virtual meeting
Virtual_Meetings

Virtual Meetings

(VER-t-you-al ME-teen)

Solid Elements

SOLID

What is a Virtual Meeting Platform?

An online platform that allows for live, instructor-led learning experiences.

Other Common Names for Virtual Meeting Platforms

You may not call it a virtual meeting platform due to the many brand names that are common:

  • Zoom
  • GoToMeeting or GoToTraining
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Adobe Connect

Key Properties of Virtual Meeting Platforms

  • Internet-based software that allows you to conduct meetings and learning experiences from anywhere in the world, with participants who are also located anywhere in the world
  • Core capabilities of voice, video, screen share, and text or chat.

Facilitating Virtual meetings 

While almost all of these were developed for online meetings, many have now improved their functionality to support online facilitated training. You can see more about how to use these platforms work (or don’t) for training by checking out the Training Guides.

Insights about virtual meetings that brian has shared on many virtual meetings

Whats Your Formula book
Order your copy to learn more about virtual meeting platforms and all of the related elements.

Elements that bond well with Virtual MEetings

powerpointPowerPoint

Almost all virtual meetings incorporate PowerPoint as the primary visual aid to walk participants through content. Making sure you’re designing your slides to be as engaging and useful as possible will be one key to holding the participants’ attention.

soapboxSoapbox

While the use of virtual meeting platforms is growing, it can still be difficult to string together a series of activities (beyond just talking at your audience). Soapbox, which you can learn more about by visiting that element’s page or reading this article here, can help generate a sequence and flow of activities customized to the platform you’re using.

lesson planLesson Plan

There may be some temptation to open PowerPoint and begin generating slides when you know that you’ll be delivering a virtual session, since that will be your primary on-screen visual aid. However, taking the time to completely develop a lesson plan with a sequence and flow of appropriate activities can help ensure your session will run on time and the learning activities do not grow redundant.

icebreakersIcebreakers

Since we know that not everyone is comfortable using the technology and features of a virtual meeting platform, try incorporating an icebreaker or two to help your learners grow more comfortable with the features; this can help them get to know the technology, each other, and can be helpful for engagement later in your session.

dialogue educationDialogue Education

Some virtual meetings are designed with the mindset that because people are not all together in the same place, allowing participants to learn through dialogue with one another may not be possible. Nothing can be further from the truth. Incorporating principles of dialogue education, such as safety, praxis, immediacy, teamwork, and learner engagement, is not only possible in a virtual environment, it’s also essential.