This document outlines tips for effectively conducting webinars. It discusses: - The importance of interaction, engagement and applying principles of adult education in virtual learning. - Strategies for creating interaction, such as using polls, asking questions, and changing presentation views frequently. - Tips for a successful webinar such as having a moderator, preparing participants, using the chat feature, engaging multiple presenters, and keeping learners focused with visual aids. - The document provides guidance for webinar leaders on how to effectively structure and facilitate a virtual learning session.

1. Successful
Strategies for
Engaging
Learners
through Webinar
Technologies
By Dr. Charlotte
McCorquodale

2. LEARNING OUTCOMES
Participants will learn:
 The top vendors in the virtual classroom market
and criteria for successfully selecting a virtual
classroom product based upon their needs.
 Understand the different types of web-based
synchronous learning events and how to
appropriately use each type depending on
learning goal.
 Learn strategies for successfully using live web-
based learning events as including preparation,
implementation, and evaluation.
 Learn strategies for creating learner interaction
when using webinar technology for online
learning.

3. Why and when should we
use webinar technology?

4. What makes live
face-to-face
training effective
for adult
learners?
Which of things are transferable to a live
(synchronous) virtual classroom?

5. Applying Principles of Adult
Education in a Virtual Learning
Environment
Adults need to be involved in the
planning, action, and evaluation of
learning
Experience is the basis for learning
Relevance is the key, adults must be able
to use or apply what is being learned
Adult learning is problem-centered vs.
content-center

6. Webinar
headaches
Technology snafu’s
 Audio problems
 Slow bandwidth
Talking heads or lectures
Presenter drops off the webinar
Participants multi-tasking

7. What’s the
difference?
Webinar
Webcast
Live Virtual
classroom
Web-conference

8. What to look for
in a webinar product/provider?
 Interaction tools such as polls and status tools
(raise hand, applaud, laugh, step-a-away)
 Text chat available to participants and
speakers
 Option to Record
 Audio Options including integrated telephone
and VoIP
 Breakout rooms
 File sharing and screen sharing functions
 Multiple screen layouts

9. Go-to-
Webinar
Adobe
Connect
Pro
Elluminate &
Blackboard
Collaborate
Wiz IQ
Some of the
most popular
synchronous
virtual
classrooms

10. Tip # 1: Have a Host or
Moderator
 Provides tech support for
participants and presenter(s)
 Orients participants to webinar
site
 Monitors text chat or
backchannel
 Feed questions to presenters
 Possible dialogue partner

11. Tip #2: Using Polls
 Different purposes of polls
 Use polls before you provide learning point
 Introduce participants to each other
 Test knowledge, skill, or experience on topic
 Different poll types
 Multiple choice
 Multiple answer
 Chat question (avoid broad general questions)
 Yes/No or Agree/Disagree
 How often should polls be used?
 Always have in slide and in polling function
 

12. Tip #3: Create interaction every
2 or 3 slides or 5 to 10 minutes
 Polls
 Raise hand if…
 Ask for chat response
 Ask for audio response
 Call on participant
 Answer questions
 Change presentation view

13. Tip #4: The Zen of Delivery
 Encourage to simulate a F2F
presentation such as to stand when
presenting to, have other people in
the room with them so that they can
get non-verbal feedback (especially
if they are new to using the medium
for training)
 Do not to read a script and use a
headset so hands are free
 Remember pause and breathe,
especially if things do not go as
planned
 Sign on at least 30 minutes prior to
test technology
 If you are not the presenter then train
the presenter on both the
technology and tips for success

14. Tip #5: Use your different pods
and screen views
 Polls
 Document
sharing
 Q & A
 Text chat &
multiple text
chat pods
 Notes pod
 Video clips
 Application sharing

15. Tip #6: Preparing participants
for success
 Ask participants to register even it it is free
(get a commitment)
 Send reminders at least 2-3 days before
and the day of the webinar
 Make sure you as well as your users get on
to the webinar site at least 30 minutes
prior to the webinar so that a system
check can occur.

16. Tip #7: Use Text Chat for
Learner Engagement
Understand multiple purposes can be
achieved in using this interaction tool
 For participants asking questions
 Invite participants to share their
experiences related to the learning topic
 Encourage participants to contribute to
learning of others by sharing examples or
recommending resources
 them to answer
 Using problem-solving question
 Use chat to ask participants to apply
learning at the end of webinar

17. Tip #7 (continued): Using Text
Chat for Learner Engagement
 Different group sizes require different
strategies
 Don’t always allow chatting especially in large
groups because it can be distracting,
encourage private chats if needed
 Try using the multiple chat pods by dividing
participants into groups such as born from
January to June and then July to December or
to get learners to pick a question that relates to
their experience or knowledge
 Do not read chat verbatim; highlight
comments by skimming and looking for
responses that help make teaching point

18. Tip #8: Use
Multiple
Voices
 Have multiple presenters or guests to present a
case study example on topic
 Create dialogue with host/moderator
 Invite participants to speak or ask questions or
make comments (but don’t ask for volunteers)
 For large webinars create a participant panel in
advance

19. Tip #9: Keep learners attention by
helping learners know where to focus
on screen
 Use pointing tool to
keep screen moving
and active
 Use drawing tools to
draw attention to
screen
 Visit websites to show
examples

20.  Scenarios
 Pictures and
images
Tip# 10:
Storytelling in
a virtual
environment

21. Thanks for you
attention and
participation!
Our time is up!

22. Copyright © Ministry Training Source, 2012. All rights reserved.
During the preparation of this resource, all citations, facts, figures, Internet URLs, and
other cited information were verified for accuracy. The author has made every
attempt to reference current and valid sources, but cannot guarantee the content of
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information or sources listed within, please contact MTS.