144 Tips on

Synchronous
e-Learning
Strategy + Research

Sponsored by Edited by Bill Brandon

 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 2

Copyright © 2008 by The eLearning Guild

Published by The eLearning Guild
375 E Street, Suite 200
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
www.elearningguild.com

You may download, display, print, and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (retaining
this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use, or use within your organization. All other
rights are reserved.

This is a FREE Digital eBook. No one is authorized to charge a fee for it, or to use it to collect data.

Attribution notice for information from this publication must be given, must credit the individ-
ual contributor in any citation, and should take the following form: The eLearning Guild's 144 Tips
on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research

Readers should be aware that Internet Web sites, offered as citations or sources for further infor-
mation, may have disappeared, or been changed, between the date this book was published and
the date it is read.

Other FREE Digital eBooks by The eLearning Guild include:

The eLearning Guild's Handbook of e-Learning Strategy
The eLearning Guild's Handbook on Synchronous e-Learning
162 Tips and Tricks for Working with e-Learning Tools
834 Tips for Successful Online Instruction
328 Tips on the SELECTION of an LMS or LCMS
339 Tips on the IMPLEMENTATION of an LMS or LCMS
311 Tips on the MANAGEMENT of an LMS or LCMS
239 Tips for Producing and Managing Flash-based e-Learning Content

Publisher: David Holcombe

Editorial Director: Heidi Fisk
Editor: Bill Brandon
Copy Editor: Charles Holcombe
Design Director: Nancy Marland Wolinski

The eLearning Guild™ Advisory Board

Ruth Clark, Lance Dublin, Conrad Gottfredson, Bill Horton, Bob Mosher, Eric Parks, Brenda Pfaus,
Marc Rosenberg, Allison Rossett.
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 3

Table of Contents

I. How to Use These Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

A. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

II. The eLearning Guild’s Research on Synchronous Learning Strategy . . . . . . . .7

A. Synchronous Tool Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
B. Best Practices in Synchronous Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

III. 11 Tips for Blending Synchronous Learning with Other Learning

Modalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
IV. 49 Tips for Designers of Synchronous Presentations,
Courses, and Webinars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
V. 8 Tips for Managers Who Lead Synchronous Learning Efforts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
VI. 53 Tips for Synchronous Speakers and Instructors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
VII. 23 Tips for Technical Production, Planning, and Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
About Guild membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

List of Ads
Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro: Solution Brief .............................................................. 5–6
Adobe eLearning Solutions for Higher Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 – 14
Adobe Case Study: Grundfos Management A/S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 – 22
Adobe Case Study: Ontario Ministry of Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 – 30
Adobe Case Study: Philips Medical Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 – 38
Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro for eLearning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 4

I. How to Use These Tips

A. Introduction
In April and May, 2008, The eLearning Guild conducted a survey of its members, asking for
their favorite tips relating to strategies for effectively creating, managing, and using synchronous
e-Learning. Members could submit tips relating to any or all of five different categories. A total
of 80 members responded to the survey, contributing 144 usable tips. Two tipsters were anony-
mous, and, because all tips had a 4000 character limit, the input system truncated one of the
tips. As is usual in our past surveys, the tips range in length from one-sentence ideas all the way
up to multi-page discourses. Some are very basic in nature, and others are quite advanced.
We edited the tips lightly, including the usual spelling corrections. In a few cases where
English did not appear to be the Tipster's primary language, we had to make guesses as to what
the Tipster meant – otherwise, everything you see in this book is in the tipsters' own words. As
a result, we believe that these tips will be useful to any designer or developer looking for best
practices to incorporate into their own processes.
We began turning these tips into an organized collection simply by sorting them. The largest
group is the 53 tips for Synchronous Speakers and Instructors. The next largest (49 tips) consists
of recommended practices and general tips for designers.
Because many of the tips were long, and addressed more than one idea, it was not possible to
sort the tips further into sub-categories.
After each tip, we give the name of the tipster who provided it. This may help you to contact
Tipsters for additional information.
We deeply appreciate the effort that contributors made to create these tips. We hope you find
many valuable ideas here that can help you as you create Synchronous online learning.

This FREE Digital eBook would not have been possible were it not for a generous contribution
to its development from Adobe. If you're not familiar with their products, or if you haven't
checked them out lately, we encourage you to look at their offerings soon!
 Solution Brief

Adobe Acrobat Connect  Pro® ® ™

for eLearning
Easily create and deliver compelling self-paced courses, conduct highly interactive
virtual classes, and efficiently manage training programs

Technology should make eLearning a rich, interactive experience—not a slow, cumbersome

ordeal. That’s why Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro software offers a captivating interface and
interactive tools to help participants learn and retain the material that you teach in virtual
classes and self-paced courses—and enjoy doing it. You can quickly design compelling
courses with templates and a library of content, teach more effectively with instructor
management tools, and track learner progress to make sure your eLearning is actually
achieving its goals.

Acrobat Connect Pro removes the common barriers to eLearning by giving learners instant,
hassle-free access to courses and virtual classrooms. Other eLearning solutions require
specialized software or plug-in downloads, but Acrobat Connect Pro delivers learners to the
classroom with just a click—from anywhere, at anytime, on almost any device. All they need
is what they already have: a web browser and the ubiquitous Adobe Flash® Player software,
already installed on 98% of Internet-connected computers.

Why Adobe for eLearning?

Rapid training: Get training where it’s needed, when it’s needed
No downloads. Instant access.
Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro software provides interactive tools to help you deliver engaging
The ability to captivate your training that users can instantly access from anywhere. You can quickly design courses that
audience with live classes and leverage existing Microsoft PowerPoint content using Adobe Presenter software, and create
on-demand courses. That’s interactive simulations using Adobe Captivate® software. Managing courses is easy with
what makes Adobe Acrobat
Connect Pro a leader in
enrollment tools, automatic learner notifications, and custom report features. All your learners
eLearning solutions. do is click on a URL—no downloads or plug-ins required—and work through courses at their
own pace, wherever and whenever it’s convenient for them.

• Design compelling content—no specialized programming skills required

• Incorporate existing PowerPoint content
• Easily add audio and video files for a rich user experience
• Create interactive tutorials and simulations
• Manage enrollment and notification
• Allow learners to self-enroll through online catalog
• Address a variety of learning styles
• Evaluate content effectiveness with customized training reports
• Track individual learner progress
 Virtual classrooms: Deliver live, interactive content
While virtual classrooms can save time and money, if the experiences are static and boring,
what is the real cost? With Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro software, you can empower trainers
to capture and keep learners’ attention and help increase knowledge retention by making the
experience fun and interactive. You can quickly create online classes with customizable
layouts and reusable, archived content—and even connect students with audio, video, and
interactive simulations to address a variety of learning styles, just like you would in a
physical classroom.

• Deliver and track Adobe Presenter courses inside virtual classrooms

• Customize classroom layouts and save them as templates for reuse
• Use breakout rooms to focus discussions
• Enable all learners to practice at the same time
• Record and replay interactive sessions, or download to view offline
• Evaluate virtual classroom effectiveness with customized reports
• Track individual learner progress
Flexible deployment options for organizations of all kinds
Adobe has perfected its product development process over 25 years. That’s why you can be
confident that Acrobat Connect Pro is ready on day one of your implementation—whether
you’re a university, government agency, or Fortune 500 enterprise.
Hosted or on-premise
Acrobat Connect Pro can be deployed as a licensed software product, on-premise, behind your
firewall, to provide complete control. Or it can be purchased on a subscription basis as a hosted
service, with full end-to-end 128-bit SSL encryption available.
Built on open standards
Acrobat Connect Pro is based on an open, extensible architecture that supports cost-effective
integration with existing infrastructure and future investments. Acrobat Connect Pro uses
standards such as XML and Java™ to exchange data, and it offers a full developer resource
center with hundreds of APIs and SDKs.
Protected content
Adobe understands your need to protect sensitive information. Acrobat Connect Pro provides
tight access control and security on all content to ensure that meetings and related information
For more information
are viewable only by your intended audience.
For more details about Adobe Acrobat Connect
Pro, visit www.adobe.com/acrobatconnectpro.

Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat Connect, Captivate, and Flash are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in
the United States and/or other countries. Mac OS and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Intel,
Intel Core, and Pentium are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. PowerPC is a trademark of
International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in
the U.S. and other countries. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Vista are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in
the United States and/or other countries. SUSE is a trademark of Novell, Inc. Red Hat is a trademark or registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc. in the
Adobe Systems Incorporated United States and other countries. Java and Solaris are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and
345 Park Avenue other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
San Jose, CA 95110-2704
USA © 2008 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
www.adobe.com 95010742 4/08
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 7

II. The eLearning Guild’s Research on

Synchronous Learning Strategy
Guild organiza- In addition to asking members for tips, The eLearning Guild is in the final stages of producing
the 360° Report on Synchronous Learning Systems for 2008. This report draws on continuously-
tions use synchro- updated input from Guild members at all levels, and provides many insights into the strategies
nous e-Learning that practitioners use.
Here's a sneak peek at significant findings about overall strategies regarding the use of synchro-
tools 63.7% of nous tools, and about best practices, that will be in the upcoming report.
the time. Organi-
A. Synchronous Tool Use
zations with over A reasonable question to ask is,“Who uses synchronous e-Learning tools?”
• Guild organizations use synchronous e-Learning tools 63.7% of the time. Organizations with
5,000 workers use
over 5,000 workers use these tools even more often (71.1%), while those with 500 or fewer
these tools even workers use them less often (58.8%).
• Guild organizations in the U.S. lead in use of synchronous tools (65.4%), with Central and Latin
more often (71.1%),
America right behind at 64%. Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) use synchronous
while those with tools least often (53.8%), while Asia-Pacific and Canada are at 55.7% and 59.1%, respectively.
• Telecom organizations are most likely to use synchronous tools (84.9%), while local govern-
500 or fewer
ments are least likely to use them (22.2%).
workers use them • Guild members with more experience (over 4 years) use synchronous e-Learning more often,
and they use it more often in 2008 than they did in 2007.
less often (58.8%).
• 30% of Guild members use more than one synchronous tool to deliver instruction online.

B. Best Practices in Synchronous Learning

In the latest research report, we highlight six best practices that differentiate organizations that
report receiving very good return on investment (ROI) from synchronous e-Learning, and those
who report poor or modest ROI. These are:
• Obtaining support from upper management for synchronous e-Learning,
• Using change management practices,
• Using a third party of their own choosing as a host (versus hosting synchronous sessions inter-
nally, or having the vendor host the sessions),
• Delivering synchronous e-Learning through their learning management system (LMS),
• Using instructor-led (classroom) training much less often, and synchronous e-Learning much
more often, than organizations that report poor or modest ROI, and
• Formally training the instructors who use the synchronous tools.
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 8

III. 11 Tips for Blending Synchronous Learning with

Other Learning Modalities
To optimize learn- Blend Content-Heavy Courses: A basic course that exceeds eight hours in duration is generally
too long to keep the attention of a typical learner in today's fast-paced world. Take what the learn-
ing outcomes and ers need to “know,” and put that content in a self-directed e-Learning module; then give the learn-
maximize authen- ers the opportunity to practice what they need to “do” in a face-to-face synchronous environment.
Give your learners a well-deserved break from feeding them so much content at one sitting —
tic assessment – they're full!
try combining “Tap the Room:” Keep the synchronous classroom experience interactive and engaging, and
facilitate the experiences of the learners in the room (or virtual room) to help reinforce your con-
synchronous tent. Try not to present more than 10 to 15 minutes of content at one time without some sort of
learning with interaction, sharing of experiences, or group activity. This will keep the energy up, interest piqued,
and your learners awake!
asynchronous Know Your Learners' Needs: As trainers, we often think we know our learners' needs. However, it
support and can be deceiving. As you plan your synchronous course, take the time to conduct a needs analysis.
Find the “true” needs of your learners. Where's their pain? What's working? And more importantly,
progress checks. what's not working? For example, problems with workplace security may not require training the
Kelley Chrouser, whole organization on the security policy, but rather coaching a small group of employees how to
Professional Development properly set door alarms at the end of the day. Discover the real problem before you jump to the
Program Manager, solution.
Association of Legal Don't Throw the Books Out with the Bathwater: There is value in books, manuals, and written
Administrators reference materials included in the synchronous training environment, but don't use words to
replace examples, images, and experiences. Create custom written materials by integrating only
the portions of the written materials that pertain to your training topic. Learn to be more specific,
and customize your materials for precisely the right support.
Visuals Are Meant to Be Seen, Not Heard: Use PowerPoint and other visual support tools for
support only, not for teaching content or replacing the spoken word. Many of us may find our-
selves relying on our PowerPoint slides to be the main vehicle for communicating content, but
that is not how to best use visuals. Besides, if your learners are reading the screen, they're not lis-
tening to you! Visuals are an excellent way of reinforcing concepts, showing examples, and help-
ing to connect your learner to the information. Use them sparingly and when appropriate, but
don't rely on them to speak for you.

Michael Sunnarborg, Sr. Training Specialist, Target Corporation

To optimize learning outcomes and maximize authentic assessment — try combining synchro-
nous learning with asynchronous support and progress checks. We recently, for example, devel-
oped a conference focused on creating initiatives designed for implementation by attendees over
the course of the year. Throughout the project cycle, we provided attendees access to asynchro-
nous and just-in-time learning, networking, and support resources in the form of:
• Recorded Web events (synchronous with asynchronous access to the recorded event),
• A wiki center where attendees build their own “lessons learned and best practices” database,
• Discussion boards where attendees and business partners can network,
• Requested resources and peer mentoring, and
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 9

III. Tips for Blending Synchronous Learning with

Other Learning Modalities continued
For an effective • Online resources provided by conference sponsors, conference hosts and conference speakers,
all on an as-needed basis.
learning experi- As a result, learners are creating real-world deliverables with measurable outcomes for their
ence, blend Vir- own workplaces.
For another synchronous learning event, we added asynchronous learning assets that partici-
tual-Classroom- pants could access prior to the synchronous event. The asynchronous learning assets provide both
based training the means and opportunity for creating a pre-existing knowledge base. This enables synchronous
event facilitators and trainers to focus on higher-order learning objectives, within a limited time-
with In-Person frame, in ways in which they were not previously able to do. Adding asynchronous events after
classroom-based synchronous events also provides trainers or instructors a means to more adequately assess learn-
ing along all four dimensions of the Kirkpatrick model of assessment.
training, wherev-
er viable. Do this Kelley Chrouser, Professional Development Program Manager, Association of Legal Administrators

in a 25 % (In-Per- For an effective learning experience, blend Virtual-Classroom-based training with In-Person
son) and 75 % classroom-based training, wherever viable. Do this in a 25 % (In-Person) and 75 % (Virtual
Classroom) ratio.
(Virtual Class- • Use In-Person training for teaching concepts, foundation, simple examples, and for establish-
room) ratio. ing rapport.
• Use Virtual Classroom training for covering more examples, subtleties of concepts, case stud-
Raj Chirputkar, ies, etc.
Vice President & Head — • If In-Person is not feasible, then one could substitute pre-recorded multimedia learning objects
e Learning, SEED Infotech for that component.
Ltd, Pune, India
This blend will give the best of both the objectives — “effective learning” experience with “any-
where learning” flexibility and scalability of training activities.

Raj Chirputkar, Vice President & Head — e Learning, SEED Infotech Ltd, Pune, India

If you require pre-work or other assignments, review them and build on them in the class.
Everyone remembers the college professor who asked you to read a chapter for homework, and
then basically quoted the chapter in the next class. You could have skipped the reading and taken
notes. You felt like you wasted your time, and then you didn't read any more of the chapters for
the rest of the term. Don't lose your credibility with the participants. Pre-work, and other assess-
ments, should be purposeful, worth the time to do them, and relevant to the formal learning ses-
sions.

Tracy Ross, Instructional Designer, Intel Corporation

Blended learning is a very effective method for delivering training, and requires preparation to
be successful. Unlike traditional classroom-based training, blended learning has many moving
parts. For example, in a traditional classroom program, the facilitator is preparing for a “live” event,
shipping materials, traveling to a location, preparing notes, checking enrollments, etc. In the blend-
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 10

III. Tips for Blending Synchronous Learning with

Other Learning Modalities continued
Blended learning ed environment, the facilitator may still be responsible for completing the classroom steps, how-
ever the blended environment requires much more.
is still a fairly This guide will help you decide whether Blended Learning is appropriate, and how to prepare. It
new approach will outline the necessary steps that go beyond the traditional classroom-based training program.

to learning, and Where Do I Begin?

