ebook-from-chalkboard-to-keyboard-transitioning-to-the-virtual-classroom

by Cynthia Clay Author of Great Webinars: How to Create Interactive Learning that is Captivating, Informative and Fun

Copyright Š 2012 by Cynthia Clay All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form by any means without permission in writing from the publisher. The publisher and author assume no responsibility for omissions or errors, nor is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

Trademarks: NetSpeed Learning Solutions is a trademark or registered trademark of Clay & Associates, Inc. dba NetSpeed Learning Solutions. WebEx, Adobe Connect, Microsoft Live Meeting, Citrix Go To Webinar, Citrix Go To Training, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Wikipedia and Microsoft PowerPoint are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Clay & Associates, Inc. is not associated with any other product or vendor mentioned in this book.

Published by NetSpeed Learning Solutions

From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

I remember the first webinar I ever delivered many years ago. I was using a web conference platform with no video so participants couldn’t see me. I didn’t know how to incorporate the interaction tools so I didn’t get any feedback from learners. I felt acutely uncomfortable with no verbal or non-verbal cues from my audience. As a result, I spoke faster and faster, displaying one PowerPoint slide after another, as I rushed to end my presentation before I bored myself and my learners to tears. As I hung up the phone that morning, I exclaimed out loud, “Oh my gosh, that was like giving a speech in a closet!”

That first frustrating webinar experience sent me on a quest to learn to deliver engaging, interactive web training – webinars that not only capture and keep the attention of my learners, but also give me the feedback and collaboration I need to be an effective online facilitator. Since that time, I have We have a special delivered hundreds of webinars using a variety of offer for eBook readers web conference platforms. I have learned to on Page 35 maximize engagement and learning while having a lot of fun doing it!

This eBook contains many of the techniques that we teach our clients, folks like you who are making the transition from the face-to-face classroom to the virtual classroom. If you are just entering the world of virtual learning, or if you want some new ideas to spice up your webinar delivery, you’re sure to find some good tips to support your delivery of engaging, interactive web training. At the end of the eBook, we offer you the opportunity to attend our Virtual Facilitator Trainer Certification course at a significant discount. Enjoy!

Cynthia Clay President & CEO NetSpeed Learning Solutions

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

Cynthia Clay is the President / CEO of NetSpeed Learning Solutions. With a passion for using technology in the service of learning, Ms. Clay leads a company that creates and delivers high-impact learning in the face-to-face and virtual classrooms.

She is a nationally recognized speaker on blended learning, virtual training delivery and applying social media tools to maximize learning retention and transfer. She is the author of the book, Great Webinars: How to Create Interactive Learning That Is Captivating, Informative and Fun and the co-author of Peer Power: Transforming Workplace Relationships, both published by Wiley & Sons in February 2012.

We are passionate

We are learning architects who help our clients about helping our deliver training solutions that drive business results. clients deliver We work with Fortune 1000 clients who want to engaging, collaborative transition effectively from the face-to-face to the virtual learning. virtual classroom. We license interactive virtual training programs in leadership, customer service, and personal accountability; we develop your trainers’ virtual delivery skills; we provide instructional designers to help you repurpose existing programs for the virtual classroom; we offer collaboration tools to engage learners online; we help you reinforce skills and measure the impact with online tools.

Our clients partner with us because we are experts in creating collaborative, engaging learning solutions for the virtual classroom. They include Genentech/Roche, Halliburton, Monsanto, Nielsen, USTA, Valero Energy and Bright Horizons. www.netspeedlearning.com

Š 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

Š 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

The book Brain Rules by John Medina (Pear Press, 2008) should be required reading for every trainer who wants to hold the attention of an audience of learners. His fascinating conclusions are just as relevant to the world of virtual learning as to faceto-face learning.

Medina, a developmental molecular biologist and affiliate professor at the University of Washington, School of Medicine, suggests twelve rules or principles based on brain research studies that govern how we work and learn.

"What do these studies show, viewed as a whole? Mostly this: If you wanted to create an education environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design something like a classroom. If you wanted to create a business environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you would probably design something like a cubicle."

His twelve rules cover a wide array of recommendations like “repeat to remember” and “stressed brains don’t learn the same way” and “vision trumps all other senses.” But let’s focus on his Rule #4: We don't pay attention to boring things.

Medina explains that humans have about ten minutes of attention.

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Medina explains that humans have about ten minutes of attention. First you have to capture the learner's attention through a hook (such as an emotion-provoking story that is relevant to the topic). Then you have 9 minutes and some-odd seconds to explain the meaning of a key concept and provide critical details. After that? The brain needs a break. Provide another emotion-provoking hook to seal the previous concept or set up the next concept.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

What are the implications of that for your next 60-minute webinar? The virtual presenter: 

Has about five ten-minute blocks of time (after setting the stage and before closing the session)



Should present no more than five key concepts in that 60-minute session



Must provide emotional hooks in the form of powerful stories, before and after each block



Must engage learners repeatedly to keep them from multi-tasking

If you’re tempted to load up the PowerPoint slides with bullet point after bullet point of information, know that most of it will be forgotten.

If you're tempted to load up the PowerPoint slides with bullet point after bullet point of information, know that most of it will be forgotten. Your learners will begin multi-tasking after the first ten minutes of your online classroom session.

Brain Rules is sure to change the way you design learning in the face-to-face and the virtual classrooms.

© 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

NetSpeed Learning Solutions assists many clients who are making the move from face-to-face to virtual classrooms (using web conferencing platforms such as WebEx and Adobe Connect). There are a multitude of approaches to the conversion dilemma but not all of them are effective. Here are a few that we've encountered: Option #1: Teach the same content, in the same way, in the same length of time, online... just have people log in from their desktops to listen to a speaker. It may be boring but, hey, you can start to roll out virtual programs tomorrow!

Option #2: Teach the same content but remove the experiential exercises and discussions... instead of a fourhour course, you can shave that virtual class time down to 30 minutes, send them a list of bullet points, and get everyone back to work quickly.

Option #3: Thoughtfully consider how to achieve similar learning objectives with engaging, interactive, peer-to-peer learning, delivered in 60 to 90-minute facilitated web sessions, led by a skilled virtual facilitator.

Which option do we recommend? If you selected Option 3, you're on the right track. Taking the time to carefully "repurpose" a face-to-face classroom event for the virtual arena means that you:

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If you selected Option 3, you’re on the right track.



Review and rewrite the learning objectives



Rely on adult learning principles to make the content relevant and meaningful



Create a design outline that strives to build interaction every 3 - 5 minutes of the facilitated web session



Enhance the PowerPoint slide presentation with effective photos, graphics, and illustrations



Ensure that application and practice remain an important part of the design

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom



Blend asynchronous online activities (such as blogging or discussion forums) with live facilitated sessions



Support learning transfer with online reinforcement tools

When you're engaged in the conversion process, you need to pay attention to the design process, as well as the web conferencing tools at your disposal.

To achieve success in the conversion of course content, you must select a web conferencing platform that:

When you’re engaged in the conversion process, you need to pay attention to the design process, as well as the web conferencing tools at your disposal.



Provides a variety of interaction tools, including chat, polling, and annotation



Incorporates break-out rooms for lively small group discussions



Offers two-way communication (through VoIP or teleconferencing) to engage learners



Supports the use of multi-media (video and audio)



Handles sophisticated slide presentations that include animation and graphics



Is easy to learn, master, and apply by the Presenter



Presents few challenges or barriers to participants new to web conferencing

© 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

You hear it all the time from instructional designers, virtual trainers and training vendors: We're platform agnostic. What they probably mean is that they will design and deliver the same training content no matter what web conferencing platform their clients use.

All it takes to succeed is strong content, a good slide deck, and a few polls and chats thrown in to keep their learner's attention.

But what it really means is this: We will use the bare minimum of interaction tools in your web conferencing platform. Instead of creating learning experiences that leverage the strengths of your online learning environment, we will design and deliver a vanilla-flavored, one-size-fits-all program with a minimum of bells and whistles that don't translate across platforms. Expect a talking-head presentation, a few polls, the opportunity for learners to raise their hands once or twice, and a Q & A session at the end.

The bottom line is that anyone in the training design or delivery role must capitalize on the strengths of their specific web conference learning environment to create robust training online. To give a few examples: WebEx has strong annotation tools. Learners have access to pointer tools (with their names on them) and text tools. When designing for WebEx, leverage the easy use of these tools with quick polls on slides, as well as exercises that call on participants to label diagrams and photographs. Adobe Connect allows you to create individual layouts with multiple chats and polls. You can set up multiple chat discussions in different pods and stack polls on top of one another to reveal them one at a time. When designing for Adobe Connect, capitalize on the ability to completely change the visual look of the learning environment with each exercise or activity.

