Remote employee training is becoming more popular than ever. With education readily available online, there’s no reason these days to go to a classroom, wait for the trainer to get started or keep with their pace, or pay for expensive training supplies. But while some people are excited about this new way of learning, others feel skeptical. How can you learn job training effectively without the help of a human instructor? These ten insights will show how virtual classroom software for online teaching makes the online learning experience more effective and enjoyable.
How Virtual Classroom Software for Online Teaching Changes the Game
Benefits of Online Learning
There are so many different ways online learning is superior to traditional methods. It reaches more students, allows for more one-on-one time with each student, saves money on supplies, and all the work can be done at home on the employee’s schedule. Read below to learn more specific ways that training online is ideal.
Personalization
Online teaching also allows the trainer to create personalized learning paths for each student. One student might be struggling in one topic while excelling in others. With online teaching software, a trainer could adjust the lesson’s difficulty or focus on an area where the trainee needs more help. This type of tailoring will improve your employees’ experience because they’ll feel like they’re progressing at their own pace rather than at a rate set by someone else (the teacher). Students will also be able to access resources like textbooks and documents in an easy-to-find resource folder with one click.
Encouraging Participation
One of the essential parts of learning is participation. If a trainer can’t gauge how engaged their students are, they won’t know if they’re learning what needs to be taught. Trainers can post discussion questions or polls to allow students to voice their opinions. This will increase engagement and give an idea about what material they found most exciting or confusing. Trainers can then use this information to tailor future lessons accordingly.
Empowering Connection
A virtual platform that allows for separation can actually do a better job at connecting others. Online classes provide a forum for instructors to communicate with students and learn more about their interests. Discussion boards allow for direct replies and an intimate communication experience, often the most preferred option
Virtual online platforms and classes also cater to those who might feel uncomfortable speaking up in face-to-face environments. An open discussion means less disengaged students because it welcomes everyone to participate. If a student doesn’t understand the coursework or needs help with understanding a topic, they can ask their instructor without difficulty through the virtual class forum.
Create a Learning Environment
Creating a learning environment is the first step to success in an online course. If trainers want students to focus and learn, they need an interactive space. Software like Skype allows trainers to add video and audio capabilities to the online course that can be live or recorded. Trainers can create a private chat room for participants to share their thoughts with the whole group. This will help students feel included and give them a sense of community.
Empowering Voice
Whenever you are in an educational setting, some students will be more engaged than others. For example, some people may sit quietly in the back of the classroom and barely participate while others carry laptops around to take notes or ask questions during each lecture.
Online classes are more effective than in-person courses, according to student trainers. It is easier to measure engagement for online courses because the trainer can better see what students are doing and check their emotions. For example, one of the most critical factors in online education is seeing how often students complete their coursework. This type of assessment helps virtual instructors measure the overall success rate of their class and allows them to see who is struggling with the concepts and which students are excelling.
Virtual instructors do not have to wait until the training ends to see how well their students learned the material. They can monitor student progress 24/7, any time, even in real-time, and use that feedback to make changes to their course and provide just-in-time remediation. With this information and insight, an instructor can help students with trouble and recognize those who come out on top.
Empowering Equality
Online training requires instructors to facilitate learning rather than just spit out information like traditional courses. As such, virtual instructors treat their students as peers and not “at-risk” learners. Sometimes the responsibility of learning can be challenging for students, but it will also help them feel more ownership and higher levels of success in the end.
Online courses are also egalitarian in their teaching approach. They are able to meet any student where they are in their skillset, no matter what age, intellect or resources the student has. Instructors can see all of their pupils at once and monitor how each one is progressing. In addition, online training will enable students to see and interact with the instructor and their peers clearly and equally.
Empowering Resource Use
Online classes typically have more resources for the student to utilize, and naturally, it presents in a more organized and concise manner. Face-to-face courses can seem a little disjointed. You have a paper syllabus and handouts, textbooks, online assignment platforms, and maybe another platform for research and tutoring. This can make it difficult for trainees to stay organized throughout the class, and they might forget they have resources at their fingertips.
Online courses allow trainers to put all of the course information in one place, and students log in weekly, sometimes daily, to view it. There is no mistake in what resources are available, and they are usually accessible with a short click of the mouse.
Empowering Increased, Quality Feedback
Many people like to learn, but some wish to receive more feedback from their trainers. Online training combines technology and teacher proximity, which allows for more high-quality feedback. Online training empowers feedback in a real-time correction, allowing learners to improve immediately.
Remote training will empower instructors when giving students immediate feedback. Students can go back into their classrooms’ digital archives at any time and re-read what was said before to be sure not to miss any critical points. Online feedback can also be customized to each student, which is a major benefit because students can go back to it as often as they need to for review and retention purposes. Online training also lets students see where they might have answered something wrong in an assignment immediately after posting something instead of having to wait days or weeks before finding out that their writing was unclear or they chose the wrong answer.
Empowering Inquiry
Virtual instructors can help students stay engaged and on track by asking them questions about their goals, revealing the purpose or reason behind course lessons, and encouraging student participation in discussion forums. On a more similar note, virtual instructors can empower students by encouraging more communication by asking mandatory and thought-provoking questions during class discussion forums. Most online courses involve assessment through large exams or frequent quizzes, but this is not always ideal. Student participation is low in these methods because many students are better apt at demonstrating their knowledge of concepts rather than memorizing material. Also, some students are simply not good test takers, so online courses will give them more options for demonstrating aptitude.
Virtual instructors can help foster dialogue in online discussion forums by asking open-ended questions that encourage better critical thinking about course topics. For example, an instructor can ask his or her students, “What will you do differently when you finish this course in order to apply what you learned?” This question motivates students to reflect on their actions and made them more proactive in their learning.
Empowering Accountability
One of the best ways online coursework can empower students is by giving them responsibility for their learning. Successful virtual instructors learn how to transfer some of their control of the course, including grading exams and assignments. The role of the instructor becomes much more supportive than controlling, which helps in fostering an environment where students feel more like they are on a team. As with any sports team, group, or club, everyone has to pull their weight and work together to win. Virtual students learn this philosophy to be successful at learning online.
We Can Help
Companies that invest in employee training benefit from reduced attrition rates and hiring costs, better employee productivity, more knowledgeable employees, and a competitive hiring package. ReadyTech’s remote training software provides different ways to interact with trainers and peers, encouraging participation and active learning. We provide companies and their employees with a hosted training solution that offers hands-on, virtual training software to aid your workforce in practicing job skills.
ReadyTech provides your company with all the software you need for your virtual training classroom, and we offer a full-service setup process and 24/7 live support. Contact us today.
