The Virtual Training Guidebook: How to Design, Deliver, and Implement Live Online Learning

Join me online! Attend a free webinar! It’s time to meet virtually! Invitation to a complimentary webcast! Your virtual lessons are now available!

These are the messages popping up in email inboxes everywhere. You have probably already seen at least one of these invitations in the past 24 hours. A review of my own recent email history reveals no less than 32 requests for online events in the past two weeks alone. To be fair, I’m sure I have a higher amount than the average person simply because of my work in virtual training. However, if you are like most, you have seen more and more of these types of messages in your daily routine.

Live online events have become a regular occurrence in today’s business environment. Given the proliferation of today’s technology tools, it’s just as easy to video chat with someone across the globe as it is to talk with someone across the hallway. As society moves online, so does training.

Recent research backs up these anecdotal observations. According to the 2012 ASTD State of the Industry report, technology-based methods account for 37.3 percent of all learning delivery in organizations. Perhaps more significant for our purposes, the use of virtual training (defined as instructor-led online learning) showed a 30 percent increase from 2010 to 2011 when it jumped from 6.7 percent to 8.8 percent of the overall mix (ASTD, 2012).

These numbers may not seem like much, but given that ASTD estimates $156.2 billion spent on learning and development in 2011, and employees averaged 31 overall hours of formal instruction, the amount of time and money spent on virtual training is significant. Significant enough to warrant attention.

Similar trends exist in higher education. The 2012 Survey of Online Learning conducted by the Babson Survey Research Group reveals that the number of college students taking at least one online course has surpassed 6.7 million. And 32 percent of higher education students now take at least one course online (Landry, 2012). While this book will not focus on education in the university setting, it’s worth noting those trends; these college students will quickly become part of the workforce and will bring their online learning expectations and experiences with them.

So who is moving to the online classroom? Almost everyone is—and you can too!

Effectiveness of Virtual Training

Even though the use of online learning is expanding, many people are skeptical about virtual training for one reason or another. They may believe that it cannot replace in-person training under any circumstances. Or they don’t trust that technology is reliable enough for meaningful online interaction.

Maybe you share this perception because of your own experience with poorly delivered online sessions. You might have experienced technical glitches during a virtual meeting, or listened to a boring online presenter drone on and on about an uninteresting topic. You are not alone! Many of us, myself included, have experienced these awful sessions.

It’s been said that only one in five people consider their company to be very effective at virtual training (Mina, 2012). And passive webinars are notorious for encouraging participant multitasking—checking email and eating lunch while listening to someone else speak and click through a series of slides. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Virtual training can be an effective method of learning and behavior change—if it’s done well.

Numerous studies have shown that there is no significant difference in learning between online and face-to-face classes when all other factors are equal (Baker, 2010). A meta-analysis released in 2009 by the U.S. Department of Education found that students who took all or part of their instruction online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course throughout face-to-face instruction (Jaschik, 2009). More recently, 77 percent of academic leaders rate the learning outcomes in online education as the same or superior to those in face-to-face (Babson, 2012). While none of these research reports advocate the replacement of face-to-face learning experiences, or give credence to every type of online event, they open the door to the potential effectiveness of the virtual classroom. The possibility of well-designed, well-delivered, well-executed virtual training exists.

Benefits of Virtual Training

Not only can virtual training be effective, it can also be beneficial. Consider the many benefits of using live online training as a learning methodology in an organization:

Cost savings: Virtual training lowers travel costs for both participants and facilitators. While virtual training is not free—there are many other costs involved—it can result in overall reduced dollars spent.

According to a recent benchmark report by Towards Maturity, over 80 percent of organizations surveyed that use significant amounts of virtual training are reducing travel costs, and almost 80 percent are reducing their overall training costs (2011). This finding is not surprising at all, and is echoed by most organizations that use virtual training.

Time savings: Virtual training is typically delivered in shorter chunks of learning time. This means less time away from the office, which often equals increased productivity.

When employees can stay at their desks to participate in training, they will undoubtedly be able to accomplish more in a day than they would if they had to leave their workspace and go to a training class.

A recent survey by ON24, Inc. revealed that 83 percent of HR and training professionals cite more convenient when asked about the benefits of virtual training (Chief Learning Officer, 2012). It’s more convenient for participants, and more convenient for organizations.

Location: Virtual training can be delivered almost anytime, almost anyplace. If someone has a computer and reliable Internet connection, he or she can participate in a live online learning event.