Microsoft Lync allows learners to launch private video chats with each other so you can have pairs talk about a discussion question and then debrief with the full group afterward. In Microsoft Lync, leverage VoIP and video chat.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

In addition to understanding the strengths of your particular web conference platform, your designers and trainers should beware of its weaknesses. Some platforms handle the ability to play video quite poorly. Some platforms promise breakout rooms but the experience is so clunky and error-prone, it's best to avoid using them. Other platforms force you to show your PowerPoint from Your designers and your desktop, losing the ability to engage learners trainers should with interaction tools. In some learning beware of web environments, you are not able to stream the conference platform presenter's video.

weaknesses.

Can you really be platform agnostic? Absolutely.

But that also means you will likely be boring and pedantic as a result. We can do better!

Š 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

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The conventional wisdom about PowerPoint in the classroom is "Less is more."

Trainers are often advised to reduce the number of slides and focus on creating a connection with their learners, many of whom have come to dread Death by PowerPoint. This advice is certainly sound for the physical (face-to-face) classroom but does it apply to the virtual classroom?

Most web conference platforms assume the trainer will display a PowerPoint slide deck and speak about those slides while the learners take notes and pose an occasional question.

The virtual classroom environment could be called the visual classroom environment. A well-designed slide deck with compelling graphics is the key to capturing and maintaining learners' attention. Here are ten guidelines to govern your use of PowerPoint in the virtual (visual) classroom: 1. Limit text on each slide.

2. Attend to the 6x6 rule (no more than six lines, six words per line).

3. Break up complicated graphs and charts on multiple slides.

4. Use simple fonts (Ariel and Helvetica are often favored by slide converters.

5. Add evocative graphics that generate an emotional connection to the material. (Check out iStockphoto where you can purchase low resolution images at low prices.)

6. Add icons to signal interaction: chat, poll, whiteboard, and feedback.

7. Put instructions for activities on the slides for learners to reference.

8. When delivering, use annotation tools (for example, the text tool, highlighter, or pointer arrow) to focus learners.

9. As you present, adopt the rule of thumb: no more than one minute on each slide.

10. Display the PowerPoint inside the platform, not from your desktop, so that you have fast access to the platform's interaction tools.

Š 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

Let's face it: a webinar can be a cold, impersonal experience. Often it's a PowerPoint slide show narrated by a disembodied monotone voice. As a virtual facilitator or trainer, think about "warming up" this impersonal environment.  Use a web camera and make "eye contact" through the camera lens  Smile and keep your voice lively and animated  Learn attendee's names, objectives, and challenges  If possible, get their photographs so you can speak to "real people"  Allow participants to express themselves, adding personality to the dialogue  Use appropriate humor Consciously warming up the online world transforms the web learning experience. Your learners will thank you and tell everyone that you have delivered a great webinar.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

Most web conference platforms have whiteboards. They function as the equivalent of a flipchart used in the face-to-face classroom. The most common use of a whiteboard in a virtual instructor-led training (VILT) session is to open it up, facilitate discussion and record participant ideas. But don't stop there!

Consider these creative uses of whiteboards and annotation tools: 

Use a PowerPoint slide as your whiteboard. After your brief lecture, Include a diagram, a chart, a picture of a piece of equipment, or a blueprint (related to your content, of course). Have your learners annotate or label the various elements to reinforce what they heard.

Use a PowerPoint slide as your whiteboard.



Use the same picture and list five to ten labels down the left side of the PowerPoint slide. Ask participants to draw a line from each label to the correct element on the slide.



For teambuilding in the VILT environment, ask a team to draw a giraffe on a whiteboard. Give them two minutes to plan their process. Then mute their phone lines and tell them to execute their plan. Have the rest of your learners observe the creative teamwork that ensues.



Create a participant grid on a slide with photos of your learners. As they arrive in the virtual classroom, ask people to "sign in" next to their photos, adding their names and favorite hobbies. You'll build a collaborative learning community as people get a sense of their fellow classmates.



Create a motto and slogan for leadership in your organization. Have the group discuss aloud or offer ideas in a chat pod. While they make suggestions, have a volunteer (or two) draw the various mottos and type the various slogans on the whiteboard. It's attention-engaging to watch the images and words appear (no artistic talent necessary).

© 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

A new trainer may enter the virtual world with the notion that polling is a way to get learners doing something after a long lecture. One virtual trainer was even overheard to say during a webinar, "I've been talking a long time, now it's your turn to do something."