Blended learning is still a fairly new approach to learning, and often times, people become dis-
often times, peo- tracted by the interaction between people and technology. TIP: “Training is training.” At the end of
ple become dis- the day, regardless of the design, you are still trying to accomplish the same things — skill devel-
opment and knowledge transfer. Therefore, the best place to start is to use the ADDIE instruction-
tracted by the al design model. ADDIE is a long-time, battle-tested, approach to instructional design that can
interaction bet- help guide you to the most effective delivery approach.
1. Analysis of Key Outcomes: Assess training need
ween people and a. Why is the training being requested or created?
technology. TIP: b. Analyze learning environment
– Learner demographic
“Training is train- – Physical environment
ing.” At the end – Technology environment
c. Identify learner expectations
of the day, regard- d. Determine the learner motivation (required, requested, voluntary, compliant training)
less of the design, e. What level of proficiency is required?
f. Identify type of support required
you are still try- – Program management or learner management
ing to accomplish – Support required for different delivery modalities
– System support
the same things – g. Identify existing documents, job aids, references, and resources, and determine if they may
skill development usable for this initiative
2. Design
and knowledge a. Draft learning objectives and desired outcomes
transfer. b. Create measurements
– Criterion- or skills-based
Sean M. Colfer, – Program Key Performance Indicators (i.e. X% will pass the exam or become certified)
Chief Learning Officer,
c. Identify expected course duration, and acceptable time a learner should devote to complete
Colfer Solutions, Inc.
the lesson or program
d. Design applications requiring the learner to demonstrate they are actively participating in the
program (i.e. # of thread discussion comments, working with a partner, sending project infor-
mation to the facilitator)
e. Which modalities are available, and most effective, to develop the learner skills and meet the
criteria?
f. Facilitator requirements and support: Does the facilitator require training on use of virtual
tools? Does the facilitator need support with chat or Q&A during Web collaboration?
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 11

III. Tips for Blending Synchronous Learning with

Other Learning Modalities continued
Asking your group, g. Create a practice environment where learners can practice labs, work together on projects,
break out rooms, etc.
“Did you read h. What other supporting tools are required (i.e. headphones, customer support)? At this point,
last night's home- you should have a good idea whether a Blended Learning program is appropriate. Keep in
mind the support required to maintain the Blended Learning environment, including access
work?” usually to technology, user support, and program management. These can be "show stoppers" if an
brings on a long organization does not have the necessary resources to fully support the Blended Learning
program. If you choose Blended Learning, continue to the next steps to develop and imple-
silence. Try this ment your solution.
instead: Give an 3. Develop
a. Leverage existing material or content (don't reinvent the wheel)
additional in- b. Create new content and/or materials
struction with the c. Develop learner and job aids, including how to be a successful virtual learner.
d. Develop facilitator resources, if applicable. For example, your blended design may not require
homework, such an instructor, which makes this step unnecessary.
as, “We'll start e. Develop a communication plan. THIS IS A CRITICAL STEP TO ENSURE YOUR BLENDED PRO-
GRAM IS SUCCESSFUL.
tomorrow's class – You must maintain constant communication with the learners, pre, during
by having each (Tip truncated because it exceeded 4000 characters.)

participant tell Sean M. Colfer, Chief Learning Officer, Colfer Solutions, Inc.
something to the
Asking your group,“Did you read last night's homework?” usually brings on a long silence. Try
class that he or this instead: Give an additional instruction with the homework, such as,“We'll start tomorrow's
she learned in the class by having each participant tell something to the class that he or she learned in the lesson.”

lesson.” Jill Easterday, Consultant

Jill Easterday,
To decide whether e-Learning is the appropriate format for a topic, consider the following:
Consultant
Should the student use different methods to accomplish the same goal, depending on the individ-
ual situation? If so, be aware that many e-Learning formats limit the amount of process branching
available, especially for assessments. If it is important that the student understand that different
circumstances require different methods, instructor-led learning may be more appropriate, since
you can customize it to the audience's particular situation. If there is really only one process to
accomplish the goal, then e-Learning is a better format. The minor branching capabilities offered
in e-Learning software (such as menu path, keystroke, or toolbar button) are usually enough to
communicate the process. Making this distinction has allowed us to choose the correct format for
each class, and allowed the incorporation of e-Learning to be seen as a supplement to instructor-
led training, instead of as a competitive format.

Jennifer Thomas, Content Developer, Haynes & Boone LLP

 Higher Education eLearning Solution Brief

Adobe eLearning Solutions

for Higher Education
Deliver engaging teaching and learning
experiences to anyone, anytime, anywhere
In a relatively short amount of time, eLearning has gained a permanent, highly visible place in
the worldwide higher education community. A practice that a few years ago held only a niche
role now is an indispensable element of many institutions’ curricula, success, and overall
reputation. From working adult learners to full-time students living on and off campus to
dedicated educators, individuals are increasingly taking advantage of synchronous eLearning
opportunities such as virtual lectures and mentoring, as well as asynchronous eLearning
offerings such as digital online courses, flexible content creation and distribution, and built-in
assessment tools.

Adobe Systems is proud that its solutions played a major role in launching this eLearning
revolution. Now, years later and still firmly at the forefront of eLearning technology, Adobe
Learn more about Adobe eLearning solutions enable higher education faculty and students to teach, learn, and collaborate anytime,
solutions for higher education at anywhere—more effectively than ever. Whether participants are in a couple of locations, spread
www.adobe.com/go/hed_elearning. across campus, or dispersed worldwide, Adobe eLearning solutions put them in exactly the same
learning environment, receiving the same instructional experience or training.

Adobe solutions put the most effective eLearning tools in your hands
Adobe solutions enable higher education institutions to easily create and deploy engaging
eLearning experiences that are easily accessible across campus, across a multi-campus
institution, and beyond—within existing Learning Management Systems (LMS). Hassle-free
access keeps the focus on the content, and not on technology. Here are key components:

• Adobe® Acrobat® Connect™ Pro 7, the cornerstone of Adobe eLearning solutions, offers an
interface and interactive tools to help participants learn and retain the material that educators
teach in virtual classes and self-paced courses. You can quickly design compelling courses
with templates and a library of content, control learner participation, and track learner
progress—so you can teach effectively in the virtual classroom and training environments
while reaching your overall eLearning goals.

• Adobe Presenter 7 empowers faculty and students to rapidly create high-quality, on-demand
presentations without special training.

• Adobe Captivate® 3 software enables faculty and students to rapidly create powerful and
engaging simulations, software demonstrations, and scenario-based training without
programming knowledge or multimedia skills.
Adobe eLearning Solutions • Adobe Acrobat Professional software enables educators and students to reliably create,
for Higher Education combine, share, and control media-rich Adobe PDF documents for easy, more secure
• Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro 7: communication, collaboration, and timesaving electronic workflows. Acrobat Professional
Engage online audiences with highly lets you combine a wide range of content—including documents, drawings, e-mail, and
interactive web meetings, multimedia
virtual classroom experiences, and
spreadsheets—in a single PDF portfolio.
hands-on training sessions. Easily
incorporate Microsoft PowerPoint Create virtual classroom experiences that engage learners
and Adobe Flash® content. Virtual classrooms are distributed learning environments that deliver media-rich content while
• Adobe Presenter 7: Rapidly create Flash
removing geographic barriers. From working adult learners to full-time students living on
based presentations and eLearning campus, virtual classrooms expand opportunities without sacrificing engagement or course
material from Microsoft PowerPoint. value. Virtual classrooms provide the opportunity to work on a degree without leaving current
• Adobe Captivate 3: Create employment, and they help educators and students communicate, collaborate, and interact no
engaging eLearning content without matter where they are.
programming or multimedia skills.
• Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro Training:
Create and deploy high-impact
training material and interactive
simulations, and track the effectiveness
of coursework and training.
• Adobe Acrobat Professional: Create,
combine, distribute, and review media-
rich PDF documents that support
electronic workflows. Combine a wide
range of content in a single PDF portfolio.

Using Adobe solutions, an instructor can provide formal online instruction and more informal
“office hour” discussions with all participating students. With Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro 7, stu-
dents can meet with an instructor in real time, reviewing media-rich content that the instructor
can present on his or her desktop. All students need is a web connection.

Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro 7 allows educators to teach in real time, or deliver narrated
presentations and courses that students can view on-demand. Either way, educators can capture
and keep the attention of learners with engaging video, audio, and interactive multimedia course
material that requires no additional downloads. And with Adobe Captivate 3, there’s no limit to
the level of engagement in that material. Based on industry-leading Adobe Flash technology,
Adobe Captivate automatically generates interactive, Adobe Flash Player-compatible content for
quizzes and simulations that are easy to distribute and access online.

Further, Adobe eLearning solutions provide dynamic virtual classroom management tools that
increase instructor efficiency:

• Breakout rooms allow expanded curriculum and more specific focus.

• Customizable layouts and persistent content reduce preparation time.

• Instructors can reuse and archive virtual classroom settings with editable online and
offline recordings.
For more information,
visit www.adobe.com/go/ • For class assignments, and for out-of-class feedback on those assignments, Acrobat software
hed_elearning delivers an electronic PDF workflow, complete with easy-to-use commenting tools.
 A Instructors with Learners Adobe solutions for the virtual classroom enable higher education institutions to offer more
LESSON classes to more students. While eLearning has found a particularly loyal and growing audience
among working adult learners, it is increasingly being selected by campus-based students as part
of blended face-to-face/eLearning programs. From traditional campuses to technical institutions
to completely online programs, higher education institutions and their educators can use Adobe
Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional
eLearning solutions to create and maintain highly effective virtual classrooms.
LESSON LESSON

Rapidly create and deliver engaging online training content

Adobe rapid training solutions—powered by the amazing delivery and extension capabilities of
LESSON

Virtual Virtual
Acrobat Connect Pro 7—empower higher education faculty to provide training where it’s needed,
Communication Communication when it’s needed. Give users instant access via a web browser using ubiquitous Adobe Flash
Player software. Quickly design courses that leverage existing PowerPoint content using Adobe
Instructors share new ideas and information
with learners, providing guidance and feedback Presenter 7 software, and create interactive simulations using Adobe Captivate 3 software.
on student performance.
Manage courses using enrollment, automatic learner notifications, and custom report features.
B Learners with Learners This unique framework empowers higher education faculty to concentrate on creating and
WEB CONFERENCE delivering highly effective content—without having to worry about intricate and burdensome
code. Consider some of the advantages of Adobe rapid training solutions:

• Use familiar content-creation tools such as Microsoft PowerPoint and Adobe Flash to quickly
and easily develop rich multimedia learning content in minutes, not months.

• Avoid having to develop new technical skills or depend on web professionals.

• Allow subject matter experts (SMEs) to easily and confidently capture their own content
PROJECT
using Adobe Captivate, and create their own quizzes and courses using Adobe Presenter.

• Include interactive simulations and demonstrations created in Adobe Captivate.

Learners engage with one another to collabo-
rate and share knowledge by asking questions, • Create reusable and shareable content that is standards-based and interoperable.
exchanging perspectives and experiences, and
creatively expressing themselves.
• Deploy and track effectiveness of courses by using Acrobat Connect Pro Training.

C Learners with Content From vocational training—to undergraduate and graduate courses—to professional
Assignment
Sent for Review
development, Adobe rapid training solutions can put you in a rich, immersive eLearning
ASSIGN.
environment that includes interactive simulations, streaming video, and scenario-based learning.
The solutions make it easy to assess, track, and report progress and achievement within any LMS
Instructor
standard. It’s all there.
ASSIGN.

Student Put Adobe eLearning solutions to work for your institution

Adobe’s new eLearning solutions reflect its ongoing commitment to helping faculty, students,
ASSIGN.

Learner to
Learner
Feedback
Assignment
Reviewed
researchers, and administrators at higher education institutions.
Student
Adobe virtual classroom solutions—highly effective alternatives to traditional teaching and
A wide variety of multimedia, print, and communi-
cation resources help educators share new ideas
learning methods—empower instructors to deliver richer, more interactive learning experiences
and information with all members of the learning to students in class, across campus, and throughout the world. Adobe rapid eLearning solutions
community, no matter where they are located,
whenever they need it most. empower higher education institutions of all kinds and sizes to provide faculty, students, and
other learners with high-impact online learning that is instantly accessible.

To learn more about unlocking the potential of Adobe eLearning solutions at your institution,
visit the Adobe higher education eLearning website at www.adobe.com/go/hed_elearning.
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 15

III. Tips for Blending Synchronous Learning with

Other Learning Modalities continued
Respect the Learn-
During our virtual classrooms, we include links to guided practice simulations (previously creat-
ers' Time: This ed with Captivate) that are stored on a Web server. Each student has their own instance of the
may seem obvi- simulation that provides them with a hands-on experience in a simulated and controlled environ-
ment.
ous, but be sure
the activity you Janet Clifford, Instructional Designer, Kronos Educational Services

have planned for Respect the Learners' Time: This may seem obvious, but be sure the activity you have planned
a synchronous for a synchronous session has a purpose, and cannot be delivered as a free-standing (asynchro-
nous) video. Do not deliver lectures using synchronous sessions — be sure that these sessions
session has a pur- take advantage of being LIVE with the learners. Do activities, have question and answer sessions,
pose, and cannot provide the learner the opportunity to contribute. Save the lectures for delivery in the online
materials for watching at the learner’s convenience. And — end the synchronous session ON TIME.
be delivered as a
Theresa Murphrey, Faculty, Texas A&M University
free-standing
(asynchronous) In a college course setting, I highly recommend blending asynchronous content with a synchro-
nous learning session. Used as either a pre- or post-learning support, items such as questionnaires
video.
and case studies provide an excellent basis for discussion. The discussion is the focus of a synchro-
Theresa Murphrey, nous event. My students have commented on the value of the “moment,” whereby their class-
Faculty, Texas A&M mates contribute their on-the-spot feedback and thoughts. You don't want to take up the pre-
University cious hour or two that you have together with answering basic or logistic questions. Freeing up
that time for personal introductions, needs statements, and expectations creates a collegial envi-
ronment in the synchronous session right from the start. The pre-readings for my course are
essential to the quality of the discussions. I supplement the material with quick, interactive Flash
pieces and quizzes. I like to follow up with a Wiki component, to continue the discussion and
address logistic/clarification issues. From a participant’s perspective, this is more valuable because
it removes the expectation that all your questions will be answered during the session, and les-
sens the chance of feeling disappointment that the instructor/facilitator did not address all of
your questions. By not including asynchronous elements, the learning, by default, becomes more
of a one-way information session. That is a valid experience, as long as it meets participant expec-
tations and/or needs, This has been my experience facilitating at the college level with adults
ranging from age 20 up to age 60.

Claudio Ierulli, Learning Solutions Developer, CIBC

Participants can play board games while taking synchronous learning classes for additional
interaction. The instructor would display the board, and roll the dice when it's time to play. The
instructor would ask a question, then display the correct answer. The players would move around
the board the number of spaces indicated by the instructor when they answer the question cor-
rectly, or remain on a space if they answer incorrectly. Each participant should receive a paper-
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 16

III. Tips for Blending Synchronous Learning with

Other Learning Modalities continued
Keep in mind that based, or soft-copy, game board. These are easy to create in MS PowerPoint, or other drawing
tools. Each participant can use a coin, or other small object, to move along the board. When a par-
attention spans ticipant makes it around the course, they can send a message to the instructor. Those participants
for most Ameri- are the winners. Of course, the honesty system is used during this game.

cans are very Deborah Thomas, Founder and President, SillyMonkey LLC
short. Learners
expect some type IV. 49 Tips for Designers of Synchronous
of break or change Presentations, Courses, and Webinars
in activity after
You can't do too much advanced prep, which is most appropriate for drop-in tutorial sessions or
10 to 12 minutes interactive dialogue-based sessions. Not only does a quick “patch-together” job show in the quali-
(this is learned ty of your presentation, but it can also be insulting to your audience. If you take the time to think
through the different branches the presentation may take, depending on the needs of the audi-
behavior from ence, you can be seen to have created a customized presentation that seamlessly allows you to
having commer- respond to any question or alternative path they may like to take. By anticipating branches, you
can prepare materials that you may need in order to answer questions or demonstrate concepts
cial breaks while in different ways. You will be able to engage the audience by allowing the conversation to flow
watching TV). naturally. This technique works better each time you deliver, as you can't anticipate every varia-
tion, but you can respond by preparing material for the next delivery. There is little added value to
Tony SanGiovanni, a learner spending time listening to a presentation live, if there is no engagement or opportunity
Senior Learning & to contribute to where the conversation goes. Presenters are often reluctant to deviate from their
Development Consultant, canned presentation when they don't have the resources or visual presentation material to sup-
MetLife
port verbal answers.

