Flipping Virtual Training With Blended Learning

It’s a classic story, and it’s likely happened in your organization or perhaps one you know. Leadership decides to transition some traditional in-person offerings to live online delivery. They recognize the significant savings to be gained by reducing travel costs and time away from work, while accommodating a remote and hybrid workforce. In this example, let’s say one of the traditional in-person classes is on effective teamwork. The instructional goal is for leaders to build high-performance teams and refine their people leadership skills. Because the traditional, in-person training was six hours of daily instruction over the course of two days, they decide to retain the same structure for the virtual training delivery. Essentially, this means virtual learners would now spend six hours onscreen over the course of two days. As you might imagine, this is actually a recipe for a snooze fest.

Although this situation may be quite common, it is not ideal. Converting traditional classroom instruction to live online learning is not an apples-to-apples exchange. Let’s explore why. For example, the in-person classroom is more controlled and there’s a variety of sensory stimuli available for nonverbal interpretation. In contrast, virtual training lacks access to full nonverbal cues for correct interpretation and there is greater opportunity for distraction. Moreover, screen time alone can be exhausting after more than two hours. We have all experienced the fatigue that can come from long stints of online work.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual training expert Jennifer Hofmann commented on several occasions that she felt like we had gone backward as a virtual training industry. I attribute this to the huge influx of many virtual newcomers who made the sudden switch to live online learning. For example, adopters retained the same slide deck from in-person training without modification. But in-person delivery and online delivery are completely different mediums. As such, we need to design and deliver differently. “Virtual instruction is different than in-person training because it requires even more interaction with participants, removing technical barriers, affirming participants’ comments, frequent visual movement, more visuals, adding in additional breaks and shortening chunks of time online because everyone is looking at screens, participant prompting, frequent instructor feedback, and more” (Howles 2020).

Another lesson recent adopters have learned the hard way is that “less is more” in terms of how much time to schedule for a virtual class. It’s a common mistake to think that a five-hour in-person training can be converted to a five-hour virtual training. As you have likely discovered, this does not work well. In virtual training, shorter is always better.

So, what is a virtual trainer to do? How do we transfer a robust in-person program from the traditional classroom to the online medium? Two words: blended learning. Blended learning solutions combine live, online instruction with independent activities learners complete on their own outside the live class (for example, as pre-work and post-work). It’s also important to note that blended learning solutions combine all the virtual trainer capabilities we’ve discussed so far: experience design, environment shaping, online facilitation, facilitator presence, technical fluency, dynamic engagement, agile troubleshooting, and evaluating impact. To effectively deliver training programs with a blended approach, you must reach competence in each of these capabilities. This chapter takes a closer look at not only how to increase the effectiveness of this learning solution, but also how to create more productive, richer, and deeper learning experiences while doing so.

What Is a Flipped Classroom?

The flipped classroom inverts traditional instruction. Higher education experimented with the notion of the flipped classroom by re-examining which activities made the most sense to do when people were together versus when people were not. What was most profound about this shift was the widespread realization that lectures were a passive activity for students.

In traditional higher education, a professor would lecture to students inside the classroom, while students would work independently on homework outside the classroom. However, educators realized this in-person time was being wasted in a sense by activities that didn’t require an instructor be present. So, flipping the classroom meant that you reversed what was traditionally taught in a classroom with what happens outside the classroom and vice versa.

In a flipped classroom, coursework that involves collaboration, synergy, and discussion among students and between students and the teacher can be completed during the live, in-person time. To maximize time spent together in class, there could also be group discussions, analysis, Q&A, and other activities that rely on and involve community. Meanwhile, instructors could then video record lectures that students could view on their own time. “Instead of passively receiving course content during class, students digest the information outside of class on their own time. They might read written materials, watch previously recorded lectures, or listen to a podcast. Once they are in class with their instructors, students spend time answering questions, discussing material, or working in groups” (Berrett 2015). Could some of these lessons also apply to adult professional development and virtual training? Let’s examine this next.

What Is Blended Learning?

The flipped classroom helps us better understand the concept of blended learning, and some aspects of the flipped classroom can indeed transfer to virtual training programs. Although blended learning is traditionally defined as pairing a traditional in-person classroom with online modules or e-learning, a more conventional definition includes pairing live online training with a full variety of asynchronous activities or independent work. Across a broader context, Ruth Clark notes that blended learning uses “multiple instructional delivery media that may allow for a combination of instructional methods” (Clark and Kwinn 2007).