If you are using polling to break up monotonous delivery of content, you are missing an opportunity to engage your learners. There are many more interesting benefits of polling. You can: 

Encourage personal reflection



Help learners compare responses



Review levels of experience



Test knowledge



Set up debate over key issues



Prepare learners to hear and retain key information



Encourage action planning

Learn more about our Virtual Design Services

As you design your next virtual training, consider how you ask questions in the face-to-face classroom to engage, enlighten, and energize your learners. Then transfer those questioning techniques to the virtual classroom by creating polls.

As your learners reflect, share and compare, they will find themselves more deeply engaged in the content and more likely to retain what you're presenting.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

Many web conferencing platforms now offer web cams. As a trainer, you can be on camera, streaming your video as you facilitate a classroom discussion. Yet, I often hear trainers tell me that they were advised (by someone) not to use the streaming video.

Trainers frequently tell us that they are worried about being on camera because they don't know how to use it. They fear they will forget about the camera and embarrass themselves.

While I don't want to minimize these concerns, I also believe that the advantages of being on camera far outweigh the disadvantages in the virtual classroom.

Here are a few tips to make video work: 

Place your camera directly above your video playback image. When you check your appearance (and we all do), your eyes will only move slightly from the camera lens to your image. Center yourself and include your head, neck and shoulders. Participants should be able to see your facial expressions on camera.

The advantages of



Clean up your background. You don't need to put a blank screen behind you. A little personality in your workplace humanizes the virtual world. Just remove the clutter.

And check your image to be sure plants or foreign objects don't appear to be growing from your head.



Look directly into the camera lens when you are speaking and imagine you can see your participants. Glance at your PowerPoint slides but look right back to the camera lens. You'll create the illusion of eye contact that makes it harder for people to sneak away to multi-task.

© 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

being on camera far outweigh the disadvantages in the virtual classroom.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom



Look directly into the camera lens when a participant is speaking. Nod your head and use other nonverbal listening behaviors. Your webinar participants will love that you are clearly listening to what they have to say.



Practice freezing your camera and muting your phone line so that you can smoothly disappear for a minute while participants are working on an exercise. You can stretch, take a drink of water, or sneeze without anyone being the wiser. Then practice turning the camera back on and unmuting your phone line. You're back!

In our Virtual Facilitator course, I often ask participants whether they like or dislike watching the presenter on streaming video. While people sometimes mention that low bandwidth may create a jerky image, 95% of participants state that Learn more about our they like being able to see the presenter Virtual Facilitator course because it helps create the feeling that they are in a virtual classroom.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

That is the question for many new webinar facilitators. Web conference platforms (such as WebEx, Live Meeting, Adobe Connect, and Go To Training) often allow webinar participants to chat with everyone or chat privately with individuals. As a webinar facilitator you may be asking: Should I disable chat so that I keep my participants' attention? Should I allow them to chat with each other privately? Would letting them chat with each other simply invite multi-tasking? How do I focus on my message without being distracted by people chatting?

Let's take these questions one at a time.

Should I disable chat so that I keep my participant's attention?

Disabling chat just means your learners now participate primarily through watching and listening. Enable chat to give your learners a chance to interact with you and their peers about the content. That's attention-getting.

Should I allow them to chat with each other privately?

I know it feels a little bit like passing notes in class. After all, you'll never be able to see what they are saying to each other. But take a risk here. Treat them like adults. Perhaps even create an exercise that requires them to chat privately with someone else in the web session. You'll be creating peer-to-peer learning.

Would letting them chat with each other simply invite multi-tasking?

I think it's better to invite multi-tasking by chatting WITHIN your web conference session than to bore the socks off them and guarantee that they'll multi-task by reading their (unrelated) email OUTSIDE your webinar. Trust me - getting them to engage through chatting is a great alternative.

Š 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

How do I focus my message without being distracted by people chatting?

When people interrupt you during a face-to-face class session to ask a question, how do you respond? If the question is relevant, answer it aloud on the spot. If the question is not relevant, pass over it and stay on track. If you are presenting with a Host/Producer, invite that person to monitor chat along with you Enable chatting and and point out relevant questions that you may have give everyone missed. Keep your session meaningful to learners by permission to chat responding to their questions as they arise.

publicly and privately.

To chat or not to chat? Enable chatting and give everyone permission to chat publicly and privately.

Then build your skill as a web trainer who weaves chat comments into your presentation.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

Š 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

If you deliver webinars or online training, then you know that no matter what web conference platform you use, stuff happens. Some recent examples: 

The same telephone bridge number sent half the participants to one phone line and the other half to a different phone. (The only reason we figured this out was the host was with one group and the presenter was with the other group.)



