Virtual training differs significantly from its in-person counterpart. Instructors who are used to presenting in a conference room will need to adjust their delivery style to suit the online platform.
Presenting to a remote audience has a completely different feel and energy compared to a live presentation. Not only will your verbal delivery have to change, but you will have to adjust your use of visual aids too.
Instead of having to project your voice from the front of a room, you are now talking to a camera and microphone, which is right in front of your face, meaning that you should probably tone down your delivery to a more conversational tone, while still maintaining an air of authority.
Your visual material will need to be more engaging, which means you might have to use bigger fonts and perhaps more illustrations. You can increase engagement through periodic use of chat and polling. You will also have to take more breaks than you usually would during an in-person training session. There are many great resources and articles out there to help you understand how to refactor your materials to be delivered virtually.
Build expectations around participation (establish the ground rules)
It is also essential to lay the ground rules before starting a training session. Participants must know what to expect, as well as being given a set of guidelines by which the session will be run. Before training starts, lay down the ground rules about how each session will run. Explain the basic rules, such as whether cameras should be on or off (on is usually a better option) or the use of chat for sharing information, feedback and links, while avoiding unnecessary comments and questions or creating any distractions.
Ask participants to organize their surroundings so that distractions are kept to a minimum. List these basics in an introductory email, which you can send out a few days before the scheduled session.
Moving from live to remote learning is not only possible, it just needs thought and a fresh approach.
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 we can help you access and optimize your hybrid or virtual training.
