A virtual classroom platform makes it possible to offereLearning in multiple synchronous formats. There are several well-regardedvendors and products to choose from, though, and it can be hard for a neweLearning developer to select a platform. Here are five questions that can helpwith that decision.
1. What type of eLearning will you be doing?
Is your eLearning going to be primarily presentations orhands-on training?
The type of eLearning affects the extent and type of learnerparticipation and could determine class size. The tools that your virtualclassroom platform must include might be different for different types ofeLearning, because you might emphasize different types of interactiveparticipation:
- A presentation or webinar can (andshould) include interactivity, but it might tend toward polls, questions, and chats.
- On the other hand, training entailslearning and practicing a new skill. That skill might be using a software tool,or it might be role-playing and other discussion or talk-based participation. Forthis, you’ll want to be able to share a whiteboard and screens, set up breakoutdiscussions, and more.
The type of eLearning also should be a factor in determiningclass size. A presentation or webinar might be presented to dozens or evenhundreds of learners; a hands-on training, to be effective, should be limitedto a small number of learners.
Class size and the type of interactivity are key factors inchoosing a platform.
2. What technical infrastructure is available—and whatlimitations must you contend with?
Will you be hosting the virtual session from an office withan excellent Internet connection and full IT backup? Or from home or a coffeeshop with questionable Wi-Fi? Is using VOIP an option? Do you need to integratethis eLearning with a corporate LMS? Knowing the situation can make thedifference in choosing a platform. It will also help you prepare a backup plan—anda backup for your backup. What will you do if the Internet is down? Do you havespare equipment in case of a failure?
3. Will you have a producer to help with virtual sessions,or are you a solo instructor?
To keep an audience of learners engaged, considerablemultitasking is likely to be needed.
Presenting a slide deck via the virtual classroom is sure toput even the most dedicated learner to sleep. It’s easier to use a variety ofvirtual classroom tools, like breakout rooms and shared whiteboards, and toincorporate video or audio files, polls, and examples, and to field incomingquestions if you have a producer to help you set up and switch between screens.But with proper preparation, a solo presenter can accomplish a lot and createengaging sessions. If you are going solo, practicing is essential, as isadvance preparation.
“I think it’s key,” said Cindy Huggett, an eLearning consultantand instructional designer. Some instructors focus too narrowly on presenting,but “it’s really about engagement and dialogue. I need to be focusing in ondifferent parts of the screen, watching the chat, looking for people raisingtheir hand, and facilitating an activity.”
Some virtual classroom platforms function as what Huggett calls“perpetual classrooms.” These allow you to set up multiple screens, breakoutrooms, and other tools ahead of the live session and click on them as needed.If you’ll be doing a lot of solo sessions, that could be an essential featureof your platform. “With other platforms, you can’t set that up in advance.You’re literally running it on the fly, or you’re logging in an hour early toupload things,” Huggett said. “If I know I don’t have a producer, I try to makesure that the platform I’m using is one that’s a little easier to run without aproducer.”
4. What are your learners’ technical abilities?
One of the key competencies Huggett cites for virtualclassroom facilitators is the ability to create a comfortable learningenvironment. In a virtual classroom, this could mean letting learners know that“it’s OK if they’re not sure where ‘raise hand’ is. … Just like we do in thein-person classroom, we want to make sure that we’ve got a comfortable learningenvironment,” she said.
If learners are technologically savvy, a full-fledgedvirtual classroom session that has them bouncing between chats, breakout rooms,and answering poll questions—and even sharing their own work by taking controlof the whiteboard—will be a breeze. But for learners who are not comfortableusing computers, teaching them to use a “raised hand” or other statusindicator, answer a poll question, and use the chat box might be the limit. Iflearners are overwhelmed by the technical demands, they’ll be less focused onthe learning. On the other hand, if they are bored by a too-simple format, theymight tune out. Know your audience—and prepare appropriately.
5. What virtual classroom tools do you want to use?
Virtual eLearning sessions run the gamut fromconference-call setups, where participants hear only the voice of the personspeaking, to fully developed interactive platforms. A virtual classroomplatform might offer any or all of the following features.
- Screensharing: The instructor shares slides, freeform text, a Word document, anopen browser window—anything that’s on her screen; alternatively, theinstructor can allow a learner to share his screen with the class.
- Statusindicators: A way for learners to “raise their hands” is common; someplatforms offer multiple status icons, including stepped away, agree, disagree,laughter, speak louder or softer, etc.
- Chat:A chat box allows learners to ask questions or interact with other learners.Some platforms allow private chat between an instructor and a learner; somealso allow semi-private chat between learners (the instructor can eavesdrop).
- Sharedwhiteboard: The instructor—or a learner, where sharing control ispossible—can draw or write on a whiteboard. Some instructors invite alllearners to participate or claim a section of the whiteboard; some putexercises on the whiteboard and have learners, one by one, solve them, e.g.,editing a sentence or solving an equation. Huggett suggests that soloinstructors recruit learners to help—by writing items on a whiteboard as otherlearners make suggestions, for example.
- Polls:The instructor can ask multiple-choice questions, and learners can choose oneor multiple responses.
- Breakoutrooms: Group chat sessions (the instructor can assign groups andeavesdrop).
- Quizzes:Instructors can create and administer quizzes to learners within the virtualclassroom.
- Sharingfiles: Instructors can distribute a handout to all learners electronically.
The format and class size might determine which features areuseful. Developers and instructors who conduct different types of eLearningusing a virtual classroom might opt for a more robust platform, while someonewho does an occasional meeting or webinar might choose a simpler platform withfewer bells and whistles.
