Keep Your Team’s Development Going, with Virtual Instructor Led Training (ViLT) 

Many of us have had to quickly adapt to the new reality of working at home and although this can be a challenging adjustment for many, the development of your people should still be a clear priority. 

You may have had previous success in creating productive training courses, or perhaps they weren’t as successful as you’d hoped. We’ll share some of the tips and tricks you’ll need to create or move existing training to Virtual Instructor Led Training (ViLT). 

Whether participants join from their office or the comfort of their own home, keep your team involved and engaged to ensure they are focused on your larger business goals. 

Pros of Virtual Instructor Led Training (ViLT) 

Moving existing or planning new training courses online has many benefits, ViLT helps you: 

• Reach more learners throughout the company 
• Increased flexibility 
• Reduce your training costs 
• Create a sense of community 
• Promotes self-discipline and responsibility 
• Can integrate with your blended learning plan 

Virtual Instructor Lead Training (ViLT) courses are not self-paced online courses. Instructors can still interact with participants in real-time, ask or answer questions and provide feedback to keep engagement levels high. 

What do you need to implement a Virtual Instructor Led Training (ViLT)? 

Getting ready to move existing courses or plan new courses virtually can be easier than you think. There is a variety of tools available to help.  

To get started, you’ll need a platform 

Many are available, such as Adobe Connect or the Cisco Webex Training Center. These platforms and other like them are designed to create multiple opportunities for instructors and learners to interact with each other through whiteboards, chat, raising hand functions, poll features, and breakout rooms to ensure the group feel connected. 

Additionally, you’ll need the course materials 

This should include a variety of elements to present the content, such as videos, audio, images, and text. These are often inserted into a PowerPoint presentation, but you can also use Emaze and Prezi to create the same effect. 

You’ll need an instructor and/or facilitator to teach the class and handle discussions, questions, and activities. You should also create an instructor/facilitator guide that discusses talking points, discussion prompts, activities, and timing. It’s also helpful to include takeaways for learners such as including infographics, that can help participants retain the information. 

You could also create a link to videos, books, articles, and websites that learners can visit after the training to learn more about what you’ve discussed. 

Using a variety of presentation methods for these resources, will provide materials that learners can access based on their preferred learning styles. 

Having a virtual producer who knows the platform inside and out can help you use tools, switch participants back and forth to breakout rooms and watch the time. 

Involve your participants and improve Engagement 

Your students don’t want you to cram all the material into a marathon session. How about producing a self-directed section or eLearning version of the course before the live training? This allows participants to learn what they need to know before the session and then you can focus on a discussion, answer questions, and dig deeper when live. 

Encourage users to participate fully in the session, and ask them to close email, browsers, and not to use their phones. Encourage them to participate and communicate in chats, polls, etc. 

Try to use the platform tools at your disposal so that your learning experience can be as interactive as possible. Don’t forge ahead and use tools that you aren’t comfortable with, as this could lead to technical problems that will disengage learners. Instead, make sure you try the technology out and think how you will use it to promote learning as you put your course together. 

Learners want an engaged instructor, one who really cares about the content and about them. You don’t have to pull out every technological trick in the book to encourage them to engage with the session. 

Another way to increase engagement is to tell a story 

Use case studies to get your learners thinking about how to use the material they’re mastering in a potentially real-life scenario. If they can see how they can use what they learn, they are more likely to pay attention and put what they learn to good use. Also, remind your learners why what they are learning is important throughout the session. 

Communication is key 

Get your learners talking by having them share insights and asking questions. You might want to call on specific attendees by name and ask them for their thoughts or to provide feedback. They can answer by video/audio or in the chat box. Make it known that you’ll take time to answer questions at specific points in the session so that they feel heard during the learning process. 

You can also create a community space in social media groups. Post pre-class activities, like surveys, readings, and expectations. People can introduce themselves there, and you can ask them what they want to learn most about, to tailor your course even more to their needs. Have learners use the community space after the training to talk about their experiences using what they learned, share resources, or to suggest ideas for networking. 

You might also post an after-class exercise in the group for them to work on. 

Finally, be realistic 

If you have a long session, have breaks every 45 to 60 minutes. If you have even more material than you can present in a few hours at most, then break up the sessions over multiple days. 

After the session, why not post some discussion questions on an intranet board. Email, call, or find time to connect with learners individually. Participate in the social media group for the class if you created one. 

Virtual Instructor Led Training (ViLT) is an excellent complement to any companies training programs, and it brings together people in real-time to share their ideas and questions about topics important to your business. Explore and utilize the tools right for your training and learn from feedback and the experience what to fine tune for future training sessions. 

Ready to get started? If you require assistance in building a successful Virtual Instructor Led Training (ViLT) program, contact TrainingFolks to help! 

Download our ViLT Preparation and Delivery Checklist!