Become a Jedi Master: Producing Webinars in the Virtual Classroom

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Become a Jedi Master:
Producing Webinars
in the Virtual Classroom
May 27, 2020

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Session Objectives
• Adopt the tools and tricks of
technology-savvy presenters
and hosts
• Apply what you learn to your
web training programs
• Create mitigation strategies to
respond effectively to
technology surprises

Purpose
What do you hope to gain from participating
actively in today’s webinar?

Opening Discussion
What is the worst cosmic disaster
you’ve experienced in the virtual classroom?
How did you respond?

Remember
What can go wrong will go wrong.

The Crashing Platform
• Keep your cool.
• Acknowledge what’s happening one time.
• Then stop commenting on it.
• Text or chat privately with the presenter, if needed.

The Mysterious Phone Bridge
• Communicate with your host/producer via chat.
• Hang up and dial back in.
• Have an alternate phone bridge ready.
• Switch to VOIP, if necessary.

Locked Out
Have the host/producer log
in for the presenter before
opening the meeting.

Discussion
What are the primary
causes of cosmic
disaster in the virtual
classroom?

What is the primary cause of cosmic disaster?
1. Unskilled presenters
2. Lack of preparation
3. Lack of rehearsal/practice
4. Presenter’s discomfort
with technology
5. Bandwidth issues
(slow Internet)
6. No standard checklists

What is the primary cause of cosmic disaster?
7. No host/producer
8. Unskilled learners
9. Unstable web conference
platform (crashing)
10. Streaming video or VOIP
11. Problems with
teleconference bridge

Cosmic Disaster

Cosmic Disaster
• Unskilled presenters
• Lack of rehearsal/practice
• Presenter’s discomfort with
technology
• Unskilled learners

Cosmic Disaster
• Bandwidth issues (slow
Internet)
• Unstable web conference
platform (crashing)
• Streaming video or VOIP
• Problems with
teleconference bridge

Cosmic Disaster
• Lack of preparation
• No host/producer
• No standard checklists

Contingency Planning
Threat To Avoid To Mitigate
VOIP/Audio is jerky
or sound quality is
poor

VOIP/Audio is jerky
or sound quality is
poor
Recommend use of
a headset. Give
clear instructions in
welcome email and
during house-
keeping

VOIP/Audio is jerky
or sound quality is
poor
Recommend use of
a headset. Give
clear instructions in
welcome email and
during house-
keeping
Have Host respond
privately in Q&A
panel or Chat

Host exits
prematurely (due to
user or technical
error)

Host exits
prematurely (due to
user or technical
error)
Have Host promote
the Presenter to
Host or Co-host, if
possible, at entry

Host exits
prematurely (due to
user or technical
error)
Have Host promote
the Presenter to
Host or Co-host, if
possible, at entry
If session ends and
can’t be restarted:
send new webinar
link in email

Participant is
unable to join
breakout session
with audio

Participant is
unable to join
breakout session
with audio
Set audio to VOIP
only or phone
bridge only
(Adobe); if phone
bridge, merge
names with
numbers

Participant is
unable to join
breakout session
with audio
Set audio to VOIP
only or phone
bridge only
(Adobe); if phone
bridge, merge
names with
numbers
Have participants
disconnect and
reconnect audio, or
leave and rejoin the
session

Jedi Challenge A
The web conference platform crashes
and your web training session comes
to an abrupt end.
Option 1: You are all on the
teleconference bridge.
Option 2: You are all on VOIP.
How would you avoid this threat?
How would you mitigate this threat?

Jedi Challenge B
The Presenter’s internet and power
goes down due to a snowstorm.
(The Host is still logged in with the
participants.)

Jedi Challenge C
Someone puts their phone line “on
hold” instead of “on mute” and loud
music is playing over the phone line.

Best Practices: Presenter
1. Know how to use the web conference platform.
2. Follow a defined checklist.
3. Schedule a dry run to test everything the day
before.
4. Practice breakout rooms with real people.
5. Print out a copy of your slides.
6. Give Host clear instructions for each slide, chat,
poll, or use of status icons.
7. Be ready to “pass the baton.”

Best Practices: Host/Producer
1. Follow a defined checklist.
2. Be ready to troubleshoot problems.
3. Schedule a dry run to test everything the day before.
4. Practice breakout rooms with real people.
5. Keep written tech instructions at the ready.
6. Print out a copy of the Presenter’s slides.
7. Record clear instructions for each slide, chat, poll, or
use of status icons.
8. Be ready to “run the show.”

Best Practices: Learners
1. Provide clear instructions in a welcome email.
2. Test equipment and software in advance.
3. Orient new web conference users in a
separate session.
4. Provide links to review introductory videos.
5. Ask new users to log in early.
6. Tell learners how to chat privately
to the Host.

What best practice would you suggest?

Remember
What can go wrong will go wrong.
Anticipate issues and prepare to meet them.

Be Calm

Be Calm
• Don’t resist (accept)
• Focus on your objectives
• Apologize once
• Call on your Host (or Presenter)
• Activate your back up plan
• Avoid constantly commenting on the
problem

Virtual Facilitator
Trainer Certification (VFTC)
June 2020
https://netspeedlearning.com/virtual-learning/facilitation/
Promo Code: Go Virtual
Upcoming Course

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