In the context of this book, I’ll refer to blended learning as the combination of synchronous and asynchronous elements that together comprise a program or course. This way, there are gains for learners because they benefit from both types of instruction. Each supports the other. For example, a blended learning solution for a leadership development program might include class components where learners take behavioral assessments on their own, complete reflection activities, read online resources, or complete a standalone tutorial or e-learning course on leadership. All this independent study could then also be paired with live online virtual classes where learners have the benefit of group discussion, asking questions and receiving answers in real time, working collaboratively, or solving case scenario challenges in small online breakout groups. The asynchronous work can be spread out for leaders to complete on their own time over several weeks or months either before, during, or after the series of live online sessions. In sum, blended learning solutions are truly a blend of live online class components with independent, self-paced coursework.

What Does Asynchronous Learning Do Best?

It’s important to carefully consider which course activities lend themselves best to asynchronous learning. Likewise, thoughtfully consider which activities lend themselves best to synchronous. With async, we want to strategically offload instructional components learners can complete on their own time, ensure they support key learning goals, and then set timelines and deadlines for learners to complete them.

If independent work or pre-work is a required portion of the whole program, you must make that clear to learners. In the past, some learners tended to think of pre-work assignments as a “nice to have” or “optional.” So, this distinction must be clarified. I include this messaging in my welcome email to learners up front, in the course description, and in my welcome video for learners to view before class. Then repeat it verbally to all again during our first day of class. Other strategies include emphasizing that asynchronous work must be finished before the course will be marked complete in the LMS or to receive overall credit at all. If, however, you intend for assignments to truly be optional, simply state as such.

As discussed in chapter 2, it’s important to look at your objectives and the type of content you’re training on to determine opportunities to transfer content to asynchronous delivery. For example, if you’re training technical content, some of the training could be offloaded to recorded demos of how to use a new system or software, along with a job aid or another type of performance support aid. Live class time can then be used to address challenges with the system or resolve issues they might have experienced. If, however, your content is more business soft skills or people skills like how to give constructive feedback, learners will need to practice during the training. Skill practices usually lend themselves more to breakout activities in the synchronous class unless you leverage on-demand interactive case scenarios as an async activity.

What’s important about asynchronous activities is that they can also include community interaction, which supports the social dimension of learning. For example, in an online discussion forum through your LMS or a course management system, learners can interact asynchronously with ideas shared by posting insights, questions, and comments as they interact with peers in the class and the facilitator.

Another example of an async activity is an interactive scenario that contextualizes learning by placing it in a real-world situation. Here the learner is called upon to act and make choices on their own through an independent simulation or module. Afterward, learners can meet in a live online class to debrief the experience, taking advantage of what synchronous learning does best. These live discussions help learners connect what they’ve learned in the scenario to the real world; specifically, their contextual workplace. Ideally, you could even end the scenario with a cliff hanger like “What would you do now?” and then allow learners to think about it and discuss what actions could be taken during live online class time.

According to Bundy and Howles’ 7 Cs Framework for Case Scenarios, a well-designed case scenario involves the interplay of seven Cs, wherein each reinforces and complements the others for deeper learning (Bundy and Howles 2017). When all these components are used to create case scenarios, participants will experience an interactive, compelling situation from which they can make decisions and learn. Integrate the 7 Cs when you create asynchronous interactive scenarios for your learners.

Bundy and Howles’ 7 Cs Framework for Case Scenario Design:

1. Challenges. It’s best to reframe learning objectives as challenges and place learners in a challenging situation from the beginning of the scenario. Clearly present them with the problem they need to tackle and resolve.

2. Context. The context places learners in an immersive, real-world situation. Include the location and setting to help learners become more immersed in an environment and trigger their imagination.

3. Characters. Every good story includes people. In scenarios, learners become agents who can actively make decisions and interact with other characters. This adds more complexity and depth. Some characters may guide learners toward different trajectories, provide information, or offer different perspectives. It’s always helpful to personalize learning by giving characters names and job titles as well.

4. Content. You cautiously want to include only enough content to support learners’ doing and decision making. Add what is needed to carry the narrative. Exposing learners to challenging decisions with multiple options is also more realistic for them.

5. Choices. The scenarios need realistic points for learners to gather information, make decisions, and then receive feedback on their choices.

6. Consequences. Results from a scenario can be consequential feedback. In other words, learners experience the impacts of their decision. Corrective, explanatory feedback should be strategically placed right after decision making.

7. Connections. This is something the facilitator begins beforehand by setting up the experience. This is called pre-briefing. It lets them know what to expect by priming them before the activity. The connection piece also includes the time after the live virtual training, where learners can debrief and discuss how to connect it to the real world. This gives learners the opportunity to reflect on their choices and benefit from hearing multiple viewpoints from others’ learning experiences too.