Bryan Fair, Educational Technologist, British Columbia Institute of Technology

Keep in mind that attention spans for most Americans are very short. Learners expect some
type of break or change in activity after 10 to 12 minutes (this is learned behavior from having
commercial breaks while watching TV). This is especially true when facilitating virtually in the cur-
rent culture of multi-tasking. If you are not “pulling” information from your learners, chances are
your learners aren’t fully engaged. Get creative when pulling information from your learners.
Encourage your learners to use the whiteboard feature, if available, for brainstorming activities.
You can use polling and chat functionality to create informal virtual learning games. Whatever
you choose, keeping the learner constantly engaged is critical, since reading body language is not
a luxury that virtual facilitators have.

Tony SanGiovanni, Senior Learning & Development Consultant, MetLife

 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 17

IV. Tips for Designers of Synchronous Presentations,

Courses, and Webinars continued
If your synchro-
If designing content to be viewed on a projector (e.g. PowerPoint slides), try to adhere to the
nous event is not 6x6 rule. No more than 6 bullets per page — no more than 6 words per line. Moreover, use appro-
using live video, priate graphics to help make a point.

provide a small Dwayne Dush

photo of each
One important basic tip for a designer or instructor is the instructional planning for the virtual
presenter. This class. It is essential to know the features and resources available through the technology, and cre-
adds a personal ate an appropriate strategy to use these features according to the audience, and to the nature of
the knowledge that will be delivered. You may do this basic planning easily and quickly using an
touch to the pres- Excel spreadsheet, where it is possible to relate learning goals to contents or features to be shown
entation, and or used. It may also include an estimated duration (in minutes) for each topic, in order to create a
view of the total length of the virtual class.
provides the user
Luciano Gardesani Marques, Product Manager, MicroPower
with something
more than a com- Use a tight script, include thought-provoking leading questions, speak to the audience as
though you have eye contact, and solicit participation. Use a variety of communication mecha-
puter screen to
nisms when conducting virtual synchronous training events, to engage participants in activities
envision the that require teamwork, contribution of materials, etc.

speaker. Anonymous
Patrick Hentschell,
E-Learning Project In addition to following John Keller's ARCS model (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfac-
Manager, FM Global tion), make your content FUN!! People become bored and disengaged in Webinars if you do not
have a strong opening. In one session in which I was sharing my desktop, I slipped in a slide that
had the image of the BSOD (Blue Screen of Death for you non-techies) near the beginning, to
prove a point that when things go wrong, it is usually at the worst possible time. The harmless
practical joke not only helped to get the audience's attention, but also “broke the ice,” which made
the remainder of the session much more interactive and therefore productive.

Tony SanGiovanni, Sr. Learning & Development Consultant, MetLife

If your synchronous event is not using live video, provide a small photo of each presenter. This
adds a personal touch to the presentation, and provides the user with something more than a
computer screen to envision the speaker.

Patrick Hentschell, E-Learning Project Manager, FM Global

 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 18

IV. Tips for Designers of Synchronous Presentations,

Courses, and Webinars continued
Follow up a Webi- Follow up a Webinar event with refresher information, or activities that require the attendees to
recall or apply what they have learned. Design Webinars to be short, not much more than 45 min-
nar event with utes.
refresher informa-
Patrick Hentschell, E-Learning Project Manager, FM Global
tion, or activities
that require the To improve learning through a synchronous class, it is critical to create and promote a highly col-
laborative environment. This task belongs to the instructor, but also is based on the learning strat-
attendees to egy adopted before, while planning and building the agenda for the class. A low-collaborative
recall or apply class does not bring significant learning results. The more collaborative the class, the better your
results will be. The audience must be part of the class, and must be called upon often by the
what they have instructor to answer questions, bring up examples or share experiences, perform some activity,
learned. Design etc. An efficient virtual class must be different from watching TV or going to the movies. The par-
ticipants (students) must feel that they may be called upon anytime to do something, and so pay-
Webinars to be ing attention is critical. That's why it is also very important to work with groups of no more than 15
short, not much to 20 students per class. Large groups usually are more difficult to create a high-collaboration
environment in.
more than 45
Luciano Gardesani Marques, Product Manager — MicroPower Presence, MicroPower
minutes.
Patrick Hentschell, Make sure to send an email invitation to the e-Learning event. Your email invitation should
E-Learning Project include:
Manager, FM Global • Objectives for the course (or what will be covered),
• Any Passwords to access the event,
• Call-in numbers for the event (if audio is not VoIP) ,
• Info on how soon before the event people can access the event (i.e., 15 minutes early, etc.) , and
• A link to the event’s login screen.

Deborah Nugent, Learning Consultant, Fidelity Investments

Live video broadcast is secondary, unless your audience has a broadband Internet connection
fast enough to support high-quality transmission. Experience with customers shows that live
video may be important during the beginning of the virtual class for a social approach, but after
that what really matters is the capacity of the instructor to create a dynamic and highly-collabora-
tive environment. Some technical training normally demands video to explain how to assemble
equipment, for example. Today it is very simple to record a video, instead of broadcasting it live
through the Internet. Another good option is Flash. A Flash simulation is more useful because it is
possible to simulate, and not just show how to do something. This interaction improves learning
results.

Luciano Gardesani Marques, Product Manager — MicroPower Presence, MicroPower

 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 19

IV. Tips for Designers of Synchronous Presentations,

Courses, and Webinars continued
Find a way to Make the content as engaging as possible with motion, graphics, quizzes, puzzles, or anything
to break it up. Only include critical information — stuff that they will need and use on the job.
place all class
materials that Patty Skerl, Senior Talent Development Specialist, AmTrust Bank

the learner will Designing for synchronous presentations is no different than designing any other type of learn-
need in one place. ing. It starts with solid instructional design: Audience analysis, clear learning objectives, and a
good structure. Don't limit yourself to lecturing with slides; look for creative ways to get your
This way, the material across. Make sure there is lots of opportunity for engagement. Ask your learners to do
learner can go something every three minutes, even if it's something as simple as answering a Yes or No ques-
tion. Challenge them! Learn to use ALL the tools in your synchronous package, and then actually
download it all, USE THEM!
prior to class,
Julie Biddle, Training Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing
instead of the
Invite a guest or co-host to help present key points. During the training, make it more of a dis-
facilitator need-
cussion rather then a one-way conversation. Have the guest share a story, or interrupt you at any
ing to email it time with questions or comments. Feel free to go off the script, to answer questions for those top-
ics that you were planning on addressing later. This interaction will engage the listeners, and
to them.
make them feel like they too are part of the conversation.
Carol Huhn, Nuance
Communications Rory Frey, Consultant Technical Training, The Hartford

Find a way to place all class materials that the learner will need in one place. This way, the learn-
er can go download it all, prior to class, instead of the facilitator needing to email it to them.

Carol Huhn, Nuance Communications

Keep in mind that, with a little creativity, you can convert almost all classroom exercises to a
synchronous on-line format. For example, groups can work on a section of a whiteboard, while
they chat with each other, or they can go to a breakout room (if your software has that functional-
ity). Don't eliminate exercises just because you are online, in fact, those exercises are more impor-
tant to keep people involved!

Anne Harper

Practice, practice, practice before going live. Also, a great idea to have a second computer up and
running so you can “see” what the participants see, and make sure that all is functioning well.

Paula Colwell, Learning Specialist, Canada School of Public Service

 Success Story

Grundfos Management A/S

Leading manufacturer streamlines training and delivers compelling eLearning courses
to customers and employees worldwide using Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro

Grundfos Management A/S Training customers and staff worldwide

www.grundfos.com Grundfos is the world’s largest manufacturer of circulation pumps. The company has offices in
58 countries and currently employs approximately 14,000 staff, with roughly a third employed in
Denmark. With its large employee base and complex products, Grundfos has its own training
In Partnership With
academy that today is being supplemented with Acrobat Connect Pro software.
ZaqONE eLearning is crucial for Grundfos to meet the challenges of the future and to reinforce its position
www.zaqsolutions.dk as the leading company in the pump industry. Both employees and customers can be educated with
Industry the help of Acrobat Connect Pro.
Manufacturing
For Grundfos, a commitment to staff training helps ensure the company can maintain and develop
Challenges its position in the world market. This is the reason why Grundfos established its training academy—
• Accelerate production of training the Poul Due Jensen Academy—with associated hotel facilities at its headquarters. The academy is
materials an independent division of Grundfos Management and is managed by Kim Hansen, the director of
• Reduce costs to deliver training the academy.
to staff, partners, and customers
worldwide Be-Think-Innovate
• Minimize need for IT to support The overall objective of the academy is to ensure the best education for employees. For example,
eLearning courses
sales managers should understand as much about sales and marketing as they do about product
Solution features. Also, instead of just responding to customer inquiries, the sales staff should be proactive
• eLearning in its relationships with existing and potential customers, serving as problem solvers and reliable
Grundfos is using Acrobat Connect partners that can deliver customized solutions. This requires highly specialized knowledge that can
to deliver engaging training only be acquired through excellent training.
courses to staff, partners, and
customers worldwide. “Be-Think-Innovate” is the slogan that Grundfos employs to put the company’s values into words.
Results Being willing to change, to assume responsibility, and being innovative are crucial for meeting
• Enhance quality and accessibility of the challenges of the future. One initiative that was developed in this spirit is using eLearning to
training courses delivered worldwide attain even closer contact with the company’s customers. For instance, dealers and wholesalers
• Help ensure that staff, partners, and make decisions every day as to which pump they will recommend for a project. Specific product
customers have continued access to knowledge builds confidence with the customer. Therefore, Grundfos wants to offer product training
timely product information
via eLearning to ensure that customers can choose the right Grundfos pump.
• Reduce time and costs to produce
and deliver training content Leveraging the reach of the web
• Minimize demand on valuable
Senior eLearning Project Manager Ole Kristensen is tasked with developing training methods that
IT resources needed to support
training initiatives utilize the Internet for updating the knowledge of Grundfos employees. With eLearning, the time and
costs for training employees are reduced compared to traditional training methods. At the same time,
Systems At A Glance eLearning can happen at each employee’s location.
• Connect Pro
• Adobe Presenter For Grundfos, eLearning is not an alternative to traditional courses, but instead supplements courses
as part of a blended-learning process that combines day courses and eLearning. “eLearning and day
With the help of Acrobat Connect Pro staff at
Grundfos can rapidly create and assemble
a complete training presentation in less
than three hours—a task that previously
could take three weeks just for the
planning and storyboard. Grundfos
employees and customers worldwide
can now be trained on a given topic
within 24 hours.

“Thanks to Acrobat Connect, courses are part of our module-based training system,” explains Kristensen. “It gives participants the
we can train our employees opportunity for better preparation and offers flexibility as the eLearning modules can fit into people’s
busy lives. We have also established a system to handle customer training.”
worldwide faster and more
cost effectively than ever.” Adopting Adobe
Kim Hansen, Grundfos uses Adobe Presenter and Microsoft PowerPoint to create eLearning content. Because
Academy director, Adobe Presenter and PowerPoint are integrated, anyone who can use PowerPoint can create
Grundfos
eLearning presentations with animations and built-in tests. An Adobe Presenter presentation can
also be used to create short training exercises or product presentations that conclude with a few
questions that test whether the participant has understood the content.

Another advantage of using Adobe Presenter is that the presentation is delivered in the Adobe Flash®
format. This means that all PCs can run the presentation without the need to install extra software.
As a result, Grundfos does not need to devote a lot of time to providing support. “By using Acrobat
Connect Pro and Adobe Flash, we are confident that people can participate in trainings without
problems,” says Kristensen. “Users only have to click with the mouse to run the presentation. At
the same time, the minimal bandwidth required for the Flash based trainings is amazing. We
can even reliably train people who have low-bandwidth connections in remote areas worldwide
via Adobe Presenter.”

Rapid training and quality meetings

With Acrobat Connect Pro, Grundfos can quickly produce learning material. Traditionally, production of
eLearning material has been expensive and time-consuming. “With Acrobat Connect Pro, we can rapidly
create and assemble a complete training presentation in less than three hours—previously it could
take three weeks just for the planning and storyboard,” explains Kristensen. “We can now train our
staff worldwide on a given topic within 24 hours. This is truly rapid learning,” adds Hansen, “Thanks
to Acrobat Connect Pro, we can train our employees worldwide faster and more cost effectively than ever.”

Grundfos runs Acrobat Connect Pro on an internal server. Authorized employees have an area in which
they can see which courses they should take, and also view the results of courses they have completed.
It was important for Grundfos that Acrobat Connect Pro can handle user data from its internal directory
server. This means that users do not have to be set up separately on the Acrobat Connect Pro server. The
Adobe software has built-in LDAP integration and automatically accesses all user data from the
Grundfos directory database. In this way, it is possible to maintain users from one location, and as
many as 6,000 users can be set up in less than hour.
“By using Acrobat Connect With a hosted Acrobat Connect Pro module for training, Grundfos offers training to customers and
and Adobe Flash, we are partners. The Adobe solution monitors who has gone through the training presentation and uses
short tests to measure whether the messages have been understood. With Acrobat Connect Pro, the
confident that people can
company can quickly update customers with the latest product information. “Acrobat Connect Pro
participate in trainings
enables us to deliver timely product training to our distributors and wholesalers, so they can always
without problems.” recommend the right pump for a project,” says Hansen. “We’d like to train 10,000 customers
Ole Kristensen, using the Adobe software, which would give a real upswing in pump sales.”
Senior eLearning project manager,
Grundfos Grundfos also uses a hosted version of Acrobat Connect Pro for meetings to organize
eMeetings. The Adobe meetings do not require an AV room, and can be carried out from an
individual’s workspace over the Internet (IP). It requires just a web camera and a microphone.
Through live meetings, the course participants have the opportunity to take part actively in training
programs, asking questions and sharing their knowledge with the other participants. In addition to
live course meetings, Grundfos uses Acrobat Connect Pro for normal business meetings.

For More Information A complete learning solution

www.adobe.com/products/acrobatconnectpro At Grundfos, eLearning is an important part of the company’s training strategy. Acrobat Connect Pro
provides the opportunity to manage the entire eLearning flow, from production and design of
learning content that includes integrated tests through to following up and monitoring activities.
Grundfos can see the test results of individual users and assess whether eLearning is working.
Everything is controlled from the Acrobat Connect Pro server.

The Adobe software also offers the possibility for live training via the Internet. The software is so
user-friendly that production of the training process is assigned to the individual departments.
In this way, eLearning can gain acceptance as a natural tool for knowledge dissemination and
competence development at Grundfos.

Adobe Systems Incorporated Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat Connect, and Flash are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in
345 Park Avenue the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
San Jose, CA 95110-2704
USA © 2007 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
www.adobe.com 95009205  06/07 R
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 23

IV. Tips for Designers of Synchronous Presentations,

Courses, and Webinars continued
Make the content Translate classroom training cues (too fast or slow, the first of five, what do we need to review
next?) to a format that can let participants engage in defining the value and driving the presenta-
as engaging as tion. Over larger groups, you can do this effectively with polling tools. This requires pre-planning,
possible with to build an arsenal of well-thought-out questions to pull at time of need during the presentation.
Consider feedback, to refine the content during the live presentation in order to optimize partici-
motion, graphics, pants’ value.
quizzes, puzzles,
David Glow, Chief Learning Architect, Glow Development
or anything to
break it up. Only The first thing to keep in mind while you decide to make something for synchronous presenta-
tions: The presentation should supplement the presenter — not the other way around. Ask your-
include critical self a simple question: If I were to email this presentation to a participant, will she be able to
information — derive value from it by going through it? If the answer is yes, it has two clear indications. First, your
audience will also realize it after the first few slides, and the moment they find out, or are assured
stuff that they that it will be made available to download or mailed to them, they will drop off your online meet-
will need and ing. Second, you might want to consider recording your voice-over, and use it as a canned audio-
visual, rather than a synchronous event.
use on the job.
Uday Kranti, Sr. Consultant
Patty Skerl,
Senior Talent
Create a text file, or unformatted word processing document, with sentences or phrases you use
Development Specialist,
AmTrust Bank or will use in your presentation. Have the file open while in session, and when the situation arises,
cut and paste your text onto a whiteboard, or in the chat feature of your application. This will save
time, and is very helpful when troubleshooting common issues. For example when troubleshoot-
ing a sound issue you could cut and paste the sentence, ”Be sure your headphone and micro-
phone cords are fully plugged in, and neither is set to mute.” Or, when posing a question to partici-
pants, you could have phrases such as,“That is an interesting point. Could you expand further?” or,
“What do you see as the challenges with that course of action?” As you develop and present more
often, you will probably add to this document. If you teach more than one course, think about cre-
ating separate documents specific to each course.