In fact, according to market research firm IDC, over 37 percent of the global workforce will be mobile by the end of 2015 (Eddy, 2012). And ASTD’s recent research study on mobile learning shares that over 85 percent of organizations supply mobile devices to at least part of their workforce (ASTD, 2012). As your organization’s workforce goes virtual, so can your organization’s training.

Reach: Virtual training expands the reach of learning to those who might not receive training. It also connects people who might not normally get to collaborate together in a virtual class.

The world continues to shrink in size, as organizations expand their reach across international borders. Your employees may frequently interact with people from around the world. Virtual training allows you the opportunity to create community without borders. Anyone with internet access can attend virtual training. And you can now provide training to employee populations who were previously excluded due to time, space, or location issues.

According to the Towards Maturity report, increasing access to learning was the number one stated benefit (Towards Maturity, 2011).

The number one reason we use virtual training is that it enables me to provide equality of access to training for our international staff in a cost effective way. The second reason is that it allows for collaboration across disperse geographies.

—Lorna Matty, Learning and Development Manager, Crown Agents

Why This Book?

In most books, resources, and references about virtual training, engaging delivery is usually touted as the most important key to success. Yes, it is important. However, I believe that engaging delivery is only one of many indicators about the quality of a virtual training experience. Several other key components that can make or break the success of virtual training are often overlooked in the intense focus on good delivery.

The critical success factors to virtual training include:

having an intentional training plan in place

putting the right technology into place

designing interactive sessions

preparing facilitators for virtual delivery

preparing participants for a new way of learning

paying attention to the administrative details.

It seems that we are missing the mark if we do not take a holistic view of virtual training. All of these items must be addressed if virtual training is to be a success. Yet, as the saying goes, we can miss the forest for the trees when we focus in on only one part of the formula.

In addition, as I talk with designers and facilitators around the globe about the full scope of what it takes to be successful at virtual training, so often I hear would you please tell that to so-and-so in my organization? They have collectively been trying to tell their managers that they need more budget for technology, or more time to design an interactive class, or more assistance with the administration of the details surrounding virtual training. Or they are forced to put hundreds of people into a virtual classroom, or to make do with sub-par resources. Designers and facilitators want their managers to recognize any misperceptions or misunderstandings about virtual training. More importantly, they want to have successful virtual training.

That’s the goal of this book—to help organizations design, deliver, and implement excellent virtual training, as well as to take a complete look at all of the components needed to do virtual training well. And to help you ensure that your live online training is a good learning experience for participants. This book will help you do that.

This book is targeted to a wide audience—anyone who is involved with virtual training, from instructional designers to facilitating trainers to learning coordinators. Everyone who makes decisions about virtual training should know what it truly takes to deliver it well.

Format of the Book

This book addresses each of the critical success factors for virtual training—from conception to delivery to evaluation. It will take both the big-picture view of large virtual training implementations as well as a detailed view of single event virtual classes. It will look at what it takes to be successful when you first get started with virtual training, which is the soaring 50,000-foot view from above. And it will also address how to create effective individual virtual events, from the up-close 500-foot level.

Whether you are planning a large-scale virtual training rollout or want to hold just a single online class, you will find benefit from both views. And if you are still trying to decide if virtual training is right for you and your organization, then this book will help you learn what it takes to do it right.

In addition, throughout the book, you’ll hear from trainers, designers, and organizations who have been down this journey. They’ll share their experience and lessons learned. I think you will enjoy hearing their point of view, their tips, and their advice. I’ll share from my own experience as well. Together we will paint a picture of successful virtual training.

Organization of the Chapters

The book is outlined as follows:

Chapter 2: Get Ready—We will begin by helping you prepare your organization for virtual training, with a four-step process that leads to a successful launch. This chapter will look at the many definitions of virtual training, consider who should be involved in a virtual training rollout, and discuss how to build a business plan for virtual training in your organization.

Chapter 3: Select Technology—This chapter outlines the types of technology needed for successful virtual training implementations. We’ll consider hardware, software, and other technology needed. We’ll also look at how to work with IT departments on selecting technology and how to partner with vendors.

Chapter 4: Design Content—This chapter will provide an overview of best practice virtual training design principles, teach you a three-step design process, and give tips for converting traditional face-to-face courses to the online classroom. We will also review techniques to create facilitator and participant materials.

Chapter 5: Prepare Facilitators and Producers—This chapter will define the roles needed for successful virtual delivery: facilitators and producers. We’ll look at selection criteria for these roles, and show how to prepare them for delivering online. We’ll also cover the art of online facilitation and delivery, which includes many tips and suggestions for creating an engaging learning environment.

