Blog

Many companies rely heavily on teacher-led training (ILT). As a rule, the courses are conducted in person, so that groups can advance together and benefit not only from the specialist knowledge of the teacher, but also from the knowledge of all participants.

However, the traditional corporate ILT is not ideal in all scenarios. Since the outbreak of coronavirus forced companies across the country to close their doors and accept the work-from-home approach, personal training is not an option.

Fortunately, there is an alternative. With Virtual ILT (vILT), companies can offer the same classroom experience regardless of whether everyone can be in the same physical space. If you want to convert corporate ILT to vILT, here are some tips that can help you.

Invest in the right equipment

Much of the vILT experience is like traditional personal training. The course leader gives a live lecture and shares important information with the participants.

The main difference is the delivery mechanism. vILT is web-based. The teacher still speaks live, but relies on devices such as microphones and webcams when speaking to learners.

A below-average equipment affects the experience. Without a high-quality microphone, for example, the teacher's voice does not get through clearly. This could make it difficult for participants to hear what is said, which hinders the exchange of knowledge.

Similarly, the image can be blurry when the webcam is low-end. Not only can this prevent students from seeing the instructor, it also prevents them from easily viewing supporting materials. If the instructor typically relies on graphics such as posters or whiteboard diagrams, this can further affect the experience.

If you want to keep your learners busy, invest in the right equipment. Make sure the instructor has access to a high quality microphone and webcam. Ideally, you would also like to give everyone access to web conferencing software with screen sharing capabilities, which allows the instructor to create a virtual whiteboard or presentation that replaces all of the visual elements that are commonly used.

Adjust the content as needed

In some cases, converting ILT to vILT requires more than just deploying the session online. Sometimes you may need to customize the content yourself.

With the vILT approach, learners are usually not in the office when they participate. You may encounter distractions that do not occur in a classroom or have problems with engagement, especially when group participation sections need to be cut due to the change in format.

Before you take an ILT course and present it virtually, you should consider whether it should be shortened or extended. If a significant amount of the core material cannot be converted to a vILT format, the content may need to be expanded to ensure that it adds value. If the content may be difficult to process in a single vILT session, it may be better to split it into multiple modules.

Are you looking for L&D talent who can help you convert your ILT to vILT?

Ultimately, most ILT courses can be updated to reflect the vILT approach. If you need to make the switch, poeticbusiness experts can help you find the right L&D talent to accomplish this. We have more than 25 years of experience in L&D and can make the identification of the L&D candidates you need as easy as possible. Contact us to learn more about our comprehensive services and how you can benefit from our L&D expertise.