You're conducting remote training sessions. What virtual facilitation tools should you use?

The best combination I've found has been Zoom plus Kahoot or Mentimeter. I like Teams for meetings but have found it clunky for training. Always have problems - with breakouts, polling and playing videos. It seems like it's designed by engineers for engineers!

I am the most familiar with Zoom as that has been the platform utilized in my current and previous organizations. I recommend becoming familiar with any tool before you decide to use it. If you are asked to conduct a training on another platform (as I've done on Google Meet), I make sure to do a test run first to learn the differences in functionality. Overall, if you are selecting a platform, it's best to first consider what functionality you need based on the content and the participants. Consider whether you want an open chat feature or only host-enabled chat, polling, interaction, etc. Getting clear with the goals of the presentation will help you make the appropriate choice!

Dependendo do formato de treinamento, vale levar em consideração algumas coisas como; Quantidade de pessoas participantes e a quantidade suportada simultaneamente na ferramenta, os recursos que você precisa utilizar e se estão disponíveis em versão grátis ou paga. Se haverá quebra de salas e se a ferramenta escolhida fornece essa opção. Afinal, os detalhes fazem toda a experiência para uma boa facilitação.

I categorize tools into technology and technique. I'd like to share virtual facilitation tools that are technique. 1) Participation maps - monitor who is talking and who is not and find a way to facilitate even participation 2) If you want engagement - ENGAGE. Get your attendees to talk early and often. I allocate as much as 50% of the meeting time for the attendees to talk 3) The first 5 minutes are the most important of your training. Why? Because it sets the tone. Play music, greet your attendees, share the agenda, do something to show the first 5 minutes of your remote training is different than most of their meetings! Author of Engaging Virtual Meetings.

Effective remote training demands the right video conferencing platform. Such a tool allows both trainer and participants to see and hear each other live, fostering the rapport, presence and clarity essential to a successful learning experience. Popular platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams and WebEx offer indispensable features that facilitate engaging, interactive sessions when in-person gathering is impossible. In addition to core video and audio capabilities, look for screen sharing, group chat, breakout rooms, polls and reactions - all of which can replicate the dynamics of physical classrooms. Screen sharing optimizes content delivery while chat, rooms and polls encourage collaboration.

Some popular tools - 1. Mural 2. FigJam 3. Miro All provide excellent tools for managing sessions such as templates to get started, timers, voting buttons etc.

An interactive whiteboard tool is invaluable for remote training where visual aids are especially impactful. By enabling the creation and sharing of diagrams, sketches, mind maps and notes, such a tool helps illustrate complex ideas that verbal explanation alone may not fully convey. Common whiteboard features like drawing, writing, erasing, importing, exporting and commenting empower trainers to design and organize content for maximum comprehension. However, their real power lies in fostering collaboration - whether synchronously allowing participants to brainstorm together or asynchronously so learners can add their insights later. This replicates the in-person experience of a shared whiteboard space.

A capacidade de convidar os participantes a colaborarem no quadro branco, seja em tempo real ou de forma assíncrona, promove a interatividade e o engajamento durante o treinamento. Isso cria uma experiência mais envolvente e participativa para todos os envolvidos, aumentando assim a eficácia do processo de aprendizado.

Maximize a whiteboard tool's effectiveness in remote training by planning visual aids in advance. Use clear and concise visuals to complement verbal explanations. Encourage participant interaction by allowing them to contribute to the whiteboard. Utilize different colors, shapes, and text styles for emphasis. Break down complex concepts step by step. Record the whiteboard for future reference. Practice beforehand to navigate the tool seamlessly. Foster engagement by actively involving participants in collaborative activities. A well-utilized whiteboard enhances clarity and retention in virtual training sessions.

Google Jamboard, Microsoft Jamboard, Ziteboard and conceptboard ..it totally depends on the kind of training that one would like to facilitate...

Gamification tools are an engaging way to elevate remote training through interactive elements that boost motivation and knowledge retention. By facilitating games, quizzes and puzzles, such platforms tap into learners' innate competitive and reward-seeking instincts. Well-designed challenges integrated into a session can lighten the mood while authentically testing comprehension. Core features that support scoring, feedback, leaderboards, badges and certificates allow trainers to easily create customized assessments or choose pre-built options. This provides a fun way to gauge learning progress. Participants benefit from a more enjoyable experience that sparks ongoing participation, while trainers gain valuable insight into impact.

