Although many companies are moving their training into the virtual classroom, the future of corporate learning is likely to be a hybrid of virtual and in-person methods and platforms. You may well find yourself presenting a class to a small number of in-person attendees, with the rest of the class joining in online. Your choice of platform must be able to accommodate this mix, and several more technical questions will arise as a result. In addition to your virtual training platform, you will also need to invest in good A/V equipment, and all the technology will need to be able to work together. It is possible to set up a seamless hybrid system with relative ease, provided you have someone on your team with the right expertise.
Tips for setting up your hybrid classroom
As you work with a virtual producer to get ready for an upcoming hybrid training session, follow these tips:
- Focus on creating an inclusive environment, doing your best to work around the barriers between learners who are physically present and those in the online environment. Welcome all learners as the course starts, looking into the camera to address remote attendees. Create icebreaking activities to get in-person and remote students interacting with one another. Acknowledge the differences between online and in-person students, but use simple practices like these to attempt to transcend them.
- Engage all of your students. Select tools, technologies and activities that support student engagement. Online meeting and training platforms such as Zoom are packed with these tools.
- Set up your classroom early and test every aspect of your set-up thoroughly. Test out the technology in your assigned classroom, including the camera settings and audio, to ensure that your remote students will be able to see and hear what is going on in the classroom.
Learngistics specializes in facilitating and supporting both virtual and live training events and learning programs for corporations. Contact us for more information and to see how our virtual producers can help you access and optimize your virtual classrooms for online and hybrid learning.
