Introducing the Virtual Trainer Capability Model

Virtual training has become ubiquitous. “Online education is here to stay … and can make an organization more future-proof” (ul Haq 2021). Its use also continues to grow exponentially. “A May 2020 forecast from Global Market Insights predicts that virtual classroom technology will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11 percent between 2020 and 2026, faster than the overall learning category average of 8 percent” (Bersin 2020).

Trends also show the traditional in-person classroom in a diminishing role compared with virtual training. ATD’s 2020 State of the Industry reported that the use of traditional instructor-led classrooms for training declined to 40 percent in 2019 after averaging around 50 percent in prior years (ATD 2020). Virtual training in 2019 already showed rapid growth accounting for 19 percent of total learning, a 100 percent increase from 2012–2018 (ATD 2020). This use then skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2020 with widespread virtual training adoption due to the shift to remote work for many organizations. In early 2021, for example, 98 percent of organizations surveyed reported using some virtual training, and 88 percent predicted their virtual training budgets would either remain as is or even increase in 2022 (ATD 2021). This is yet another strong indicator that virtual training is likely to continue well into the foreseeable future as a top training venue. Because of its popularity and widespread use, more skilled online facilitators and virtual trainers are needed.

Upskilling (building skills for a current role) and reskilling (building skills for a new role) are top priorities now for organizations across a variety of industries. As organizations shifted from mostly working on-site to mostly working from home and then transitioned back to hybrid work models, the tremendous need to upskill and reskill grew. According to LinkedIn Learning’s 2020 Workplace Learning Report, “digital transformation is catalyzing an upskilling and reskilling revolution” (Van Nuys 2020). In 2021, LinkedIn Learning reported upskilling and reskilling as the number-one area of focus for L&D programs according to more than 1,200 learning professionals from over 25 countries. For example, Amazon was investing more than $700 million to train and upskill employees, and PwC was spending $3 billion to upskill employees over the next several years with the mantra “New World, New Skills” (Van Nuys 2021).

Employees are also being tasked with doing more with less because of the Great Resignation, a term attributed to Professor Anthony Klotz from Texas A&M University (Kane 2021). The Great Resignation describes the mass exodus of employees from their previous employers that ensued in the US and in some European countries in 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the US Department of Labor, 11.5 million employees in the US voluntarily left their jobs in the spring and early summer of 2021 (Kane 2021). This mass workforce departure has been linked to employees rethinking priorities during the pandemic and choosing to leave jobs due to burnout, stress, exhaustion, family demands, the desire to try something new, or to actively pursue a professional or personal dream.

Replacing these departing workers requires reskilling. Equipping current employees to close gaps left behind requires reskilling. And promoting individual contributors into leadership positions requires reskilling. So, who and how will these reskilling and upskilling efforts be delivered? Much of it relies heavily on learning and development departments, and virtual training will most likely be the top training delivery method. Because much of the workforce continues to work from anywhere, virtual training is more conducive to hybrid and remote work.

With its rapid growth and widespread adoption, virtual training is now a core business skill for learning and development professionals. However, for virtual training professionals to best support employee skill development, facilitators, designers, developers, and producers must also hone their own skills. Due to rapidly changing technologies, multiple platforms, widespread global adoption of vILT, and popular hybrid workplace models, the role of a virtual trainer has become even more challenging. Couple this with 24/7 distractions and temptations to multitask, and the challenges multiply.

To rise and face these challenges, learning leaders, virtual trainers, designers, developers, and producers must operate at higher levels of excellence. Whether or not they do will either support or hinder their ability to improve employee proficiencies, close gaps in workplace performance, and equip staff for new or current roles. Regardless of your experience with traditional in-person training, virtual training requires new and expanded skills to be successful. Now is the time to upskill and grow your capabilities as a virtual training professional.

But where should you start? What skills or abilities are most important beyond knowing how to use the tools a platform offers? How can you become an expert who knows how and why certain engagement activities should or should not be used? What if you have been delivering online training for a year or two but now desire to move past just getting by to doing your best work? This book is here to help you by outlining all the core capabilities essential to upskilling yourself, along with multiple strategies and tips to take your virtual training to the next level.

