This webinar focused on engagement techniques for synchronous virtual classes that have 10-30 people. There were many useful techniques discussed such as:
- Create engagement every 3-5 minutes as studies show that participants mentally check out every 7 minutes.
- Some ways of of creating engagement are:
- Breaks, re-energizes participants. Display a timer that counts down from 10 min.
- Storytelling, people remember stories more than plain facts.
- Thinking, have participants do an activity that involves thinking and give them time to do it.
- Tests, participants do best when they know an evaluation is coming up.
- Multiple voices, especially a man and a woman's voice keep participants interested.
- Humor, participants can hear your emotions so tell an appropriate joke to lighten the mood. Smile when speaking as it changes your voice.
- Enjoy yourself, if you don't no one else will.
- Managing Questions
- Questions usually fall in to four categories: technology, activity instructions, program logistics, and program content. The presenter should focus on the program content questions. All others should be taken care of through explicit instructions, prior trainings or other people specifically handling those other questions.
- Questioning Techniques
- Many people don't know how to handle 0pen ended questions.
- They don't know where to answer this type of question and generally do nothing.
- If person is new to online they will wait to see what everyone else does first.
- Can alleviate by:
- directing question to a particular person
- specify location to answer question, such as Q&A section
- ask for volunteers
- re-state as a close ended question
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