How can I recreate all of my in-person programs for virtual delivery? Is it even possible?
Business Need
At the beginning of the pandemic, the world hastily moved online. People scrambled to convert in-person training for virtual delivery. It was clunky but it worked and participants were gracious with limited technology, boring design and choppy facilitation. That set a low watermark. Now that we’ve been living, working and learning online for years, people have higher expectations. There is still grace and understanding for technology failing and pets appearing in backgrounds. But, participants want to be engaged when they learn online. Training programs are competing with a day full of online meetings, the regular work distractions like email and messages, but also home distractions like pets, children, couriers and household chores. People are fatigued and easily distracted so virtual training needs to engage them, create connection, and result in learning and a change in behaviour. This is the high watermark we must now meet.
Design for a Digital Age program
Who is this program for?
This program is for learning and development professionals who are responsible for designing and delivering virtual training.
You want your online courses to exceed participants’ expectations. You’re busy so you need a process and templates so you can work quickly. You’re always looking for creative and innovative ways to engage participants.
How does this program help participants?
This is an engaging online program. Participants benefit by:
- Learning content and models at their own pace.
- Working on an actual training course they need to design.
- Seeing good design and effective facilitation ‘in action’ so it’s role modelled for them.
- Learning the processes I follow and receiving the template I use with my clients.
- Being supported between sessions through an online forum.
- Learning from other professionals through discussions and opportunities for feedback.
Program overview
There are three courses in the Design for a Digital Age program, which provide tangible design and facilitation skills to non-instructional designers so they design and deliver virtual training that is engaging and changes behaviour.
1. Design 101 – Provides targeted instructional design skills.
2. Virtual Design – Focused on the design process specific to virtual delivery.
3. Virtual Facilitation – Includes overall Facilitation and techniques specific to virtual delivery.
Award Winner
In 2021 Performance Matters was recognized with the award, “Award of Excellence: Adapting Workplace Performance & Learning in the Time of COVID” from the Institute for Performance and Learning (I4PL) for this program. This national award recognizes performance and learning projects that embrace the standards of excellence, and are a way to celebrate the profession’s most innovative people and their projects.
See the award announcement.
Learn More
- Learn about the Design for a Digital Age program on my Learn site.
- Learn about how I design for virtual delivery (link)
- Download these resources:
- Read these past newsletters:
- Supporting remote employees (link)
- What makes a good online course – Part 1 (link)
- What makes a good online course – Part 2 (link)
- What makes a good online course – Part 3 (link)
- How do I redesign a small group activity for online? (link)
- Facilitating online – when Tech Fails (link)
- From the trenches – Using technology when facilitating online (link)
- Online learning is like hang gliding (link)
- Tips for Designing Virtual Programs (link)