The web producer forgot to activate polls in the platform so that the presenter (me!) could review poll responses and debrief polls aloud.



The web conference provider had a server failure that ended the webinar.

(Fortunately everyone was on a telephone bridge so they could still talk.)



The presenter (me!) lost the password to unlock the secure laptop required to present the webinar to an International audience at 7:00 a.m. at the client's location with no one else around to help. (Fortunately the host/producer had successfully unlocked her secure laptop.)

When stuff happens, panic can set in. Here's how to manage in the moment.

1. Take a few deep breaths. You need oxygen flowing to your brain to troubleshoot.

2. Release your attachment to the perfect webinar you planned and practiced.

3. If you are already online with your audience, comment on the technical difficulty calmly and let participants know that you and your host/producer are working to resolve it.

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4. Activate your contingency plan. Contingent actions might include: o

Having everyone hang up and dial back into the telephone bridge

o

Having your host/producer read the poll responses aloud while you quickly write down the critical information so you can smoothly comment on it

o

Continuing to present the course using the slides you printed out in advance, while learners use their participant guides and chat with you on the phone bridge

o

Partnering with your host/producer to share the only other available laptop

5. Recognize that participants don't want to hear frantic, frustrated or angry comments from the presenter and host/producer. The "path of least resistance" means that you calmly respond to your changed circumstances without wishing things were different.

Your ability to keep your cool, stay focused on your objectives, and activate a revised plan will make the difference between a failed or successful learning experience.

6. Model peaceful professionalism as you consider your options.

7. Keep your focus on creating an effective learning experience no matter what the technology is doing. A technical failure does not mean that the course must fail. Don't lose sight of your objectives.

In the webinar world, stuff happens. Your ability to keep your cool, stay focused on your objectives, and activate a revised plan will make the difference between a failed or successful learning experience.

Š 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

We've delivered a gazillion online learning experiences using platforms such as WebEx, Adobe Connect, Citrix Go to Webinar, and Microsoft Live Meeting. So I know what I'm saying when I observe: what can go wrong will go wrong.

Here are some suggestions to bullet proof your online learning: #1: ALWAYS conduct a Dry Run prior to the actual web conference training session. Why? 

Get the presenter and host on the same page regarding their roles



Reset the training room polls and chats



Ensure no system gremlins have emerged



Discover changes to the web conference platform before your next event



Practice handoffs and transitions between presenter and host



Double-check the PowerPoint slides to be sure they're current



Play and test video (if necessary)



Open your webcam to check lighting and placement

#2: ALWAYS test break-out rooms with real people. Why?

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

Ensure that practice participants experience a smooth transition to the break-out room



Ensure that they also make it back to the main room smoothly



Test the audio/teleconference bridge



Make sure that break-out room whiteboards and chats can be brought back to the main room



Practice the series of steps required to set up, launch and end break-out rooms professionally

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

#3: ALWAYS have a contingency plan. How? 

Print out your slides in case the platform crashes but you are still on the teleconference bridge



Practice passing the controls to the host, if the presenter's computer crashes



Have a cell phone ready to dial the teleconference bridge if your phone lines go down



Make sure the host has the technical support number, just in case the unthinkable happens

I recently was asked to lead a 60-minute webinar in an unfamiliar platform for a major Learn more about our HR/Training organization. The week before Virtual Hosts and Products my session, I learned that this organization doesn't provide dry runs for their speakers.

Instead they do a 30-minute speaker training and call it good. Granted, most speakers probably just show a slide deck from their desktop and open a poll or two, but my session was much more complicated: I had a presentation with eight polls and a one-minute video. No way was I going to be able to do this in a new platform without practicing. To make this session bullet-proof, I signed up for a 30-day trial of the software, set up my own dry run, invited a few participants, and practiced the whole presentation with all of the interaction tools I had planned. The result? A professional webinar in which I felt completely confident throughout.

© 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

Many facilitators have experienced that grumpy class participant who resists exercises or discussions, or the combative learner who tries to "take on" the facilitator to prove her point, or the participant who asks leading questions ("But don't you think that....?") to challenge a piece of information presented. I call these learners "contrarians" because their mode of communication sometimes runs counter to the needs of the class.

As a facilitator in the virtual classroom, how you respond to the class contrarians can make the difference between a collaborative learning experience and an awkward, uncomfortable session that everyone yearns to escape. Here are a few tips to help you through:  







Remember that you are building a relationship with every person in class.

