A few weeks ago, I attended a virtual training session that delivered excellent content but provided no opportunity for interaction.
Participants couldn’t see who else was on the call, there were no introductions, polls, or prompts. It wasn’t clear how or when questions would be addressed either. For a moment I thought if the session was live or if I was just watching a recording. This bring to mind the importance of choosing the right delivery format when creating training.
If It’s Live, It Needs an Engagement Strategy
Virtual engagement is inherently challenging — especially when cameras and microphones are off. For this reason, planning on engagement is crucial to maintain participants active in the session.
Some interactive activities include:
- Introductions or quick warm-ups to create presence
- Polls or short reflection prompts to activate thinking
- Structured Q&A pauses instead of waiting until the end
- Chat-based prompts that encourage participation without requiring audio
When you invite the learner to the training you are creating opportunities for increased attention and motivation that will make the content stick and become more relevant.
Some Design Questions Behind Every Live Session
So when you design a live session, some questions to keep in mind include:
- What are the learning objectives?
- How do I gauge that they are met?
- What opportunities can I offer for the learners to practice those objectives and share their results?
We need to keep in mind that training sessions are designed FOR the learners. Their success is what matters and our job is to make it possible.
