Many Facilitators in 2020 went from training in a classroom to having to adapt to the world of zoom overnight. Many people in the learning and development space are still finding it difficult to tackle this transition. If that's you, read on!
Here's five short and sweet tips that can help facilitators who are still struggling with that major change:
Virtual training is about focusing on multiple technologies and individuals, you should be keeping an eye open for the 'hands-up', people turning their camera off or people on their phone. We recommend using camera modes that allow you to see everyone, such as 'Gallery Mode'.
Become fluent in switching software, interacting with learners and being okay when things go wrong. Sometimes a large part of people being disengaged is when they don't think their facilitator or trainer knows what they're doing. If you are using certain software in the digital room ensure that you have used it, not opening it for the first time in that session!
This may not be obvious, but for some learners, this is their first time in the virtual training room. A quick overview of how you will run your session might be helpful right at the start. Show them how to raise their hand, how to mute/unmute, use the chat feature and hey, even send a GIF!
Sometimes a virtual room can feel like everyone having 1:1 experiences. Remember to allow others to interact with each other. It's not always about you.
Once you have mastered the digital classroom, there isn't much difference.
For anyone who is struggling with this transition or need a hint as to what software, you can use to bring engagement back to your training, feel free to reach out to us and we can have a quick 30 minute chat to go over how to jump into this digital sandpit!