When choosing gamification tools, look for appealing but simple graphics and a free version that doesn't unreasonably restrict the number of participants. Some gamification tools provide game templates and sample games, such as Genially and RoomEscapeMaker. Free tools that provide templates but no pre-made games include: Kahoot! for quizzes and trivia, CrosswordLabs for crossword puzzles, and Canva for jeopardy. Tip: Google Slides can be used for virtual escape rooms as well! Simple games are great as formative assessment. This includes testing and reinforcing basic terminology, concept definitions, and other "right answer" type knowledge. Some can be played asynchronously as well as live.

Gamification can't distract from the facilitation--and I think it's hard to enact gamification when you're the solo facilitator & producer in a remote training session. Taking the time to gamifying the interaction, must take place alongside the interaction, to ensure participants don't lose their engagement or learning. Also, there's a design consideration in gamification too--if you can predetermine the game points by the Terminal Performance Objective or Enabling Objective of the event, that's a great way to moderate & pace the group to make sure they reach the key learning milestones.

Optimize gamification tools by aligning them with learning objectives. Integrate game elements that enhance engagement, such as points, badges, and leaderboards. Ensure a balance between challenge and skill to maintain interest. Provide instant feedback to reinforce learning. Customize games to suit diverse learning styles. Encourage healthy competition and collaboration. Regularly update and refresh game content to sustain interest. Monitor analytics to assess effectiveness and make adjustments. Gamification, when tailored to the context and audience, can significantly enhance the effectiveness of training programs.

It totally depends on the nature of training that one is conducting. Mentimeter: This is primarily a polling and interactive presentation tool for quizzes and word cloud. Wheel of Names: This tool allows you to create a virtual wheel that can be spun to select random participants, topics, or activities during training sessions. Classcraft: Designed specifically for education and training, Class Craft gamifies learning experiences by allowing trainers to create quests, award points, and manage virtual classrooms with avatars and customizable rewards. Breakout EDU Digital: This offers digital escape room games that promote problem-solving, collaboration, and critical thinking among participants.

Gathering insightful feedback is crucial for remote trainers to continually enhance their impact. Tools that simplify collecting, analyzing and acting on participant data prove invaluable. Features like surveys, forms, polls and ratings empower trainers to design custom feedback instruments or leverage pre-built templates to quantitatively and qualitatively assess effectiveness across a range of metrics. Questions can probe comprehension, relevance, delivery quality and more. Automated reports then compile input into clear, actionable takeaways. Trainers benefit from visibility into what worked and what needs adjustment. Learners have an easy way to anonymously provide honest opinions that maintain a continuous feedback loop

There are many ways to structure and facilitate your training session, however I believe that collecting feedback on your session is a good standard practice to incorporate in any session. One of the easiest way to collect feedback is through the embedded polling functionality in the video conference platform you choose to use. Many of feedback tools summarize results for further analysis on the effectiveness of the session.

Essential for gauging participant understanding and satisfaction. This can be through real-time polls (like Poll Everywhere) or post-session surveys (using tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms). Timely and anonymous feedback options can encourage honest and constructive responses.

Incorporar ferramentas de feedback é crucial para aprimorar sessões de treinamento remoto. Essas ferramentas possibilitam a coleta e análise de dados, mensurando a eficácia, impacto e satisfação dos participantes. Identifique áreas de melhoria e necessidades de acompanhamento. Recursos como pesquisas, formulários, classificações e relatórios oferecem versatilidade. Crie instrumentos personalizados ou utilize modelos, exibindo e interpretando os resultados. Essa abordagem centrada no feedback contribui para ajustes contínuos, assegurando uma experiência de treinamento cada vez mais eficiente e adaptada às necessidades dos participantes.

Feedback tools can both document how successful the current learning session is, as well as serve as advanced organizers for what participants could learn or want to learn. I'm more of a favor of qualitative data collection tools vice quantitative/Likert scales. Especially if participants have time to type out their immediate feedback or feelings of the session. Not just that--if you could anonymize feedback, it's a great way to bridge sessions & continue to raise the baseline of the overall experience.