Floyd Wheeler, Learning Strategist, Booz Allen Hamilton

Effective learning involves participation. Avoid using synchronous e-Learning tools to simply
“broadcast” from the instructor or teacher. An effective synchronous session may build on several
hours of asynchronous preparation, and provide the stimulus for several hours of follow-up. You
should broadcast material that is more suited to broadcast. Use the asynchronous environments
to distribute information prior to the session (e.g.,Web documents to read, videos to watch,
slideshows to view, Podcasts to listen to, etc.), and use the valuable time of the synchronous ses-
sion to discuss, debate, and clarify the material, and to develop the understandings that are
required. This applies equally to students. Synchronous sessions provide a great way for students
to present “tutorials” of their work or assignments at the end of a course. Avoid making this a
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 24

IV. Tips for Designers of Synchronous Presentations,

Courses, and Webinars continued
Include an activi- time where others have to sit and listen to them present (as often happens in a face-to-face class-
room). Instead, require them to upload their presentations, prior to the synchronous session, for
ty that early- other students to read, watch, or listen to. Then use the synchronous session to interrogate, and
arriving students seek the deeper understandings that may emerge.

can do while Derek Wenmoth, Director, e-Learning , CORE Education

waiting for class
Plan for a back-chat channel. Student participation is a frequently-cited reason for using syn-
to begin. If the chronous tools. However many instances of online education resemble a typical classroom, where
activity includes the students are simply listening to a broadcast from the teacher, with an occasional opportunity
to respond to a teacher-directed question. An effective way of enabling student participation is to
using the white- ensure there is a back-chat channel open for use. Within synchronous tools like Elluminate, this is
board markup a standard feature. Alternatively, you can use the “Public Chat” feature of Skype, to allow all partic-
ipants to communicate by chat during the session. An astute presenter will be monitoring the
tools, the stu- back-chat feed, using the comments and questions to “steer” the presentation, and inviting partic-
dents can get ipation from specific students.

comfortable with Derek Wenmoth, Director, e-Learning , CORE Education

them in a fun,
It is not possible to plan “too much” for a synchronous event. In our organization, we develop a
non-threatening training plan for the learning objectives, a technical plan for the Webcast logistics, and an interac-
tivity plan to accommodate non-standard Webcast techniques. We conduct a technology orienta-
way.
tion for each new presenter. We conduct a technical rehearsal for Webcasts of more than 100 invi-
Carol Huhn, Nuance tees.
Communications
James Lloyd, Training Developer, Promega Corporation

Include an activity that early-arriving students can do while waiting for class to begin. If the
activity includes using the whiteboard markup tools, the students can get comfortable with them
in a fun, non-threatening way. This type of activity also helps get them participating from the
start.

Carol Huhn, Nuance Communications

Use pictures: We don't use video streaming, so for any Web- or Internet-based session, I try to
provide an image of all the presenters at the beginning of the class, the specific presenter for each
session, and all the presenters again at the end of the class. If I have a net-class, I try to provide a
“class picture” of everyone at the beginning of the session by creating a slide, in advance, which
has a company picture of everyone in attendance. This gives the virtual class more of a network-
ing feel, like what they often get in a traditional classroom.

Dwayne Dush
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 25

IV. Tips for Designers of Synchronous Presentations,

Courses, and Webinars continued
Consider whether Design exercises and class activities that utilize the tools you have available in your e-Learning
application. Chat, and the text tools on the whiteboard, are both great ways to get answers and
you really need a brainstorm. This works for technical training also, but you may need to get more creative.
camera. A camera
Carol Huhn, Nuance Communications
can be a source of
technical difficul- Consider whether you really need a camera. A camera can be a source of technical difficulties,
distraction, and bandwidth problems. It does help create a rapport with people you have not pre-
ties, distraction, viously met. Consider turning it off after the introduction. In a continuous series of Webcasts, per-
and bandwidth haps you don’t need it after the first one.

problems. It does Brian Mulligan, Open Learning Coordinator, Institute of Technology, Sligo

help create a rap-

We use WebEx as our communications medium, and have found that one of the best methods
port with people of reinforcement is have each learner participate in the learning by demonstrating the learning
objective that we just covered. All of our training is technical training on our proprietary software
you have not pre-
for our customer base. When we deliver synchronous Web-based training, we use PowerPoint
viously met. slides to show concepts, but we use the actual software to show the learners how to accomplish
their business processes. For example, if our learning objectives are to show how to create a sav-
Consider turning
ings benefit, and apply it to a group of employees, we first explain the whys, whats, whens, and
it off after the hows of the process to the learners, and then use the software to show the process. With that
complete, we ask the learners what questions they have about the process, and answer those
introduction.
questions. Next, we will show the learners a slide with a new requirement on it, such as a new
Brian Mulligan, benefit that our sample company needs to create, and the employee group to which the benefit
Open Learning will apply. We discuss the needs, requirements, and process flow required to accomplish this task.
Coordinator, Institute Then we select a learner to complete creating the benefit, turn complete control of the environ-
of Technology, Sligo ment over to the student, and allow him or her to complete the task in a risk-free environment. As
the student completes the task, we ask what considerations led them to make the selections that
they did. When the task of creating of the benefit is complete, we then select another learner to
apply the benefit and give control of the environment to that learner. After meeting all the re-
quirements, we discuss the process again with all the learners in the session. This type of direct
involvement, and hands-on learning, has proven to be very effective with our learner community,
as it enables them to see, hear, and do in the single session, and that enhances retention and per-
formance.

David B. Dubin, Senior Curriculum Developer, Sage Software, Inc.

A short live-video introduction by the presenter helps to reduce some of the “virtual” feeling for
the participants in a virtual classroom environment. The intro takes only a few seconds, and the
addition of a live visual element stimulates interest and promotes participation by the group. It
isn't necessary to continue providing video, because those initial few seconds will create a long-
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 26

IV. Tips for Designers of Synchronous Presentations,

Courses, and Webinars continued
Time-Saving Tip: lasting image that will be retained and recalled after the presenter shifts to audio-only mode.

Design and devel- Roy Coleman, Trainer, Gap Inc. Direct

op a Flash movie,
The more time you spend on the front end of your program, the less work you will have to put
an Articulate into organizing and reorganizing the information. Storyboards are a great tool to cut down on
Presenter-convert- development — make them as detailed as possible, and you will see your program grow as you go
along.
ed PowerPoint,
Sarah Beth Larson, Instructional Designer, Lifeblood/MSRBC
or other possible
self-playing solu- Often, when discussing synchronous programs that require multiple sessions, there is little con-
sideration given to the offline instruction that has to take place. This requires an asynchronous,
tion that presents
Web 2.0-like tool to foster communication from the facilitator, access to the course materials, and
Webinar etiquette, learning and collaboration with one another. Typically, in the best practice discussions I encounter
on the Internet, no one addresses these vital elements. Moreover (and assuming your company
and other impor-
has the infrastructure to support this), this particular element requires thoughtful planning in
tant information look and appeal to drive traffic to a space that will inevitably enhance the learning experience.
This also impresses upon the designer the need to think very differently about design. At the very
pertinent to the
least, it requires the designer to work very closely with Web developers to harness their knowl-
Webinar. Ask par- edge and employ another technology to aid the learning experience. On the other hand, it may
even require the designer to familiarize him or herself with the tools to employ a Web 2.0 solu-
ticipants to log in
tion. Neither of these requirements have necessarily been part of the job description, but they are
10 to 15 minutes becoming increasingly unavoidable. In summary, as synchronous deliverables become more
prominent, they will require designers to become more and more familiar with technology that,
early, to watch
to this point, has been under the domain of the technologist. I believe that the lines delineating
this movie before designers, facilitators, and e-Learning experts are becoming more blurred, as a result of the strides
made in Web-conferencing platforms, and the Internet in general.
the session starts.
Jayne Rogers,
Walter Crawford, Facilitator, Fidelity Investments
Senior Learning Specialist,
CIGNA Healthcare Time-Saving Tip: Design and develop a Flash movie, an Articulate Presenter-converted
Corporation PowerPoint, or other possible self-playing solution that presents Webinar etiquette, and other
important information pertinent to the Webinar. Ask participants to log in 10 to 15 minutes early,
to watch this movie before the session starts. By asking participants to login early and watch the
movie, you do not have to dedicate so much time to these issues once the sessions starts. This also
allows time to deal with any technical issues. For example, if you need sound or audio for the ses-
sion, the movie can provide instructions on how to adjust the settings on the computer. You can
add screen shots in a Captivate presentation to the Flash or Presenter movie to facilitate this issue.

Jayne Rogers, Senior Learning Specialist, CIGNA Healthcare Corporation

 Success Story

Ontario Ministry
of Education

Lesson in achievement
Ontario selects Adobe® Acrobat® Connect™ Professional to enhance
public education for more than two million Canadian students

I
n Ontario, big numbers are the norm. As
Canada’s largest province, Ontario’s population
exceeds 12 million and is spread out over
an area larger than France and Spain combined.
Ontario’s far-reaching publicly funded education
system is administered by the Ministry of Education,
which relates to 72 different school boards as well as
many school authorities serving over two million
students in more than 5,000 different elementary
and secondary schools. There are also more than
115,000 teachers.

The sheer size and scope of Ontario’s public education

system poses a unique set of challenges, particularly
when it comes to using technology to help sustain
a vibrant, publicly funded program. After conducting
an extensive review process, the Ministry’s software
acquisition advisory committee recommended that
all 72 school boards, 12 faculties of education, and
6 other public educational entities be empowered
with Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional to foster
Internet-based learning and online meetings.
 Schools that are part of the
Ontario public education system
are using Adobe Acrobat Connect
Professional to blend web-based
learning into the daily classroom
experience and to participate in
a variety of collaborative projects.
Two elementary schools located
about 400 miles apart recently
did a book study together,
enabling students to interact
across the province to share
ideas and resources.

“Quickly, the technology becomes invisible and the their First Class system and continued in the
evenings twice a week using Acrobat Connect

kids go right to the reality-based interactivity. We Professional. Each student had a role—from
prosecutor to judge to juror. “The teacher held
couldn’t offer this type of learning before. Adobe trials online, did jury selection, and everything
related to the real collaborative experience,” says
Acrobat Connect Professional is great.” Kasik. “The class had a 100% completion rate.”

Shawn Allenby, regional eLearning contact, Outside speakers who previously had to travel
Ottawa Carleton District School Board great distances to Ontario schools are now
virtually visiting classrooms throughout the
province, adding otherwise unattainable
resources to enrich learning experiences. In the
Ottawa Carleton District School Board, which
With its noted ease of use and readily experience across the curriculum. “Using
consists of 157 schools, regional eLearning
customizable interface, the Adobe solution Acrobat Connect Professional, we can teach in
contact Shawn Allenby reports that by using
is intended to help carry out the Ministry’s two classrooms at the same time and double the
Acrobat Connect Professional, schools have
three-pronged mission: support high levels of number of students we reach,” says Kasik.
hosted guest speakers to participate in live,
student achievement, reduce gaps in student Recently, a biology teacher presented an Internet
interactive presentations via digital video to
achievement, and build strong public confidence video demonstration, which the students rated
thousands of students across the district.
in the publicly funded education system. “great”. Participants in both rooms used the live
Speakers included an author from Chicago,
chat feature in Acrobat Connect Professional to
Engaging 21st century learners a noted Canadian illustrator, and famed national
ask questions—melding two physical classrooms
From daytime classroom experiences to hero Craig Kielburger, founder of Free the
into one collaborative, eLearning center. “There’s
evening online discussions, Adobe Acrobat Children. “If a picture is worth a thousand
so much more we can do,” says Kasik. “We use
Connect Professional can enhance the words, the value of web conferencing is priceless.
all of the available technology in our school to
interactive educational process for millions of It is an incredibly empowering experience for
teach some of our larger classes which provides a
students and teachers across Ontario. In every everyone,” says Allenby.
wonderful collaboration for the entire class. And
aspect of teaching and learning, the use of recording the sessions for those students who are Schools throughout the district are using their
Adobe technology has the potential to change away or need review is an added bonus.” Acrobat Connect Professional licenses to
Canada’s diverse educational landscape.
participate in a variety of collaborative projects.
For example, online classes build bridges
During the day, district eLearning contact and Two elementary schools located about 400
among remotely located schools, which is
special assignment teacher, Karen Kasik— miles apart recently did a book study together,
important because all schools are required to
a computer science, engineering, and math enabling students to interact across the
follow the same curriculum. Students from
teacher who has worked at Hill Park Secondary province to share ideas and resources. As well,
schools throughout the Hamilton-Wentworth
School in Hamilton, Ontario—uses Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional was used to
district recently participated in an online law
Acrobat Connect Professional to blend “follow” an expedition down the east coast of
class that was held during the school day in
web-based learning into the daily classroom Africa. “Quickly, the technology becomes
 Organization
Ontario Ministry of Education
Province of Ontario, Canada
www.edu.gov.on.ca

Challenges
• Standardize on a single, easy-to-
use, collaborative web meeting
platform
• Provide teachers with intuitive
tools for authoring learning
objects
Before implementing use of Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional, regional trainers would have to travel to visit
schools throughout districts to discuss integrating technology into the curriculum. Now, Acrobat Connect • Keep web conferencing costs low
Professional sessions at district, regional, and local levels are being held to impart eLearning expertise to teachers, • Reach high levels of student
staff, and administrators. From standard orientation meetings to instructional development to remedial learning, achievement
Acrobat Connect Professional is helping infuse the educational population with new ways to learn and further
• Reduce gaps in student
develop their skills.
achievement
• Build strong public confidence in
the public education system

invisible and the kids go right to the reality- district, regional, and local levels are being held Solution
Use Adobe Acrobat Connect
based interactivity. We couldn’t offer this type to impart eLearning expertise to teachers, staff,
Professional to implement a cost-
of learning before,” says Allenby. “Adobe and administrators. From standard orientation effective, web meeting platform
Acrobat Connect Professional is great.” meetings to instructional development to to foster collaboration and
remedial learning, Acrobat Connect Professional extend resources beyond campus
Benefits beyond the classroom boundaries
is helping infuse the educational population with
While Acrobat Connect Professional is adding Benefits
new ways to learn and further develop their skills.
new dimensions to learning inside the • Engaged students in intuitive,
classroom, it is also extending benefits to At the provincial level, 500 math teachers and collaborative learning solutions

students away from the school in a variety of technology leaders recently gathered to attend • Reduced failure rate in virtual
learning centers and classrooms
scenarios. For example, students who are in the a mathematics education conference that
hospital or at home for extended care can focused on Connecting Research and Practice • Gained access to outside speakers
and reality-based learning
remain part of the school experience to keep in Mathematics Education. A breakout session
experiences
up with lessons and stay abreast socially by introduced participants to Adobe Connect
• Created online and blended
interacting with classmates during the day Professional and how it might be used for learning models using technology
and with teachers in the evenings. professional development at a distance. One across curriculum
example used was the small professional • Increased teacher job satisfaction
According to teacher Karen Kasik, some students learning community in Ontario that was using with exciting professional
simply need extra attention. “Students can access development
Acrobat Connect Professional to meet and learn
me at night in Acrobat Connect Professional about The Geometer’s Sketchpad. Other session • Provided students with access to
sessions,” she says. “Often, when kids get teachers after school for test prep,
topics included white boarding in Adobe
home, they forget information from that day. discussion groups, and remedial
Acrobat Connect Professional for teaching lessons
Acrobat Connect Professional gives them the algebra and geometry, and authoring learning
opportunity to ask questions and complete the objects in Adobe Flash® and Adobe Acrobat
learning cycle. It’s a great motivational tool that Toolkit
Professional.
makes a huge difference to some kids.” • Adobe Acrobat Connect
Professional
“Our Connecting Research and Practice in
Often, teachers open up an Acrobat Connect • Adobe Captivate™
Mathematics Education breakout session
Professional session the night before a test to • Adobe Flash
showcased teacher collaboration with Adobe
answer questions. Kasik notes that it is the Acrobat Connect Professional. Since that time, • Adobe Acrobat Professional
freedom for students to access teachers so
we have been involved in creating learning • Adobe Presenter
easily that is incredibly effective. objects, called CLIPS, using Adobe Flash CS3 • Platform: Mac and PC computers
Focus on professional development Professional, which is also licensed by the using Microsoft® Windows® XP and
Ontario Ministry of Education for schools,” says Mac OS
Previously, regional trainers would have to travel
Ross Isenegger, information technology and For More Information
to visit schools throughout the district to discuss
numeracy coordinator in the Near North www.adobe.com/products/
integrating technology into the curriculum. acrobatconnectpro/
Now, Acrobat Connect Professional sessions at District School board.
www.adobe.com/education
 Acrobat Connect Professional is also extending benefits to students
outside the classroom. For example, students in the hospital or at
home for extended care can remain part of the school experience—
keeping up with lessons and staying abreast socially with classmates.
In addition, some school boards operate virtual learning centers for
adult learners, the business community, and home schoolers.

