​Knowledge Anywhere recently participated in INSPIRE’s week-long online event! For the nearly 300 participants who attended our webcast, it was great to talk with you! If you missed the session, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered with a recording, available here, as well as below.

To ensure maximum impact, HR professionals must adapt with the ever-changing world. Today, as training becomes more virtual, it’s imperative to stay relevant. Because of increased globalization, new technology, familiarity with old systems, and current events, online training is a necessity for any modern business. Knowledge Anywhere can help HR with more effective training. With over 22 years in the corporate training industry and over 3 million global learners, we can provide industry advice and best practices or create customized solutions to make training work for you.

Key Takeaways From Knowledge Anywhere’s Webcast:

Interactive Digital Tools 

The best teacher is experience. Instead of talking at you, in this webinar, we went over ways to make online training more engaging, and taught participants how to use tools to their advantage. In this recording, you’ll see how we utilized the following to interact with live participants:

  • Whiteboard
  • Polls
  • Quizzes

Traps To Avoid During Webinars

1. Forgetting the personal aspects - In person, we’d never forget to greet people at the start of a meeting. However, online it can sometimes be hard to forget. Make sure you’re still connecting on a personal level, creating relationships. Just because training is virtual doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be personable. 

2. Zoom fatigue - Zoom fatigue is a real thing! Sitting in front of a camera can be distracting and exhausting. In in-person meetings, your colleagues don’t stare at your face from 18 inches away, nor can you see yourself constantly. To make the situation more manageable, here are a few ideas:

  • Feel free to grab coffee or shift positions. You’d do it in a real meeting, so why not a virtual one?
  • Do everything in your power to make meetings below 1 hour. If they go longer, suggest a quick minute break, so people have the opportunity to stretch, go to the bathroom, look at their phone, or grab a snack.
  • Video can be an amazing tool, but be wary of overusing it. If it’s a one on one, mix it up with a phone call instead, so employees don’t feel as if they have to constantly “preform” in front of a camera.

3. Poor content - Content is king. Making sure yours is up-to-date, accurate, and engaging will only help your online training goals.

4. Failed technology - Sometimes, technology fails us. When creating training or a webinar, stick to tools you know and trust. If you’re looking for new technology, make sure you’re asking the right types of questions during a demo, and checking on it’s reliability and security before migrating to a new system.

5. Lack of engagement - Being lectured at via a computer can turn boring incredibly quickly. Instead of talking at learners, keep them involved by leveraging engaging tools and forcing them to pay attention.
 

Webinar Best Practices

While each webinar is different, there are some overarching tricks that can make any virtual presentation run more smoothly. In our full recording, you can learn how to use the following tips, and why they will make your operation a success.

  • Don’t use a tool you have never used
  • Know your audience’s technical level
  • Provide instructions beforehand
  • Leverage the tools’ features
  • Always have a practice session
  • Include a facilitator
     

Types of Learners and Blended Learning

People learn differently. Make sure your training covers different varieties, channels, and avenues to learn. Below are some types of learners, as well as examples of how to tailor your approach to accommodate all of them.

  • Visual learners - ex: badges, certifications, gamification, PowerPoint, videos, infographics
  • Auditory learners - ex: recordings, calls with trainers or mentors, podcasts, lectures, videos
  • Reading/writing learners - ex: PowerPoints, eBooks, articles/blogs, assessments, online forums

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