Treat contrarians with respect.

Keep your sense of humor intact. An easy laugh and a willingness to playfully handle a contrarian's challenging comment can relax a stressful situation.

See if you can pinpoint the contrarian's underlying need: Does he want to be recognized as an expert? Does she seem frustrated because she can't use the webinar technology? Does he wish he were back at his desk finishing a project by its deadline? Then acknowledge the underlying need with a positive comment. For example, "You obviously have a lot of experience in this arena," or "For someone new to the webinar world, you're getting a handle on this pretty quickly," or "I know you have a lot on your plate, so let's make sure this session is productive."

Thank contrarians for their insights, questions, and challenging observations with comments like, "That's a great question," or "I've never thought of it that way before," or "That's a good point. Let me capture your thought on the whiteboard."

Allow divergent opinions and encourage thoughtful differences in perspective as a natural aspect of the course.

Contrarians, despite their contrary behavior, usually want to be included in a collaborative, learning community. By drawing them in, instead of shutting them down or pushing them away, you can enrich the learning environment for everyone.

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Š 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

What if the best training session you attended this year happened online in an interactive web conference?

Sound impossible? At NetSpeed Learning Solutions we have passionately embraced the mission to help trainers everywhere deliver highly interactive, engaging virtual learning. Here are some best practices to follow for the next web conference training event that you hold: 1. Ensure that you are well-versed in your web conference platforms

interactivity tools.

2. Plan to use polling, chat, annotation tools, and whiteboards creatively to

achieve the same learning objectives as your face-to-face (f2f) classroom training.

3. Don't eliminate interaction. "Repurpose" interactive, face-to-face classroom

exercises with interactive, virtual classroom exercises.

4. Apply adult learning principles to the web conference experience — talking

heads don't work in the f2f classroom or the virtual classroom (rule of thumb: no more than 3 - 5 minutes between participant interaction during your web conference training event).

5. Don't upload the same slide presentation used in the classroom to the web

conference platform. And don't send out the slide presentation prior to the web conference training.

6. Avoid slide after slide with bullet points; instead, try visually-stimulating

graphics.

7. Encourage participants to share ideas and information using multiple

modalities: chat, polling, voice-to-voice and break-out rooms.

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8. If you are repurposing classroom content, allow 4 - 10 hours of design time

for every hour of delivery. That means a 90-minute webinar requires a minimum of 6 hours of advance preparation and as much as 15 hours of work before your training event.

9. Use both a Host and Presenter during the web

conference training. The Host handles technical questions; sets up polls, chats, and break-out rooms behind the scenes; and banters with the Presenter to create lively conversation.

10. Schedule a dry run prior to the event to test the

design, practice the interactivity tools, and ensure that the Host and Presenter are on the same page.

At NetSpeed Learning Solutions we have passionately embraced the mission to help trainers everywhere deliver highly interactive, engaging virtual learning.

11. Create a link to an online, post-course

evaluation and make it available at the end of the web training. Participants can click on the link within the web platform to give you immediate feedback.

Š 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

The trainer is nervous. She's standing in front of 20 people, eagerly awaiting her talk on employee recognition. She checks the slide projector to be sure her slides are displayed properly on the wall behind her. She glances at the laptop carefully placed on a table before her and scans her image in the web camera display. She notices that there are four people logged into the webinar, their names in the online attendee list. She looks up and smiles at a friendly face in the room, then checks the clock: five minutes until her 10:00 a.m. start time.

She sighs slightly and wonders how she'll manage to keep everyone's attention for an hour. Mentally she walks through her checklist:    

Remember to talk to my audience (at least the people I can see in here) Don't move quickly or the webcam image will blur for my online audience Advance the slides on the laptop (and hope that my assistant advances the slides in the web conferencing software) Try to check the online chat periodically to weave in some of their comments

At the top of the hour, she welcomes her face-to- face audience, "Welcome to our session on employee recognition. This is a topic that is near and dear to my..."

She stops abruptly and looks at the laptop as she hears someone interrupt, "Excuse me. I'm having difficulty logging into the webinar. Is there a password?"

She spends the next few minutes coaching her online learner as he downloads the software application and logs in. When she looks up, she sees one person yawning and another looking at her watch. "We've got to get going," she thinks to herself. She glances at the clock and realizes that it is now 10:05. "How did I lose five minutes?" she gasps.

