The new normal for training?
Thanks to lockdown, we all got used to working remotely.
Training providers - like us - had to find new ways to teach, and many businesses adjusted to the idea of virtual classes delivered remotely.
So all our courses are now available as remote virtual classes, both as public scheduled and closed and tailored courses. Our instructors had lots of fun playing with new gadgets and getting used to seeing themselves on screen.
I spend the majortiy of my time on consultancy projects these days, but I was delighted to bring my consultancy experience back to the virtual classroom to deliver a remote, two-day training session on Designing a Data Warehouse. Armed with Zoom, a PowerPoint Presentation, an e-book, a webcam, a headset and a document reader (plus the use of Zoom breakout rooms to facilitate group-based lab work) I spent two days enlightening 11 delegates on the Kimball Dimensional Modelling techniques. It's initially a strange experience knowing that attendees can see me and my every move (while I can’t see them when their videos are turned off).
A new way of teaching
To keep people engaged online, a new way of teaching is needed. So we introduce regular breaks, regular question-and-answer sessions, and a shorter day - because staring at a screen all day is tiring and tough on the eyes. Breakout rooms are great for group labs, enabling time for less formal conversation, interaction, sharing of ideas and a different visual focus. I’m still on hand to help and answer questions throughout, as at any time participants can invite me into their breakout rooms to assist. After some chat time I bring them back to the main class to review solutions and move onwards to more topics.
Without the luxury of a formal training room setting, remote instructors have to adapt to digital whiteboarding - using touchscreen tablets with drawing apps and a stylus. I find a Document Reader enables me to draw with multicoloured pens, just as I might in a classroom setting on paper, to explain something in answer to a question, or to complement a presentation.
This was my view for the two days:
It is a totally different training world, but nevertheless still an enjoyable one - as long as it's structured in a way that's highly interactive, with regular breaks, and a variety of visual aids and teaching methods. It's crucial to keep it all as stimulating and fun as possible. I’m thinking of creating some Kahoot quizzes next time I present a course, as a fun way to carry out knowledge checks (if you haven't heard of Kahoot, ask a school pupil - I'll bet they’ve used it!).