Since implementing Acrobat Connect

“Once you use Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional, Professional, the failure rate at The Virtual
Learning Centre has dropped significantly for
there’s no turning back. It’s just a matter of those who attend regularly—commensurate
with in-class rates. “Compared to where we
where and when.” were five years ago, the model is drastically
Peter Harris, course instructor, The Virtual Learning Centre, different. Now we provide students with
Trillium Lakelands District School Board tremendous flexibility and the opportunity to
complete courses anytime, anywhere.”

Success at virtual learning centers To further enhance the virtual learning

In addition to elementary and secondary experience, Harris is using Adobe Presenter to
schools, some school boards operate a series of incorporate interactive Adobe Flash content into
virtual learning centers to serve the needs of the online curriculum and to decrease the need
adult learners, the business community, and to repeatedly relay information to individual
home schoolers. Students from all over the students. As well, students are using Adobe
world attend virtual classes with connection Presenter for peer tutoring and independent
bandwidths ranging from dial-up to high speed. study presentations. “I impart upon the students
the importance of good communication skills
“It’s been a struggle to get interactive content
and knowledge sharing. The simplicity of Adobe
online using other expensive video conferencing
Presenter enables students to convert their
technology,” says Peter Harris, course instructor
PowerPoint presentations to Adobe Acrobat
at The Virtual Learning Centre in the Trillium
Connect Professional presentations with little
Lakelands District School Board. Previously, the
teacher involvement,” says Harris.
program was a basic e-mail correspondence
course with students completing weekly Throughout Ontario, teachers are exploring new
assignments and teachers marking them up. ways to impact the 21st century learner. “Once
“Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional puts me you use Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional,
into the 21st century virtual classroom,” he says. there’s no turning back,” says Harris. “It’s just
“I feel like a teacher again. The response from a matter of where and when.”
students has been phenomenal.”

Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, Acrobat Connect, Adobe Captivate, and Flash are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems
Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Mac and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the United States and other
Adobe Systems Incorporated countries. Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
345 Park Avenue All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
San Jose, CA 95110-2704
USA © 2008 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
www.adobe.com 95010531  04/08 A
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 31

IV. Tips for Designers of Synchronous Presentations,

Courses, and Webinars continued
Plan to take time Plan to take time to teach the presentation tool. Yes, it is easy, but not necessarily as intuitive as
experienced users might think. Instructions and tips to use the presentation tool make great pre-
to teach the pres- work assignments.
entation tool. Yes,
Jane Stackhouse, Senior Trainer
it is easy, but not
necessarily as in- Design for interaction, collaboration, and contribution:
• Keep the content visually engaging, but not too busy. Builds in Microsoft PowerPoint are fan-
tuitive as experi- tastic for providing dynamic content. No flashing graphics or tacky effects — just use simple
enced users might builds to emphasize what you are discussing. This is especially useful for illustrating steps in a
process, or segments of a program or project.
think. Instructions • At the beginning of the session, schedule up to 10 minutes of “play time,” to let participants
and tips to use try out collaboration and annotation tools. Make sure they have plenty of time to get comfort-
able with the tool, so that participation is easy. Direct facilitators to invite participants to use
the presentation these tools as needed, to communicate appropriately.
tool make great • Use a whiteboard or blank PowerPoint slide to brainstorm ideas on a topic, rather than pre-
senting them with bulleted lists. Allow participants to type directly in the space, if possible, or
pre-work assign- scribe their inputs. Do not summarize. Use the participants' exact words.
ments. • Design in opportunities to use feedback mechanisms to get yes/no, agree/disagree, and
like/dislike reactions from participants. Direct your facilitators to respond to the feedback, and
Jane Stackhouse, Senior pace the content accordingly.
Trainer • Use appropriate, consistent, teachable images, rather than bulleted lists. Ask participants to
point out what is wrong or right with the graphic or photo. Allow participants to use line-
drawing tools to match vocabulary terms to items in the photo or graphic.
• Use polling, when appropriate, to vote for an option, give opinions, or test knowledge. If a
polling feature is not available, use the colors in feedback status squares, or place a specified
annotation (check mark, text “x,” etc.) over an image representing the choice.

Tracy Ross, Instructional Designer, Intel Corporation

Web conferences should use two or more voices (a presenter and a facilitator) to offer more
interest and vary the intonations. Facilitators (apart from monitoring chat box comments) can
interject concepts based on the presentation, that participants may want to ask but don't neces-
sarily do so. They can act as a “devil’s advocate” to repeat the concept being discussed (learning
stickiness), and put a concept into several practical situations.

Joyce, Instructional Designer/Online Learning Specialist, Pal-Tech, Inc.

Use ustream.tv for the traditional classroom: If you are teaching a traditional classroom, you
could set up the Webcam and broadcast your traditional lectures. All of your students could be
given your Web address (which does not change), and could log in and watch the class from a dis-
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 32

IV. Tips for Designers of Synchronous Presentations,

Courses, and Webinars continued
Include check-in tance if they are not able to attend the traditional class. This way each student could still log in,
and get the material if s/he is sick. S/he could also participate with the class by using the chat fea-
questions after ture. Again, you can record the lessons, giving students the ability to watch your lectures again to
four to five review something they did not quite understand, or to review for exams.

slides, to keep Kelly Kirk, Distance Education Program Director, Davidson County Community College
students inter-
I recently had another Webcast experience as a presenter. I have done them before (both as a
ested. presenter and a participant), but it has been a little while since I have presented during a Webcast
... and I had forgotten how much I rely on the visual cues of the audience. People nodding, taking
Cacilda, Instructional
notes, talking to a neighbor, or even glaring at me with arms crossed across their bodies. Those
Designer, CA
cues give me data that encourages me, informs me, and often redirects me. My other challenge,
one commonly expressed by people working in synchronous technology-mediated environments,
is that I wanted to deliver a smooth presentation while at the same time attend to the high vol-
ume of text-based comments and questions from the audience. I was simply unable to track it all.
In fact, there was one point where I completely lost track of where I was in the presentation,
which is something that never happens to me in a face-to-face setting. Although challenging, I
am not going to give up on Webcasts. The online audience has a craving for synchronous connec-
tion, so I want to participate in more Webcasts, and add more Webcasts to my online courses.
However, I do have to deal with these two issues: (1) my reliance on visual cues from the audience,
and (2) attending to audience comments and questions. The second issue is much easier to deal
with. I have had great luck with asking a colleague to step in and act as moderator. The moderator
can completely focus on the text traffic, and make sure that I address questions and respond to
comments. In terms of the first issue, I have come up with two angles to pursue: Setting ground
rules, and structuring the presentation to support time for frequent interaction.
Setting ground rules:
• Demonstrate how participants can engage in side conversations using the “private” feature so
that they do not distract the entire audience (or presenter), reserving the “chat” feature for on-
topic questions and comments.
• Ask the audience to hold questions and comments until designated times throughout the
Webcast.
• If there is a moderator, explain to the audience that the moderator will track comments and
questions, categorize them into themes, and present them for response during designated
times throughout the Webcast.
• Share a set of emoticons that the audience can use to let you know whether they are in agree-
ment, disagreement, want more, want less, and so on.
Structuring the presentation:
• Collect potential questions and comments from the audience in advance of the Webcast.
This gives you time to incorporate relevant content.
• Make sure there is time before the presentation begins for people to check access and say
“Hello.”
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 33

IV. Tips for Designers of Synchronous Presentations,

Courses, and Webinars continued
When designing • Share the ground rules. Ask if the group wants to change any of the rules, and adjust as appro-
priate. (Send ground rules out in advance, if possible.)
a learning course • If you wish to collect pre-presentation data from the audience (to make sure you address
it is best to have questions, and to get them engaged in the topic), use the polling feature of your Webcast tool.
• Set up the presentation so that you are delivering content in three to five minute chunks.
worksheets for • Between each chunk, open it up for three to five questions.
the user to fill • Leave time at the end for discussion. (I have found that presenters often use their allotted time
for the presentation, leaving no time for audience participation.)
out, or to try out • Use the polling feature to check for understanding throughout the presentation. This is a
a learned lesson. quick way to get feedback, without waiting for a large group of people to type in their
responses. Plus, it is something that can be set up in advance of the Webcast.
The worksheet • If appropriate, provide a way for you and the audience to keep the discussion going after the
should have the Webcast; for example, by using an asynchronous communication tool (e.g., threaded discus-
sion).
option to print, so Wish me luck — I have another Webcast coming up, and will certainly put some of these strate-
that the user has gies into play.

something tangi- Joanna C. Dunlap, Associate Professor, University of Colorado Denver

ble to take along
When designing a learning course, it is best to have worksheets for the user to fill out, or to try
when the browser out a learned lesson. The worksheet should have the option to print, so that the user has some-
closes or the les- thing tangible to take along when the browser closes or the lesson is over. The option to clear the
page would be nice too, so the user doesn't have to backspace, or use the button in case they
son is over. want to start over.

Elaine Strothers, MS, Elaine Strothers, MS, Associate, Organized Change Consultancy
Associate, Organized
Change Consultancy
Include check-in questions after four to five slides to keep students interested.

Cacilda, Instructional Designer, CA

Consider creating actionable and relevant material that can live beyond the session. When
designing content, think about how the learner will consume the information, both during the
session and after the session. Think “A-C-T” (Applicability — Context — Transportable) when trying
to create actionable and evergreen experiences:
• Applicability — Offer worksheets and/or workbooks that learners can download and fill out
during the session. This allows learners to acquire knowledge, and apply it to their own envi-
ronment.
• Context — During the session, the learner may understand the key concepts being taught.
Often, take-home material lacks context, which makes it hard for learners to remember the
meaning behind a bullet point. Take-home material should include more background informa-
tion than the lesson in the synchronous session does.
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 34

IV. Tips for Designers of Synchronous Presentations,

Courses, and Webinars continued
Don't forget it is • Transportable content — Beyond providing context, at its best the take-home material should
provide enough depth and breadth that a new learner can pick up the take-home collateral
about e-Learning. material and quickly understand the key teaching points.
Synchronous com-
Vincent Huang, Director, Finance Learning Centers, Corporate Executive Board
munication and
interaction are Don't forget it is about e-Learning. Synchronous communication and interaction are part of
the e-Learning program you offer. Organize, and offer them that way. Consider the goals of the
part of the e-Learning program to match the intention of the synchronous event.
e-Learning pro-
Miguel Miní , Teacher
gram you offer.
Minimize the use of slides. The only thing worse than classroom slides and lecture is virtual
Organize, and
classroom slides and lecture. Today's synchronous learning tools are robust enough that your
offer them that trainees can fully engage in their own learning for the majority of any training session. Get cre-
ative. Design ways to pull content from the heads of your trainees, and ways for trainees to share
way. Consider
knowledge with each other. If there is knowledge-based foundational content that they must
the goals of the learn, then provide it as a resource. Ask learners to read on their own in preparation for an interac-
tive, group-based online learning session! You should use the valuable synchronous remote class-
e-Learning pro-
room time for active idea generation, problem solving, and other higher-level application activi-
gram to match ties. In summary, only use a text slide, combined with lecture, when you just can't think of any
other way to build the KSAs (Knowledge-Skills-Attitudes) of your learners. The tools don’t limit us
the intention of
— we're only limited by our design creativity!
the synchronous
Susan McDonald Osborn, Owner, Laurus Design, LLC
event.
Miguel Miní , Teacher
Clearly list the instructions for an activity on the screen. Do not just rely on including them in
the Facilitator notes. Some learners need to see and hear. Example:“Send a chat to your host/pre-
senter with your best guess.”This saves learners who need more time to process what they hear
the embarrassment of asking again,“What am I supposed to do?”

Debbi Spranza, Virtual Training Lead, First Horizon National

On the Web, where color is free, it is tempting for designers to show emphasis and meaning
using color. Keep in mind that upwards of 10% of men are color-blind. I create e-Learning in the
financial services industry, which employs a high percentage of white men. Thus, the percentage
of our student population with color blindness was even higher. The development team had to be
very cautious when using color as a signal in e-Learning classes; the meaning would be lost to a
large portion of our students. So when designing your e-Learning, consider your audience. Who
are they? Are you expressing meaning or placing emphasis by using green and red? If so, the audi-
ence may be lost. Consider using a color and pattern combination for graphics, or a color and font
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 35

IV. Tips for Designers of Synchronous Presentations,

Courses, and Webinars continued
Make sure you combination for text. A few small steps could allow you to use the color you love, and allow your
audience to get the meaning.
outline your
course. A table Christiana Houck, Curriculum Developer, Aristocrat Technologies Inc.

of contents and We've found that it works best to open a Chat pod before the presentation begins, so people
flow of course entering the room can “talk amongst themselves.”Throwing out a question like,“Where are you
from?” or “What is your position?" helps target the chat. Once the presentation begins, we change
will typically be the chat to only accept questions, which we then answer after the presentation. This way the par-
like an outline. ticipants can focus on the presentation, without having messages come up during the presenta-
tion that are unrelated to the topic. Some folks may welcome such chat, so do what works best for
It pre-sets and you. Create a few slides that show participants how to use the meeting room functions (Chat,
guides you during polls, etc.). Loop the presentation, and play it for the 10 minutes before start time.

creation, and Lisa Stepanovic, Business Practice Leader, e-Learning, Center for Business, Industry & Labor @ SLCC

verifies that you

Make sure you outline your course. A table of contents and flow of course will typically be like
cover all topics. an outline. It pre-sets and guides you during creation, and verifies that you cover all topics.

Michele Largman, Michele Largman, Instructional Designer

Instructional Designer

Summarize, Don't Sermonize. Sparing an hour or two from our busy workday schedules to
attend a Webinar is a real investment. We all know about the cost to productivity, and the extra
time you wish you had at the end of the day to get everything done. Moreover, speaking of invest-
ments, sometimes your employer will want to see a tangible result from your stay in Webinar
Land. So what was the takeaway? Can I see what you learned? In every Webinar I have attended or
given, someone always asks if the presentation material will be available after the session. In fact, I
think I have asked that very question myself.
The “material” often includes the archived Webinar recording, and the presentation deck
(slides). Now, whether you choose to make it available or not is a decision you'll no doubt make
based on the type of Webinar it is (sales, training) and the type of information you are sharing.
If you do make the presentation deck available, here are some design tips, based on my experi-
ence on both sides of the microphone:
• Include only highlight points on your screens — do not distract the audience with too many.
details. The higher level the points are, the better.
• Keep things clean — stick to your key messages.
• Don't overdo it. A busy page leaves much to the imagination.
• Avoid rich graphics, as most of us have to print on black and white printers, so the effective-
ness of your high impact photos may be lost. This brings up another excellent question — why
attend the Webinar if the slides are available afterwards? The value added in the Webinar is
(and should be) in the training event, not the handouts. You are the presentation. The purpose
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 36

IV. Tips for Designers of Synchronous Presentations,

Courses, and Webinars continued
Remember that of your support material is, if you'll pardon the expression, to keep everyone on the same page.
The rest is up to you.
you can present Happy presenting!
information in
Claudio Ierulli, Learning Solutions Developer, CIBC
the form of an
activity. You It is a good idea to build in interaction within every 10 slides. Remember that you can present
information in the form of an activity. You don't have to wait until you have reached the end of a
don't have to module to conduct a review activity. You don’t have to present content in a lecture, and then re-
wait until you view it in an activity. You can present it in an activity, and review it in another activity, or in a lec-
ture format. That way you can build in more interaction. And you can get your participants think-
have reached the ing about the content while it's being presented.
end of a module
Deborah Thomas, Founder and President, SillyMonkey LLC
to conduct a
Use photo services such as photos.com to find professional-looking photos for your courses.
review activity.
These services typically have an annual charge. Then you can obtain as many photos as you need
You don’t have throughout the year. It's easy to search on the photos, and it will give you creative choices for your
content. For instance, for a diversity class you can simply type the word “diversity,” and you will
to present con-
have hundreds of photos to choose from, depending on the service that you sign up with.
tent in a lecture,
Deborah Thomas, Founder and President, SillyMonkey LLC
and then review
it in an activity.
Deborah Thomas,
Founder and President,
V. 8 Tips for Managers Who Lead Synchronous
SillyMonkey LLC Learning Efforts
Be a leader with the synchronous learning technology. If you use it proficiently yourself, you will
be helping to promote it throughout your organization. Use the technology for e-Meetings, both
internally and with people from other departments. If others see how well the technology can
work on a day-to-day basis, the positive word will spread, and help others adopt this technology.
This helps fight the “traditional” vs.“online” battles we all face.

