The Importance of Training Your Trainers to Teach in a Virtual Environment

The short answer to the question, “Why should I prepare my trainers to teach in a virtual environment?” is that virtual training is the present and the future. To keep up with the blistering pace of the business world, a corporation must be on the bleeding edge of innovation and best practices. With that advice in mind, take a look at the following statistics:

  • 98% of US businesses had incorporated online training into their programs by 2020.
  • The US virtual learning market could grow by $12.81 billion between now and 2024.
  • VILT (Virtual, Instructor-led training) increases retention rates by 25% to 60%.
  • The corporate e-learning market could increase by $38.09 billion between 2020 and 2024.
  • 42% of US organizations experienced an income increase after implementing virtual sales training.
  • IBM saved approximately $200 million after switching to a virtual learning environment.

The real question is: Why would you not prepare your trainers to teach in a virtual environment? Training your trainers ensures that they have the skills to successfully lead VILT, including mastering the technology, building your brand’s assets into the program, and finding their online voice, all of which is necessary to give attendees the best experience and access the benefits mentioned above.

Master the Technology

Not every strategy directly translates from classroom training to a virtual environment. Trainers will need to make some adjustments, including mastering the technology.

They should be equipped with, and know how to use, the right tools.  This includes understanding that meeting platforms fall short of what training requires.  Using things like  breakout rooms for small group projects, real-time interactive whiteboards, screen sharing, in class assessments to keep people engaged has a direct impact on the overall learning process.   They need to know how to best integrate small group training, virtual role playing, and other methods of personalized learning into a virtual setting.

Incorporate Learning Assets

Along the same lines as mastering the technology, it’s important for your trainers to learn how to represent your brand and incorporate its assets into the virtual learning environment. In a classroom, your trainees would likely get a packet of printed materials around the training materials. 

When instructors have been properly trained to present in a virtual environment, if they are using the right technology, they can use all types of content including videos, podcasts, presentations, documents, spreadsheets, etc.  They can use this content strategically to gain engagement from their participants.  And since the training is virtual, they can include their materials in the classroom for the participants to download.  No additional work on anyone’s part and it’s significantly cheaper and more environmentally friendly to not print these materials. 

Find a Virtual Voice

Speaking in front of a room full of responsive people and speaking in front of a camera are vastly different experiences. Trainers must learn to be aware of their virtual presence, including animation, tone of voice, body language, etc. These considerations have an enormous impact on engagement and retention, and they can be hard to regulate when you can’t gauge your attendees’ reactions or “read the room.” A confident, engaging virtual voice is invaluable, and your trainers can master that skill when they are properly trained and when they are comfortable using the training technology.

Jigsaw Interactive’s intuitive, user-friendly virtual learning environment has left no stone unturned. We provide all of the tools you need to turn your trainers into a savvy, powerful and professional online force.  To understand more about what a true virtual training solution should be please visit www.jigsawinteractive.com.

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