“Digital Transformation” has become firmly established in the Learning Industry for some time now. Over the last couple of years, the addition of eLearning solutions have enhanced the traditional classroom and learning experience, contributing to the emergence of virtual classroom training. In this post, I offer some basic principles for attending training in a virtual classroom environment.
1) Mark your calendar– In the same way you schedule your training participation in a traditional classroom, you should also make sure to block your calendar for joining a virtual classroom event.
2) Make sure to review the Joining Instructions.They are typically sent electronically prior to the start of the session and include useful information on bandwidth requirements, audio requirements (e.g. the need for a headset with microphone), as well as network-related access details (e.g. certain ports on the firewall need to be open).It is recommended that you not access virtual classroom deliveries while connected to a company VPN as it may drastically slow down the performance.
3) Interaction & Active Participation are important in every training delivery format but even more so in a virtual environment. You’ll gain the most out of the virtual learning if you are actively engaged in it.As you are not physically in a classroom together with others, it’s easy to get distracted if you do not focus on the training delivery. Participation in virtual events is best in quiet environments. It’s not recommended to join sessions from a desk in an open office space.Another important factor for learners to consider is to take breaks occasionally to relax. I sometimes take a quick walk outside to refresh my batteries.
4) Once you complete your virtual training, make sure to provide your Feedback. For us at EMC Education Services, we take learner feedback very serious. All evaluations are reviewed and we use the comments to further improve the learning experience of our customer.
5) If you enjoyed your class, make sure to share your experience with others. For instance, I created a Twitter Hashtag #HowILearnAtEMC. Feel free to tweet your experience also using Social Media. You can also follow us @EMCEducation and receive the latest news on education-related topics.
Here is an example of one of our latest tweets to our followers:
Check our virtual classroom schedule: EMC’s OnlineILT Delivery Mode
(a “Training without Travel”option): EMC Education Services Portal
I’ve found that these 5 tips have been very helpful in optimizing the virtual learning experience. I encourage you to share your thoughts on the suggestions I’ve offered as well as any additional tips that have worked for you.
