Curating Content For A Virtual Classroom
Curating content for a virtual classroom is a critical process that can determine the success or failure of an entire program. In a synchronous online training, such as elearning virtual classrooms, both learners and the instructor contribute to the session at the same time, from any location. Whereas, asynchronous Digital training can be accessed by learners at their own time and pace—without the instructor.
Thus, with synchronous online training, learners can take advantage of all the benefits of human interaction of a physical classroom without the constraints of travel, logistics, and space.
eLearning virtual classroom, webinar
Old Vs. New
If you are using an existing classroom training material ensure you identify the right "need-to-know" content that needs to be included in the virtual session because you need to make up for the absence of the instructor and collaboration. The goal is to carefully refine content and activities into pre-session activities to establish rapport and trust, effective instruction with the help of a variety of instructional activities and collaboration activities to be used throughout the session. The technology platform you choose will dictate the kind of collaboration activities you can have. You can use multiple training formats such as existing microlearning courses, quizzes, videos and other digital assets during the session. On the other hand, if the virtual training session is for a new training program, it is vital to have an effective roadmap to:
Ensure that the training program and business objectives are aligned
Define the performance-based learning goals of the training
In turn, the learning goals will help determine the content to be included, the duration of the session and the assessments and activities to be included.
These objectives are:
Desired organizational results
What is the business goal to be accomplished?
Desired performance
What is the gap that needs to be filled to accomplish the set goal? Will the training close the gap?
Performance-based learning objectives
What should learners be able to do to enhance performance?
Types Of Instructional Material
Whether you are using existing content or creating a new program from scratch, these instructional materials are crucial:
Facilitator guides:
Besides offering hints on the content to be covered, facilitator guides help instructors conduct activities by providing detailed instructions on each activity: the duration, the sequence of activities, the formats (is it a poll, an annotation, or a breakout room?) etc. A "host" or "anchor" should be provided to support the facilitator in conducting the session and operating the technology (run polls, set up and monitor breakout rooms, answer participant questions on using the platform, help them participate in activities, gather and display results, and more).
Participant guides and handouts:
Participant guides will help learners participate in training sessions seamlessly by providing clear instructions, while participant handouts will enable them to complete their individual/group activities. Handouts could include worksheets, checklists, to-do lists, infographics, PDFs, and other handy job aids learners can take away and reuse on the job.
Reference material: Essential reference materials include
A guide to help learners and instructors understand how to use the platform
Links to additional learning resources- internal and external
PDFs such as data sheets and glossaries
eLearning virtual classroom, webinar
Virtual Classrooms Vs. Webinars
While a webinar is also a synchronous training delivery format, it is basically a one-way communication with the presenter doing most of the talking. Participants get to share their opinions, feedback or answer questions through polls—which doesn't allow for much collaboration. The integral component of virtual classrooms—collaboration—is missing in webinars. Virtual classrooms, on the other hand, allows learners to participate and collaborate actively, engage in group activities and share their learning.
In Conclusion
This article will help you curate effective content for your virtual classroom, whether you opt for existing content or building a new program. However, there are many other aspects of virtual learning beyond the curation of content. You can find out more about these aspects on The Learning Lab and also discover how to collaborate through technology, train trainers, and motivate learners.