Virtual instructor based training has become a popular method of teaching and learning. It enables the instructor and students to attend leaching sessions without consideration of location, enables easy recording of a teaching session and can provide two way communication between the students and instructor. Although there are many challenges and disadvantages of this type of training such as:
- Technology requisites
- Limited communication modalities
- Time zone affects
- Lower social connections
Instructor led training is thought to be one of the primary methods of training as it provides the instructor the best opportunity to connect with students, provide them with valid and timely lessons and allow open communication between both instructors and students.
With the advent of virtual communication methods which include audio/video technologies virtual instructor led training has become more popular, especially with the advent of remote working conditions for businesses and technology schools but virtual instructor led training has several problems which need consideration to be truly effective.
A simple explanation of instructor led training
This type of training is most like the traditional classroom model which has been used for training for the last hundred years or so. The instructor is in charge of the lesson, pace and delivery method. Students are muted most of the time and allowed to ask questions via text which the instructor may or may not answer immediately or at all.
Instructor led training includes any method of virtually connecting an instructor and students through online technology in real time. This includes technologies like video communication systems, audio communication systems and text based communication. The most used of the three is video communication represented by companies like Zoom, and Microsoft Teams.
The instructor manages the meeting by presenting a teaching lecture or instigating the topic discussion. Students can text questions or voice their responses using audio. Depending on how the instructor wants to run the learning session the questions may be answered immediately or left to the end.
How to improve the effectiveness of virtual training
Virtual training is difficult to manage well as there are many factors which can lower its benefits. The standard considerations which are similar to those of any training method include:
Have a clear goal for each training session
There are many goals for a training session such as meeting legal standards, onboarding new employees, obtaining new skills or knowledge and standardizing base level knowledge throughout an organization.
No matter what the goal it needs to be clear, communicated to all participants and have a specific criteria of success. Without these three a training session will have little chance of success.
Keep the sessions as short as possible
The attention span of the average student is less than 20 minutes, especially when the student is learning something which is determined as mandatory and not of any real interest to them. By keeping the sessions as short as possible the instructor will have a much better chance of imparting their knowledge onto the students in the session.
If the lesson must be longer than 30-60 minutes ensure there are frequent breaks, changes in learning modalities and discussion throughout the session. The normal consciousness state fluctuates on average every 90 minutes from fully aware to semi-unconscious. This fluctuation is necessary to take in new information and commit to long term memory.
Trying to maintain a student’s attention for the entire time will hinder their ability to maintain the information long term.
Maintain good rapport with students and instructor(s)
Communication is easier when the students and instructor(s) have a good relationship. Students are much more likely to accept new information from instructors which they get along with and trust so maintaining good rapport is critical to a learning session’s success.
Make discussion inclusive and positive
Students which are relaxed and in a positive state are able to learn faster and have a better chance of maintaining the information provided in the session. Having a positive learning environment helps to support the students ability to be interested in the topic and therefore better able to absorb the information provided.
Being inclusive during the session requires the instructor to be aware of the various learning modalities of their students. Every student has a different primary learning modality mix so leading a learning session needs to include a variety of learning opportunities such as; lecture style, discussion, active learning and debate.
Inclusivity also requires consideration of all participants strengths and weaknesses such as; attention span, known disabilities, personality style and confidence level.
Include assignments that are specific, interesting and practical
A learning session is only as valuable as the information is made practical. Without real world uses the learning a student obtains in a classroom is either lost or useless. By providing assignments which are specific to the learning session the students will have a better chance of making the connection with the information and the value it could provide in their work.
Interest is also important as if the assignment is not interesting it is either too easy (providing limited learning opportunities for the student) or too difficult (providing a barrier to the students motivation).
Without taking care of these items it will not matter what you do the learning session will not be valuable for the student, instructor or business. Communicate directly with the students about what the value for them is and be honest about the reason for the training.
Once the above has been met to the best of your ability there are some additional considerations for virtual learning sessions which can make them more effective.
Ensure connection is maintained throughout the session
Nothing is more distracting and frustrating than the connection between the students and instructor(s) to be flaky. When the audio drops off in mid-sentence or the video freezes during a demonstration it destroys the concentration of the students and requires repetition which slows the session’s pace.
To ensure a solid connection do not use wireless connections. Wired connections are less likely to suffer from poor signals, delays and dropped packets, making the learning session much less likely to suffer untimely distractions.
If students are able it is also recommended that they connect directly as well as the connection will be faster and provide them with a better experience all round.
Match the lesson with the communication method
Not all learning sessions require the same communication protocol. Sometimes it is necessary to include audio/visual capabilities to the instructors and students but in some cases using only audio can be valuable.
Other methods of communication can be utilized throughout a session such as phone text, email, questionnaires, quizzes and power-point slides (death by powerpoint). In cases where only the lecture style of teaching is being used (not recommended for most cases) only using audio can provide enough contact for the lesson.
Provide strict rules for discussion and questions
At the beginning of the session it is important for the instructor to inform the class how discussions will be moderated and how questions will be answered. Since virtual communication systems are disjointed and have some element of delay a set of rules needs to be in place to ensure everyone has a chance to communicate their perspective or ask their question.
Whatever the rules they must be strictly adhered to by the leader of the session as soon as an exception is made the classroom will deteriorate quickly.
