A remote learner sits outside the physical class or team, and group dynamics are a large part of what drives motivation. Take those away and both performance on the job and learning behaviour suffer.
Boosting engagement through variety
What each learner prefers, and what a single delivery model can and cannot do on its own, is the other factor deciding how engaged people stay and what the training achieves.
Challenge during learning
Some learners are self-learners and prefer self-paced courses. Others require a webinar-styled live interaction to sustain their curiosity and motivation to learn. Employee attitudes toward learning initiatives can range from being highly antagonistic to highly ambitious with all shades in between. There is an urgent need to ensure that different types of learners are engaged optimally and refrain from dropping out earlier from courses. With so much work now happening remotely, how do we strike a balance and make learning meaningful to everyone?
Solution
The solution irrevocably lies in the way we harness technology to keep the tempo of training and learning high. Blending both the worlds of asynchronous and synchronous learning (e.g.: webinars) meaningfully can be the way for L&D practitioners to meet the challenge of covering everyone’s preferences while increasing collaboration and interaction. Here are some practical steps which can increase the engagement quotient of webinars:
1. Vary event formats
Mix and match the formats for a highly engaging experience. Your options include:
- masterclass sessions
- panel discussions
- live Q&A sessions
- live videos
- gamification
2. Use diverse learning elements
Effectively incorporate pre-recorded elements, live-streaming and slides amidst real-time conversation to create more value.
3. Create space for audience participation
Liven up your lessons and keep students engaged with a variety of activities! Think role-playing, think-pair-share discussions, analyzing real-world examples (case studies), open talks, virtual presentations (show-and-tell), summarizing key points, step-by-step walkthroughs, and experience sharing. And remember interactive whiteboards! Let students participate by drawing or writing directly on the board to boost engagement.
4. Invite questions
Ask for comments and questions from participants every five minutes so engagement never flags. In a fireside chat, let the audience message the moderator with questions. The best ones force learners to pick a side and stay invested.
5. Social check-in
An informal chat and use of names encourage higher active participation later.
6. Call to action during learning
Strategically place live polls, up-votes, and surveys to make learners participate actively. CTA buttons like emojis, raise hands trigger the learner to be active.
7. Delegate responsibilities
Hand out staff roles for the day, such as advancing slides, muting and unmuting, fielding questions, running the chat, and screen sharing.
Read also: KPIs of Educational Projects: How to Measure Performance
Blended learning
Blended learning conventionally is considered a combination of digital and face-to-face training sessions. However, it has evolved to become the coalescence of synchronous and asynchronous learning methods that create a blend that completely lives in the digital space. While the appetite to have a live interaction, communicating and collaborating in real-time as in face-to-face training of the past is taken care of through synchronous sessions, self-paced independent study and practice happen in own-time asynchronously.
The trick is to strengthen the enablers and remove the blockers of learning behavior. Buttress synchronous webinars with a lot of asynchronous learning activities to not only create value during webinars but also take care of the interests of learners who need more autonomy, personalized approach, flexibility, want to take things at their own pace, revise or maybe catch up on a missed session. Figuring out the right combination to maximize impact is the key to effective training sessions.
Structuring remote training for maximum impact
A well-planned training that has something to offer to each kind of remote learner is likely to have five components:
- Pre-learning: a part of onboarding done online before your official start date. Think of it as homework covering what you need to know beforehand. This might include course outlines, the agenda, rules, and initial reading materials.
- As discussed earlier, core learning: synchronous learning methods may include webinars with varied presentation formats.
- Post-learning: revising, reading and understanding, case studies, etc., using asynchronous learning methods
- Assessment: use of asynchronous methods to determine how much of the learning outcome or competency has been achieved. It also helps to evaluate what kind of follow-up, revision, or iteration in modules is required.
- Follow-up/Refresher: synchronous methods for case studies analysis, discussions, etc., in a webinar.
All the asynchronous learning activities that mainly are undertaken in a self-paced autonomous mode before attending a live session are considered pre-session activities. Learners can prepare by going through micro modules, pre-recorded videos, video lectures, PDFs, documents, etc. Those are introductory and knowledge-based, case studies, step-by-step procedures, demonstrations, previous session videos, product features, etc.
Post-webinar activities are a crucial part of asynchronous learning. These activities, like guided practice, reflection, assignments, quizzes, and in-depth readings, reinforce the knowledge from the webinar. They deepen understanding and help learners apply what they’ve learned.
Key takeaways on increasing learner engagement
A well-thought-balanced combination of synchronous and asynchronous strategies makes the best use of the affordances while circumventing the constraints of each. They reinforce each other and give your course participants a properly blended experience. The increased enrichment, flexibility, autonomy, engagement, and motivation create an umbrella to include all style variability.
FAQ
What practical steps can boost learner engagement in webinars?
To boost engagement you should vary event formats by mixing masterclasses, panel discussions, live Q&A and gamification; next you use diverse learning elements such as pre-recorded videos, live streaming and slides; then you create space for audience participation through case studies, role-play and open discussion; you invite questions every few minutes; you include social check-in and you delegate responsibilities such as slide advancing or chat moderation to participants.
Why is blending asynchronous and synchronous learning important for engagement?
Because some learners prefer self-paced work while others need live interaction, blending asynchronous (own-time activities) with synchronous (live webinars) makes the experience meaningful to all; this balanced blend helps cater to different learning styles and increases collaboration and interaction.
How does "learner variability" affect designing a training session?
Learner variability means that individuals differ in how they learn, how motivated they are, what format they prefer and what pace works best; recognising these differences means you design a training session that offers options rather than one fixed style so more learners stay engaged and fewer drop out.
What are the five components of a well-planned blended training programme?
The five components are pre-learning (intro materials, agenda, reading), core learning (live formats), post-learning (revision, case studies, self-study), assessment (asynchronous checks of learning outcome) and follow-up/refresher (live case discussions, webinars).
How can you increase learner autonomy and motivation in remote learning?
You can increase autonomy and motivation by giving learners flexibility and choice: allow self-paced modules, let them revise missed sessions in own time, include activities where they share experiences or lead parts of sessions, invite questions continuously, use live polls and interactive elements so learners feel active rather than passive.