The Virtual Trainer Capability Model

In my 20 years as a virtual trainer, I sought out best practices by experimenting, observing, researching, and tweaking strategies used in my own virtual classes and from what I observed in other classes. I tried to learn from my mistakes. If there were techniques that didn’t work well, I analyzed why and modified them. If strategies worked well, I replicated them in other classes and tried to expand on them. For example, I observed that participants seemed more willing to participate in whiteboards than in chat with earlier technology platforms because writing on whiteboards back then was always anonymous. Contrast this with chat where their colleagues could see their names and who said what. So, I realized I needed to use the whiteboards to get everyone to think more deeply about core concepts when responding to thoughtful questions because they’d be more willing to participate if I emphasized that their typing was anonymous. I also studied media like radio to learn what lessons might transfer well to virtual training. I remember advocating for virtual trainers to partner with a co-facilitator because two voices working together (like what you might hear in radio interviews or podcasts) creates greater vocal variety and interest.

This observation, analysis, and experience helped me hone my own virtual training skill set. But what really helped me transition to the next level was my development across multiple areas of expertise. For example, it was essential I become technically literate with each platform I used. To train effectively, not only did I need to know every tool at my disposal but also discern which learning activities would work best with each. Paired with this technology know-how, I also needed to troubleshoot technical issues when they emerged. Over the years, I witnessed a variety of platforms come and go with common features and some variations, but generally there were only slight changes to these tools and platforms. However, the more universal adoption of virtual training throughout the COVID-19 pandemic prompted rapid, frequent, and substantive updates to several virtual training platforms across the industry. It was important to stay fluent in my knowledge of these improvements.

Another development area of expertise for me was verbal communication skills. In the early days of using web conferencing software for training, we relied heavily on audio, not video. Video was available, but it was usually a tiny window in the corner of the screen and, because of limited bandwidth, the quality was not very good. So, many of us displayed a still picture of ourselves in that corner instead and relied mostly on our voices. As video technology began to improve, I started heavily researching the on-camera medium. This led to me to establish a sense of presence vocally and visually, recognizing how important that was for learners. I was very aware also that developing a professional on-camera presence was a new literacy for many. Around 2015, I began researching and training professionals on how to best use multimedia to support learning.

Also integral to my own professional development was learning how to facilitate in a virtual environment. There were clearly some differences in the online medium, although we could leverage some in-person facilitation skills. And, of course, cultivating an online environment for learners that was supportive and inclusive became a top priority as well. Finally, because I used to teach public speaking at the university level, I knew there were strategic techniques for designing and displaying visual aids, and that this was especially important in virtual training with its multimedia options.

More recently, it occurred to me that a comprehensive framework to guide virtual trainers’ professional development was missing. We develop others, but we sometimes forget to develop ourselves. And so, I created the Virtual Trainer Capability Model. As I embarked on this journey, the foundational question I used to guide framework development was, “What is most important for live online practitioners to know and be able to do?”

I based the model on my own virtual training experience, research studies in the field, the existing body of published work on the subject, and input and reaction from trusted colleagues. The intent was to create a comprehensive development path toward full competence in essential areas of expertise. Initially, the model began as a list of 16 capabilities. As I ran these categories by respected colleagues in the field, measured them against research, and weighed them against my own experience, I eventually narrowed the list down. To be honest, it was with great struggle and much iterative work that the current model emerged. In sum, the Virtual Trainer Capability Model identifies eight major areas that address the most important knowledge and skills virtual trainers and online facilitators need to be successful. These capabilities will guide your professional development and prepare your current and future readiness.

The target users of the model are those who design and facilitate live online classes. This may include virtual training facilitators and trainers, learning designers and developers, producers, online instructors, adult educators, and professors who teach online classes. By growing your knowledge and skills in these eight core capabilities, you will elevate yourself from novice to expert.

Just as puzzle pieces play a role contributing to the whole, the eight capability areas also comprise a whole. This is why the model is visually depicted as puzzle pieces (Figure 1-1). The model’s circular shape communicates how connected each component is and how they overlap with one another. The core eight areas of professional development for virtual trainers are:

• Experience design

• Environment shaping

• Online facilitation

• Facilitator presence

• Technical fluency

• Dynamic engagement

• Agile troubleshooting

• Evaluating impact

Let’s take a closer look at each.