The tool that I use the most is MIRO. It is very easy to learn for the participants, even if they have never used it before. I also send them a short video and some instructions, before the training on how to use the MIRO, to ease them into it. Using post-it notes, the session can be made as interactive as it can be in-person.

Zoom: has everything covered right from whiteboards to notes, apps, team chats, personalized Virtual spaces for case study discussions... Now zoom is a tool, similarly there are others offering more or less similar features. The real tool is the presenter or facilitator, he or she needs to properly prepare for the session, understand the audience's needs, personalize, reiterate learning etc. This human tool is very important, get this element right, others can just be handy. Get it right folks!

Collaboration tools are highly effective for facilitating team-oriented remote training. By providing boards, lists, cards and calendars, such platforms streamline task assignment, coordination and monitoring of progress. Integrated chat lets trainers promptly answer questions while file sharing allows resource distribution. Project templates get groups started quickly on interactive work, whether brainstorming, outlining or drafting documents. Trainers can customize templates to learning objectives or have learners build from scratch. Dynamic updating keeps all apprised of current statuses and next steps without email threads. Real-time communication and organization foster stronger cooperation, even when participants are remote

Collaboration tools are part of the overall experience--and it would help to consider just how much interaction or how many streams are already in place for collaboration. Consider this--in remote training, you have a main one/two-way interaction stream, audio, & maybe a chat running. That's three separate modes to interact--that may not mean collaboration. I believe the best tools overtake the rest of the interaction modes. Whether it's not lecturing during collaboration, or using a separate app altogether like Miro, or changing modalities to Google Suite to reduce the distraction a chat could be.

Asana: Asana is a project management tool that helps trainers organize tasks, assign responsibilities, set deadlines, and collaborate with team members through shared projects and timelines. Slack: A popular messaging and collaboration platform that allows for real-time communication through channels, direct messages, and integrations with various tools and services. Microsoft Teams: Offers a comprehensive collaboration platform with features like chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and integration with Office 365 apps for real-time collaboration on documents and presentations.

As a pioneer of virtual and hybrid meetings in the early 2000s, I saw far too many people chasing the latest "tool" rather than being really excellent at the one they had at their disposal and honing their presentation skills. Apply the ARCS-V model so that the tool meets the goals of: Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction, and Volition for learner motivation. Anything else and the tool is not a tool but a toy.

I’ve participated in virtual training sessions for remote participants in the past where a box of healthy snacks & healthy teas were delivered to the participants homes in advance. Different materials were also delivered & labelled “do not open until…”Participants really appreciated having physical items to read & write on, not having to print their own materials, & not having to spend time finding or preparing healthy snacks & drinks during the breaks.

One often-overlooked aspect is the visual presentation. Virtual backgrounds or blurring features, commonly used for a professional appearance, can lead to increased cognitive fatigue. The absence of clear 3D depth in the background can make it challenging for the brain to process visual information, diverting attention from the content being presented. To address this, it is recommended to establish a fixed and visually appealing background. Sitting in front of a bookshelf, a few plants, or any personalized elements can contribute to creating a more immersive and comfortable learning atmosphere. This not only reduces cognitive strain but also aids in building rapport during the training session.

Get off Power Point or screen sharing as much as possible. It is very difficult to engage and read the room when everyone is reduced to a postage stamp on the side of the screen. There are platforms that let you create a faux classroom seating plan but still people are small. I've taught at a lot of business schools and the most effective virtual experience is when we go in and out of the slides to engage in real conversations as we go. Read the room, ask questions and don't be afraid to improvise if the material is not landing.

Everyone has said 'Miro,' but hear me out?! 😁 An overlooked aspect of remote learning with Miro is creating an experience where learners can focus on smaller pieces of information at a time vs. drifting + info-overload. You want everyone truly *learning together.* Tips for focused learning w/ Miro: - Use Presentation mode when sharing content - Hide frames except the frame you are on to prevent "learning ahead"- keep a class moving together - Use simple shapes (squares, rectangles, circles) and chose 'Bring to Front' to hide text on a frame and mimic PowerPoint's popular Animations effects - Similar to 👆: use shapes or a layered text box you can drag down/ to the side to do a slow reveal of bullets or parts of an image Happy learning! 🚀