Setting up a virtual classroom

We are all now really comfortable and confident using online tools like Skype and Teams to stay connected and present information, however they do have limitations if you want to deliver truly interactive training sessions. So this blog looks at the virtual classroom as your digital space that enables learners (during a training course) to communicate with each other, consult training materials and use interactive tools to participate in educational activities.

A virtual classroom demands more preparation than a face-to-face course because as well as mastering the tools, you will have to think (in advance) about how you will deliver the training and what tools you would like to use.

A virtual classroom allows you to:

View all participants invited
View a list of connected participants
Send instant messages
Communicate via the microphone
Interact on a shared whiteboard to write things down
Share notes
Distribute resources
Raise your hand
Record the virtual classroom
Launch a survey
Share your screen and any information you have open on your computer
Show a video posted on social media and YouTube

The advantages of the virtual classroom

It allows you to work with people regardless of their geographic location
Unlike a traditional e-learning course, the virtual classroom is fully interactive and offers the possibility of immediate feedback
It encourages social learning, which is a learning mode that includes social interaction like chat, internal social networks within companies, etc

What else can the virtual classroom deliver?

The virtual classroom doesn’t restrict you to only using the tools included in the software. You can also incorporate a range of other multimedia tools into your virtual training sessions. And maybe try incorporating Connectivism, a theoretical framework for understanding learning in a digital age. It emphasizes how internet technologies such as web browsers, search engines, wikis, online discussion forums, and social networks contributed to new avenues of learning.

The aim of this is to connect learners to the knowledge network, so they can use it independently and effectively. It also seeks to connect learners with each other so they can share, develop and transfer their knowledge. This has the virtue of reminding us that with the wealth of knowledge available and its perpetual evolution, knowing where to find the right resources is now a skill we should all develop.

Linking learners’ knowledge to relevant external resources and giving them the tools to follow the evolution of knowledge in their field – in a way establishing a knowledge map – is just as important as learning something by using long-established knowledge or resources.

Setting up a virtual classroom