Virtual learning can feel impersonal and inaccessible at times, but there are ways to help participants feel a sense of connectedness and access the learning material they need.
Since learning has gone virtual, facilitators and learning and development consultants have transitioned to create sustainable virtual spaces. Virtual learning may never feel quite the same as live instruction but there are many simple ways to create virtual learning spaces that inspire and engage all types of learners.
Invite Learners to Contribute
Having the learners contribute their knowledge by making comments and sharing their thinking empowers learners. If you’re worried about no one volunteering, tell your participants upfront that you will call on them to contribute and share their thoughts with the group.
Provide Ongoing Feedback
Feedback is important in every learning space, but when you’re instructing online, it’s another way to establish that personal connection with your participants, though it’s important this is done in small group discussions. This requires keeping class size at a manageable level so that you are able to interact with small groups in breakout rooms. Offering constructive feedback regularly helps participants identify behaviours or skills they need to improve and also makes them feel like they’re part of the learning community.
Ask For Feedback
Any chance the learners have to provide feedback is a great opportunity for interaction. This can be done through a chat box, by creating wordclouds, or asking learner centered questions on evaluations. How we respond to the feedback can also have other advantages for streamlining programs and making them more relevant.
Build A Supporting Community
Creating an open forum or discussion board so that participants can support and mentor each other is a great way to build internal engagement. Sharing and commenting on content is part of the way most of us are used to communicating. Combined with gamification, this makes any course more interactive. It’s a lot of fun for the learners, too. Participants in virtual learning spaces need to feel connected to the materials they’re being taught, the instructor, and their peers—not just to learn, but to ultimately enjoy the experience.
