Virtual Training: Are You Engaging or Boring?

Cloud-basedvirtual training allows instructors to deliver content without being present ina classroom with the students. In virtual training, when you can’t see the participants, how do youcompensate for the environment?

The answer is to engage learners through thepace of your presentation, skillful use of your voice, and thoughtful employmentof the features of your conferencing platform. Here are a few tips for clearingaway the fog and holding a successful virtual training session from the clouds.

Use pace to engage the learner

Engagingthe learner is the single most important design criterion for successfuldistance learning via virtual classrooms.

Asyou are well aware, the reality is that people in the corporate world arebusier than ever today. Because of downsizing, many individuals are doing thework that two or even three people formerly did. When people decide to attend avirtual training session, they are likely to encounter many distractions: e-mail,talking on a cell phone, working on a project, or multitasking on otheractivities that their duties force upon them.

Mostlearners will feel motivated to attend training if the topic is one in whichthey are interested, but in the case of “required” training … not so much. The content had betterbe great in either case, or else they will be off multitasking at the firstsign of boredom. How do we keep the learner engaged in our live Webcast orvirtual training session?

Keep it moving

Everyoneloves to hate slide-based presentations, whether done with PowerPoint or someother presentation software, but a presentation will inevitably be part of mostvirtual training sessions. Depending on what you have available to support yoursession you may not have any other options – not allWeb conferencing software provides a whiteboard, video, interactive features, orother capabilities.

The brainreacts to colors and images, and goes to great lengths not to miss anythingonce the eyes focus on a screen. If you were watching television, and thescreen only changed every two or three minutes, it would not take you long tofigure out that you could multitask and not miss anything at all. When youwatch the news, notice the flow … thedirector starts with the anchor reading a teleprompter to begin the story, andthen quickly switches off the headshot and rolls in field footage to help tellthe story with images. By keeping things interesting, with compelling visuals thatmove and update quickly, viewers become more engaged because they don’t want tomiss anything.

The lessonis that in a virtual classroom, you must keep the content constantly moving.This means that, when presenting content, you will need more slides, with morepictures and less text per slide, than you may be accustomed to using forphysical classroom training. Design the presentation to move along smoothlywith pictures telling a story.  

Do notbuild your content with a few slides that only contain text. Slow-moving,text-heavy slides are a recipe for disaster. Participants refer to text-heavyslides as “Death byPowerPoint” … meaning, no one wants to read slidesor (even worse) have a person read the slides to them. Learners leave thesepresentations, and the chances of their returning are slim.

So, when doyou know that the change of imagery is fast enough and not too fast or tooslow? One way to test this theory is to ask yourself another question:  If you posted the slide file as a stand-aloneasset, could the students get the same benefit from it alone as they would getwith an instructor? If the answer is “yes,” then you haven’t designed your content for a virtualtraining session with a live instructor.

Use your skills as a speaker

Manyfacilitators who are excellent face-to-face trainers approach virtual trainingwith the attitude of “how hardcan it be?” However,delivery in the virtual classroom is completely different from face-to-facetraining, and requires simultaneously mastering the technology and the content. It’s like asking a news anchor to directthe news and deliver the news at the same time … not an easy thing to do!

Bring it to life, don’t flatline it

Figure 1. Listen to radio hosts andcommercials to get ideas on creating voice inflections.

You mustbecome the master of visual stimulation, and the master of show direction, andthe master of focusing your learners’ attentionat the right time. While all this is going on, you are unable to see them toknow if you are delivering an impactful training session or if you put them tosleep. So what can you do?

Your voicehas a tremendous impact on the quality of your virtual sessions. You must focuson inflections, speed, the tone that you use with the learners, and how youpace your delivery of the content. Learners will evaluate you not only on thequality of your content, but on how pleasant, natural, confident, andinteresting you sound. Reading slides is not training. Maximum impact andhigher retention levels require dynamic delivery – coupledwith your visuals.

Tobuild vitality in your voice, pay attention to radio commercials and listen tohow the narrator changes pitch, rate, and volume to get your attention. (Figure1) Just like a radio personality, you can’t see theaudience, and, in many cases, they cannot see you. A dynamic voice and changingvisuals must stimulate the learner to pay attention. You are not “reading the material,” you are delivering ideas, facts,concepts, and examples in a way that brings them to life for the learner. 

Team up for variety

Anothergreat tip for longer training sessions is to deliver content with a co-presenterwhenever possible. This immediately adds vocal variety to your virtualsessions. Think about the news or any sporting event … there is always more than onebroadcaster so personalities can interact with each other and keep the deliverymore interesting.

We callthis vocal variety. This style of training is less predictable, so people willbe more inclined to pay attention. Have the co-presenter start off thepresentation by giving the introduction and explaining the proper etiquette andground rules of the training session, and then taking on a moderator role. Yourco-presenter can also help to answer questions, prompt you for questions,reiterate points for clarification, provide time checks, and keep theconversation focused. With this type of co-presenter coordination, the meetingwill come across as professionally organized and VERY engaging.

Use the conferencing features

Althoughplatforms differ, all conferencing software provides some set of features thatwill help you keep your learners engaged. Here are some tips for using the morecommonly available features.

