In today’s fast-paced world, businesses must be able to adapt to the never ending developments and innovations presented to us by progress. And companies today must also be able to improve their efficiency in a way that it is cost-effective as well. Great communication is one of the most basic elements for a successful business and to improve on it would obviously be a wonderful thing.
For this post, I would like to discuss a fantastic tool for modern business communication: WebEx. In a nutshell, it is an easy way to share ideas with anyone, anywhere. It masterfully combines real-time desktop sharing with phone conferencing in such a way that everyone connected to it sees the same thing on their own monitors while you talk. This is an efficient way to get everyone on the same page while eliminating the costly need for people to travel and meet on site.
And with that in mind, I’d like to ask if your organization has already subscribed to WebEx (or to similar solutions like it)? If so, do you use it for online meetings, web conferencing, remote support or even video conferencing? Or perhaps you might have even tried it as a tool for virtual learning?
Let’s talk more about that last question. How effective and efficient can WebEx be in terms of being a tool for learning and development? To evaluate, I have filtered it through three areas, namely Technology, Presenter and Content.
1. Technology
How do we ascertain if the deployed technology is a good solution? Well, there are a few things which we must consider:
- Ease of use
WebEx is a business productivity tool. If it’s too difficult to use, it just makes it hard for end-users to adopt. I cannot stress enough on the importance on the ease of use for every element of the tool.
- Presenter (Instructor) Interaction
I believe that this is one area where the virtual classroom can surpass conventional ones. The main argument would probably be the fact that the tool facilitates a high degree of interactivity and learner engagement. Instructors can have the ability to solicit and provide real-time feedback through polls, quizzes etc. In a traditional classroom, the instructor can only cherry-pick some learners to check on the understanding and gather feedback because it’s too time-consuming to go through every learner in the class for every question. In a virtual environment however, the system does the tally and therefore all learners can be engaged for all questions at the same time. It gives the instructor a more holistic view and the ability to adjust the teaching pace/style accordingly and on time.
- Learner Interaction
In post-course evaluations, I frequently see learners’ feedback that they benefitted from collaboration during breakout sessions. Therefore, moving into the virtual classroom space, learners should have the ability to collaborate as a group to continue to support this valuable peer learning.
- Technology Support
WebEx is not a solution for clients with employees all housed in a single building in one country, as the organisation is unable to fully maximize the benfits of such a robust application. This solution suits clients who have geographical issues to tackle. The spread of population over distances, however, also implies that learners will have varying bandwidth ranges and different network environments. And the challenge to that is to ensure that the learning experience/outcome is consistent regardless of variance.
- Administration
Virtual classroom solutions should be specifically designed for training applications and not merely bolted on to an existing web conferencing technology. The solution should be effectively integrated with learning management systems that track individual skills, competencies, resources, and performance against set targets.
2. Presenter (Instructor)
I would probably bore you to tears if I start talking about how crucial it is for the presenter to be proficient in both basic and advanced features of WebEx. It is common sense, really. One cannot be efficient if he/she is still trying to figure out how to perform certain tasks, while conducting a virtual class. There is simply no substitute to being prepared.
A presenter’s soft skills are also required to run a successful virtual class, with the role of a presenter evolving from being an ‘instructor’ to a ‘facilitator’. The up-skilling for the presenter should include:
- Understanding the difference between ILT and Virtual classroom training
- Understand when to use Virtual classroom and when it is not appropriate
- Adopting teaching styles to a virtual classroom setting
- Characteristics of an effective synchronous trainer
- Creating a conducive environment
- Communicating with learners (visuals, voice, language)
- Engaging learners (classroom management, optimal class size)
- Best practice in virtual session (pre-work, setting expectations, audience engagement, post-work)
- Facilitation Tips
3. Content
An important part of WebEx (in terms of learning and development) is the content that is being presented (online and in real-time) through it. The content is very much as important as the technological and instructional aspects. Things to consider for content:
- Selection of appropriate content for virtual classroom delivery
- Re-design of instructor-led content for virtual classroom delivery
Unless you want to ‘kill’ the audience by way of “death-by-powerpoint”, this is one thing to consider. The average session in a typical classroom would be 45 to 60 minutes and the average attention span of an online learner is about 15 to 20 minutes. Therefore, the structure of the content has to be re-organized by breaking down learning objectives into smaller chunks, for better efficiency. - Preparation of content for a virtual classroom
Learners do not read online, they merely “eyeball” or “scan” the information. Therefore, incorporating info graphics within text has proven to retain attention better. - Design activities to retain learner’s attention/ motivation
It’s always more convenient for learners to “switch off” online than for them to get out of a physical classroom. - Preparation of support documentation for distribution
This is definitely an important consideration – before or after a session, examples include best practices, quick reference guides and so on.
To conclude, WebEx as a learning solution, definitely holds its own amidst a highly interactive, social and collaborative business climate. In light of the considerations that I mentioned in this entry, the concept of delivering dynamic and interactive learning methods to anyone anywhere is definitely something to cherish and make full use of.
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