Many organizations are exploring the use of web conferencing as a way to reach global and remote audiences. Unfortunately they are asking those remote audiences to log into a webinar and passively observe a speaker interacting with a face-to-face audience. For the remote learner, this is a clear invitation to adopt the behaviors of a bored, second-class participant: multi-tasking, checking email, visiting favorite websites, and completing pressing projects.

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If the presenter attends to the needs of the webinar audience (posing poll questions, reviewing chat messages, or asking for comments aloud), she rapidly loses the attention and focus of the face-to-face audience. If she masterfully captures the attention of her face-to-face audience (moving about the room, soliciting comments, and facilitating effective discussion), she quickly loses her online audience.

The presenter's need to split her focus wreaks havoc with her pace and energy. She is not able to respond equally to the needs of two distinct audiences, each requiring different tools to engage them. Simply put, she must relegate one of her audiences to second class status and settle for an effective presentation in one domain only.

The presenter’s need to split her focus wreaks havoc with her pace and energy.

Here's the Challenge: 

Creating engagement and interaction is imperative in both the face-to-face classroom and the virtual classroom.



Few, if any, presenters can meet the needs of both audiences at the same time.



Relegating any portion of the audience to second class status undermines the learning experience for everyone.

Here's the Solution: 

Ensure that every audience member has the same experience. In other words, they are either all in one physical room; all in small groups each with an onsite facilitator, logged into a web session; or all logged in individually at one web event for maximum interaction.



Design one learning experience that maximizes engagement and participation for all learners.



Develop the trainer's facilitation skills to meet the needs of the audience using the learning modality you've selected (face-to-face, small groups participating online, or individuals participating on their own laptops).



Apply adult learning principles in each of these learning environments.

© 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

Social media is having a major impact on social learning, and those who work in the learning field should take note.

To review just a few 2010 statistics: 

Facebook now has 400 million users and has moved into the #2 spot as the second most popular site on the Internet, surpassing Yahoo (behind Google).



LinkedIn has over 60 million users and is growing by 2.5 million users each month.



Twitter saw tweets increase by 1400% last year and now boasts that 600 tweets are created per second.



57% of YouTube videos are posted by 25 - 35-year old bloggers.

Social media is defined in Wikipedia as "the online technologies and practices that people use to share content, opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives, and the media themselves." And, of course, this definition of social media was created using a social media application.

At NetSpeed Learning Solutions, we have experimented with the link between social media and informal learning for several years now, ever since we observed these social networking applications appearing on the scene. And from our experience, we recommend five best practices to help our clients develop effective virtual solutions: Best Practice #1: Incorporate specific assignments using social media in the learning design (not as an afterthought or a cool add-on).

Best Practice #2: Ensure learners are oriented to the virtual environment (demystify it for them; this is especially important for those who are less comfortable with technology).

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Best Practice #3: Help learners build "virtual presence" to encourage peer-to-peer learning (use photos, posted profiles, and other techniques to help learners get to know each other).

Best Practice #4: Blend asynchronous (on demand) social media with instructor-led synchronous (scheduled) events.

From our experience we recommend five best practices to help our client develop effective virtual solutions.

Best Practice #5: Develop learner accountability (track, monitor, and reward participation).

Š 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

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NetSpeed Learning Solutions offers a Virtual Facilitator Trainer Certification course, designed to assist trainers who have been "thrown into the deep end" of the web conference pool. How hard is it to learn to swim in that web pool?

Read the comments of real participants who were asked to find a webinar online and critique the experience: "If you take an already bad training presentation, poor content and organization, throw in terrible and boring slides, add a weak, talking-head facilitator, what would you get? Answer: the 1 hour webinar I just watched. Honestly, I could not get through all of it -- too painful." "[The company] is an internet marketing company. This set up my expectation for a quality webinar and I was sadly disappointed. I managed to fidget my way to the end but never would have listened to the whole thing if I didn't have the goal of writing a critique."

"I think this is why people end up multi-tasking. I'm writing the critique now while she talks because I'm not missing anything on the visuals. If she would only engage me and make it hard for me NOT to participate, I would not be able to do this. I've got one ear open for something that catches my attention, but meanwhile, I have seen how this works, and it doesn't require me to be fully present."

"BORING: After 12 minutes I had to break away just to give my brain a break.

After two of these breaks I was really not in the mood to return. Eventually I multi-tasked. I don't usually consider myself to be someone with a short attention span, so this was surprising and dismaying."

