Photo by: AndreyPopov via Canva
The internet has fragmented workplaces around the world. And that’s not a bad thing. You can now collaborate with as many people as needed across any distance. This new reality has transformed every aspect of office work—from R&D to customer service, and from finance to operations. So how do we adapt as training professionals?
Here are some tips for delivering training to a collection of learners who may be any combination of in-person groupings and logged-in remote attendees.
Location, Location, Location
A hybrid classroom needs a vibe of its own. Choose a room with a great internet connection. You may have many people connecting to the same online meeting space as remote attendees. You’ll need a very large screen, or a good projector setup. Everyone in the room should easily see the remote learners. A great camera and high-quality microphones are also a given. The technology should be out of the way, rather than be a hindrance.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
When virtual classroom training took off many years ago, training departments embraced the role of producer—someone who manages the technology while the facilitator…well, facilitates. This idea is even more valuable in hybrid training. Activities in training may require technology, sophisticated media, instructions, monitoring, time reminders, debriefs, summaries, documents, slides, downloads, and so on. A producer is essential in pulling all this off.
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare (Then prepare some more!)
Many lesson plans in hybrid courses will have split methods: where in-class learners will practice a skill one way, and remote learners will do a different exercise. When reviewing this kind of lesson plan, it helps to color-code activities that are specific to either group of learners. Do dry runs with your producer. Do a lot of dry runs. Then do one more. The smoothness of a hybrid course delivery depends on this more than anything else.
Fair and Square
Once you’re delivering training, your instincts need to change. Your eye contact should be equally spread among the people in the room and the camera of the online meeting application. During exercises, you’re now scanning the room and a computer screen for signs of trouble among your learners. When you ask questions, you need to check for real and virtual raised hands. It’s a challenge to divide your attention equally among both groups, but it comes with time and practice.
One Order of Success…to Go
The biggest challenge in hybrid training is giving in-class and remote learners the same experience. Remember, the goal of all training efforts: to improve the job performance of employees. Hopefully these tips will get you there even faster. Happy hybrid training!
If you’re ready to tackle the delivery of hybrid training, look no further than our Facilitating Training for a Hybrid Workforce workshop. Learn the unique considerations associated with hybrid training, how to adapt every activity to each portion of your audience, how to prevent and address issues that may arise, and more.