At the end of this chapter, I’ve included an example of a learning simulation from Attensi, which also demonstrates how asynchronous case scenarios can be paired with live learning. These interactive scenarios allow for the rich discussion and deeper dive analysis within a context. If a learner is interacting with avatars in a contextual situation and asked to make decisions that affect where the scenario goes from there, this leverages the social dimension of learning through an interaction with the avatar. The cognitive dimension is also apparent because of the mental effort required throughout. There is also an abundance of emotional engagement built into scenarios (for example, motivation, tension, risk, curiosity, and arousal), which helps make it memorable. Finally, there’s a behavioral dimension where you are doing things by drawing from what you you’ve learned in the past, finding the information you need to make decisions, and, ultimately, moving through the course.

Here are some asynchronous learning activities you can incorporate in your blended learning courses:

• Videos

• Podcasts

• On-demand interactive case scenarios

• Published articles

• Pre-class e-learning tutorials

• Pre- and post-tests or quizzes

• Reflection writing

• Independent assignments

• Job aids or other types of performance support

• Infographics

• Discussion forum threads

• Independent skill practices

• Review postings on a networking community of practice

• Post-class boosters (such as text messages, emails, quizzes, or learning nuggets sent from facilitator or an LMS)

Most of these async activities lend themselves best to independent study and assignments. They are a great way to support what learners discuss and practice during the live online sections. Thinking and reflection are great indicators for which activity might work better as asynchronous. As Ruth Clark and Ann Kwinn (2007) summarize, “When time and reflection will benefit learning, asynchronous self-paced media permit learners to work independently at their own rates to complete assignments.”

What Does Synchronous Learning Do Best?

Next let’s explore what synchronous does best. To begin, synchronous training is a natural conduit for deeper discussion, participatory activities, and social interaction. A guiding question is, “What instructional activities lend themselves best to online face-to-face interactions and real-time collaboration?” When we offload some of the learning that can be done asynchronously, “live class time is freed up for higher levels of learning such as analysis, discussion, application, example review, and evaluation. This approach primes the learner ahead of time” (Howles 2020). Blended learning expert Jennifer Hofmann (2004) adds, “synchronous classroom time should be used for clarification, questions, collaboration, and application—all based on the asynchronous work completed prior to the live event.” Offloading some of this learning not only yields more prepared learners and richer discussions, but also invites lively interaction. According to global talent analyst Josh Bersin (2020), “Through the process of asking questions, providing advice, giving context, and explaining specific examples and solutions, an instructor brings learning to life for each individual in their own meaningful way.”

Let’s focus on how synchronous learning capitalizes on social interaction. This social learning then supports engagement. “In a live, instructor-led experience, employees can interact in a way that fosters collaboration, potentially increasing learner retention and employee engagement” (Bersin 2020). We want to leverage the activities in our sync time together that make the most of our shared community. It is the value-add a live vILT facilitator brings to a synchronous class and it requires thoughtful design. It is worth noting that there is an element of learning for all of us that is fundamentally social. For example, think about how you first learned language as a toddler. You likely learned your native tongue socially, from those who raised you. With synchronous learning, we leverage all four learning dimensions (cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioral), but especially the social dimension.

In terms of appropriate length for the synchronous component, I recommend 90 minutes as the sweet spot, but live synchronous time can be anywhere from one to two hours. In a 90-minute session, for example, we do not want to waste precious live time watching a 15-minute video. That video is best assigned as required pre-work for learners to do before class day. You can see how this frees up time for activities with real-time interaction. One of the best benefits of offloading these activities is that they can help prepare learners for the topic before the live class. I have found live group discussions to be much richer are as a result.

Activities that lend themselves best to the synchronous class include:

• Presenting and receiving corrective feedback

• Delivering a teach-back and receiving feedback

• Doing a skill practice and receiving feedback

• Practicing a role-play exercise

• Large-group discussion

• Small-group breakout discussions

• Critiquing good examples and non-examples as a group

• Analysis

• Brainstorming

• Live question and answer periods

• Applying what learners will do back on the job

• Collaboration activities

• Problem solving in small groups

The Magic Is in the Mix

Blended learning solutions, then, combine the best of both worlds. There is the instructional benefit of a real-time facilitator, the heightened energy of live interaction, and the opportunity to interact with other learners in real time. This then can be coupled with asynchronous reflection, review, and independent work to support the overall learner goals. This “down time” also supports learning by allowing participants to go at their own pace, review as often as needed, complete activities when it works best with their schedule, and not be overwhelmed by all the competing stimuli in a synchronous class. As Ruth Clark and Ann Kwinn (2007) point out, “consider supplementing the virtual classroom with asynchronous events, which impose less cognitive load by allowing learners to review and reflect at their own pace. By bringing together both synchronous and asynchronous elements, learners benefit from the strengths of both.

