Virtual instructor-led training has become increasingly popular in recent years, offering learners the opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge from the comfort of their own homes and companies to reduce overall training budgets. However, maintaining engagement in a virtual environment can be challenging, and learners may find themselves losing focus or becoming bored. Here are five strategies to help increase engagement in virtual instructor-led training and keep learners inspired:
- Use interactive activities: Incorporating interactive activities such as polls, quizzes, or breakout discussions can help to break up the monotony of a lecture and encourage learners to engage with the material.
- Encourage participation: Encourage learners to participate actively by asking questions, contributing to discussions, or sharing their own experiences. This not only increases engagement but also helps to create a more collaborative and supportive learning environment. I highly encourage a “camera’s on” approach to create a community where people can actually get to know each other.
- Keep it visual: Use visual aids such as images, videos, or infographics to help illustrate concepts and keep learners engaged. Visual aids can help to break up the text-heavy content and make the material more accessible and memorable.
- Provide feedback: Providing feedback on learners’ progress can help to keep them engaged and motivated. This feedback can take the form of assessments, quizzes, or personal feedback from the instructor.
- Create a comfortable environment: Finally, it’s important to create a comfortable and welcoming environment for learners. This means ensuring that the technology is working correctly, setting ground rules for participation, and creating a supportive learning community. By creating a comfortable and engaging environment, learners are more likely to stay focused and inspired throughout the virtual instructor-led training.