Figure 1-1. Virtual Trainer Capability Model

Experience Design Capability

As a virtual trainer, you may not always be involved in designing the instruction that underlies the training you deliver; however, you should be knowledgeable and skilled in how you design the experience for the learner. Design determines scope, sequence, strategy, learning activities, skill practices, and more. Approaching instructional design solely from your own “design cave” without input from others misses an opportunity to improve quality. Contrast this with designers who ask for input from representative learners very early in the process. When I initiate focus groups or run designs by a few learners one-on-one in the beginning stages of the design process, their input has always proved to be immensely valuable.

Going beyond what we know as traditional instructional design, there are other important elements to learn about creating experiences that extend beyond the virtual session. This capability will challenge you to think differently about how you currently design while helping you understand that every learner touchpoint (from A to Z) is part of the learner experience. For example, creating an experience map to envision your learners’ overarching journey can be a helpful way to visualize and identify opportunities for reinforcing and enhancing participants’ learning experiences.

Environment Shaping Capability

Virtual trainers are also responsible for leading and creating positive learning climates. Cultivating psychological safety, inclusivity, personalization, and global cultural competence go a long way to creating virtual spaces where learners are comfortable engaging with others. This capability includes being respectful of all cultures as part of global cultural competence. For example, in international and cross-cultural classes, use broader examples from other countries, research and avoid offensive on-camera hand gestures from participating cultures, and thoughtfully weigh the best start times for sessions to accommodate learners.

Developing this capability also helps facilitators be mindful of the cumulative small things they can do to build environments that welcome the unique contributions of every learner. For example, a virtual facilitator who begins a session acting impatient or frustrated can unintentionally poison the energy of what could have otherwise been a productive virtual environment. Energy is contagious, and negative energy trickles down easily to others. Contrast this with facilitators who begin a virtual session with enthusiasm and passion. They affirm participants’ contributions and cultivate a safe space in which learners are comfortable participating, sharing, and learning.

Online Facilitation Capability

Virtual facilitators also need to communicate clearly and in a compelling manner. This includes prompting learners to participate, posing thoughtful open-ended questions, keeping a watchful eye on who is contributing and who isn’t, and checking in with those who have not yet shared. Online facilitation is an expanded skill set from traditional facilitation. For example, facilitators need to learn how to verbalize what is unseen for participants, be flexible with format, and guide participants to be co-creators of their own learning. Because of the differences between online facilitation and in-person facilitation, this capability is critical to developing beyond the basics.

Facilitator Presence Capability

Another key core business skill in which virtual trainers need to develop literacy is on-camera competency. This is the online facilitator’s ability to project themselves professionally on camera. In addition to framing themselves, adjusting movement, and lighting themselves well on camera, virtual trainers must also demonstrate superb verbal communication skills. They need to express ideas and concepts with concise language, clarity, expression, and eloquence in a way learners can logically follow and understand. In addition, they need the know-how to optimize their own technical equipment to create the best possible audio quality for learners.

How facilitators leverage their on-camera skills, voice, and audio equipment all contribute to how they come across online. I call this facilitator presence. Ultimately, when done well, it conveys a sense of the facilitator “being there,” regardless of time and distance. An example of establishing poor facilitator presence is when a facilitator speaks in a monotone voice with minimum inflection, uses their device’s built-in microphone (which makes it sound like they’re in a cave), and shares a poorly lit camera angle of themselves looking oddly truncated at the chin. Contrast this with an effective facilitator, who leverages a variety of vocal inflections, uses a high-quality external USB microphone, lights themselves well from the front, and centers themselves in the frame with a small margin of headroom.

Technical Fluency Capability

Although technology should not be the primary driver of the learning experience, virtual trainers must possess the knowledge and skills to strategically use tools to support learning goals and outcomes. Reaching technical fluency means you are digitally literate. You have developed your capability to full competency because you can now effectively leverage common tools and onscreen interactions, are comfortable with the ins and outs of platforms, and can successfully pair apps and other digital learning tools with training. This capability also includes the all-around know-how when it comes to the software and hardware needed to support virtual training. Knowing when to partner with a producer who is technically fluent and developing a positive working relationship with them is also a skill.

A facilitator might reveal their technical deficiency by not knowing when or how to leverage platform tools. For example, assigning 10 participants into a breakout with six tasks for them to complete within a five-minute time limit, and then struggling to successfully divide them into breakouts demonstrates a lack of technical fluency. In this instance, the breakouts have too many people, too much to do, and too little time in which to do it. In contrast, technically fluent facilitators and producers know the value of creating breakouts with only three or four participants and a focused challenge, task, or activity, all while allowing sufficient time for brief introductions and for groups to complete the activity without rushing. Proficient facilitators seamlessly know what buttons to click to successfully divide participants, open and start breakouts, pop into some to check on group progress, send a broadcast message to prepare participants to return, and close breakouts to bring them back for a debrief.

