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By Tracy Peterson When it comes to professional development and leadership courses, it's often the case that the most memorable
learning experiences come not from the curriculum but from the interactions among the participants. That's
why the most successful learning programs usually have a strong, in-person component. Unfortunately, the
COVID-19 pandemic has limited that option and forced companies to rethink how to do their training. For many organizations, the pandemic-era game plan has involved a serious pivot to varied digital learning
formats (such as on-demand, self-paced, and bite-sized). Amid all those changes, though, human interaction
remains irreplaceable. But what can a company do when a pandemic removes in-person learning from the equation? Should the learning
and development industry simply reformat its curricula as virtual instructor-led courses? That isn't the
solution. To get the highest-quality learning resources they can, organizations must remember that live learning is
most effective only when used at optimal times and integrated into learners' overall journeys. They must
consider certain factors to ensure that all parties involved—instructors as well as learners—are positioned
to succeed. The right time to offer live learning is when learners will gain value and fresh perspectives from being in
each other's company. Consider the power of a simple question—especially when it draws attention to
something that other participants hadn't thought of before. Such questions can take a course in new,
thought-provoking directions. Here are a few examples of live learning formats that can increase engagement, even in virtual settings:
Reskilling in-person instructors for virtual environments ranks among the biggest challenges that
organizations face today. Fortunately, there are several strategies that instructors can use to improve
their success as educators under current circumstances:
Before hosting a live course, make sure that all of the registered participants have already taken
prerequisite courses. Otherwise, less-experienced students could jeopardize the group's time with
entry-level questions, or simply disengage when they realize they're far behind their peers.
Some organizations attempt to enforce prerequisite policies by kicking off the class roster students who
don't meet the requirements. A much more effective solution, though is to incentivize them, perhaps through
some sort of gamification. For example, students who complete prerequisites could earn a prize, such as a
digital badge they can show to their managers, peers, and networks.
Learning and development professionals also need to figure out how to replace in-person training content—a
difficult task because learners (and the leaders who champion learning) are by nature social animals. An
environment that enables questions, answers, and camaraderie elevates the learning experience from something
valuable to something memorable. But how can companies plan their live learning experiences so that these human interactions persist beyond
the
course? Recurring office-hour sessions and community groups are some possible solutions. In such virtual
meeting
spaces, learners can continue to come together to trade insights, ask questions, support each other, and
satisfy
their need for social interaction. Remember, learning should be easy and flexible whenever possible. This is especially true in the pandemic
era,
as learners continue to struggle with balancing life and work. In certain scenarios, live courses and the
engagement they provide fit together perfectly. But in many cases, organizations will want to choose other
options (such as on-demand videos and comprehensive learning paths, for example) from their blended-learning
toolboxes. Blended learning options can also be tailored to fit employees' job responsibilities and daily
challenges. Companies should also consider giving learners the flexibility to learn on their terms (perhaps
on a
self-paced basis and in bite-sized pieces) to meet the "how," "where," and "when" criteria that work best
for
them.
It will be a while before the world can return to prepandemic life. Fortunately, in the meantime, technology
makes it possible for people to connect with and help each other. By putting the proper time, planning, and
creativity in their virtual live-learning sessions, organizations can give their learners experiences that
are
not only good for their jobs and careers but also good for their souls.
Tracy Peterson is the vice president of global learning for Hitachi Vantara, where she's responsible for the company's education services business and focuses on driving customer adoption and engagement. This article was originally published on the SkillSoft blog. How to Make Virtual Live Courses Engaging and Effective
Give learners the freedom to engage
Help instructors reskill for virtual formats
Establish a knowledge baseline among learners
Plan courses to sustain value from human interaction
Consider how live courses fit into a blended learning strategy
Final thoughts
About the author: