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Here, there, and Everywhere: Distance Volunteer Training
- 1. HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE: DISTANCE VOLUNTEER TRAINING #16NTCdistancevol http://po.st/distancevol-16NTC
- 3. #16NTCdistancevol http://po.st/distancevol-16NTC Ashleigh Turner • @SexWithAshleigh • Communications Manager, Options for Sexual Health • Expertise in the oversight, content development, facilitation of volunteer training • www.optionsforsexualhealth.org
- 4. #16NTCdistancevol http://po.st/distancevol-16NTC Chad Leaman • @chadleaman • Director of Development, Neil Squire Society • Expertise in distance learning technology and partnership development • www.neilsquire.ca
- 5. #16NTCdistancevol http://po.st/distancevol-16NTC Overview • Who is in the room? • Volunteers • Technology • Lessons Learned / Best Practices • Discussion
- 8. #16NTCdistancevol http://po.st/distancevol-16NTC Getting to know you… #16NTCdistancevol • Do you have volunteers in your organization? • Do you train volunteers? (either directly or indirectly) • Are your volunteers: a) Long-term (more than 3 months) b) Short-term (less than 3 months) • Are you… a) Volunteers b) Executive Directors/Managers c) IT specialists d) Direct volunteer program supervisors e) Other • What are you hoping to get out of this session?
- 9. Volunteers
- 11. #16NTCdistancevol http://po.st/distancevol-16NTC Distance Volunteer Training • Benefits: • Train those across large geographic areas • Quality control • Continuity of brand • Allows for discussion and interaction
- 12. #16NTCdistancevol http://po.st/distancevol-16NTC Distance Volunteer Training • Costs • Time • Investment • Cost • Drop off • Space/time dependent
- 13. #16NTCdistancevol http://po.st/distancevol-16NTC A bit about Opt’s Volunteer training • Train volunteers to work with clients • 8 week online course via Moodle • Modules include case studies, quizzes, discussion groups, and journaling, as well as links to resources, videos, photo galleries, and images • Text HEAVY • While they are taking the training they are also volunteering
- 14. #16NTCdistancevol http://po.st/distancevol-16NTC How to involve volunteers: a case study You train volunteers, investing time and energy, only to have them leave shortly after the training Risk: Investment on behalf of the company, and on behalf of the volunteer • Potential payoff: highly trained volunteers • investment pays off • How Opt achieves this: • Opt starts all volunteers as Level 1 volunteers for a minimum of three months before taking Level 2 (online training) • Ensures understanding of the role, as well as demonstrated commitment to the organization
- 15. #16NTCdistancevol http://po.st/distancevol-16NTC A bit about Neil Squire’s Volunteer Training • Online computer tutoring program for people with disabilities • Process: • Inquiry • Interview • Technology Setup • Orientation • Support in initial training sections • Volunteers use a webinar tool, work remotely. • Support material in Moodle
- 18. #16NTCdistancevol http://po.st/distancevol-16NTC Evaluation of the programs Opt • Immediately after module completes there is a short survey • Overall program evaluation completed in 2015 • Training versus Orientation Neil Squire • Immediately after a learning session short survey with direct feedback • Any issues arising are dealt with shortly after session
- 19. #16NTCdistancevol http://po.st/distancevol-16NTC Ongoing Learning Opportunities Opt • Clinical Webinars • Access to Opt’s resources • Monthly Clinic Updates • Can redo training upon request Neil Squire • Assistive Technology specific courses
- 20. #16NTCdistancevol http://po.st/distancevol-16NTC Training models and Short vs Long term volunteers • ROI: What are the benefits of doing an in-depth training versus a webinar for short term volunteers • Weigh the project and value • What is the long term impact for short term volunteers • Model benefits: • Engagement versus time as a volunteer • Example: Volunteers for a one day event • Example: Volunteers for a year long campaign
- 21. Technology
- 22. #16NTCdistancevol http://po.st/distancevol-16NTC Pros and Cons of available systems • Synchronous Systems (webinars) • Asynchronous Systems (LMS– Moodle, webpages) • Blended Learning
- 27. Lessons Learned
- 28. #16NTCdistancevol http://po.st/distancevol-16NTC Avoiding Sage On the Stage • Every module clearly outlines: • Learning Objectives • Learning Goals • Sometimes it’s about knowledge transfer • Text heavy • Creating expectations of role • Sometimes it’s about engaging • Videos, journals, discussion forums
- 29. #16NTCdistancevol http://po.st/distancevol-16NTC Possible Limitations • Engagement: 10% drop off during training • Various reasons: too busy, unexpected circumstances, life event • “Cheating”: with online training cheating can be an issue • Suggested remedy: can review online activity through Moodle • Payoff: Not always clear how the training plays out in real life • Webinar: recording, so not as interactive as in class session would be • Tech savviness • TIME
- 31. #16NTCdistancevol http://po.st/distancevol-16NTC Technology • You have to make it as useful and simple as possible • It can and will break • Customizations – the good, the bad, the ugly • Considerations for who can make changes to the content
- 33. HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE: DISTANCE VOLUNTEER TRAINING #16NTCdistancevol http://po.st/distancevol-16NTC Evaluation: http://po.st/zlmU5S
Editor's Notes
- As it says in the description of our session, we are not the tech experts, however we are two people, from two different organizations with varied experiences of how volunteer learning occurs. Our invitation here today is to have you learn from our triumphs and mistakes, glean some experience. At the end we will have a chance for some questions and discussion.
- I’m Ashleigh, the Communications Manager for Options for Sexual Health. I manage the volunteer program, including the facilitation of the volunteer training. I am also a clinical sexologist and mother to an awesome two and a half year old.
- A brief overview of what we hope to cover today We want this to be interactive, and to create space for a dialogue
- We are here to make this a fun, engaging, and interactive experience. So unlike grumpy cat here, we do want you to enjoy the experience! We are creating the space for learning but also discussion. We are NOT the experts we are learners, with excitement about the potential uses of technology in the training of our most valuable asset, our volunteers! We also want to make our volunteers’ experiences the most positive possible.
- Going to make into Google Form for a poll questions. Tried twitter polls but doesn’t allow you to save options.
- Word cloud from volunteer program evaluation - Words like Health, Sexual, and Opt pop out but there are also words like passion, help, knowledge, informed, essential, empowerment
- In comparison to using a manual, using technology allows for a number of benefits The most significant ones seen
- The time required to train volunteers can be very consuming; we’ve heard the non-profit refrain: everyone is doing more Investment- both on the organization and the volunteers’ part The cost can vary- can use open source or paid software and products so low cost, but the staff cost and any additional resources can be costly
- At Opt we have over 200 volunteers between our program and governance volunteers. Our governance volunteers don’t participate in the online training, however. We offer 2 or 3 trainings per year, with 18 to 20 participants per cohort. The training provides the information required to work with clients, educate them on contraceptive options, STI information, and the general clinic process 8 week online course with 6 modules via moodle Text heavy Modules include case studies, quizzes, discussion groups, and journaling, as well as links to resources, videos, photo galleries, and images Most modules have case studies While they are taking the training they are also in their volunteer setting (clinic, outreach, Sex Sense) applying what they learn in a practical setting (shadowing, co-sharing)
- How many of you have found yourself in this situation:
- Chad
- For the Opt evaluation: According to the feedback, the courses are stimulating, relevant and easy to navigate. Well over 90% of the respondents say yes, the modules meet learning outcomes. The module that gets the lowest marks for ease of use (Sexually Transmitted Illnesses) still had 87% of respondents say it is easy to navigate. 90% of respondents or more found the courses stimulating and the majority also found the facilitation good or excellent. A challenge for Opt is that not everyone accesses the training program. With a current volunteer list of approximately 175 people around the province, only approximately 100 have accessed the training in the five years it has been offered. Competency training versus orientation training: Opt does a really awesome job of the competency training and not as great a job of the orientation training. This speaks to something I want to highlight: The online training is consistent across the province. The orientation is more clinic-dependent and the evaluation showed that not all clinics are doing the same level of orientation, despite the fact that there are forms, manuals, etc to help facilitate this orientaiton.
- Some things to consider around the depth of volunteer engagement in your training: For Opt, when we look at what we get out of our volunteers-- a full year minimum of commitment. Example of Short Term volunteering: At the Vancouver Pride Festival-- one day, no training required. It wasn't worth the Pride Festival to invest copious amounts of training for a one day event.
- Chad
- This is a sample of some of Opt’s quiz questions. One thing I wanted to note is that the expectation on these quizzes is not perfection, but a demonstrated comprehension of the knowledge presented in the module.
- How many have heard the term sage on the stage? Sage on the stage (lecturing to the audience) versus guide on the side (An educator whose method is to provide students with occasional advice, assistance, and correction while allowing them to explore a subject area independently or by interacting among themselves; this educational method itself) Facilitation model There are situations where some “sage on the stage” may be warranted or required; but the key is to create balance, utilize the learning styles to incorporate various other ways of cementing the knowledge. Discussion forums have been a key to Opt’s success: because we have volunteers all throughout the province of BC, they sometimes have vastly different experiences, and
- Payoff: Despite the positive feedback to the training, in-person relationships and conversations are a priority for many key individuals. This raises a question about what Clinic Supervisors know about the online training, whether they appreciate the positive feedback that has been provided. How tech savvy are your volunteers? Ours are literally and figuratively all over the map! Some come with years of experience and navigating a Moodle site is anon-issue, where as others get frustrated and drop out. Solution? Make the site map as easy as possible, create space for tech support (although they may not take it), and create a “how to” document to be sent out in advance of training. We also made the first module very simple to ease volunteers into the training. Time: depending on the model used, this type of training can take time: it can take time to create, sustain, and facilitate. An example: We use a lot of exteral sources, through weblinks. If a website changes the way they create URLs (as was the case
- This happened: I started a volunteer training, and prior to unlocking the module had checked all of the MANY links in the module. Between me checking and the volunteers logging on, an website that will remain unnamed changed their URLs from underscores to dashes and every single link changed. Savvy users could search the topic and find the correct page, but those who were not as savvy were not as lucky (and it required a whole bunch of emergency fixes on my part!)
- *do we want to add something about becoming outdated?