Carol Huhn, Nuance Communication

Save energies, use synchronous activities when they are viable and workable.

Miguel Miní, Teacher

 Success Story

Philips Medical Systems

Global services unit enhances training capabilities with Adobe® Acrobat® Connect™ Professional
software to support innovative eLearning programs serving customers and staff worldwide

Philips Medical Systems Improving patient outcomes

www.medical.philips.com For healthcare firms to effectively serve global populations, they must engage learners with
information when, where, and how it will have the greatest impact. At Philips Medical Systems,
the use of Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional software and the Adobe Connect™ Enterprise
Industry
Server supports the company’s Learning Services business efforts to provide high-quality,
Healthcare web-based education programs for customers and partners, and enhanced training for
marketing, sales, and distribution teams worldwide.
Challenges
Establish flexible eLearning initiative “By successfully training people to use our advanced medical equipment, we simplify healthcare
accessible from any location for our customers and help facilitate better patient care management,” says Douglas Dell, Global
Director, Learning Services at Philips Medical Systems, the leading U.S. division of Royal
Solution
Philips Electronics of the Netherlands. The organization’s Learning Services business reaches
• Real-time eLearning conferences
• Synchronous training
more than 135,000 registered users in more than 100 countries with synchronous education,
Philips Medical is using Acrobat
video conferencing, and web seminar services.
Connect Professional to provide
For Philips Medical, the benefits of using Acrobat Connect Professional to improve training for
employees, partners, and customers
with dynamic eLearning programs employees, partners, and customers are measurable. “We can serve increasing numbers of
that improve understanding of people with on-demand and real-time training and then relate those efforts to tangible business
advanced healthcare products. benefits of increased competencies which translate to system optimization and customer
Results satisfaction,” says Dell.
• Reduced employee travel and
Overcoming deployment obstacles
administrative costs
• Improved customer knowledge
Philips Medical Systems needs to provide training for its medical equipment customers to achieve
about sophisticated healthcare maximum utilization of their equipment’s capabilities. In addition to providing product training
technology and clinical uses for customers, Philips Medical also provides continuing education to healthcare professionals. For
facilitates better patient care example, Radiologic Technologists must complete 24 continuing education credits every two years
management
to maintain certification. These efforts support Philips’ service strategy of enhancing the customer
• Accelerated development and
delivery of eLearning content
experience in every season of system ownership.
• Streamlined customer compliance Many Philips customers have recognized the benefits of the continuing education and purchased
with certification and continuing
the education component as part of their service agreements—and, as the company determined
education requirements
through an in-depth needs assessment—customers prefer education that is available online 24
Systems At A Glance hours a day. Prior to standardizing on Acrobat Connect Professional for the synchronous delivery
• Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional of online education, Philips used a combination of services to deliver training, but was frustrated
• Adobe Connect Enterprise Server by the high telecommunications costs, unwieldy downloads, and problems presented by firewalls
• Adobe Presenter at customer sites.
• Adobe Flash®
• Adobe Captivate™ To better engage sales and distribution channels outside the corporate network, Philips leverages
• Adobe Premiere® Pro core functionality in Acrobat Connect Professional. Because Acrobat Connect content is delivered
• Adobe Creative Suite® 2. via the ubiquitous Adobe Flash Player—which is not dependent upon using certain browsers or
Components used include: computing platforms—Philips eLearning programs are easily available to authorized users on
• Adobe InDesign® CS2 most any digital device. Equally important, the Acrobat Connect content and meetings can be
• Adobe Photoshop® CS2 delivered securely and reliably inside medical organizations’ firewalls.
• Adobe GoLive® CS2
Philips Medical leverages Acrobat
Connect Professional to improve
training for employees, partners, and
customers. Online eLearning courses are
integrated with the company’s advanced
healthcare Learning Management
System (LMS), and a content authoring
tool developed by Philips to meet the
unique needs of the healthcare market.
For staff and customers unable to attend
real-time or in-person meetings, archived
webinars and courses are available.

“With Adobe Acrobat “With Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional, we can regularly engage with our customers,
Connect Professional, we enable our field force to demonstrate the capabilities of our products, and help ensure that
people know how to properly use our equipment and leverage the full clinical capabilities,”
can regularly engage
explains Dell. “This all adds up to patient benefits.”
with our customers,
enable our field force A blended learning environment
to demonstrate the Philips Medical develops approximately 100 training modules annually, with more than 400
capabilities of our currently in use. Online training programs complement onsite training held at Philips global
products, and help training centers in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Critical to the synchronous and asynchro-
nous learning model at Philips is that online training saves the organization significant travel and
ensure that people
staff costs. Archived seminars are available for people who cannot attend in-person meetings.
know how to properly
use our equipment and The online eLearning courses are integrated with the company’s advanced healthcare Learning
leverage the full clinical Management System (LMS), and a content authoring tool developed by Philips to meet the unique
needs of the healthcare market. In addition, integrating Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional
capabilities. This all adds
software and server technology into the company’s computing infrastructure has resulted in
up to patient benefits.” additional efficiencies.
Douglas Dell,
Global director, Learning Services, To deliver rich media, synchronous eLearning content, Philips uses Adobe Presenter to easily
Philips Medical Systems take content from subject matter experts and prepare it for Acrobat Connect Professional
sessions. At the same time, staff regularly uses other Adobe tools—Creative Suite 2, including
Adobe InDesign CS2, GoLive CS2, and Photoshop CS2, as well as Adobe Premiere Pro, Flash,
and Adobe Captivate—to author content, develop web pages, and collaborate.

Engaging users with dynamic content

For More Information To do justice to its visually oriented medical imaging products—such as its advanced iE33
www.adobe.com/products/acrobatconnectpro/ cardiac ultrasound imaging system—Philips needed a training solution that could demonstrate
the equipment’s ability to render the human heart and valves in 3D. By easily handling FLV files,
Acrobat Connect Professional offered the perfect solution.

Acrobat Connect Professional has also proved invaluable when launching consumer lifestyle
products like the Sonicare toothbrush. Philips strategy is to deliver timely, cost-efficient methods
to support effective training for its less technical products. The training group delivers dynamic
training modules via Adobe solutions to demonstrate the product and how to use it. “Showcasing
our products dynamically online leverages the power of Connect and saves us tremendous time
and money,” says Dell.

For staff and customers unable to attend real-time or in-person meetings, archived webinars and
courses are available. In addition, the use of webinars and ad-hoc web meetings is embraced across
the larger Philips organization, reducing travel costs and facilitating better training worldwide.
“As we continue to expand our Learning Service business, Acrobat Connect Professional will be an
important conduit to deliver training, establish presence, and build relationships with people
globally,” says Dell.

Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, Acrobat Connect, Adobe Connect, Adobe Premiere, Captivate, Creative Suite, Flash, GoLive, InDesign, and
Adobe Systems Incorporated Photoshop are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. All other
345 Park Avenue trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
San Jose, CA 95110-2704
USA © 2008 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
www.adobe.com 95010355  01/08 A 1.1
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 39

V. Tips for Managers Who Lead Synchronous Learning

Efforts continued
Use photo servic- Never assume that a good classroom facilitator makes an engaging and effective virtual facilita-
tor. Make sure that you provide your team with the tools, resources, and support that they need,
es such as photos. to be successful no matter how talented they may be in a classroom.“Virtually observe” your facil-
com to find pro- itators, and ask yourself if the attendees are actually learning from the experience.

fessional looking Tony SanGiovanni, Sr. Learning & Development Consultant, MetLife
photos for your
Managers — although your resources may be tight, allowing a second staff member to function
courses. These as “producer” or co-presenter often helps the class run more smoothly, since this person can trou-
services typically bleshoot, answer questions, or even step in, in the event of an emergency.

have an annual Carol Huhn, Nuance Communications

charge. Then you

Based on the analysis report, highlight the difficult concepts first, and explain them according to
can obtain as a presentation plan. Review the difficult concepts first, and then go for simple concepts. The order-
of-concepts arrangement is an easy way to manage the direction of synchronous learning efforts.
many photos as
This order may be in hierarchy.
you need through-
Rehman, Instructional Designer, Visionlabs
out the year. It's
easy to search on It's important that the participants give the session their full attention. It's tempting for them
to check email, surf the internet, etc., during the session. At the beginning of the session, let the
the photos, and it participants know how much time it will take, and give them some guidelines to follow during
will give you cre- the session. If you stick to a reasonable time limit (60 minutes or so), and ask them to turn off
their email, cell phones, etc., you should have a more productive session. Remind the participants
ative choices for that the session is for their benefit, and encourage them to fully participate.
your content.
Heather Carroll, Leadership Consultant, Bluewater Interactive
Deborah Thomas,
Founder and President, Make your presentation as visually interesting as possible. Subscribe to a clip art library such as
SillyMonkey LLC dreamstime.com for images. This will help maintain participants' attention more than boring
PowerPoint bullet text.

Lisa Stepanovic, Business Practice Leader, e-Learning , Center for Business, Industry & Labor @ SLCC

For the effort of maximizing shareholder wealth, it is important to track marketing intelligence
as well as information on competitors and innovators by using e-Learning. But you have to think ...
it should a continuous process ... if you can appoint a specific person for that, it is like an invest-
ment for the future, or an intangible asset ... try to put one person as a tracker, as well as an expert
on company e-Learning. But you need to look for his/her training and development too.

Nalin Abeysekera, Lecturer, Open University of Sri Lanka

 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 40

VI. 53 Tips for Synchronous Speakers and Instructors

Be careful with Always have a glass of water ready. I find that cold water will sweat and leave a pool, so I try to
get water that is room temperature. I also have some hand-towels ready (usually from the bath-
the wording of room), so I can quickly wipe up any spills.
questions. Stu-
Dwayne Dush
dents can't tell if
Be careful with the wording of questions. Students can't tell if it's a rhetorical question or not.
it's a rhetorical
Also, be wary of using double negatives in your questions. Students won't know if they should
question or not. answer yes or no!
Also, be wary of Carol Huhn, Nuance Communications
using double neg-
The quickest way to build credibility with a class is to admit when you don't know something. If
atives in your you try to fake it, the class will be able to tell, and will quickly discount everything you say. When
questions. Stu- something comes up that you can't answer, write it down, and get an answer back to the group as
quickly as time allows.
dents won't know
if they should Dwayne Dush

answer yes or no! Maybe this should be for designers ... I attended one “online course” that was all done over
Carol Huhn, Nuance
the phone. The facilitator essentially interviewed the person that was presenting material to make
Communications it sound like a radio show. It made the whole course much more dynamic from the point of a lis-
tener. Later, during the course, they had everyone hang up and call a predetermined partner (with-
in the course) to do an activity over the call. When the time for the activity was over, we hung up,
recalled the group line, and debriefed on our individual experiences. I was quite surprised how
well a simple “phone course” went, and how they had created it to be interactive.

Tracy Hamilton, Education Assistant, Southlake Regional Health Centre

Use the whiteboard as your easel to capture responses during discussion. You can do this in two
ways: Keep control of the white board and record responses yourself, OR, release white board con-
trol to all participants and let them type their own responses directly. It's an energizing way to
capture key discussion points!

Anne Scott, Training Program Developer, Sodexo

Sometimes multiple participants “huddle” around one computer to take a class together, or will
be in close physical proximity to each other. When the training is delivered to multiple clusters of
learners in this way, small group breakouts are easy to incorporate into the class. At the conclusion
of an activity, you can use chat and polling features to allow each group to present findings to the
class.

Holly Mason, Senior Instructional Technologist, Commonwealth Trading Partners

 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 41

VI. Tips for Synchronous Speakers and Instructors

continued

Practice before When working with a visual presentation (like PowerPoint), NEVER just read what is on the
slide. Use the information on the slide as a guide to your presentation. The slides can elaborate
the live event. your speaking points, illustrate them, or summarize them. But the slides should never BE the pres-
Upload content, entation.

walk through Dwayne Dush

exercises, conduct
Use a pre-assessment to determine your audience needs, capabilities, interests, preferences, and
polls, etc. Going expectations. Then use a post-assessment to evaluate your presentation, and determine if you
through your were successful. Align measures for the pre-assessment and post-assessment, to best determine
outcomes and areas for improvement.
session at least
Margaret Martinez, CEO, The Training Place, Inc.
once, before you
have your partici- SET EXPECTATIONS:Whether I'm leading a traditional classroom session or one over the Web,
one of the first things I do is to start by telling everyone when we will take breaks, that they can
pants, will allow
ask questions right away rather than holding them until the end, and review the course outline to
you to identify help explain the format of the class. It typically doesn't matter what rules you set in place, as long
as you communicate them, explain the reasons for the rules, and consistently follow the rules.
areas of concern
and find solu- Dwayne Dush

tions. If your application has a “feedback” tool, encourage the students to use it to tell you if you are
Sarah Remijan,
going too fast or too slow. In a traditional classroom, you can tell when you are moving too fast by
Manager, Club and the “deer in the headlights” look on a learner's face. Since you cannot usually see the learners in a
District Training, Rotary synchronous class, using the feedback tool may help to guage how you are doing.
International
Carol Huhn, Nuance Communications

Practice before the live event. Upload content, walk through exercises, conduct polls, etc. Going
through your session at least once, before you have your participants, will allow you to identify
areas of concern and find solutions.

Sarah Remijan, Manager, Club and District Training, Rotary International

Emoticons aren’t just for email! Emoticons are generally facial expressions put together from
keyboard letters and symbols to help express the tone and emotion of the sentence, paragraph, or
message. Since text-based communication can bring added uncertainty, emoticons can greatly
facilitate the tone and emotion you have intended in the message. Use emoticons if you want to
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 42

VI. Tips for Synchronous Speakers and Instructors

continued

If you are taping help the student with the intention of your tone through the text. Following are some examples
of common emoticons used in text communication:
the event for later :-) = smile or happy
viewing, avoid .-) = smile with a wink
:-D = big grin
unnecessary nois- :-o = wow, or I'm surprised
es (like beeps :-( = frown or sad

every time a new Michele Meissner, Instructional Designer, University of Michigan Health System
participant enters)
Do the same participants always answer your in-class quiz questions? Prepare your questions in
that will distract index cards (one question per card). Note the unit or topic on the card. Ask the learners to “line
those watching up” and then ask each learner a question, in turn. This puts the learners in random order. If the
learner cannot answer the question correctly, allow the next learner a chance. Make notes on your
the recorded ses- index card such as:“need to reword the question,”“double-check curriculum, page 12,”“easy ques-
sion, and may tion,” or “need more practice.”This gives the learners an opportunity to test their knowledge, and
ask about what they don't understand. It also provides the instructor with feedback about which
even cause them topics need more coverage, and which questions to reword.
to stop watching.
Jill Easterday, Consultant
Sarah Remijan, Manager,
Club and District To train customer service agents in the use of courtesy phrases, require each agent to sign on
Training, Rotary and off with the appropriate greeting and closing. Also, require courtesy phrases in class, such as,
International “Please,”“Thank you,” and “You're welcome.”The added repetition encourages good habits! Be
sure to point out how courtesy affects both the conversation and the quality score.

Jill Easterday, Consultant

If you are taping the event for later viewing, avoid unnecessary noises (like beeps every time a
new participant enters) that will distract those watching the recorded session, and may even
cause them to stop watching.

Sarah Remijan, Manager, Club and District Training, Rotary International

Much time can be lost at the beginning of a session by attendees “staggering in” and interrupt-
ing proceedings. To prevent this, ask your students or attendees to log on about 10 to 15 minutes
before the actual start time. At this time, say “Hello” as people come in to the live environment,
ask them to say “Hello” back, so you can test their microphone and sound settings, and Webcams
if applicable. Have a slide or text on display that also says “Welcome,” and that you're still waiting
to begin. Then at the appointed time (or a little over, to wait for the inevitable late arrivals) begin
the session by moving to your actual Start slide or text, and announce that you are beginning. This
will not only give you a smooth and immediately productive start, but it will also prevent techni-
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 43

VI. Tips for Synchronous Speakers and Instructors

continued

For training that cal issues in the middle of your session, when attendees suddenly discover that their Webcam/mic
is not working.
is one day or
longer, use the Joyce Seitzinger, EIT Hawke's Bay

“Team Teaching” For training that is one day or longer, use the “Team Teaching” approach whenever possible. It
approach when- will help the students stay attentive when they have a variety of voices and presentation styles to
listen to during the class.
ever possible. It
Dwayne Dush
will help the stu-
dents stay atten- Here is a nice introduction that has many applications. I use it when training folks on software
applications.“There 'IS' little difference between nuisance and nuance. I am here to take the “IS”
tive when they
out of nuisance.”“What is a NuISance? Something you neither expect to encounter, nor know
have a variety of what to do when you encounter it. A nuance? A nuance is something that is different, but you
either expect it or know what to do. My job, here, today, will be to take the “IS” out of what is a
voices and pres-
NuISance to you using ______.”
entation styles to
Tim Pearson, Lead Consultant, Datatel, Inc.
listen to during
the class. For a weeklong training session, we play the “ABC” game in class on the last day. I list the letters
A through Z on the board. Then I tell the class that, as a group, they have to come up with some-
Dwayne Dush thing they learned during the week that connects to each of the 26 letters. When down to diffi-
cult letters (like X) allow lots of flexibility. (X can be something like “Xtra Attention to Details”) It
typically turns into a fun way to review the week, and shows the students how much they actual-
ly did learn.