If using audio/visual protocols use video of all participants
Teaching is a difficult activity even when the participants are all in one place. The instructor must be able to read the students body language, encourage participation and provide a variety of explanations for the students until they see they understand the lesson.
When virtual communication methods are added the level of difficulty for the instructor increases exponentially. They lose about 50% of the communication signals coming from students. This includes body posture, eye contact and agitation level. By including the video of all participants the instructor has a better chance of reading the students level of interest and understanding of the material.
Keep the classroom size as small as possible
As the classroom size increases so do the technological challenges. The communication protocol needs to decide who to prioritize, how often to switch views and a myriad of other things. As the number of participants increases this challenge goes up quickly.
By keeping the classrooms small this gives the technology the best chance of providing a positive learning environment.
How to effectively lead a virtual training session
When organizing a virtual training session there is a higher level of organization, preparedness and setup required. You will have to have all the training materials in digital form which can be distributed to the students either prior to the session time or efficiently during the session. Anticipating and preparing answers of the common questions asked during the session is important
To effectively lead a virtual training session prepare all materials, organize notes, disperse notes to students and organize technology prior to the session. During the session ensure strict adherence to rules but provide for different learning modalities where possible.
Being prepared is the most important thing an instructor can do no matter what the venue but for virtual instructor led-training it is paramount. When a student is in a classroom they are essentially obligated to stay in the class until the end or some natural break presents itself but in virtual training students can (and do) leave the learning environment whenever they wish. This can happen in any number of ways from leaving the meeting officially, muting the sound and focusing on something else or just getting up and moving to another space.
Anytime an instructor pauses to either locate something misplaced, send class notes or create something on the fly they will lose students attention and risk them leaving the classroom. By being prepared the instructor has a better chance of maintaining interest and participation with the group.
What to do prior to the learning session
- Prepare all notes students will need for the class and send them out to all participants.
This gives the students a chance to review the notes and become familiar with any topics they need for the class.
- Create any teaching aids needed including charts, graphs and images
Having teaching aids available can help students visualize the information presented and assist the instructor in the explanation of a concept.
- Create the meeting on the protocol you are using and send the link to all students
Every protocol is set up a little differently so ensure the students have access to the invite well ahead of the class time so they can ensure they can join properly.
- Prepare the space to represent a professional image
Virtual meetings allow the work from home environment but students expect a certain level of professionalism from their instructors. Having animals or children wandering around, messy or disorganized backgrounds and unkempt appearance erodes the students confidence in the instructor.
What to do during the learning session
- Give specific instructions regarding the class rules and how questions or discussions will be handled
Establishing a set of rules will give the students a feeling of security. When they know how to raise a question, interrupt the instructor or participate in a discussion they are more likely to become involved. Once the rules have been set DO NOT make concessions. Concessions will lead to a poor learning environment.
- Provide a good introduction to the instructors background
Instructors in the traditional environment benefit from the status of the organization they are associated with, be it a school, university or business. Virtual training does not have the same effect on the students in the session so a good introduction including the background of the instructor will improve the confidence the students have in the information they receive.
- Maintain contact with all participants as much as possible
In a typical classroom it is easy to discern if a student is present and interested in the topic. An instructor can see students nodding off when they are tired or are talking to another student during class. In virtual training this is not so easy to see so to combat this try to engage all the students throughout the class time. Ask questions, request opinions and start discussions to maintain interest.
- Use as many different learning modalities as possible
Use questions, quizzes, discussion periods and lecture style delivery to provide as many learning opportunities for the students as possible. It is important to remember that the instructor is being paid to teach, whereas the students have paid to be taught. If the students do not learn it is the instructor which is not doing their job.
What to do after the learning session
- Fulfill all promises made to the class
When discussion or questions are asked during the session there will be times when the instructor does not know the answer or would like to add additional information to the topic. When this happens it falls to the instructor to find the answers of information requested and pass it along to the participants of the class.
- Make notes for making improvements
There are always ways to improve something. A way of explaining something, a better image or another resource could be added (or removed). By taking notes the instructor will have a written record of how to improve the teaching session.
- Contact students with updates or changes
Remain in contact with students by updating them with any changes, be it in the subject itself or the method of delivery.
Advantages and disadvantages of virtual instructor-led training
Virtual instructor-led training is becoming more popular as the technology improves, remote working opportunities increase and students are from different locations. Universities and career colleges have discovered the benefits of virtual training in aspects of classroom space scheduling and cost effectiveness, although the value of the learning is still uncertain.
| Benefit | Students | Instructor(s) | Organization |
| Can be located anywhere | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| High maximum classroom size | ✔ | ||
| Availability of free technology systems | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Can be recorded and used later | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Low production costs | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Low material costs | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Can be updated quickly | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Easy access to instructor(s) | ✔ | ||
| Students progress can be monitored | ✔ | ✔ |
| Disadvantage | Students | Instructor(s) | Organization |
| Must have internet connectivity | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Some technological knowledge required | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Class times can be inconvenient | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Limited learning modalities | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Hard to maintain interest | ✔ | ||
| Effective class sizes are small | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Information can be inconsistent | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Ease of access lowers commitment level | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Difficult to create rapport | ✔ |