Final activity: challenges and benefits of taking my training online
Introduction
Now that you have worked through all, or most, of the sections of this course, this final activity will give you an opportunity to draw conclusions about the best ways to take your own training online.
There isn’t a simple ‘right answer’ to which online tools and training techniques you should use because it will obviously depend on your particular training context, including your learners’ familiarity and access to online learning, the training culture you and your participants are used to and your particular training topics.
There are, however, common challenges to and benefits in taking your training online, and this is the focus of the final activity.
This final activity is divided into two parts: the first part asks about the challenges you may face and the second asks about the potential benefits.
Activity: Challenges of taking my training online
We have made some suggestions of challenges of taking your training online in the first column of the table below. Add further challenges as they occur to you in the blank rows at the bottom of the first column. In the middle column, we have suggested some possible ways you might address these challenges and you can add additional ideas.
You will also need to add possible ways of addressing any challenges that you have added (at this stage you are not aiming to select ways of addressing the challenges, just to generate a number of possible solutions).
Once you turn to the right-hand column, think about which of the possible solutions seems likely to work best for your training, choosing one or two approaches that seem particularly promising.
| Challenges | Possible ways of addressing them | What would be best for my training? |
|---|---|---|
| My own confidence and skills in using new online tools | Start by using tools I am more familiar with Identify one new tool that looks as if it would be particularly useful and dedicate one hour to trying to learn how to use it Ask a more experienced colleague or friend to mentor me Attend formal training in using particular tools |
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| Participants have limited experience of online training | Start the sessions with activities and online tools they are more likely to be familiar with Gradually add more complicated activities and tools Discuss what is different about online training compared to face-to-face training Suggest that participants form informal support groups with each other Offer dedicated technical support sessions or help by email or phone |
|
| ‘Zoom fatigue’ i.e. people spending too long on video conferences | Keep calls short and focused Use a flipped classroom, so less time is spent online together and more time working independently Provide some resources in writing and as images Use videos and audios which can be studied asynchronously Use asynchronous forms of communication such as private groups on social media or SMS groups |
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| Too much ‘assimilative’ learning | Use the idea of the seven types of activity to think of alternative learning activities At the planning stage, commit to always allowing significant time within your training for small group discussion and feedback Learn to use feedback tools such as word cloud generators and polls |
|
Discussion
Here are some ideas from some trainers.
| Challenges | Possible ways of addressing them | What would be best for my training? |
|---|---|---|
| My own confidence and skills in using new online tools | Practising with the tools beforehand to familiarise yourself with the different functionalities. Some tools provide a sandbox environment or demo space where you can freely explore Some tools also provide learning videos or (sometimes free) short training courses that you can attend to gain more confidence with the tools |
Practising using the tools |
| Participants have limited experience of online training | Try to use platforms that learners are already familiar with (e.g. WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, etc….) Start the training 10 or 15 minutes early, to allow learners to log on, and sort out any technological issues before the online training actually starts Some software such as Zoom allows participants to test it first - organisers can share a test link beforehand for anyone nervous about the technology to test it out |
I’d be interested in finding solutions that use technology that learners would already be familiar with, such as WhatsApp, and the use of chatbots |
| ‘Zoom fatigue’ i.e. people spending too long on video conferences | Include offline elements to the training, for example, homework activities that can be completed in their own time, to minimise screen time Building in breaks, often learners need longer breaks than for face-to-face trainings Try a flipped classroom approach instead where the learning happens offline, and the online interaction is more about addressing issues and providing support |
I’d be very interested in trying the flipped classroom solution of learners doing more of the learning offline, and bringing questions to the online sessions |
| Too much ‘assimilative’ learning | Include more interactive elements such as quizzes, polls, interactive whiteboard features, to minimise the time a learner is just staring at a screen Include chat features and breakout rooms to increase the interaction between learners |
Breakout rooms seems easiest but in time I would like to add quizzes and polls |
| Maintaining learner interest and engagement | Add a competitive element to the training, to encourage friendly competition between learners (e.g. use of quizzes) Add assessments where learners are provided a score. This could also be linked to receiving a certificate or some other reward Accredit the course in some way, so it counts towards other goals such as professional development |
All of these look like promising approaches, but challenging to implement |
| Learners are distracted by work emails or social media | Blocking time in the calendar Talking to your line manager beforehand to ensure that this time is held for the online training Put an out-of-office notice on during those times, and close emails completely Leave mobile phone in another room if possible |
Recommend all these approaches to learners in the invitation to join the course |
| No access to internet/electricity/hardware | Run blended learning with some training in person Cascade learning – train people who do have access to train those who don’t Run online training in workplaces, etc. Pay for data bundles or hardware Create materials that can be downloaded and then studied offline |
Cascade training through those who have access |
| Facilitation is quite challenging as you need to perform multiple roles (presenting, facilitating, listening, looking at the chat, preparing break out rooms) | Make sure to have enough people supporting and dividing clear roles (who lets participants in if there is a waiting room, who answers questions in the chat, who creates break out rooms, who mutes participants if they unconsciously make noise etc.) |
Identify who will do these roles before each session |
| Participants delaying going through the self-directed e-learning and don’t finish on time | Check in with them regularly Create a forum in which they need to put their answers When they see others are taking part perhaps this will motivate them more |
Check in regularly (probably using a private WhatsApp group for participants) |
Many voluntary and third sector organisations took their training online during Covid-19 because they could no longer run
However, as we hope this course has conveyed, there are many other benefits of online training, even when face-to-face training is also possible. You can find a reminder of some of these benefits in the section Knowing your learners [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] . A blended approach that uses some face-to-face events and some online elements can be a particularly useful strategy in getting the best out of each medium.
Activity: Benefits of taking my training online
For the final activity of this course make some notes about what you see as the main benefits of taking your training online in your particular training context. Think about your organisational context, the situation of your typical participants, your national or regional situation, the topics your training focuses on and the educational style that you find most effective.
How can you get the most out of taking your training online?
Discussion
Here is what one person wrote:
- Reduces burdens on trainers and training teams (addresses capacity issues): there is a small core team of people within my organisation who deliver training to learners around the world. As the demand for this training grows, we are struggling to keep up with the training schedule, as well as fulfil all of our other work commitments. Moving the trainings online can help us reach more people quicker, as it cuts down travel times and logistic time in preparing these face-to-face trainings.
- More cost-effective (to learners): a large part of the costs of face-to-face trainings are the training costs, involving trainers and learners traveling to be in the same location for the training. The move to delivering trainings online in the face of COVID-19 related travel restrictions has drastically reduced these costs and logistical efforts involved. Online trainings are more affordable, and therefore can be more accessible to more learners.
- Environmentally friendly: trainers can deliver online trainings from their offices or from a local space, which is much more environmentally friendly in terms of carbon footprint than flying them around the world to be where the learners are.
- Flexibility: you can study at your own pace and have the comfort of learning from your own home or work. This helps people to work and study at the same time.
- International perspectives: you can train people from many different countries in one training, this enables really rich peer learning experiences and helps create international communities of practice.
End-of-course survey
If you have finished exploring the different sections of this course, please do the end-of-course survey before you leave the course.
This survey gives you the opportunity to tell us about your experience of studying Take your training online and what you plan to do with your learning.
The survey should take no more than 5 minutes to complete.