So, what might your learning solution look like if you used a blended model? Figure 11-1 shows a sample blended learning solution. For example, you might follow this sequence:

• Require a welcome video to be viewed before class.

• Meet as a live class.

• Complete more assignments independently.

• Meet as a live class again.

• Assign post-work or execute action plans.

Figure 11-1. Blended Virtual Training Program

Regarding the welcome videos mentioned in chapter 3, a one- to two-minute welcome video is a great way to introduce yourself, set expectations, and emphasize that pre-work and all coursework must be completed as program requirements. For example, required pre-work you might highlight in such a video could include logging into the LMS to take a pre-test, complete a self-paced tutorial, take a brief e-learning module, view a Vyond animated video, complete a worksheet, or conduct a tech check of your hardware and software.

Benefits of Blended Learning

Many research studies have looked at blended learning over the years. Blended learning solutions not only combine the best of the live online delivery medium and asynchronous activities, but there is also empirical evidence to support its superiority for learning. The results suggest learners demonstrate improved outcomes with blended learning. As Ruth Clark (2020) explains, “Because not all media deliver all methods, evidence suggests that blended learning environments are more effective than pure classroom or pure digital learning.” The US Department of Education discovered significant learning gains in courses with blended learning media contrasted with only traditional classroom or only online learning (Means et al. 2009). Let’s explore some of the reasons behind why blended learning solutions are so beneficial.

Spaced Repetition

To begin, blended solutions aid learning because they are more conducive for spaced repetition. And spaced repetition helps learning. When participants complete pre-work, attend live class, do asynchronous assignments, attend another live class, and finish post work on their own, there are several review points for material spaced in intervals over time. Cognitive psychology has served us well by teaching us about the power of learning over spaced intervals. This means content material is reviewed again and again with spaces in between reviews. As educational neuroscientist Janet Zadina (2014)—explains, “Spaced repetition has been shown to be one of the most effective ways to encode information into long-term memory. We know that repetition is important, but there also needs to be some space—some time—between repetitions. The ideal amount of time is that the repetition occurs when we are about ready to forget the information.” To better understand this, imagine you attended a virtual training session on negotiation skills. You learned several concepts about successful negotiation, but after leaving that session you don’t do anything with them and do not apply or use them. How much of it would you remember? Very little. And the next time you had to negotiate something, which might be a month later, you likely went back to doing what you always did.

Spacing out content in your blended virtual training programs can be powerful. For example, you can have pre-work that introduces a topic, synchronous class time to model and discuss it, and then launch a discussion forum on your LMS for participants to continue the discussion outside the live class.

For knowledge to transfer from working memory to long-term memory, it needs to be worthy of reuse. In other words, our brains have a system that prioritizes everything we need to know by how often we use it (or how often we fire the brain neural pathways for the information). The more we do something with the content—think about it, talk about it, use it, write about it, and apply it—the more it becomes wired in our neural pathways and the more likely we are to then store it in long-term memory for later retrieval.

Testing Effect

Blended learning solutions not only allow for more spaced learning, but also more recall through quizzing or polling. The testing effect suggests that simply by being asked to recall information, we are wiring our brains to be able to recall it. The more we recall the information, the better we are at retrieving it.

When virtual learners are quizzed or tested, they are recalling and firing up those pathways again. For this reason, quizzing supports learning. To quiz, you can incorporate polls as knowledge checks or pull up an online survey in your virtual training platform. As we’ve discussed, quizzes can also be assigned as async components between live online classes. Learners might struggle to recall new concepts initially, but once they do, they’ll be able to retrieve them more easily in succession. This is just one more opportunity to fire those new neuropathway connections and wire the new information to long-term memory.

Reflection

Another reason why blended learning is beneficial is because it allows for more built-in opportunities for reflection. If you have the luxury of an LMS or course management system, you can leverage discussion threads as excellent platforms for learner reflection. They allow learners to step back from the live session and marinate on the topics discussed, concepts introduced, and, most important, their own application. Asynchronous discussion forums can be insightful venues for reflection on what participants learn and how they will use what they’ve learned in their functional role. It also facilitates space between learning events for increased processing time and repetitive review.

