What do you do if your virtual training program in the social impact field is falling flat?
You have designed and delivered a virtual training program for your social impact organization, but you are not seeing the results you expected. Your participants seem bored, disengaged, or confused. You wonder what went wrong and how you can improve your online learning experience. In this article, you will learn some practical tips to diagnose and fix your virtual training program in the social impact field.
To improve your virtual training program, the first step is to understand why it is falling flat. To do this, you should collect feedback from participants, facilitators, and stakeholders through surveys, interviews, focus groups, or observation. Possible questions to ask include what the learning objectives and outcomes of the program are, how relevant and useful the content is for the participants' needs and interests, how engaging and interactive the delivery method and format are, how clear and consistent the instructions and expectations are, how accessible and user-friendly the platform and tools are, how supportive and responsive the facilitators and peers are, and how aligned and integrated the program is with the organization's mission and vision.
The second step to improve your virtual training program is to revise the content and design based on the feedback. You need to ensure that your program is aligned with the best practices of adult learning and online pedagogy. To do this, you should review and refine the learning objectives and outcomes to make them SMART, update and adapt the content to make it current, relevant, and useful for the participants' context and goals, incorporate different types of media such as videos, images, audio or animations to make the content more engaging and appealing, break down the content into smaller chunks and modules for easier digestion and retention, provide clear and consistent instructions and expectations for each activity and assignment, use a variety of delivery methods such as synchronous, asynchronous, self-paced or blended to suit participants' preferences and availability, and choose a platform and tools that are accessible, user-friendly, and compatible with the content and design.
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Design your content around not just the knowledge you want students to exhibit, but also the skills and attitudes. Evidencing social impact can be achieved through well designed practical tasks that demonstrate all of these three domains. Also, keep each online learning component short, ideally less than 5 minutes - focus students attention towards the practical application of content knowledge for impact, rather than being able to demonstrate a passive knowledge of information.
The third step to improve your virtual training program is to increase the interaction and collaboration among the participants, facilitators, and stakeholders. To do this, you need to create opportunities for social learning and community building in your online environment. Strategies such as icebreakers, warm-ups, and energizers can help break the ice and build rapport. Polls, quizzes, games, or simulations can stimulate interest and curiosity. Discussions, debates, case studies, or scenarios can encourage critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Breakout rooms, peer feedback, or group projects can foster teamwork and communication skills. Reflection, self-assessment, or portfolios can support self-directed learning and growth. Recognition, rewards, or badges can motivate and acknowledge achievements and progress. Finally, forums, chats, or social media can facilitate networking and sharing of resources and experiences.
The fourth step to improve your virtual training program is to provide ongoing support and follow-up for your participants, facilitators, and stakeholders. This is essential for ensuring that your program is not a one-time event, but rather a continuous learning journey. You should provide timely and constructive feedback and guidance for the participants' questions, challenges, and achievements. Additionally, you could offer coaching, mentoring, or peer support for their personal and professional development. Technical support and troubleshooting should also be provided for the platform and tools. Furthermore, you could provide additional resources and materials for further learning and exploration. Evaluation and measurement tools can be used to assess the participants' learning outcomes and impact. Certificates, testimonials, or referrals can be offered as recognition of their credibility. Finally, you could offer opportunities and suggestions for application and transfer of learning to their work and life.
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If the virtual training program in the social impact field is falling flat, there is a definite disconnect with your learning audience. Either their motivations are different or your content is not relatable to them. Make sure to re-assess their needs and re-structure the content accordingly. Also assess the ways you are delivering content and make it more engaging and interactive. Once you have the core content in place, think about motivating your learners before the virtual training program by sharing short teasers in the form of videos or other engaging modalities so that they look forward to the virtual session. Keep it short and sweet!
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