When people learn together in real time, magic unfolds that can be difficult to replicate in self-paced, asynchronous learning environments. From relationship building, to ideation, to problem-solving, dialogue and collaboration are powerful tools for creating meaningful and memorable learning experiences. However, with the rise of web conferencing tools, remote work and distributed teams, the facilitation of real-time learning in virtual environments presents new challenges. The recipe needed to muster the magic of real-time interaction in shared spaces needs to be tweaked for virtual environments.
While the strategies a facilitator uses to engage learners in virtual learning environments vary based on the number of participants, the web conferencing tool being used and the subject matter being covered, there are some steps that can be taken to help ensure participants stay engaged and meet learning objectives.
Steps to Engage Learners in Virtual Learning Environments
1. Flip It: Use Synchronous Time for Active Learning, Not for Lecturing
Long, one-way lectures can be dragging in both online and in-person settings. In a web conferencing environment, it’s easy for a participant to switch over to another open tab and completely disengage from the virtual session. Relegating participants to passively consuming information also fails to take advantage of synchronous time together to facilitate active learning, such as practicing and discussing key skills.
The flipped classroom model has been effectively used in both in-person and online environments to drive engagement and improve learning outcomes. In this model, facilitators share learning content such as videos and readings for participants to review before the live session. This helps participants develop a baseline understanding of key concepts, allowing more time during the live session for collaboration and hands-on learning activities.
To ensure participants complete the prework, facilitators should:
- Ensure prework is manageable and provide the participants sufficient time to complete it before the session.
- Provide clear instructions and explain why the work will be beneficial to participants.
- Match the content difficulty level to participants’ skill levels. Content that is too challenging to complete on their own will interfere with the foundation needed for the live session.
- Include reflection activities and allow participants to submit questions regarding the content. Review these before the live session and incorporate them into the agenda.
2. Keep Up the Pace and Diversify Activities
Regardless of the session’s duration, it’s important to set a well-structured agenda with a diverse set of activities and participant structures. This could include a mix of facilitator-led instruction, individual activities and group-based activities. As an example, for a workshop on negotiation skills for a sales team, the agenda covered key phases of the sales cycle: building rapport with a customer, understanding customer needs, and pitching a solution.
Each phase included two key components:
1. Skill Recap and Example
Participants’ prework included in-depth learning on the skill relevant to that phase. The facilitator recapped the skill and showed a short video clip demonstrating the application of the skill, offered quick tips on how to leverage the skill in a customer context and took questions. This quick skill recap took no longer than five minutes per phase.
2. Activity to Apply the Skill
After the recap, participants engaged in a brief activity focused on applying the skill to a relevant work scenario. Some worked together in breakout rooms, participating in role-plays specific to that phase of the selling process. Others worked individually on activities such as drafting a plan for a discovery call with a customer. Afterward, participants reconvened to share their takeaways.
3. Include Project-Based Activities That Drive Business Impact
Another effective way to keep learners engaged is giving them the opportunity to problem-solve relevant challenges and propose real solutions that could be implemented at the organization. Activities like “mini-hackathons” allow teams to work together to propose solutions to actual business challenges. These should be oriented around the topic being covered in the virtual workshop and provide an opportunity for teams to problem-solve using learned skills.
A mini-hackathon incorporates design thinking tools and rapid prototyping, which may include:
- Problem identification and establishing a hypothesis
- Outlining a user journey or empathy map to illustrate the problem’s impact
- Sketching a solution concept using a digital whiteboard or text on a slide
- Identifying cost and resourcing needed to implement a solution
- Defining success metrics and potential risks
For example, in a workshop focused on building a culture of candid feedback using Kim Scott’s Radical Candor feedback framework, participants explored example initiatives other organizations have implemented to build a culture of candid feedback. Then, they were divided into groups and asked to consider, “What could we implement to foster more candid feedback across the organization?” Teams sketched out ideas and implementation strategies before pitching their solutions to facilitators and colleagues. Workshop attendees then voted on ideas they felt could drive the biggest impact, and next steps were established, identifying key stakeholders needed to implement these solutions.
Facilitating engaging virtual learning experiences means avoiding lectures and long stretches of one-way instruction, instead creating a fast-paced agenda that quickly moves between direct instruction and active learning. By empowering participants with meaningful activities and introducing problem-solving exercises like mini-hackathons, you can keep the learning dynamic and relevant to their goals.