One thing we’ve learned over the years about discussion forums is that learners don’t usually do them unless they’re required. Always prompt learners with open-ended questions to spark discussion. It’s also best to be specific in your instructions (Figure 11-2). Sometimes I’ll write at the top of the thread, “Please add a comment of your own reflecting on the prompt above, as well as respond substantively to one of your colleagues’ comments.” This way expectations are clear. They can’t just say “I agree,” “not exactly,” or “good point” to a colleague. They must reflect more deeply. In his book Teaching Online, William A. Draves (2000), president of the Learning Resources Network advises the following to help stimulate increased interaction in discussion threads: Make your expectations for participation clear, create door openers by asking learners to tell you more, look for connections among participants and comment on those connections to spark greater posted conversation, ensure there’s always a response to every comment whether it be from peers or facilitators, and spend more time nurturing the discussion threads initially but then step aside once learners demonstrate more self-directed behavior).

Figure 11-2. Asynchronous Discussion Thread Example

Because reflection is so important for learning, let’s look at some prompt questions to spark reflection in your learners. Some questions you might consider posting in a discussion thread, asking in a live session, or including on a digital worksheet assignment include: “What resonated most with you in the live session today?” or “Were you engaged during the session? If so, share your observations about why you were.” According to author Carmen Simon (2016), when we use reflective attention, “we promote long-term memory because of a process called elaborate encoding.” Elaborate encoding is when we try to make information that may be new to us more memorable. This way, memories can become stronger when activated again over time (Simon 2016). For this reason and for the sake of learning, it is always good to incorporate reflection into our virtual training programs, especially through asynchronous components.

I once attended a virtual training all about reflection. Quite ironically, the facilitators did not initiate any practice for us to stop and actively reflect—even though the training was on reflection and why we should incorporate it into our training. You see the blind spot, right? Our paradigm from traditional classroom education is to passively absorb information while an instructor speaks. This certainly has its place with foundational knowledge. Yet in the business world and in training and talent development, we must apply to see individual performance and organizational improvement. This is very different than knowing all about something. For instance, as a new driver, one might earn top scores in their driver’s education class because they successfully learned all about driving content. But once they get behind the wheel, they may not be very skilled at the doing aspect. This is because knowing ain’t doing. If learners don’t apply what they’ve learned during a training, they are less likely to apply it on the job. Incorporate opportunities for your learners to reflect on their learning experience through the asynchronous activities of your blended learning programs.

Overall, blended learning offers many advantages. It allows for greater opportunity to boost learning by incorporating spaced repetition, the testing effect, and reflection. To put it into action, first examine your performance and knowledge objectives and determine which learning activities best achieve them, as discussed in chapter 2. Then determine whether these activities can be completed by learners independently or are best reserved for synchronous class time. Remember it’s important to optimize higher levels of learning activities like analysis, discussion, application, example review, and evaluation for live online time. For example, you might “engage in group problem-solving activities that build upon concepts covered in the pre-work” (Howles 2015). Likewise, reading, viewing, and reflection activities are usually reserved for async-type activities.

Example of Blended Learning Components

Let’s combine what we’ve discussed so far into a real example so you can see how this might be implemented. In a train-the-trainer virtual class I’ve taught, I communicate learning objectives to participants’ managers ahead of time, and let them know that their employees will be creating action plans that will be shared with managers so they can help hold them accountable for application. Learners are then sent a simple initial activity right before the program begins. It is usually a welcome video of my talking head in which I welcome them, introduce myself, set expectations for the course, and convey I’m excited to meet them and work with them. In our first live class together, we engage in discussion activities and breakouts using the various tools we discussed in chapter 7.

On their own and before the next live class, they are given assignments like writing their own objectives, as well as independent e-learning tutorials to complete on the topic. The expectation is that this e-learning must be completed before our next live class. This continues again for the second class. After meeting for the second live class, they once again have some assignments to complete and a podcast to listen to or some articles to read. After meeting for the third live class, I send them booster email reminders summarizing the biggest takeaways one day, one week, and one month after the virtual program concludes (1x1x1). Additionally, all action plans are shared with managers, and managers are asked to have discussions with their employees within one week of completing the program. The employee does not receive a digital badge in the LMS for the program until all required pre-work, coursework, assignments, and action plans are complete. Next, let’s look more specifically at how pre-work can assist on the front end and boosters can assist on the back end.

