5 Ways to Engage Online Learners with Virtual Training

Virtual Instructor Led Training (vILT) has become an increasingly popular method of delivering training in today's digital age. It allows learners to participate in live, interactive sessions from the comfort of their own homes or office.


Learn about 5 ways to engage online learners during VILT sessions to ensure they get the most out of their training experience.

Why is engagement important?
Engagement is critical for the success of Virtual Instructor Led Training (vILT) as it not only helps to keep learners interested and motivated but also aids in the retention of information and the overall effectiveness of the training.

1. Enhancing retention: When learners are engaged, they are more likely to pay attention during virtual training and retain the information being presented. Engagement activities such as interactive exercises and group discussions allow learners to actively process and apply the information, which leads to better retention.

2. Improving participation: When learners are engaged, they are more likely to participate in the virtual training session. This can lead to a more interactive and collaborative learning experience, which can enhance the overall effectiveness of the training.

3. Enhancing motivation: Engagement can help to increase learner motivation by making the training more interesting and relevant to them. This can lead to learners being more motivated to complete the training and apply what they have learned to their job.

4. Identifying areas of improvement: Engagement activities such as polls, quizzes, and feedback can provide insight into the learner's understanding of the material. This can help identify areas where learners may be struggling and provide an opportunity for the instructor to address those areas.

5. Measuring success: Engagement can also be used as a metric to measure the success of the training. High levels of engagement can indicate that the learners are engaged and interested in the material, which can be used as an indicator of the training's effectiveness.

5 ways to engage learners

1. Encourage participation and interaction

Encouraging participation and interaction is important in virtual training engagement because it helps to keep learners engaged, motivated, and focused. It allows learners to take an active role in the training process and to feel more connected to the material.

1. Encouraging participation and interaction allow learners to actively engage with the material and process information more effectively, which leads to better retention and understanding of the subject matter.

2. When learners feel that their contributions are valued and that their participation is important, it increases their motivation to stay engaged and focused during the training.

3. Encouraging interaction among learners allows them to learn from one another and to collaborate on projects and exercises, which can deepen their understanding of the material and promote teamwork. 

Encourage learners to ask questions, share their thoughts and ideas, and actively participate in group discussions. This can be done through breakout rooms, polls, or by using a chat function.

2. Use interactive elements

3. Create a sense of community

Create a sense of community among learners by encouraging them to share their knowledge and experience with one another. This can be done through online forums, discussion boards, or by encouraging learners to work on projects together.

1. Encouraging collaboration

2. Promote Building relationships

3. Provide social support

4. Promote accountability

5. Offer a sense of belonging

6. Share best practices
   
   
   

7. Use real-world scenarios

5. Provide personalized feedback
   

Provide learners with personalized feedback on their performance and progress and use this feedback to tailor the training to their needs.

Providing personalized feedback can help with virtual instructor-led training (vILT) engagement by:

1. Tailoring the training: Personalized feedback allows trainers to tailor the training to the specific needs of the learners, making it more relevant and effective.

2. Improving performance: Personalized feedback allows learners to identify areas where they need to improve and to track their progress over time, which can lead to better performance.

3. Fostering accountability: When learners receive personalized feedback, they are more likely to feel a sense of accountability for their own learning, which can increase engagement.

4. Building trust: Providing personalized feedback can help to build trust between the trainer and the learners, which can make the training more engaging and productive.

5. Identifying misconceptions: Personalized feedback can help identify misconceptions, misunderstandings, or areas of confusion so that the trainer can give extra attention to them and make sure the learners are on the right track.

6. Promoting self-reflection: Personalized feedback can encourage learners to reflect on their own performance and learning, which can lead to greater engagement and self-awareness.

If you found this blog helpful and want to learn more,
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6 Ways to Boost Employee Engagement in vILT