Virtual training has become an essential tool, and often a preferred option, for corporate learning and development. With the rise of remote work and global teams, facilitating effective training sessions virtually has become a crucial skill for trainers and facilitators.
However, mastering the art of virtual facilitation requires more than just transferring in-person content to an online platform. It demands a thoughtful approach that engages participants, fosters collaboration, and delivers meaningful learning outcomes. In this article, we’ll explore seven strategies and best practices for effectively facilitating a Crucial Learning course in a virtual environment.
Lean on the Design
Crucial Learning courses are designed to be easy to facilitate, whether in person or virtual. Just as you learned during your trainer certification course, lean on the design to make your virtual facilitation efficient and effective. If you have never facilitated virtually, or if you just want to enhance your skills, Trainer Zone offers resources to make your virtual training a success.
Embrace Technology
The foundation of successful virtual facilitation lies in leveraging the right technology. Choose a reliable video conferencing platform that supports interactive features such as screen sharing, breakout rooms, polls, and chat functionalities. Familiarize yourself with the platform’s capabilities to ensure a seamless experience for both you and the participants.
Crucial Learning offers short videos to orient yourself with the features of some of the most popular alternatives; to find these, visit your course’s page in Trainer Zone, then click on Prepare to Facilitate and scroll down to Platform Quick Preps. Additionally, test your equipment, including your microphone, camera, and internet connection, prior to the training session to avoid technical glitches.
Engage Participants Actively
Virtual training sessions can quickly become passive if participants are not actively engaged. Make use of the interactive elements throughout the session to keep participants involved and attentive, including polls, reaction buttons, and interactive activities. It can be as simple as giving a personal example and then asking participants to utilize the reaction buttons if they have experienced something similar. Encourage participants to share their experiences, ask questions, and provide feedback to create a dynamic learning environment.
Foster Collaboration
Collaborative learning enhances the effectiveness of virtual training by promoting knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer interaction. Crucial Learning uses breakout rooms to divide participants into smaller groups for discussions, case studies, and group exercises. Give clear guidance, including learner guide page number, time, and roles, prior to deploying breakout rooms. After the breakout sessions, reconvene as a larger group to share insights, discuss key learnings, and reinforce concepts. Collaboration not only deepens understanding but also builds a sense of community among participants.
Keep It Interactive
Interactive elements are essential for maintaining participant engagement and retention in virtual training. Crucial Learning courses incorporate videos and real-life examples to illustrate key concepts and keep participants engaged. Consider using digital whiteboards or virtual sticky notes for highlighting key concepts. Encourage participants to use the chat function to ask questions, share resources, or provide input during the session. Vary the pace of your speaking to prevent monotony and sustain interest throughout the session.
Provide Opportunities for Reflection
Reflection is an integral part of the learning process that allows participants to consolidate their learning and apply it to real-world situations. Build in time for reflection at various points throughout the training session. Ask open-ended questions to prompt participants to reflect on their learning, identify key takeaways, and consider how they can apply what they’ve learned in their work. When you ask a question or make a particularly important point, give participants the time and mental white space to reflect on what you are sharing. Reflection not only reinforces learning but also fosters critical thinking and self-awareness.
Solicit Feedback
Feedback is essential for continuous improvement and helps you gauge the effectiveness of your virtual facilitation. At the end of the training session, solicit feedback from participants to assess their learning experience. Use surveys, polls, or open discussions to gather feedback on the content, format, and delivery of the training. Trainer Zone includes multiple resources to make this easy for you. Use this feedback to refine your virtual facilitation skills and enhance future training sessions.
Conclusion
Facilitating a training course virtually requires a unique set of skills and strategies to engage participants, foster collaboration, and deliver meaningful learning outcomes. By leveraging Crucial Learning resources, embracing technology, engaging participants actively, fostering collaboration, keeping it interactive, providing opportunities for reflection, and soliciting feedback, trainers can create dynamic and engaging virtual training experiences that drive learning and development. With the right approach and mindset, virtual facilitation can be a powerful tool for unlocking the full potential of training, even in a virtual environment.
For additional ideas to master virtual facilitation, download Tips for Virtual Facilitation and Getting Started Checklist for Virtual Facilitation, both of which can be found in the Virtual Facilitation section of each course’s Trainer Zone page. You can also learn seven more tips for facilitating like a pro with this webinar I presented in March.