Pre-Work

Pre-work can be a great opportunity to whet learners’ appetite for the training topic and trigger their curiosity and mental framework for the training. In my experience, they come to class with more questions and ready to discuss the topic when they were required to complete pre-work. I find that our live class discussions are richer because they invested effort ahead of time. According to a 2021 ATD research report, 65 percent of more than 430 professional talent development professionals said they included required pre-work before learners attend a live online session (ATD 2021). This might be a standalone e-learning tutorial learners must complete before the live class. After the live class, there might be another tutorial to complete with a few coursework assignments built in, which then prepares them for the next online class. Figures 11-3 and 11-4 show examples of tutorials and pre-work assignments I’ve used for some of my classes. Pre-work may include initial reading, videos, or self-paced e-learning modules. Figure 11-3 was published in The Learning Guild’s Learning Solutions as an example of a self-paced asynchronous tutorial (Howles 2015).

Figure 11-3. Pre-Work Tutorial Example Using Articulate Storyline

Figure 11-4. Pre-Work Module Example Using Rise 360

If some learners have not completed pre-work assignments, we do not reward them for not completing them. In other words, do not go over the pre-work in detail to fill them in. You can quickly summarize or discuss and analyze and then apply the content to worked examples for more learning, but do not fully explain them again. This teaches learners that they need to complete their pre-work or they will be lost during class. If you repeat and review everything in the pre-work, participants will learn they didn’t have to do it anyway. Pre-work is designed to be pre-work.

You may be thinking, “That sounds great, but my learners won’t complete the pre-work because they never do.” I’ve worked with clients on a coordinated approach to address this. In the welcome video, we clarify that all coursework (async and sync) and post-class action plans must be completed before receiving credit for completion of the program and their digital badge from the LMS.

But here is the real secret to ensuring learners complete the pre-work: Track completions for everyone, and individually follow up with those who don’t complete it by the deadline, which should be two days before the live class. For example, if your first live class is April 10, your deadline would be April 8. Email whomever did not complete it on April 9. Surprisingly, they often apologize and thank you for reminding them. In my experience, they often get it to you the day before the session. You can also require them to send you something once they have completed it. Alternatively, you could track their completions with your LMS.

Another key component of pre-work is the welcome video we discussed in chapter 3. Figure 11-5 is an example of an instructor welcome video script to give you an idea for what you might say. Notice the use of personal pronouns to leverage Richard Mayer’s Personalization Principle as discussed in chapter 6, and the use of contractions to create the conversational feel. This can be sent to participants to view before your first live class.

Figure 11-5. Sample Script of a Trainer Welcome Video

Boosters

The best way to define a booster is with the help of a healthcare metaphor. Think about when you need to get a vaccine to prevent infection and disease from a virus. You were likely given your first shot, and then after a period of time passed, you likely received a second shot or a booster. Why? Because it bolstered and strengthened your overall immune system’s readiness response if your body were ever to encounter that virus.

When we apply this concept to learning, it works in a similar fashion. After initially being exposed to new content, processes, procedures, and concepts, over a period we forget the information if we don’t do something with it. A booster is something offered to us after an initial period has passed regarding something we were recently taught. Boosters are easy to do if you can leverage an automated LMS where you or your L&D colleagues can preset the messages and their dates and times. Email and even text messages can also work well for sending boosters.

My favorite booster format is 1x1x1. This means I summarize key content and push it to learners one day, one week, and one month after the last virtual training session in the program concludes. Sometimes this is through emails from me, or I’ve leveraged an LMS to automatically send booster messages to participants. There are also many digital apps available to support pushing booster reminders (sometimes, even through text messaging) to learners. In the first booster, I often summarize key takeaway points as a quick nugget summary for their review.

The second booster is a quiz of all the key points, where learners can test themselves. I also include an answer key at the very bottom in small print, so they can check their answers. Occasionally, I’ll receive an email from a learner where they share excitedly that they “nailed it” and got them all correct. Not only does this motivate learners even more with the emotional dimension of learning, but it also leverages the testing effect where they are actively recalling the information.

The third booster features an example or testimonial of how a learner successfully applied what they learned so far, or a celebration of a learner who has already implemented a part of their action plan. Their success can motivate others, and this booster usually includes other ideas for application and additional resources related to the training topic that might be of interest to participants.

Async Role Plays

One learning activity that is traditionally viewed as a synchronous activity is the role play. Ideally, a facilitator would model in abbreviated form what is expected, and then learners would follow by skill practicing themselves. When the facilitator models it first, they may use a seasoned producer to role play with them, a co-facilitator, or a learner volunteer or plant (who was asked and agreed to assist ahead of time) if you prep them appropriately. If we approach this by thinking out of the box, however, this activity could also be offloaded to an asynchronous format. Let’s explore how that might work.

