Virtual training participants notoriously multi-task during live online sessions, which means they miss out on learning opportunities. In addition, there is a common misconception that an online presentation is the same thing as virtual training—it’s not. So virtual classroom designers and facilitators struggle to know how to capture the attention of their audience and keep participants engaged throughout a session so that learning transfer can occur.

In this session, you will learn specific ideas for interactivity and engagement in virtual training sessions. You will learn activity ideas in five categories: openers, games, technical topics, interpersonal skills, and closers. The session will start with activity ideas that begin before a virtual class begins, in order to set the stage for success. You will learn a successful design process to use when creating virtual classroom activities. You will also learn how to creatively use common virtual classroom tools to engage online participants and learn many activity ideas that can be immediately used.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to open your virtual classes with activities that immediately engage attendees
• How to increase participant interaction using six common platform tools
• How to apply three key questions to classroom activities when converting them to virtual
• At least 10 new ideas for delivering content in the online classroom

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Adobe Connect.

Participant technology requirements:
A web browser that can connect to Adobe Connect or a mobile device with the Adobe Connect app.

Taking a hands-on technology class and providing it online can be tough. How do you keep the interactivity of the course? How do you transform the exercises? How do you make the lecture parts engaging enough? When an online session can match the effectiveness of its ILT counterpart, you can reach more learners, lower travel costs, and even generate revenue.

In this session, you will learn about the creation of a certification path that included pre-class videos, a three-day instructor-led boot camp class, a concepts test, and a certification exam. You will see the path taken to transform the three-day instructor-led class into an interactive online session. You will learn about the software used and how to convert the hands-on exercises and case studies, as well as the techniques used to keep the learner involved and engaged.

In this session, you will learn:

• Techniques you can use to maintain the instructiveness of the classroom online
• How to use advanced actions in Adobe Captivate 8 to ask questions of the learners
• The features of GoAnimate and how it can help make lecture parts more engaging
• How to convert hands-on exercises and case studies

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers and developers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Adobe Captivate 8, GoAnimate, and Snagit.

Producing virtual sessions can be a technical challenge, especially when some participants are located in areas with low or sporadic Internet connections, either domestically or around the globe. Virtual learning professionals located in such environments require effective, simple, on-time support: before, during, and after training deliveries.

In this session, you will learn from the delivery of over 50 virtual sessions (primarily on Adobe Connect and WebEx) where the majority of participants were connecting in from outside North America and Western Europe. You will learn best practices in how technical producers, curriculum designers, and project managers worked together to prepare, mitigate, and resolve many issues experienced by low-bandwidth users. This session will also invite you to collaborate with your peers and brainstorm solutions to some of their most pressing technical challenges. While specifically geared to those that work with clients located in multiple countries, the best practices can also be useful to create seamless virtual experiences for any type of virtual delivery.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to identify typical technical challenges experienced by users in low-bandwidth areas
• How to prepare for and mitigate technical disruptions
• Effective questions to ask your client that can contribute to a more user-friendly design
• On-time producing tips to keep users engaged despite technical interruptions

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers, project managers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Adobe Connect, WebEx, LMS software such as Moodle, Skype, and mobile devices.

Virtual classroom technologies are not new. In fact, you may already be hosting web-based meetings and training sessions. But are your preparation, delivery, engagement, and evaluation skills good enough to pass CompTIA’s trainer certification tests (CTT+)? Great virtual instructor-led training requires much more than logging in, turning on your microphone, and reading bulleted slides or demonstrating software features. You need to shift your approach to make the very best use of the resources available in WebEx, Adobe Connect, or GoTo webinar and engage learners in meaningful ways.

In this session, you will learn about the questions and answers you need to prepare for in the virtual classroom, and how to deliver virtual training that is as good as or better than face-to-face sessions. You will learn how to prepare for virtual classroom vs. physical classroom training, and the differences that matter the most.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to identify five key aspects of preparation
• The 12 competencies that effective virtual trainers exhibit (from CompTIA’s CTT+ certification)
• About real-life case studies of virtual online trainers
• How the virtual trainer work style shift might impact you

Audience:
Trainers, training managers, virtual coaches, and online event producers.

Technology discussed in this session:
N/A