Dynamic Engagement Capability

Virtual trainers can successfully capture learners’ attention with a variety of strategies. Some strategies are designed to prevent learners from habituating to certain stimuli or to prevent participants from disengaging. This capability requires a wide variety of movement visually and vocally to help direct, focus, and captivate learners throughout virtual training programs. An example of poor performance in this capability is when a facilitator only displays nine static slides to anchor a 90-minute virtual training session. In this example, there is little visual change, variety, or dynamic momentum to keep attention, especially if participants are left looking at the same static slide for 10 minutes.

At its core, virtual training as an online medium is highly visual and verbal. Think of all the visual content these technology platforms feature, such as slides, on-camera participants, digital whiteboards, polls, chat text, and even some facilitators holding placards when they turn on video. Movement within these visual pieces should involve frequent changes or dynamic focusing elements like annotation. Even cumulatively building elements on a whiteboard can stimulate dynamic engagement. Because extremes of too much and no movement at all are both undesirable, there still needs to be a semblance of balance. One exemplar of this capability is scaffolding content visually by progressively building slide content to direct focus and add emphasis and variety. It is one of the best strategies at our disposal for engaging learners.

Agile Troubleshooting Capability

Because online facilitators frequently work with virtual technologies, the odds that something technical can or will go wrong are high. The agile troubleshooting capability helps you develop the skill, confidence, and expertise to effectively resolve technical issues like a pro. Agility means you develop skills that enable you to think and act quickly, as well as adapt and pivot when needed. Ideally, partnering with a producer who can manage the technical side for you is extremely helpful, but facilitators should still be prepared to troubleshoot as a backup, or in the event you are unable to be paired with a producer.

Part of this capability also includes preventive action. For example, a facilitator ideally sends a welcome email to participants well before class day, encouraging them to test their connections with the link provided, and inviting them to log in five to 10 minutes early on class day. Both actions create space for early troubleshooting and resolution, if needed. Overall, this capability encompasses skills for diagnosing, troubleshooting solutions or workarounds, and recovery from the adrenaline rush when things go wrong.

Recovery is resilience. It’s the ability to move forward constructively as soon as possible after a glitch, all the while leading learners to do the same. A poor example of this is a facilitator who panics and get stuck emotionally in the turmoil of a technical disruption. As a result, they are unable to think clearly, which also makes them less likely to find a solution. A proficient, agile troubleshooter, however, has thought of solutions to the most common technical issues ahead of time. Because of their preparation, they know what to try first. Additionally, agile troubleshooters do their best to maintain a calm, attentive mindset regardless of what emerges, and they can pivot to a different activity if needed. They don’t get stuck lamenting about what could have been, and instead accept what is. This way, they become more open to opportunities to course correct. Lastly, they must know their platform inside and out to be prepared to resolve any surprises.

Evaluating Impact Capability

Virtual professionals, like all providers of learning solutions, should measure the value of their training programs. This is how you know whether your investment of time, money, and resources has met its goal and was worth the effort. Developing in this capability means identifying what you will measure and how from the very outset. Ideally, your metrics begin by aligning with your knowledge and performance objectives.

An example of poor performance in this capability is the absence of any evaluation whatsoever. In this situation, you wouldn’t know the value-add of your program except by anecdote. If leaders asked whether the program’s goals were achieved, you wouldn’t be able to answer. Most importantly, you wouldn’t be able to improve the course without knowing your baseline. Contrast this with a virtual training professional who objectively measures and collects data on the effectiveness of their programs beyond attendance. Because whether learners attend virtual training does not prove they have learned anything or can apply the information in their functional work. To be honest, it only documents that they logged in. As you develop in this capability, it is important to identify metrics to track the different levels of evaluation that are most appropriate to the needs of your organization, leadership, stakeholders, and learners. And because evaluation and innovation go together, you also need to be an innovator, experimenting with the technology for continuous ways to improve live online learning.