Dwayne Dush

Imagine you're in the same room with your learners, and welcoming them to your party. It cre-
ates a warmer atmosphere that they will be able to feel. Work on vocal variety. It's hard to stay
awake and learning when you're hearing a droning voice. Practice by reading children's stories
aloud! Use informal, inclusive language that encourages participants to interact. Formal language
distances you from them, and you are already distanced by the geography and the technology.
Use your language and voice to overcome that distance. Got an exercise to do? Have one partici-
pant coach another on how to do it. Ask all the others to stand by in case one of them asks for
help. Choose the participants, don't ask for volunteers (you won't get many, or only the keeners).

Julie Biddle, Training Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 44

VI. Tips for Synchronous Speakers and Instructors

continued

Do a test run of Signpost, signpost, signpost. Think about your transitions into and around a page. Before you
move on to the next slide, give them a taste of what to expect. This will help the learner quickly
your program understand the meaning behind the slide. Often, I see speakers or instructors react to a page. Pre-
with a few peo- script your transitions. While on the page, always provide navigation signposts for the learner.
Whether the speaker is moving from left to right, or top to bottom, verbal cues will help the learn-
ple who aren't er visually navigate the page.
subject matter
Vincent Huang, Director, Finance Learning Centers, Corporate Executive Board
experts. You will
get the best Always Have a Backup Plan: Audio always dominates the visual in synchronous delivery.
Participants will tolerate a less-than-perfect video image, or slowish download of graphics, if the
ideas of simple momentum of the conversation can be maintained with the audio flow. Also, if anything is going
things you can to happen, it is far more likely that the visual part of your presentation will cause problems, so be
prepared. Here are some tips that may be helpful:Where appropriate, upload materials to a course
do to improve LMS or Wiki prior to the synchronous session. Students can download these, and view them from
your program's their desktop if required during the session (very useful if students have an annotation tool they
can use during the conference). If you are planning on presenting a slideshow, or using graphics as
flow, timing, and a part of a presentation, make sure you have them available in another place on the Web. I find
explanations Slideshare (http://www.slideshare.com), TeachTube (http://www.teachertube.com) and Flickr
(http://www.flickr.com) very useful here. If you are sharing graphics or a slideshow, take the time
from people who to optimize the graphics you use (reducing the file size) to make it easier to share in an online
are less familiar environment. A photograph inserted into a PowerPoint show, for instance, can be over a megabyte
in size, but you can easily reduce it by using something like Photoshop or even Imagewell. Always
with your topic. have a “back-chat” channel open for use.

Sarah Beth Larson,

Derek Wenmoth, Director, e-Learning, Core Education
Instructional Designer,
Lifeblood/MSRBC
Do a test run of your program with a few people who aren't subject matter experts. You will get
the best ideas of simple things you can do to improve your program's flow, timing, and explana-
tions from people who are less familiar with your topic.

Sarah Beth Larson, Instructional Designer, Lifeblood/MSRBC

Embed hyperlinks in some of your slides. These would be the “nice to know” slides, and not the
“need to know slides.” If you are rushed for time during a presentation, you can click on the strate-
gic hyperlink and “jump” over slides. Then the audience does not see the presenter fumbling
through a series of slides.

Jim Swan, Training and Development Consultant, The Hartford

 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 45

VI. Tips for Synchronous Speakers and Instructors

continued

Practice A LOT! Review all the experience gained from radio and TV broadcasting. Decades of knowledge about
communicating through audio and video are available. Even while today's technology helps pre-
Presenting online vent interference in messages (noise, shadows, delays), there's nothing like plain communication,
is quite different direct and effective.

from a traditional Miguel Miní, Teacher

in-person presen-
To help the audience anticipate what's going to happen next during a Webcast, TELL THEM. For
tation, where you example, if you're going to do a poll, tell them “I'm going to open a poll now,” ...“I'm going to close
can see the audi- the poll now.”This will also give a cue to the meeting host if they have control over polls. It seems
simple, but it's critical. It prevents people from getting confused when the windows shift around
ence and their on the screen.
reactions. Get
Lisa Stepanovic, Business Practice Leader, e-Learning, Center for Business, Industry & Labor @ SLCC
comfortable with
Practice A LOT! Presenting online is quite different from a traditional in-person presentation,
this format well
where you can see the audience and their reactions. Get comfortable with this format well before
before the live the live event.

event. Lisa Stepanovic, Business Practice Leader, e-Learning, Center for Business, Industry & Labor @ SLCC
Lisa Stepanovic,
Business Practice Leader, Trust your technology. Avoid phrases such as,“Hopefully everyone can see this” or,“Let's see if
e-Learning, Center for this will work.”There is no need to lower expectations before you even begin. You can be sure that
Business, Industry & if no one can see, even if the service you use does not somehow communicate that to you, your
Labor @ SLCC participants will let you know.

Debbi Spranza, Virtual Training Lead, First Horizon National

When using breakout rooms, you should determine if your call-in system (if other than VoIP)
allows for breakout conversations. This will allow your small groups to not only work together in
the e-space, but also communicate via phone. Make sure to clearly explain how to return to the
main “room” after the breakout period has ended. You don't want learners to have to call in again
if they get disconnected!

Deborah Nugent, Learning Consultant, Fidelity Investments

Especially for non-native English speakers: Pre-record your presentation with narration. For ques-
tions, pause your presentation, or wait until it’s finished, and then do a live voice-chat if needed —
or stay with the chat window or to the pods.

Ole Kristensen, Senior e-Learning Consultant, Grundfos Management

 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 46

VI. Tips for Synchronous Speakers and Instructors

continued

You can use If leading a chat room session, I prepare my questions that I want to ask in a Word document.
Then I cut and paste the questions into the chat window, following the order from the document.
ustream.tv to I ask my students to read a relevant article beforehand. I usually start prompting the students,
deliver a video using the order in the chat window. However, as the students start participating, I let them choose
when to answer the question. Sometimes if the chat content deviates slightly I let it go as long as
and VoIP for FREE! it is relevant to the topic.
Attendees can
Malcolm Roberts, Program manager: Grad Diploma IT in Education, Wintec
view the lesson
while interacting • Don't be afraid of silence. Your participants may need a moment to collect their thoughts,
especially if you are conducting the session in a language that is not their native tongue.
in a chat feature. • Take advantage of collaboration and annotation tools. Participants who are normally quiet
Ustream. tv will during a synchronous session, are often more willing to contribute via a text tool.
• Don't feel like you have to answer every question yourself. You have several smart, capable,
also allow you to experienced people in the session. Ask the participants how they might approach a problem. It
archive the video keeps them more engaged, and you will get many creative answers.

for later use. One Tracy Ross, Instructional Designer, Intel Corporation

additional benefit
If you are facilitating in a virtual world, where both you and the participants are represented by
would be a single avatars, don't just position your avatar in a fixed spot, such as the podium, while you deliver your
content. Instead, move your avatar around as you present. This makes the participants stay en-
Web address for
gaged in a literally hands-on way, as they move their avatars to stay in visual contact with you. In
all sessions, rather fact, don't hesitate to ask everyone to gather in a different spot from time to time to keep them
active, or to have them gesture wildly or jump up and down — the equivalent of a live-classroom
than a new one
stretch break. And speaking of gesturing, take advantage of the capabilities you have to make
for each session. your facilitator avatar more life-like. Use gestures, facial expressions, and movement to make your
presentation more dynamic. If you find the prospect of controlling your avatar while speaking and
Kelly Kirk, presenting slide content daunting, enlist the help of a co-facilitator. Four hands are better than
Distance Education
two, when it comes to making virtual training come alive!
Program Director,
Davidson County
Community College David Werboff, Group Director, e-Learning Solutions, Informa Training Partners

You can use ustream.tv to deliver a video and VoIP for FREE! Attendees can view the lesson
while interacting in a chat feature. Ustream.tv will also allow you to archive the video for later use.
One additional benefit would be a single Web address for all sessions, rather than a new one for
each session.

Kelly Kirk, Distance Education Program Director, Davidson County Community College

When conducting virtual classroom sessions, it is beneficial to have a co-moderator for sessions
with more than 20 participants. The co-moderator does not need to be a subject-matter expert.
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 47

VI. Tips for Synchronous Speakers and Instructors

continued

If your class runs They can help to field and organize chat questions that are submitted. My previous experiences
have shown that it is difficult for a primary moderator to keep up with chat questions for larger
over several weeks groups. A co-moderator helps to manage the process. The results are wonderful!
with the same
Jamal, Director, Learning Technologies, HR People Development
students, have
them all get If your class runs over several weeks with the same students, have them all get Instant Messen-
ger accounts, and have them keep these accounts open when class is going on. That way, if the
Instant Messen- main synchronous system you are using fails, you have a way of getting in touch with them.
ger accounts, and Likewise, if their audio fails suddenly, or they cannot see your mouse movements, they have a
quiet way to get in touch with you. People often ask why I don’t use the messaging system built
have them keep into the synchronous tool. The reason that isn’t a good idea, is that, if the synchronous tool fails,
these accounts you lose all of your communication tools. It is also a good idea to have phone numbers for several
of your students. That way, if your network connection fails, or you have to reboot to recover from
open when class a freeze, you can call one of those students, and they can pass that information on to your class.
is going on. That Perhaps your fix is something as simple as a reboot, but if that takes five minutes, and your stu-
dents do not know what is going on, they may leave before you come back. This helps keep them
way, if the main around.
synchronous sys-
Jeffry Gordon, Professor of Educational Informatics, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
tem you are using
To set interaction expectations early, poll, survey or use some other activity within the first five
fails, you have a
to ten minutes of your Web-based training session. Follow up with additional activities every 15 to
way of getting in 20 minutes. You may do polls and surveys via your Web meeting tool, or, if your group is small, ver-
bally. Be certain to share the poll or survey results with your Web trainees.
touch with them.
Jeffry Gordon,
Jeffrey Hippler, Senior Implementation Consultant, Wolters Kluwer Financial Services
Professor of Educational
Informatics, Vanderbilt After you ask a question, count to thirty! Do not be afraid of silence following a question. You
University School of must give people time to gather their thoughts and respond before you move on. Many people
Nursing are new to the synchronous learning environment, and it may take them a few moments to
remember how to raise their hand or how to respond in the Chat area.

Karin Rex, Owner, Geeky Girl, LLC

Keep calm when some trainees seem to be unable to concentrate on the material you are pre-
senting, even in 20-minute segments. I put noiseless little “toys” on each table (such as small
stuffed toys or balls) for those with some attention deficit to manipulate (almost unconsciously)
while listening. In the Middle East,“worry beads” accomplish this. Main tip: Do not fret or punish
those who seem to be fidgeting (though not disturbing others) or even doodling — it seems to
help those with attention deficit to actually focus painlessly. I have tried it in classes. This works
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 48

VI. Tips for Synchronous Speakers and Instructors

continued

When doing with synchronous and non-synchronous learning for some people. A professor from the University
of Minnesota tried this with a whole class and me, and he was successful in increasing our learn-
events that use ing and our joy in learning.
voice, but not nec-
John Michael Lyons, Trainer of Trainers, Independent Consultant
essarily streaming
video, I found it Structuring group and team learning activities: Assign rotating functions for each member of
the group (four learners per group is ideal, or even five) in their discussion. For example, first
very helpful to assign one of the volunteers as TIME KEEPER for each group, and give him/her absolute power to
pre-record what I remind members of time remaining and when to stop. Then, assign a NOTE-TAKER (whose notes
are official), then a PRESENTER(s), then a VISUAL-AID MAKER(s). Finally the remaining person is the
was planning to GROUP LEADER, whose function is to give the activity OBJECTIVE and explain it to members, and
say, and then to then to encourage each member for input. He or she only votes to break a tie. This last one is most
important in places where leader means absolute DECIDER — this helps to redefine leadership in
listen to the a very practical way.
speech and the
John Michael Lyons, Trainer of Trainers, Independent Consultant
phrasing. By doing
When doing events that use voice, but not necessarily streaming video, I found it very helpful to
so, I could polish
pre-record what I was planning to say, and then to listen to the speech and the phrasing. By doing
the presentation, so, I could polish the presentation, and I managed to eliminate some of the potential for awkward
phrasing which may arise in an “off the cuff” speech. As I told later instructors and presenters in
and I managed to
our organization, synchronous work is like radio broadcasting. You have to be clear, concise, and
eliminate some of polished. Adapt to the medium and the loss of “presence,” so that you,“Say more, but speak less.”

the potential for Mark L. Sheppard, Sr. Education Officer, Smart Systems for Health Agency
awkward phrasing
Dry RUN! It is a good idea to perform a short, but full-dress, rehearsal before your big event.
which may arise Create a practice online event, preferably using the actual content, and start presenting. Have a
in an “off the cuff” colleague join you in this dry run through a separate PC logged in as audience, so that you can get
feedback on how it looks to the audience. Better still; have another machine arranged for you dur-
speech. ing the dry run, which is logged in as participant, so that you can see for yourself as well.
Mark L. Sheppard, Sr.
Education Officer,
Uday Kranti, Sr. Consultant, NIIT
Smart Systems for Health
Agency The first important thing to keep in mind is that your online event cannot appear like a
PowerPoint with speaker voice-over. Having participation is as important as having participants.
Go through the features of the tool you use for the online event. Look for possibilities of real-time
polls, chats, and voice-based discussions you can include to make it more participative. You might
have years of speaking experience, but if you are a first-time synchronous speaker or instructor,
prior participation as audience in a similar event will help. Most of the good organizations
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 49

VI. Tips for Synchronous Speakers and Instructors

continued

If you can have involved in online synchronous learning tools host regular meetings to promote their product.
Attending one of them is a good start. Try joining in on a presentation hosted by the organization
another speaker, that makes the tool you intend to use. The good thing is that their presentation will include prod-
including having uct features that you can use. They will also provide you links to other sources that can help you
present better. The next, equally important tip, is to keep the first few minutes for the “weather”
someone in the (you don’t necessarily need to talk about the weather). Even a punctual audience may not have
class explain a their wrist watch synchronized with yours. The idea is to accommodate the first three to five min-
utes waiting for people to join in, without having dead air. The on-hold music is another put off.
process or con- Talking about some rules to follow during the event is one way to utilize the first couple of min-
cept, it breaks utes.

up the class and Uday Kranti, Sr. Consultant, NIIT

re-gains atten-
If you can have another speaker, including having someone in the class explain a process or con-
tion. cept, it breaks up the class and re-gains attention.

Patty Skerl, Patty Skerl, Senior Talent Development Specialist, AmTrust Bank
Senior Talent
Development Specialist,
AmTrust Bank • If at all possible, have two machines. One to “lead,” and one to see what your participants are
seeing.
• Practice, practice, practice.
• Keep a bottle of water handy, your throat will become parched.
• Use a headset, not an open mike.
• Close everything on your computer desktop, other than what you really need for your session.
• It's not necessary to be a total geek (hey, I'm only a semi-geek), but you need to UNDERSTAND
the technology you're working with, enough to understand what could go wrong (or right)
during your session.

Paula Cancro

Whenever possible, set up two computers side by side, and log one in as the presenter and the
other as an attendee. This way you can see both views. Many times what they see isn't what you
see, and so you won't be chatting away, oblivious that your students are viewing a blank screen.