Annotate, don’t just dictate

Use ofannotation tools in your conferencing software, such as pointers, arrows, orhighlighters, will command and direct the learner’s attentionto specific points on complex graphics. These tools allow you to drive thelearner to the exact item that you are referring to. (See Figure 2.)

Figure 2. The green arrow allows theparticipants to focus on a specific spot in complex graphics

Tailor the training space to the task

Alwayscustomize the virtual training room to reproduce the format that learners wouldexperience in a live face-to-face classroom. Leveraging room layouts (such asthose available in Adobe Connect – aFlash-based rich-media platform) is a great way to build a portion of thetraining with PowerPoint, a portion with pre-produced digital video, and aportion that uses video capabilities to broadcast several subject matterexperts at the same time during a Q&A session. In an advanced platform likeAdobe Connect that permits “multi-camerabroadcasting,” eachperson can broadcast simultaneously so the learner can see the person answeringtheir question.

Customizationis a great way to make the training session dynamic and engaging to maximize thelearner’s attention.This is especially important for well-known speakers or high-level executives.Put them on stage, let the learners interact with them, and they become part ofthe learning exercises.

Learners should not be listeners only

Polling isa great way to help you acquire instant and quantifiable input from yourlearners, and engage their minds. Even if you can’t see thelearners, you can use polls to gain insight on their thoughts and emotions aboutthe training content. A good polling question can get learners thinking indepth about the implications or applications of key points in the presentation.You can also use polling questions to determine the level of interest in atopic, and then make adjustments on the fly based upon real-time feedback tomake the session more dynamic and fresh for each group of learners. 

There aredifferent types of polling questions, each with its own specialcharacteristics. (See Figures 3 and 4) Don’t overusepolling questions, use them when necessary, and make them useful so the featuredoes not become redundant to the learner.

Figure 3. Multiple-answer polls allowmore than one selection.

 Figure 4. Multiple-choice polls allow only oneselection.

Check their status to maintain engagement – and stimulatethinking

Anothermethod to engage the learner is by using “statustools,” oremoticons. Leverage student engagement by using whatever emoticons or responseicons are available from your conferencing platform. (See Figure 5)

Statustools or emoticons compensate for lack of visibility between the instructor andthe student. These icons can help you replace the visual cues you wouldnormally get in a physical environment where you see people. Encourage allparticipants to use them throughout the presentation.

This typeof classroom structure lets the participants know that you will accept interruptionsand that you are paying attention to their opinions. It makes the deliverydynamic – not just some“cookie cutter” or canned presentation. A greatexample of use of status tools is to ask if they “agree” or “disagree” with a question or statement youdeliver. As a trainer you would say, “Give me athumbs up if you agree that this solution fits well within your company,” and you would see the feedback in real-time.This also allows a trainer to “see” the type of audience they areworking with and make adjustments on the fly if necessary.

Are you ready for your close-up?

Ifsupported by the conferencing software, use the Webcam feature so you canemploy your presentation skills and gestures; this brings learners into thecontent and helps them take the journey with you.

Your Webcamis the direct link to your audience. Use it wisely, and look into the lens whenspeaking to your audience to give the illusion of eye contact with each ofthem. (Figure 6) Even though you cannot see your audience, they can see you. Whenusing the Webcam, you must use facial expressions, inflections on words, andgestures to build a connection with your learners. You may even want to place asticky note next to your Webcam, to remind you to stay focused on keeping theconnection with your learners.

Key advice: rehearse it, don’t wing it

The moreyou rehearse the content in real time, the easier it is to keep eye contactwith the Webcam. Rehearsal gives you mastery of the content.

More key advice: use the Webcam wisely

New virtualtrainers often ask, “When shouldI turn the Webcam on and when should I turn it off?”

Rememberthis guideline: content that includes data, statistics, and facts that requirereasoning and analysis can be included in a PowerPoint format without a Webcam.When you have any complex graphics or content, you don’t want the Webcam competing with itso turn it off. The Webcam image will command the learner’s attention and focus – in other words, if they see you onthe Webcam, that’s wherethey will look. Movement in the Webcam will distract them from the graphics,and learners will not be sure which area of the screen to focus on. 

Contentthat appeals to participants’ emotionsis better expressed through the full-motion Webcam, because gestures and facialexpression can sell the emotional side of your message. I like to use theWebcam when conducting polls and getting feedback so learners can see and hear myinflections along with the specifics I’m askingabout.

Always be aware of your learners’ environments

Finally,you must be cognizant of the devices used by your audience. Many people are nowparticipating via tablet devices with smaller screens. (Figures 7 and 8) You shoulddesign your content so that the images are legible on smaller screens, includingon smartphones. Learn about the mobile applications for these devices with thevirtual training platform you use. If learners can tab around on window options,you must include narration that will guide them to the proper window whendiscussing graphics or charts. If it’s hard toread on your screen, it’s probablymore difficult to read on a participant’s computeror tablet device. Make the effort to keep screens simple, and include less textand more visuals to help tell your story.

Melt the fog away with engagement and interactivity

It tends to be very foggy when youare training in the cloud, but remember, if you know your content, and designyour training with user engagement and frequent interactivity, you will be sureto attain great results with virtual training from the cloud.