How To Improve Interactive Learning Environment

A virtual training is the perfect method to approach a wider audience and to share the information in an engaging environment. However, many trainers are complaining that their online sessions aren't very entertaining for their audience. They are concerned that the participants are only present in a passive way, and that they didn't acquire much information from the training session. Thankfully, this situation can be solved very simple, by turning our regular session into an interactive training.

An interactive training has the purpose of engaging the participants into the discussed topics, by drawing their attention and making them more involved in the development of the session. In the following, we will present you some valuable tips on how to improve interactive learning environment and what should you do, in order to have some successful and effective training sessions.

1) Set Your Objectives

Before choosing a delivery method, you will have to determine what should be accomplished, during the training session. Considering that you already know your topics and your audience, you should select the best method of getting their attention and making them aware of the training's key points. Once you have the answer to that, you will realize that a presentation is not always the best delivery method, and that sometimes, you have to adapt a little. That's good, because this is the first step to an interactive learning environment.

2) Focus On Some Personal Stories

People appreciate when the trainer doesn't seem like a perfect, all-knowing person. In order to connect to our audience, we have to let them know that we are alike, and that sometimes, it's fine not to be perfect. Instead of going with the classic slideshows, you should focus more on some good case practices, simulations or even on sharing some personal experiences. A good strategy, no matter the training's topic is to talk about mistakes and present the concept as a perfectly normal one. Enforce this statement with some personal stories in which you have made mistakes, and explain how they have turned you into the successful person that you are today.

3) Mix Your Delivery Styles

When it comes to an interactive learning environment, it's very hard to read our audience and we often don't know how they respond to our delivery method. Considering that every person is different and each of them comprehends the information in a different way, it's better to alternate our delivery methods or to mix them all, in the same context. We already know that a basic presentation accompanied by a visual slideshow is a decent way of mixing the delivery styles. However, this method it's starting to become a little obsolete and we will need a little more, if we want an interactive learning environment. Because we are creating an interactive training session, the possibilities are unlimited and we have plenty of delivery styles to choose from. For example, many trainers choose to substitute the business concepts and to include them in a fairy tale, with princesses, knights and wizards. This way, they are able to present some valuable business concepts, and to draw everyone's attention with the engaging story.

4) Prepare Your Logistics

Just because we are talking about a virtual training, it doesn't mean that we don't have to prepare some materials before the presentation. First of all, we need to focus on the visual materials, which will accompany our presentation. Because we are having an interactive training session, the visual materials have to be interactive as well. If you want to go with some slideshows, try to make them as concise as possible, without stuffing the information. According to a study, the human brain is 84% more predisposed to learn a certain information, if that information is accompanied by some flashy colors or logos. Also, the used software is important as well, because it establishes what kind of freedom will you have, when you're holding the presentation.

5) Choose A Proper Communication Software

If you want a productive training session, you will have to fit all the participants, be able to present your visual documents and to enhance their interaction with you. If you don't know a communication software that can do all that, then you should take a look at ezTalks Meetings. This software will let you organize Webinars or training sessions with up to 100 participants for free, has an extremely professional screen sharing system and it comes with a reliable live chat, where the participants can interact with you. Also, ezTalks Meetings allows you to stream your session in high quality, is accessible from any mobile or static platform and it comes with a "Record This Meeting" feature, which lets you share the presentation with whomever is interested.

Final Thoughts

This tips will teach you how to become a better trainer and how to improve interactive learning environment, for the sake of your audience. Remember that no matter how many guides and articles you will read, the best way to reach an interactive learning environment is through practice and hard work. Keep improving your style every day, consult with your friends or colleagues and get ready to make mistakes. If you do all that, then your training sessions will be nothing less than perfect and you will be a true professional in this working area.