Š 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

"This was a recording of a live webinar, so I knew I would not be interacting live myself, but even prepared with that information, I was appalled at the lack of interactive content. The first few minutes gave me great hope: A host gave clear instructions on how to use all kinds of participant tools and covered FAQs, and a third voice introduced [the presenter]. But once [she] got on, it was a onewoman show. At one point the host even tried to interject an observation, and she actually plowed right over him and continued talking. I was feeling RELIEF that another voice had come on the line and introduced the possibility of a discussion and felt horror when she ignored him and doggedly went on with her agenda."

Based on disappointing experiences like these, we've concluded that the webinar world might more accurately be characterized as a webinar cesspool. And we're determined to help trainers and facilitators get out of that pool and learn to swim in clear waters.

NetSpeed Learning Solutions' Virtual Facilitator Trainer Certification course is designed for anyone who wants to learn to design and deliver engaging, highly interactive web conference training. It's a four-week intensive course, delivered through facilitated webinars and self-paced online content. If you'd like to learn more, send us an email. We're here to help you keep your head above water.

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NetSpeed Learning Solutions helps experienced classroom trainers become successful facilitators for the virtual classroom through the Virtual Facilitator Trainer Certification (VFTC) course.

The VFTC course includes a combination of synchronous learning (using Adobe Connect) and asynchronous, self-paced online learning (at the NetSpeed Fast Tracks™ web site).

Students who successfully complete the course will be able to: 

Design effective virtual classroom exercises using web conference interaction tools



Engage learner attention and participation in online learning



Repurpose traditional classroom exercises for collaborative virtual learning



Describe best practices for online facilitation



Develop a web conference program which includes



o

A simple facilitator guide

o

PowerPoint presentation

o

Participant materials for a 20-minute online learning session

Increase learning transfer after the facilitated session

© 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

The VFTC course takes participants through a rigorous four-week training experience. We The VFTC course is a introduce you to all the resources you need to comprehensive ensure that you can deliver powerful, high impact program for the trainer webinar presentations. The VFTC provides 12 to 20 who is serious about hours of asynchronous learning content (time range maximizing their virtual varies depending on how quickly you complete the delivery capabilities. various learning exercises), as well as 6 hours of synchronous facilitated webinars, and a private coaching session followed by a 20-minute trainback presentation. Throughout the course a NetSpeed Master Trainer provides feedback on your assignments, models effective facilitation practices, and provides detailed feedback on your 20-minute trainback. At the completion of the VFTC course, you may either schedule an additional one-hour coaching session, or invite a NetSpeed Master Host to support your first 60-minute webinar.

The VFTC course is a comprehensive program for the trainer who is serious about maximizing their virtual delivery capabilities. It is designed specifically for veteran trainers who demand a more rigorous learning experience to ensure they develop world-class virtual facilitation skills and practices. This course is ideal for solo trainers, for Master Trainers, or for any experienced trainer who would benefit from professional certification as part of their career development.

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Read what our customers are saying about our VFTC course.

Public VFTC course is offered approximately every other month. View the upcoming Public VFTC course calendar.

Private VFTC programs for your organization are available upon request.

The VFTC course includes a copy of Cynthia Clay’s book, Great Webinars: How to Create Interactive Learning that is Captivating, Informative and Fun. Learn more or order it here.

SPECIAL OFFICE FOR EBOOK READERS!

SPECIAL OFFER FOR EBOOK READERS!

The Virtual Facilitator Trainer Certification (VFTC) course regularly costs $1,595 per person. But if you register for an upcoming VFTC session within 60 days from the date you downloaded this eBook, your cost is only $1,250 – that’s a savings of $345. Register for the VFTC course here. In the Promotion Code box, type “Virtual eBook” to activate your $345 savings.

View the upcoming VFTC course calendar here.

© 2012 by Cynthia Clay. All rights reserved.

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From Chalkboard to Keyboard: Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

Read these books by Cynthia Clay, published by John Wiley & Sons.

About Cynthia Clay Cynthia Clay is the President / CEO of NetSpeed Learning Solutions. With a passion for using technology in the service of learning, Ms. Clay leads a company that creates and delivers highimpact learning in the face-to-face and virtual classrooms.

She is a nationally recognized speaker on blended learning, virtual training delivery and applying social media tools to maximize learning retention and transfer.

Connect with Cynthia Clay

Join the NetSpeed Learning Solutions Linked In Group

Phone: 206-517-5271 www.NetSpeedLearning.com info@netspeedlearning.com

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