Great Webinars: Create Interactive Learning That Is Captivating, Informative, and Fun

Great Webinars

"Great Webinars provides a profoundly practical andeasy–to–follow template for creating and facilitating stimulatingwebinars that engage learners as active participants, whilecreating the kind of energetic ′buzz′ that is the hallmark ofsuccessful learning experiences. The book is sure to benefit bothseasoned instructors and subject matter experts who are new toteaching. I sure wish this book had existed when I began conductingwebinars back in the mid 1990s." Carol Willett, former chieflearning officer, US Government Accountability Office

"Not only has Cindy Clay put the adult learning principles intopractice, she has created an approach to the design, developmentand delivery of a virtual workshop that is potentially moreengaging than being face–to–face. Great Webinars captures all theessentials to creating a great on–line learning experience. . . .Thanks to the lessons learned in this book, we can now move fullspeed ahead with our e–learning strategy and I can now feelconfident we will be teaching versus simply reaching ourcustomers." Karen Pacent, director, Learning and LeadershipDevelopment, United States Tennis Association

"Great Webinars is written in a smart, authentic, practical,sassy, and easy–to–follow way. It reminds us to bring ourparticipants′ experience front and center if we want them to beenthralled, and the learning environment to be enriched. CynthiaClay lets her own students tell us what is wrong with the currentuse of webinars and then proceeds to teach us how to build ′embetter. It′s like having her sit beside you saying, ′Don′t worry .. . I′ll get you there.′ And she does." Beverly Kaye,founder/CEO, Career Systems International; coauthor, Love ′Em orLose ′Em and Getting Good People to Stay

Acknowledgments xv

Foreword xvii

Introduction xxi

1 Virtual Facilitation Gone Wrong 1

Putting Up with Poor Preparation and Content 3

Looking for Interaction and Collaboration 6

Getting Instructional Materials and Class Size Wrong 8

Encountering Trouble with Technology 9

Offering Hope 12

Homework 15

2 Getting It Right 17

Presenting a Web Workshop Example 17

Capturing Attention 24

Keeping the Class Size Small 24

Smiling for the Camera 25

Using Interactive Tools Effectively 25

Homework 28

3 Know Your Audience/Know Your Objectives 29

Learning Your ABCs 29

Identifying Objectives 31

Writing Objectives Using STAR 32

Finding the Right Words 33

Connecting Objectives to Exercises 34

Attending to Learning Styles 35

Wrapping Up 36

Knowing Your Audience 36

Getting Personal Before the Workshop 37

Getting to Know Your Organization 38

A Few Best Practices 39

Homework 41

4 Interaction and Collaboration 43

Defining Interaction and Collaboration 44

Why the Distinction Matters 45

Using Interactivity Tools During Participant Introduction 47

Using Chat, Poll, and Raise Hand for Participant Introductions 51

Letting It Flow with Chat 53

Polling for Knowledge or Interest 53

Having Fun with Collaborative Learning 54

Performing Whiteboard Wizardry 63

Sharing Desktop Applications 64

Showing Tool Usage and Benefits 65

Homework 67

5 Powerful PowerPoint Pointers 69

Improving Slide Design 70

Slide Content and Delivery 72

Voice 73

Pacing 73

Flow 73

Differentiating Between Presentations in the Physical and Virtual Classrooms 74

Homework 76

6 Repurposing from Traditional to Virtual 77

Revisiting Adult Learning Principles 77

Presenting Some Common Repurposing Errors 78

Breaking the Ice 79

Conducting Peer–To–Peer Discussions 81

Employing Role Playing or Practicing 81

Modeling Behavior 81

Employing Self–Assessments 85

Charting Ideas on a Flipchart 85

Asking Questions and Checking the Pulse 86

Presenting a Video 87

Presenting with PowerPoint Slides 88

Checking for Understanding 88

Coaching Learners 89

Homework 94

7 Learning Transfer 95

Converging to the Context that Matters 96

Putting the Learner at the Center 97

Convergence and the Facilitator 98

Homework, Indeed 101

Applying Learning Quickly 104

Apply the Learning Soon After Training 105

Have a Realistic Expectation of Training and Identify at Least One Application 105

Be Prepared and Supported by the Manager 106

Receive Incentives, Rewards, and Encouragement 106

Engage in Training Close to a Pressing Need 107

Get Tools and Resources to Apply Learning on the Job 107

The New Blend 108

Changing the Profile of Learners and Facilitators 109

Homework 111

8 Technology Trauma 113

Making It Look Easy 113

Managing Risk 117

Anticipating Things that Can Go Wrong 118

Preventing Things from Going Wrong 119

Handling Things that Do Go Wrong 120

The Breakout Room Blues 121

Homework 124

9 Getting It All Together 125

Presenting an Existing Workshop for the First Time 126

Taking Your Time 127

Employing a Host 127

Running Solo 128

Scripting Your Presentation 129

Using a Video Camera or Webcam 130

Web Platforms are not Created Equally 131

Creating the Training Event 132

Parting Words 133

Homework 134

Glossary of Terms 135

Appendixes

Appendix A: Virtual Facilitator Self–Assessment 137

Appendix B: Interactivity Tools 139

Appendix C: Repurposing Samples 141

Appendix D: Using Interactivity Tools for Repurposing 145

Appendix E: NetSpeed Fast Tracks 149

Appendix F: Assessing a Virtual Training Program 151

Appendix G: Delivering Webinars to Large Numbers of Participants 153

Appendix H: Creating a Risk Management Plan 157

Appendix I: Logistics Checklist 161

Appendix J: Design an Interactive, Collaborative Learning Experience 163

Appendix K: Resources for the Virtual Trainer 165

Notes 169

About the Author 173

Index 175

Cynthia Clay is the founder and president of NetSpeed LearningSolutions. Her company provides learning and training programs thatblend the best of instructor–led training with web–basedperformance support and measurement tools.