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The Virtual Training Show
April 14, 2008
Virtual Instructor-Led Training (vILT) is like a morning drive radio show. It should be planned, rehearsed, and then performed.
By R. Morris Sims, CLU, ChFC
How many times have you been online attending a Web meeting or Webinar and found it to be as much fun as watching paint dry? Even if the topic is critical to your job, sitting at your desk listening to one voice while watching PowerPoint slides is not the most effective communication vehicle. In fact, after attending one or two, I purposely stay away from them.
Virtual Instructor-Led Training (vILT), on the other hand, is a group of people online at the same time receiving instruction in a virtual classroom. The best analogy of good vILT is comparing it to a morning drive radio show. Typically, the morning radio crew includes one man and one woman co-hosting the show, plus myriad other characters who come in and out. This engages and holds the listener's attention. The same thing has to happen with vILT for it to be successful. In fact, our team calls each vILT session a show. The show is planned, rehearsed, and then performed. The difference is that the instructors interact with the audience in real time.
The vILT Team
It takes a team to properly design and implement a great vILT experience. One person may take on several of the following roles depending on the show, but each role is critical to the show’s success:
• Project Manager: The project manager (PM) is in charge of the entire show. He or she is responsible for the quality, budget, technical accuracy, and delivery of the show and brings together the team of stakeholders, designers, and other people involved.
• vILT Designer: The vILT designer works with the stakeholders to set the learning objectives for the vILT session, then works with the Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to build the content that will be delivered. The designer builds the delivery of the content within the vILT environment using all the appropriate tools and software. This includes the use of Flash files, polling questions, other interactive techniques, and PowerPoint.
• Producer/Director: The producer is responsible for all the technical aspects of the show, operating all the computer, telephone, and audio equipment. He or she ensures that the show rundown is completed within the allotted time frame. The producer also works with the vILT designer to understand the show’s content, conducts rehearsals with all on-air talent, and directs the show’s flow as needed while on air.
• Host: The host leads the conversation during the show. He or she follows the rundown to ensure that all the content is delivered, all the SMEs are included in the conversation, all learning objectives are met, and the show flows well for the audience.
• Subject Matter Experts: SMEs are the people who are expert in the content. They are the "guests" on the show who bring the topic to life with the specific information that accomplishes the learning objectives for that session. SMEs either may work "on-air" in conversation with the host or they may work the "chat" on the sideline. It is preferable for the SMEs to be in the studio with the host and the producer, but one of the advantages of vILT is that the people involved may be at distant locations.
Designing vILT
Once the team is established, it's time to design a show. The best teachers and instructors prepare extensively before they get in front of a classroom full of people. That includes preparing a complete instructional design. The same thing is true for the virtual classroom. A set of PowerPoint slides the instructor reads to the class doesn’t work in person, nor does it work in the virtual world.
Here are some recommendations:
1. Design the show just as you would any other training experience to accomplish your specific learning objectives. But then you must convert that design to take advantage of the virtual classroom.
2. Two or more voices are better than one. Listening to one voice for any long period of time is difficult in person, and it's excruciating when it’s done online. Have at least two different voices hosting the show, and use your Subject Matter Experts to add color to the audio experience.
3. Using your design, create a "rundown" of the show. A rundown is a listing of everything you’re going to do in the show. It tells everyone who is coming in and going out at what points in the show. The rundown is essential for everyone on the show to stay together and conduct an excellent virtual learning experience.
4. Engage your audience. If you're not engaging the crowd, they will be checking e-mail and working on that other project while listening to you with only half an ear. You don't have the luxury of requiring the people to come to a neutral location to participate in this training. They are surrounded by distractions that will steal their attention unless you work to engage them in the experience. In vILT you accomplish that by asking questions. You can ask yes/no questions, and participants respond with a click of the mouse. You can ask multiple choice or what are called polling questions. And you can have SMEs online with the "Chat" feature, "chatting" with participants while the classroom is in session. All of these methods work well to engage the learners and keep them on topic. Design your vILT session with multiple opportunities to engage the learners. Ideally, aim for having an interaction of some kind every seven or eight minutes.
5.PowerPoint is O.K. but not required. If it doesn't work in person, it won't work online. A deck of PowerPoint slides read to a group of adults is ineffective in person, and it's worse online in the virtual classroom. Use PowerPoint sparingly to give learners a visual of what the coming topics will be. The fewer words on the screen the better.
6. Flash! This powerful tool can provide animation on the screen to demonstrate a concept. It requires some specialized programming skills, but it’s a great visual to help keep learners engaged and explain your concepts.
7. 45 to 50 minutes maximum. It is better to conduct more than one session than to expect learners to be able to engage with a virtual classroom for any longer than this.
8. Use SMEs to bring an additional voices to the conversation. It's a conversation, not a presentation. You are literally the voice of your audience, asking the questions you believe they would ask if they were in your chair.
9. Use a script correctly. A script may help everyone think through what they are going to do and say, but do not read it. If you read that script on air, it will bore your audience. If you can read it to them, then you can send them the script and let them read it on their own time.
10. Application sharing is a great part of vILT where you can run and demonstrate a piece of software while online. This is a great way to teach people how to use a new software program. Just make sure it works properly and that everyone knows how to do it.
Performing vILT
It requires good performance skills to run an effective vILT. Some of the key performance points to keep in mind are:
• Talking pace. To keep your learners engaged, speed up the pace of the discussion a bit. Listen to the radio morning drive crew closely, and you’'ll notice they speak a little faster than they would in normal conversation. Don't take this to an extreme, but speed up somewhat.
• Energy! Your enthusiasm and energy level are transmitted through your tone of voice. If you're happy and excited, it will come through the audio and your learners will feel happy and excited. Smile and make eye contact with the people you are talking with. If you're bored, you can bet your learners already have started checking e-mail.
• Rehearse. It is vital to practice. Not only are you practicing your skills, you're teaching the other members of your broadcast crew what you want them to do and what will happen in the show.
• Test all technical components. You also should discuss what you will do if a particular component fails. If you're going to import a presentation, make sure it will work. If you're going to turn over control of the show to the SME for a period of time, make sure the transition works and that everyone knows how to make it happen smoothly.
• Transition speakers. When more than one person speaks on the air during a broadcast, it can be confusing to a listener. To avoid this problem, use hand signals. The host should point to each person as it becomes his or her time to talk, and participants should raise their hands when they want to interject. This underscores the benefit of all presenters being in the studio together. If you have presenters who are not in the studio, a Web cam may be useful. If the presenter and the studio have Web cams and can see each other, then you can use signals to control the conversation.
The Future of vILT
Virtual Instructor-Led Training provides many benefits, and it is becoming a mainstream platform for delivering training because it is effective when done properly. I don't think it will ever take the place of face-to-face instructor-led training, especially for skills training. However, I do think it will become more and more a favorite platform for delivering new knowledge to a large audience of people in a short period of time.
Morris Sims, CLU, ChFC, is vice president and chief learning officer New York Life Insurance Company's Agency Department. He is responsible for companywide agent development, including NYLIC University, sales development managers in the general offices, zone training officers, and offsite training for agents.
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