A facilitator could assign this activity as something to be completed out of class in partnership with other learners. Leveraging learner agency and participant choice as we discussed in chapter 4, you could also invite learners to sign up for slots, choose their own partners, and select from one of three role play topics themselves. The assignment could specify that learners would need to work together outside class with access to the virtual training platform, or leave it up to them to find a way to video record themselves. They would need to rehearse their role play and then do a final recording of their skill practice. It would then be up to the partners to upload their final role play video to a repository pre-designated by the facilitator for better organization and coordination. For example, it could be uploaded to a course management system, placed in a shared Dropbox folder, or uploaded to a private YouTube channel for the facilitator to then view and critique.

The facilitator then could email written or audio feedback of their comments to each duo, highlighting what went well and what could be improved for next time. This is just one idea for how you might offload an activity that is normally done during live class to asynchronous assignments. By offloading, we can capitalize more on the social, behavioral, and emotional dimensions of learning during synchronous class time.

Let’s look at one more example of how you might consider taking something traditionally taught live and exploring why it might be beneficial to offer it asynchronously instead.

Videos

As mentioned previously, assigning videos for your learners to watch out of class before attending live online learning can be extremely valuable. It whets their appetite and prepares them for what’s to come. If you do not have video resources, there are abundant resources on the web you can curate as well.

As you assign videos to your learners as asynchronous components, it’s important to understand viewer habits when it comes to playing videos. This will help you edit a video, or direct learners to view only a certain portion, or position it better so they’re motivated to watch all of it. TechSmith Corporation has conducted a fascinating study repeatedly on what keeps people’s interest when they watch videos, and why people stop watching them (Figure 11-6). They discovered the sweet spot for ideal video length to be just a few minutes: “Across all countries in our most recent study, the majority of viewers prefer instructional and informational videos in the ranges of three to four and five to six minutes” (TechSmith 2018).

If you think that professional video quality is one of the main reasons people keep watching a video, TechSmith’s research findings will surprise you. Instead, the top reasons viewers appear to keep watching is when they are genuinely interested in the topic, believe the content is relatable to them, and were drawn in by the speaker (TechSmith 2018). Less important variables included being required to watch it, whether it was humorous or unique, and the audio quality.

Figure 11-6. Why Viewers Keep Watching Videos

If we switch gears, what do you think might be the top reasons people stop watching videos? TechSmith’s research study discovered that the biggest reasons why individuals stop watching is because they are not receiving the information they expected, they were bored or found the content uninteresting, or they needed to do something else (Figure 11-7; TechSmith 2018). Once again, poor professional quality didn’t seem to matter as much, along with entertainment value or distractions.

Figure 11-7. Why Viewers Stop Watching Videos

What does this tell us in terms of assigning videos as asynchronous activities with blended courses and live online learning? The takeaway is that we want to position the video and its content by tying it into participants’ interests and setting accurate expectations upfront for how it will benefit them to view the video. We also want to tell participants what to focus on while viewing. For example, “when you watch this video, notice the cause of the problem and the result of each solution they try.” These videos then can be assigned to learners to watch asynchronously in preparation for debriefing during live classes.

While some virtual trainers choose to show videos during the live class, there can be bandwidth issues resulting in freeze frames and quality issues for some participants. Despite troubleshooting ahead of time, inevitably at least one participant often seems unable to view the live video synchronously. The backup plan for this is to place the link to the video in the chat. Then participants can independently view while their cameras and microphones are off. When they’re done viewing the video, they can return to the platform and select feedback reaction like the green check or the animated thumb’s up to signal they have returned. Playing a video during class certainly can be done, but I have found over the years that it doesn’t always work smoothly. Therefore, I prefer to offload my videos as asynchronous pre-work or post-work assignments. I clarify they’re required, and highlight the short runtime.

To foster rich discussions later, you can apply some of the following techniques. One technique is to capture key screenshots of the video to stimulate learners’ memory, and display them as you begin the group discussion. Also, to prime discussion and help learners get over the inertia we talked about in chapter 4, you can ask a good, open-ended prompt question like “What surprised you most about this video?” Then answer the question first with an example to prompt discussion and get the ball rolling.

Business Use Cases of Blended Learning

Next let’s look at two global organizations that have successfully paired asynchronous and synchronous components such as live virtual training into blended learning solutions. Attensi and Aon have both successfully combined live online components with on-demand elements.

Attensi

Attensi is a Norwegian company headquartered in Oslo with additional offices located around the world. Their expertise is gamified simulation training. They use advanced 3D modelling to train employees in custom workplace scenarios. These simulations allow employees to interact with their software. Their software’s immersive design incents repetition with rewards reflected on leader boards. Although Attensi’s software may be used as asynchronous on-demand modules, it can also be paired with live online training as a blended learning program. This way, learners debrief their simulated experiences, which helps them make connections through live discussion and analysis.

