrictions. Learning organizations know that they must increasingly provide live virtual solutions, but they don’t fully understand how to transition their traditional content to a virtual platform. Intel initially struggled with a lack of standards and development skills which led to mediocre learning experiences.