Capabilities by Chapter

Most chapters in this book focus primarily on a key capability. This is not to say that chapter discussions exclude other capabilities; however, most chapters align with one. As the puzzle metaphor of the visual model communicates though, all eight capabilities are tightly interconnected. As you achieve competence in all capability areas, you will discover for yourself their interdependent reliance on one another. Table 1-1 identifies which capability is the focus of each chapter.

Table 1-1. Primary Capabilities by Chapter

Chapter	Chapter Title	Primary Capability
2	Designing Virtual Learning Experiences	Experience Design
3	Shaping a Successful Virtual Learning Environment	Environment Shaping
4	Applying the Secrets of Effective Online Facilitation	Online Facilitation
5	Developing Your Professional On-Camera Competence	Facilitator Presence
6	Enhancing Facilitator Presence Through Audio and Vocal Delivery	Facilitator Presence
7	Leveraging Your Platform’s Technical Tools	Technical Fluency
8	Following the Dynamic Principle of Engagement	Dynamic Engagement
9	Troubleshooting and Recovery With Agility	Agile Troubleshooting
10	Evaluating and Innovating in the Virtual Space	Evaluating Impact
11	Flipping Virtual Training With Blended Learning	All
12	Combining On-Site and Online Learners in Live Mixed Learning	All

101 Professional Tips

To support your skill and knowledge development in the virtual training capabilities, you will also find a treasure trove of actionable professional tips scattered throughout this book. These tips are categorized under each capability and serve as prescriptive principles you and your teams can apply to help you design and facilitate successful live online learning. You’ll find a summary of the pro tips discussed at the end of each chapter.

Applying the Virtual Trainer Capability Model in Your Organization

As you continue to produce and facilitate live online learning, use the Virtual Trainer Capability Model as a professional development benchmark for you and your virtual training teams. Use it as a gauge to elevate virtual training standards. To gain a broader perspective of how professional development fits into the business, consider examining your organization’s vision, mission, and strategic goals. From there, align your training initiatives and professional development efforts with the higher-level initiatives of the organization.

Virtual trainers should also consider having conversations with their managers to review the capability model together. This provides a mutual opportunity to discuss a facilitator’s areas of strengths as well as opportunities for improvement. Work with your manager to create a specific development plan for growing your skills in design or virtual facilitation. You can attach your development plan to your performance goals for the year. Write out specific goals to help you adopt the practical tips most relevant to you.

In addition to the capabilities, you might even identify which professional tips in the book resonate most with you. Set target goals for yourself after examining your current skills to gauge which ones you’d like to work on improving over time. For example, one of your goals might be to “consistently apply three specific tips from the on-camera competency chapter to my upcoming virtual training events over the next two months.” Once you identify targets, set a timeline for application, practice, and feedback, and commit to your own professional development. Set check-ins to create accountability and discuss challenges and how things are progressing. Begin with the capabilities where you have the most opportunity for improvement, in addition to sharpening your strengths. The end goal is full proficiency and competence in each of the eight areas.

Finally, you might also consider sharing the model with leadership to use as a reference for assessing current skill levels of your virtual facilitators, and as a hiring rubric for adding new staff. The model can set a comparison trajectory of professional development for you or your professional virtual training team. Allow the model to help you discern the skills of candidates you’re considering for virtual facilitation and design positions in your organization. Ask final candidates to deliver a mini virtual training session online where you can assess their knowledge and skill in each of the capability areas during the interview process. This will guarantee that the new employees you hire are the most qualified candidates to advance your organization through effective live online learning.

Summary

Virtual training has clearly exploded in recent years. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the world’s widespread adoption of this training delivery method was essential to move a remote workforce forward. As the world continues to embrace virtual training and hybrid models for virtual learning, the aim of this book is to help improve quality by equipping you with the needed skills and knowledge to be a more advanced designer and facilitator.

In today’s remote work environment, skilled virtual facilitation is essential for trainers and educators. You may be skilled as an in-person classroom trainer, yet in the virtual space you need more specific skills to facilitate online interactivity, skillfully manage multitasking, be technically fluent, oversee logistics and troubleshooting, master being on camera in a professional and powerful way, leverage your voice, and engage virtual learners.

Because of this necessity, learning experience design and live online facilitation in today’s world are essential core business skills. By sharpening your skills and constructing new knowledge, you are better equipped to meet the needs of the modern-day hybrid work environment with innovation and impact. Use the Virtual Trainer Capability Model to professionally upskill your expertise in these eight key development areas, so you can take it to the next level!