Webinar vs Virtual Classroom – Lecture vs Learning

Webinar vs Virtual Classroom

We all know the cost benefits of delivering training to a remote audience through virtual real-time sessions. These benefits include reduced costs (Travel, time away from role etc) increased speed to market of training and extended reach etc. Yet too many sessions are one way lectures rather than sessions that really facilitate learning.

We have all been on real-time virtual sessions which advertise themselves as training sessions, but are really just a presentation with questions at the end. These lectures are not engaging, don’t allow you to share ideas, put the theory into practice etc and therefore learning value is lost. It is therefore imperative that when delivering a virtual session, facilitators keep their learners interest through engaging with them.

In order to deliver a true learning experience through a real-time virtual classroom, alongside best practices such as setting up your system correctly, using your webcam correctly, making sure participants arrive early, prepare the session etc, you should follow these 3 simple tips.

3 Tips To Deliver Learning Through a real-time Virtual Classroom

1. Use the right tools
   There are lots of webinar tools available, which are designed for virtual meetings and are great for running through presentations, but they are not virtual classroom tools. True virtual classrooms tools enable the facilitator to concentrate on delivery of the session rather than worrying about which button to press to run a poll or some kind. True virtual classroom tools enable you to set up a lesson plan prior to the event and at the click of the same button work through the session, whether that be moving learners to and from breakout rooms, setting tasks, completing polls etc. this enables the facilitator to concentrate on delivery and use all the interactive feature they would be afraid of using if they were using a web conference tool.
2. If it’s a lecture, flip it and shrink it
   You may or may not heard of “flipping the classroom”, but the idea is that you provide the theory in a recording for learners to view at their own pleasure and then use the classroom time for interactive discussion and practicing. If you are delivering theory in a lecture style, and sometimes you don’t have a choice, flip it and shrink it i.e. record your session in short chunks and let people view it in their own time. By delivering the session at the learners convenience and in short sections your learners will be engaged and will retain the information.
3. Involve is to engage
   To engage learners you must involve them.  In traditional face to face sessions you will ask questions of learners, set group tasks and ask them to feedback to the wider group. You must do the same in virtual sessions.

The reality is, that to get the most value from virtual classroom sessions, you must invest in the right technology and invest the time to create sessions which truly engages your learners and moves beyond lectures and web meetings.