Our Virtual Classroom sessions are live open-conference line sessions whereby everyone can talk at any time. One of the keys to keeping people engaged is keeping them involved inthe running conversation. The workshop curriculum is designed to support this.Our workshops are not lectures – they are interactive discussions and facilitated work group sessions that deal intimately with the problems the participants face. As such, there are frequent opportunities to call on participants during the workshop for their thoughts and opinions.
Another keyis technology. The facilitator is able to see at a glance who is attentive and who is not. If an application is brought up on a participant’s computer, and the workshop is no longer the “top” application on the screen, an indicator is placed next to their name to denote that they are not attentive. The same goes for when a screen saver is engaged on a participants computer.When a participant becomes inattentive during a workshop, they are quite likely to be the next person called upon.
Another technology feature is the “Who’s Talking” identifier. The facilitator is able to see who is talking (by name) and therefore can respond to that person on a first name basis. While it seems like a small detail, the intimacy of the discussions is greatly enhanced when people are communicating with one another on a first name basis. It also creates a degree of accountability for participants who are talkingto others in their office during the session.
Finally, the quality of the facilitator is key. The facilitator must be able to create and sustain rapport and interaction throughout the session, and much of this is going to come from their attentiveness to the needs of the participants, and from presenting good qualityrelevant material.
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