Chapter 6: Prepare Participants—An often overlooked component in virtual training success are the participants. It’s a new way for them to learn! This chapter will provide tips and ideas for helping them adjust to the virtual classroom. We’ll explore three techniques you can use to set them up for success.

Chapter 7: Create Success Through Logistics—Details, details, details—it’s all in the details! This chapter will focus on the administrative support and coordination needed to make virtual training a success. You’ll learn the pre-event logistics to consider, day of event preparation, and post-event logistics such as assignments, surveys, and evaluations.

Chapter 8: Special Considerations: Global Issues, Evaluation Metrics, and Future Trends—As we wrap up our discussion on virtual training, we will examine some special considerations. We’ll focus on the unique considerations for global virtual training rollouts and cultural adaptations for virtual training: design, delivery, and logistics. We’ll review how to evaluate success of your virtual training in your organization. And last, we will discuss some trends that are likely to have an impact on the future on virtual training.

Throughout the book, you’ll also find many ready-to-use checklists and worksheets, which are also available for download from my website. Please visit www.cindyhuggett.com.

Let’s begin!

In this chapter, you will learn four things you should do to get ready for a virtual training implementation:

Ask yourself, What's your end goal?

Define virtual training for your organization.

Get the right people involved.

Build an implementation plan.

Whether you want to have an extensive virtual training course curriculum that will require months of planning or only want to have one single online session, an implementation plan will help you get ready to use virtual training in your organization.

The first task in any implementation is to plan for success. As well-known author Stephen Covey once wrote, Begin with the end in mind (1989). The same thought is true for a virtual training implementation. Begin by thinking about the end goal.

Discover Your End Goal

The planning journey will start with your first step, which should be to ask yourself questions such as: What’s our goal for this training program? What are we trying to accomplish? What do we want to be different as a result of it? Do we need participants to be more knowledgeable about a topic? Do we want them to behave differently? Take action on something? How will our organization change or improve as a result? What’s the best way to achieve these goals? How specifically would virtual training help achieve these outcomes?

By answering these questions, you define your vision of virtual training success. You determine the purpose of your initiative and articulate your desired end result. By intentionally setting goals, you can increase your likelihood of achieving them. These questions can also help you determine if virtual training is the appropriate solution for your situation. Virtual training is not the answer just because everyone else is doing it or because it’s a shiny object that captures your passing interest.

It may surprise you to hear that virtual training may not be the right solution for your organization. If by answering these questions, you realize that you’re implementing virtual training just because you have heard it’s a cheaper alternative to traditional training, or just because your employees are dispersed throughout the globe, or just because a competitor is doing it, then those are not the right reasons. All of these might be contributing factors to your reasons for wanting to implement virtual training. But the best reason to implement virtual training is that it will be the best solution to meet your organization’s needs.

When done well, virtual training can transfer knowledge, increase productivity, help you gain competitive advantage, and positively affect business results. Virtual training can help you reach a global audience. It can reduce travel costs for training budgets. It can create opportunities for dispersed learners to interact with each other and a facilitator. And it can help provide training to participants who may otherwise not have access to instructor-led learning.

The point is that you should be clear about the reasons for using virtual training implementation. By beginning with the end, you can define what success will look like for your organization.

Be really intentional about choosing {virtual training} as a modality. You both gain and give up. We’ve never promised that virtual training is the same learning experience as face-to-face training, but with a team located in cities around the world it’s the most efficient way to deliver a consistent learning experience.

—Dan Gallagher, Vice President of Learning at Comcast; and author, The Self-Aware Leader (ASTD, 2012)

Let’s say, for example, your organization decides to decrease administrative costs worldwide by switching to a new online expense reporting system. End users need to learn how to use this new system in order for the costs savings to be realized. After looking at travel costs, participant locations, and trainer time, you determine that live online sessions will be the best way to both demonstrate and answer questions about the new features. You realize that virtual training will help you reach your geographically dispersed audience. And you believe the software skills content is suited to a virtual method.

So you might define the goals and objectives for this initiative by factoring in the organization’s aim to decrease administrative costs and determining what end users specifically need to know and do with the new system features. These goals will help you define the learning objectives. But more importantly, they will help you design and deliver the appropriate type of virtual training for this initiative.

What type of virtual training will you deliver? That takes us to the next step in getting ready.

Define Virtual Training

One of the other most important things to do near the start of your journey is to define what your organization means by virtual training.

Virtual training conjures up a myriad of definitions. While it probably means only one thing to you, it is certain to have a different meaning to someone else. You