For example, a global management consultancy used Attensi’s gamified simulation platform to enhance engagement during their live online sessions (Figure 11-8). Their training offerings focused on behavioral topics such as client engagement, professionalism, agile team management, and project management best practices.

Figure 11-8. Attensi Asynchronous Simulation

“For behavioral topics, allowing a participant the opportunity to immerse in an engaging simulation, test out different approaches, and understand potential outcomes before discussing these experiences as part of a breakout group has been highly impactful,” shared Huw Newton-Hill, sector leader for professional services at Attensi. “Taking one solution for example, 98 percent of participants felt better prepared for their role and we know the learning sticks, as 93 percent said that reflections and learning from the simulation helped them in their everyday life, according to a survey taken five months after the training. For skill-based topics, facilitators have focused on the competition features within the Attensi platform to host live battles to drive engagement in the training during a live session. This has proven to spill over into deeper engagement in the self-directed learning components of a program.”

Aon

Aon is a professional firm that sells financial risk-mitigation products such as health insurance plans, insurance, and pension administration. They employ approximately 50,000 employees in 120 countries and are headquartered in London, United Kingdom.

According to Kelly Eno, Aon learning leader with the business services global contact center, they are responsible for upscaling approximately 1,200 call center agents annually for Medicare open enrollment season. They use a blended learning approach that incorporates both live online training with digital, self-paced e-learning modules.

“Our focus is new hire agent training, which is a four-week onboarding program,” Eno says. “The asynchronous modules are created with Vyond and Articulate 360, and trains agents to educate Medicare-eligible customers about their supplemental insurance options and ultimately match them with a Medicare supplement plan. When agents complete the on-demand modules, we find they are more engaged in their learning and appreciate the opportunity to review content at their own pace.

“In the live online classes, we use two facilitators per virtual class with no more than 25 participants,” she continues. “One facilitator serves as online producer while the other facilitator delivers the training. We heavily use breakouts for small group work. For example, breakouts are used to help agents practice mock calls and problem solve potential customer situations. Breakouts are also used to form small study groups. We leverage online breakouts as a great way to build colleague relationships and increase colleague engagement.”

Summary

Blended learning solutions offer many advantages. By combining live online training with asynchronous components, we create learning programs that extend beyond one-time training events. The benefits are numerous: improved learning outcomes based on evidence-based research reinforcement of material, built-in review and spaced repetition for improved memory encoding, less taxing on learners when they can do some work independently, and increased time for reflection, absorbing, and reinforcing over time. This mix is the best of both worlds, with on-demand and live, real-time opportunities to support deeper learning. As Ruth Clark (2020) summed up beautifully in this chapter’s opening quotation, “Rather than asking which technology is best for learning, you will find more fertile ground by using a blend of media that allows you to space out learning events, provide post-training performance support, and foster synchronous and asynchronous forms of collaboration.”

Ultimately, our goal is to make impactful change in our organizations. Folding virtual training into blending learning solutions is one way to do this. Blended learning also supports all four of the learning dimensions we discussed in chapter 2. With asynchronous components, participants can experience the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions of learning. Through synchronous class time, learners experience it socially with their peers and instructor, behaviorally through tasks and skill practices with feedback, and cognitively and emotionally.

In the next chapter, we’ll explore another type of blend that incorporates the hybrid mix of both online and on-site participants learning together in real time.

Pro Tips for Applying Blended Learning

TIP 84	Offload independent class activities as asynchronous course components instead.
TIP 85	Leverage the dynamics of synchronous class time for live discussion, small group breakouts, collaboration, brainstorming, analysis, problem solving, or skill practices with feedback.
TIP 86	Use blended learning to blend the best of both synchronous and asynchronous elements for a comprehensive virtual training program.
TIP 87	Quiz learners with review questions to practice recall and receive corrective feedback.
TIP 88	Assign required asynchronous pre-work to learners for them to complete prior to live class to prime the pump and whet their appetite for the topic.
TIP 89	To ensure all learners complete pre-class assignments, track completions through your LMS or have learners submit something to you once they are done (such as a digital worksheet).
TIP 90	As soon as the due date has passed, follow-up individually with learners who have not yet completed their required pre-work.
TIP 91	Send 1x1x1 boosters (one day, one week, and one month after a virtual training program concludes) to remind learners of key takeaways, or quiz them via emails, texts, or automated LMS messages.
TIP 92	When you assign videos for learners to watch asynchronously, give a direction prompt for what to be watching for and how it will benefit them.