Like every innovation, learning technologies are a mixed blessing. They allow us to present content in many different formats and deliver that content to widely dispersed audiences at a relatively low cost. The potential impact is immense—technology is providing opportunities for people to learn when they may never have had the opportunity before. But technology-based learning initiatives present problems as well. Best practices are not well-documented, and success stories are more often linked to a return on investment based on the audience size and reduction of travel-related costs rather than to the effective impact of the program and mastery of the learning objectives. There seems to be an expectation that the technology will do the work for us. We either "dump" existing content onto the web without re-examining the validity of the content or exercises, or we delegate course creation to technology folks who incorporate every possible whiz-bang interaction available and create a program that is high-tech but not instructionally sound. Fundamentals like content validation and instructional design take a back seat to either aggressive project plans or technical wizardry.
Too often, the result is ineffective.
And ineffective training can have disastrous results. At the fundamental level, participants don't learn what they need to know—or they learn a minimal amount and believe they have mastered the content because they have completed the program. Often, the technology takes the blame for a lack of planning and design. Training professionals, not wanting the failure of a program to impact their personal credibility, are often very willing to further this belief rather than to take the blame for a program gone awry.
Sometimes it is the technology that is lacking, but the reality is that most content can be taught effectively at some level in an online environment. The key is designing effective interactions and ensuring that participants have all the tools they need to learn online.
This book is intended for instructional designers, subject-matter experts, or anyone who needs to design an event for the synchronous classroom. Online trainers should also consider this book, because they are often responsible for designing their own events and/or designing new exercises "on-the-fly" during a live event. Training managers and course sponsors will find this book helpful for understanding what it takes to design a synchronous program in terms of time and resources. This should be a team initiative. Reviewing at least the early chapters in this book will help the project team understand the realities of designing a synchronous program and help to break down the concept that the synchronous classroom is a "plug-and-play" medium—it takes planning, resources, and time to make it work.
Used ineffectively, the synchronous classroom can easily become as passive an experience as watching reruns on television—where the audience half listens and isn't concerned about becoming disengaged. The ultimate goal of this book is to help ensure that synchronous learning is an engaging and collaborative experience, more akin to a hands-on workshop than to network television.
The first three chapters of this book are focused on instructional design, creating effective learning environments, and online collaboration. Chapters 4 through 8 are concerned with specific collaboration tools available in the synchronous environment. Chapter 9 discusses how you can create synchronous exercises using tools available outside of the online classroom. After each tool is introduced and design guidelines are provided, the individual chapters provide sample instructional exercises and interactions that you can modify and incorporate into your own programs. Exercise set-up, screen design, script, instructions, objectives, and sample illustrations are provided.
- Chapter 1—Designing for the Synchronous Classroom.
This chapter provides instructional and slide design guidelines for synchronous course development. Also included are discussions on the changing role of the instructional designer and what topics can be taught in the synchronous classroom environment. Synchronous events as part of a blended design are introduced as a critical success factor. Finally, a list of instructional design tips is provided.
- Chapter 2—Creating Successful Online Learning Environments.
Just designing the right content isn't enough. Instructional designers also need to make sure the participants' learning environments are conducive to learning. This chapter examines the four factors critical to creating successful participant learning environments: participant motivation, opportunities to collaborate and interact, usable technology, and an active and participative trainer.
- Chapter 3—An Overview of Synchronous Collaboration.
Everyone talks about creating collaborative online environments, but what does online collaboration really mean? How are trainers and participants prepared to teach and learn online? Which online tools promote and encourage collaboration and why? This chapter will address these questions.
- Chapters 4 through 8.
Each addresses a different tool, provides sample exercises for that tool, and reviews alternatives for tools with different levels of capabilities.
- Chapter 9—Other Tools to Support Your Synchronous Programs.
Don't limit yourself to the synchronous classroom during a live event! There are other, less obvious tools that you can use to support your program. This chapter explores some of these tools.
At the end of each exercise, there is room for you to take notes on how you may be able to customize the interaction for your specific projects. Make sure you keep track of the new ways you find to use the tools to collaborate online.
The Appendices contain important information that you can use immediately, including:
Appendix A—A list of synchronous vendors and their contact information
Appendix B—A detailed overview of the collaboration and facilitation features available in most synchronous training platforms that includes suggestions for instructional applications for each feature
Appendix C—A checklist of considerations when designing for the synchronous classroom
Appendix D—A completed Interactivity Plan illustrating the flow of a program
Appendix E—Sample synchronous Leader Guide (excerpt)
Appendix F—Sample synchronous Participant Guide (excerpt)
Appendix G—Resources for instructional design, collaboration, and e-learning
Appendix H—A glossary of e-learning terminology
The CD that accompanies this book contains sample graphics and leader guide pages that support the exercises explained in Chapters 4 through 8. You can import these pages directly into your materials. Templates for creating leader materials, participant materials, and Interactivity Plans are also available.
Finally, a web page has been developed (www.insynctraining.com/vendortools) that contains an up-to-date list of synchronous software vendors and specific information about the collaboration tools packaged with each platform.
There is a feedback form at the end of the book. I encourage you to use that form to compile all of your questions and send them to me. I will be happy to help you—and potentially incorporate the answers and your ideas into the next edition of this book.
If you have never attended a synchronous session before, I strongly suggest you attend one or two prior to reading the book, and especially before putting what you read in this book into action. It will help you to visualize the environment and give you some context for the recommendations I make. If courses are offered within your organization, start there. If not, go to the website of your synchronous vendor and enroll in one or more public courses being offered.
The focus of this book is designing collaborative synchronous exercises. "Synchronous" refers to programs that are delivered live over the Internet, or "live and online." In the context of this book, a "virtual classroom" is a specific software platform that supports synchronous instruction. (Appendix A contains a list of software vendors and their contact information.)
For the purpose of consistency, I have chosen specific words throughout this guide. For instance, I use the term "trainer" throughout, whereas you might use "instructor" or "teacher." I use the word "participant," but you might use "learner" or "student."
You will also notice that I use the term "learning technologies" instead of "training technologies" and "learning event" instead of "training event." This helps me to reinforce the reason I am in this industry: to create environments in which participants can learn. I believe that the learning outcome should be foremost in our minds; the delivery method is simply a means to an end.
"Designer" means different things to different people. For example, you can have instructional designers, graphic designers, or software designers. For the purposes of this book, "designer" in a standalone context refers to an "instructional designer."
Please refer to the glossary (Appendix H) at the end of this guide to clarify any terms with which you may not be familiar.
As the field of online learning continues to evolve, and trainers and participants become more skilled in facilitating in the synchronous classroom, the exercise design process will become more sophisticated and the expectation levels of our audiences will be elevated. Keep that in mind as you design. This book should be used as a starting point. Use the sample exercises as models, and refine them to meet your needs. I'd love to hear about your ideas—and perhaps even incorporate them into the next edition!