CLARE SANTOS AFSHAN KINDER SANGEETA BHATNAGAR MELISSA HURLEY SHERI KENDALL
way information sharing process . Companies understand training MUST be engaging to minimize early attrition .”
To combat attrition at every stage , Melissa Hurley , Vice President , Learning & People Development , Bill Gosling Outsourcing says “ Having a suite of soft skills eLearning available in your LMS ( Learning Management System ) library is key . It empowers employees to grow , uplift their skills , and learn something new . It also shows how an organization values their employees ’ interests .”
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO IMPROVE INTERACTIVITY AND PARTICIPATION DURING VIRTUAL TRAINING ?
Sheri Kendall , Training Manager , Wayfair cites the book , Brain Rules by John Medina , noting from it how “ research shows exercise increases brain power , while stressed brains don ' t learn the same way .”
Sheri , in her company , followed the advice and " used movement to increase brain power in face-to-face environments . But , during the [ COVID-19 ] pandemic it was necessary to find ways to replicate this approach .”
Thankfully , she implemented virtual “ dance breaks , stretching activities , and treasure hunts that required learners to move around their homes to find items .”
Sheri also found that “ stress is significantly reduced when a trainer creates a psychologically safe learning environment . The first step is to create a sense of belonging . “ In a virtual environment a sense of belonging can be difficult to create ,” she says . “ Trainers must be present , mindful , and committed to inclusive practices . Inclusivity is the first step in creating a sense of belonging and fostering a psychologically safe learning environment .”
Afshan found that “ most people are hungry to interact and socialize . Always pair or group people for any exercise . Remove the solo activities .”
“ Don ’ t have a group of 20 to 25 in one session ," she warns . “ It allows people to hide and be quiet , therefore driving inconsistency in learning . Keep the groups small !”
Clare recommends “ teaching learners how to effectively use virtual platforms ( such as Zoom or Teams ) during training .” She discovered the hard way that “ most people don ' t know how to use videoconferencing .” As a result , " an onboarding basic for Day 1 is to introduce new hires to these tools .”
Melissa goes even further , offering workshops regularly for facilitators , leaders , and support teams that facilitate meetings . These workshops include how to :
1 . Use different emojis to respond to questions . 2 . Leverage animations . 3 . Update content to appeal to virtual learners .
4 . Use polls after “ content heavy ” modules to break up learning and check for knowledge retention .
5 . Leverage whiteboard sessions for brainstorming .
6 . Play games related to content , such as scavenger hunts and icebreakers .
Sangeeta uses polls to interact with learners . “ This helps with informal assessments and provides insights on current challenges .”
She also loves the whiteboard feature in Zoom , saying “ I use this in breakout rooms to encourage group participation and ensure all voices are heard .”
Sangeeta also increases interactivity through chat , which many introverts prefer . “ I read chats at the same time as verbal discussions .”
She adds “ What you recognize , gets repeated . So , recognize when people with lower confidence , or who are introverted , start to share ! This increases interactivity and engagement .”
To build even more engagement , Clare sets expectations about webcam usage . She realizes “ no one loves being on camera all the time .” However , “ seeing a person ' s face helps build relationships .”
She likes how “ participants can see someone ’ s body language and connect it with what they ' re saying . That builds trust .”
To create interactivity , Clare likes using tools such as “ Kahoot or Sli . do for reviews or generating word clouds ." She finds “ Sli . do is great for this " that also provides a quick “ temperature check ” of participants .
She also uses Sli . do “ for asking quick Level 1 ( Kirkpatrick model ) feedback on how people feel about a lesson .” Finally , Clare finds adding more breaks is crucial . “ We give two 15-minute breaks and a lunch , “ she says . “ However , we give added breaks between modules if we have heavy content . Time away from the screen helps people process what they ' ve learnt .”
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