Jean Marrapodi, Ph.D., CPLP, Solutions Specialist, Mimeo.com

Whenever you are presenting software programs online, and don't have the luxury of having
everyone on their own PC, it's important to take frequent breaks to let your audience demonstrate
that they are gaining the concepts you are presenting. You should only use this type of training for
shorter software training classes, rather than for critical data entry types. It's useful for lookup type
of database training. Use the “pass the mouse” feature, and let them demonstrate that they have
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 50

VI. Tips for Synchronous Speakers and Instructors

continued

Count on the first mastered the task. I assign three or four roles, depending on the size of the class: 1) PICKER (or
CHOOSER): This person makes any choices. For example, which font, which name if there are sev-
session taking 15 eral choices. Adult learners like to have choices. 2) DRIVER: This is the person moving the mouse.
minutes to kick However s/he MAY NOT move the mouse without instruction from the talker. 3) TALKER: This per-
son gives instructions to the driver. They may reference the manual. S/he may ask the COACH
off, especially if (below) for help. 4) COACH: This role is for the remainder of the group, and is optional. They may
people are new assist the talker if the talker has trouble and asks for help. Their other role is to “Ahem,” if the
TALKER appears to be leading the DRIVER astray. It's important to make a chart of who is PICKER,
to the technique. DRIVER, and TALKER for each exercise, and switch them for each exercise. What is interesting is
Build that time that they root for one another, and internally follow along with the steps of the DRIVER, practicing
the steps as if they were driving the mouse themselves. Everyone is involved, even though you
into the first pres- may not have everyone on a PC. It leverages the team spirit, which can be reinforced at the end
entation. Also, when the trainer may not be available, where they can all help one another with the program
after class. Trainees leave class saying it was an incredibly fun way to learn software.
have a technical
person on stand- Jean Marrapodi, Ph.D., CPLP, Solutions Specialist, Mimeo.com

by to trouble- This tip is for using a synchronous Webinar tool (such as Adobe Connect, GoToMeeting,WebEx,
shoot anything etc.). As a speaker or an instructor, you should have another computer next to you and log in as a
(fake) participant, so you can compare the two screens, and tell what the participants are seeing
from the presen- while you are presenting.
ter's end.
Seung Youn (Yonnie) Chyung, Associate Professor, Boise State University
Bradley Shoebottom,
Information Architect, Avoid phrases such as “notice this” or “look here” and replace them with more descriptive phras-
Innovatia es like “Notice the small blue icon at the top of your screen” or “Look at the third bullet regarding
...”. These extra few words will paint a visual picture, and help guide the learner to what you are
describing.

Rory Frey, Consultant Technical Training, The Hartford

Count on the first session taking 15 minutes to kick off, especially if people are new to the tech-
nique. Build that time into the first presentation. Also, have a technical person on standby to trou-
bleshoot anything from the presenter's end.

Bradley Shoebottom, Information Architect, Innovatia

To promote interaction and participation while serving as a review exercise, I use the following
technique:
1. Ask each attendee to formulate a review question (T\F, Fill-in-the-blank, short answer, etc.).
2. View the Attendees List on the left. In your notes, record the name of the persons directly
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 51

VI. Tips for Synchronous Speakers and Instructors

continued

Don't forget to above and below you in the list as follows:

ABOVE: Mary Jones
take breaks. Just BELOW: Tom Smith
because you are 3. Using the Chat box, type your review question and send it ONLY to your BELOW person.
4. Upon receiving a review question, reply with the correct answer (use your notes and work-
connected re- book if needed) ONLY to your ABOVE person.
motely, doesn’t 5. Reply to the BELOW person either indicating the answer was correct or by providing the cor-
rect answer.
mean people 6. Change your My Status to Thumbs Up when complete.
don’t need “bio
Steve Cavin, Consultant/Technical Trainer, Datatel, Inc.
breaks.”
If you train over the internet (collaboratively via a tool like WebEx, Interwise, Placeware, or
Michele Largman,
Centra), make sure you constantly “check-in” with your audience. Speak slowly and clearly. Don't
Instructional Designer
use jargon, as your audience may be international, and not understand your words.

Michele Largman, Instructional Designer

Don't forget to take breaks. Just because you are connected remotely, doesn’t mean people
don’t need “bio breaks.”

Michele Largman, Instructional Designer

VII. 23 Tips for Technical Production, Planning and

Preparation
Anticipate technical problems, and determine what you will do if they occur “live.” Always have
a plan B to follow, if the audio and/or video is lost or of poor quality. What will you do if the server
goes down? The key is to communicate problems to the audience, so they're not left hanging.

Lisa Stepanovic, Business Practice Leader, e-Learning, Center for Business, Industry & Labor @ SLCC

Prior to the live meeting, put together a “flow” document that the presenter, host, and technical
folks can follow during the Webcast. Document everything that will happen during the meeting
— introductions, polls, Q&A, when to show specific slide numbers — and who is responsible for
each of these.

Lisa Stepanovic, Business Practice Leader, e-Learning, Center for Business, Industry & Labor @ SLCC
Keep your online learners from drifting away.
Enter Adobe.

With ADOBE® ACROBAT® CONNECT™ PRO you can quickly create online virtual classes
that capture and keep your learners’ attention. You can use video, interactive games, simulations,
and breakout rooms for focused discussions. It’s like a real classroom. Dynamic. Interactive. Engaging.
Learn more at adobe.com/acrobatconnectpro. Business never looked better.

© 2008 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Adobe, the Adobe logo and LiveCycle are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and /or other countries.
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 53

VII. Tips for Technical Production, Planning and

Preparation continued
Motivated team Assure that you provide to participants, ahead of time, all the info about needed configuration
settings (for example: Flash version, JAVA, Firewall settings) and specify where they can get it.
leaders are critical Provide more than one connection to each session, in order to avoid too much traffic over a single
to your project's link. Always provide an automatic “add to calendar” schedule option according to the time region
(e.g. Eastern Time vs. GMT)
success. Before
beginning a proj- Elisio Carmona, Senior Consultant, Deloitte

ect, select a Pro- The best tip I can offer for synchronous technology is to always use at least two computers for
ject Manager and Webcasting. Use one computer (in my case this is the “presenter's” computer) to send the outgo-
ing video, audio, and images. Use a second computer (for me this is the meeting “host's” comput-
Lead Developer er), to manage the meeting software and monitor the video, audio, and images coming from the
who are comfort- presenter.

able working James Lloyd, Training Developer, Promega Corporation

together. Make
• Encourage facilitators to use a production assistant. The assistant can field questions, help
sure these team with technical problems, and generally help keep the session on track.
• Facilitators should schedule practice sessions before their first live session, to make sure they
players are pas-
are very comfortable with the tools.
sionate, and bring • Create a welcome slide to greet participants as they log in. It lets them know they are in the
right place, and sets the tone for the session. If you have a “slideshow” option (such as the one
enthusiasm to
in LiveMeeting 2007), create a three- or four-slide welcome deck to rotate as participants log
the project. in. Share instructor information and photo, a couple of “Did you know?” facts about the ses-
sion topic, or other relevant info.
Jacquie Beck, SVP, • Facilitators should log in at least 10 to 15 minutes before the session, to load documents, test
e-Learning , Brookwood
that all is working properly, and greet participants as they join.

Tracy Ross, Instructional Designer, Intel Corporation

Motivated team leaders are critical to your project's success. Before beginning a project, select a
Project Manager and Lead Developer who are comfortable working together. Make sure these
team players are passionate, and bring enthusiasm to the project. People who are excited to work
on a project are much more effective and productive than people who are not motivated. A bad
seed on the production team will bring the entire project down. Once you align motivated team
leaders, you will need to rely on their enthusiasm to keep the project rolling. I always ask my
developers in the performance review,“What are your favorite parts of your job? What do you like
so much that you would do it for free?” I listen carefully, and make sure I am aligning them to do
the development work that is close to their heart. I have found that this allows me to get the best
performance and loyalty out of my employees. They are happy doing a job that they enjoy, they
come to work with a smile on their face, and they are highly motivated to be on the development
team. Finally, if everyone wants to do the same thing, and all the glory jobs are taken, I put incen-
 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 54

VII. Tips for Technical Production, Planning and

Preparation continued
Until the tool be- tives around the jobs that are least popular. For example, no one wants to QA content — especial-
ly boring content! Therefore, I have an incentive program that pays my QA Team $3 for every legiti-
comes second mate bug they find. In some cases, with longer projects, it isn’t unusual to find 15 to 20 bugs. With
nature, take the this system in place, my developers can make an extra $45 to $60 per day doing QA, and being
very detail-oriented. This ensures they are doing high-quality testing, they are trying their best to
time to give find mistakes, and they are getting rewarded for doing a not-so-popular job.
practice sessions
Jacquie Beck, SVP, e-Learning , Brookwood
with participants
prior to the Be ready to customize on the fly. Most synchronous tools have a polling feature that defaults to
a YES/NO question. It's great to have your questions pre-loaded, but if something comes up during
learning event, the presentation, ask the question verbally, and leave the text field for the question blank.
or build in some (Practice this beforehand.)

time at the begin- Michael Coleman, e-Learning Manager, BOMI International

ning of the ses-

Until the tool becomes second nature, take the time to give practice sessions with participants
sion for a prac- prior to the learning event, or build in some time at the beginning of the session for a practice ses-
sion.
tice session.
Paula Colwell, Learning
Paula Colwell, Learning Specialist, Canada School of Public Service
Specialist, Canada School
of Public Service Be vigilant about preparation. Each presenter, no matter how experienced online, needs to test
the setup of this session with this content and this equipment. Make no assumptions.

Karen Hyder, Online Event Producer and Speaker Coach, The e-Learning Guild

Use music and commercial jingles throughout the training. It is very welcoming to have music
playing in the background as guests join the session, or while they are conducting an exercise. We
also like to use fake commercial jingles when switching to a new topic as a way to transition. You
can easily play music with a simple phone adapter line that plays from your PC's speaker.

Rory Frey, Consultant Technical Training, The Hartford

Some voices, no matter how well they project in the classroom, just don't record well, or carry
over VoIP. When this happens, no amount of speaking loudly or increasing the input volume on
the computer will solve the problem. Instead of using a standard USB microphone, and having the
students turn up the volume, record yourself using an actual microphone plugged into an amp,
and then into the computer’s microphone jack. You'll be amazed at how wonderful your voice
sounds.

Christiana Houck, Curriculum Developer, Aristocrat Technologies Inc.

 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 55

VII. Tips for Technical Production, Planning and

Preparation continued
Just say no to
Just say “No” to wireless network connections. As a meeting host or presenter, you cannot
wireless network afford the intermittent lapses that can happen with even the best wireless connection. It is not
connections. As a worth the grief to even consider this worth the risk.

meeting host or James Lloyd, Training Developer, Promega Corporation

presenter, you
Create a “bogus” student for the class. This way, when you are testing the material, you can log
cannot afford the in as a leader on one PC and as a student on the other. This allows you to see the online material
intermittent laps- exactly the way a student sees it. It's a good troubleshooting tool when you are not sure how
something will look when presented online.
es that can hap-
pen with even Carol Huhn, Nuance Communications

the best wireless For the one-person e-Learning shop or department: Begin with your business objectives. Then
connection. It is establish metrics that you can build into the outcome. If you are developing without clear busi-
ness objectives, start with a sample focus group of your audience to establish “Top” performance
not worth the gaps. Hopefully, you shouldn't have more than about five to eight objectives for a single SCO
grief to even con- (sharable content object.) If you have more than that, consider restructuring the SCO. Always keep
in mind that your audience will have divided attention, and varying degrees of previous experi-
sider this worth ence with your topical matter. For self-paced e-Learning, plan to keep information in approximate-
the risk. ly 90- to 120-second chunks. This is to ensure that you have targeted outcomes. For blended inter-
actions, consider that, unlike a classroom setting, many people turn to e-Learning as a short-but-
James Lloyd, sweet interlude. Therefore, you should attempt to meet that need by keeping live synchronous
Training Developer, learning to less than 30 minutes. Don't fret; you can always supplement any areas that may have
Promega Corporation been glossed over, using online documentation. Once you've determined what needs to be includ-
ed, and why you need to measure it, the next step in planning is considering how you want to
present your materials. Consider the technical capabilities of your audience, and if possible do a
small field test with a sample group. If you cannot do a field test, a quick phone call will suffice to
establish what your audience can and cannot do. I like to establish the uppermost technical abili-
ties, and the lower-most, and then develop with the middle in mind. Now for the scheduling for
development, I use an 8:1 ratio. For every one minute of e-Learning, it will take approximately 8
HOURS of development. (The ratio is closer to 480:1 on a minute basis) Why so much time? Unless
you are an exceptionally great Flash developer, or you have an established (read 100+) library of
SCO's at the ready, or you have a team of SME's who can do the dedicated development for you, in
a one-person shop you will be developing, researching, testing, and deploying all by your lone-
some. Incidentally, I'm speaking of developing with off-the-shelf tools, as well as plug and play
software. So the total planning time for a 120 second SCO is about one to two days.

Kira Zadow-Colley, Training Analyst, Hotwire.com

 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 56

VII. Tips for Technical Production, Planning and

Preparation continued
Develop two or Is it a conference? Remember that workshops and laboratories are more participatory, collab-
orative, and constructive. In short, they are more meaningful. If an eminence will be available for
three announce- students, be welcome. Online teachers should be facilitators of the e-Learning process, instead of
ment emails to lecturers.

send at regularly Miguel Miní, Teacher

scheduled inter-
The most important ingredient to successful participation by your audience is for them to have
vals in advance all the technology pieces running well (client-side plug-ins, popup blockers, and all the rest). While
of your Webinar. you might have rehearsed with the technology before, not all members of your audience may
have done so. Most surveys indicate that at least 33% of the audience faces trouble joining the
Provide some online event. With the first 10 minutes lost, the audience feels left out, and continues with redu-
information and ced interest. With all your invitations, do send in a link that your audience can use to test their set-
tings. If you think most of your audience is new to this mode of learning, another way to handle
motivation to get this is to have a very short event scheduled (with a suitable name and agenda) before the first
the learners excit- main event. This ensures that the hiccups don't happen with your main event.

ed, involved, and Uday Kranti, Sr. Consultant

aware of the
Develop two or three announcement emails to send at regularly scheduled intervals in advance
scheduled date of your Webinar. Provide some information and motivation to get the learners excited, involved,
and aware of the scheduled date and time of the event.
and time of the
event. Patrick Hentschell, E-Learning Project Manager, FM Global

Patrick Hentschell, Be sure to test everything in advance (at least a week) and then again on the day before, and
E-Learning Project again on the day of the event. If the learners need to use certain software, have them test at least
Manager, FM Global
a week before also, to ensure there are no firewalls, etc. that they may need to overcome prior to
the meeting. Also, find a backup plan. If the technology just won't work the day of the meeting,
and re-scheduling is out of the question, can you send materials via email and do a conference call
that way, or chat? Think out-of-the-box for alternatives, just in case.

Patty Skerl, Senior Talent Development Specialist, AmTrust Bank

If you are unsure of the bandwidth availability at various audience locations, prefer using a dial-
in number, rather than using the online meeting features for presenter audio. Most online meet-
ing products offer both options. Slow-loading images are a lesser pain than crackling or lagging
audio.

Uday Kranti, Sr. Consultant

 144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy + Research | 57

VII. Tips for Technical Production, Planning and

Preparation continued
Use the all-fam- Do you have a disaster plan? We've only encountered the worst situation once in our Webcast-
ing experience — a complete failure of the network (this due to a power-outage). Even this need
ous ADDIE model. not be catastrophic, if you can solicit an off-site partner to be available to log in to your meeting,
Like writing a the- and explain what has happened to the meeting participants. Another possible solution to this
might be to keep a laptop with a cellular network connection on hand.
sis paper, ADDIE
covers every angle James Lloyd, Training Developer, Promega Corporation

of project, from Anything can go wrong during a Webcast. Always have a backup plan. What will you do if the
start to comple- presenter's audio is lost? What will you do if the video goes down? Some ideas include:
• Tell participants what's going on using the Chat pod,
tion, and then • Put up a slide that says,“We’re having technical difficulty. Be with you soon,"
some. Don't skip • Have back-up headsets for the participants,
• Turn off the video feed (it takes a ton of bandwidth), and
steps, or you may • Always have a technical person available who knows the software and equipment to monitor
lose a valuable things during the Webcast.

item that was Lisa Stepanovic, Business Practice Leader, e-Learning, Center for Business, Industry & Labor @ SLCC

important to the
Use the all-famous ADDIE model. Like writing a thesis paper, ADDIE covers every angle of proj-
course and, more ect, from start to completion, and then some. Don't skip steps, or you may lose a valuable item
that was important to the course and, more importantly, to the learner!
importantly, to
the learner! Michele Largman, Instructional Designer

Michele Largman,
Instructional Designer
 The eLearning Guild is a global membership organization like no other...
A singular focus on the art, science, technology, and

business of e-Learning — the collective knowledge of

more than 29,000 members worldwide — comprehensive

learning events to expand your professional horizons — and

a robust Web presence that puts it all at your fingertips.

E x p e rie n c e
Everything Your Professional Community Has to Offer...
The eLearning Guild is a Community of Practice dedicated to
meeting the needs of those involved in the design, development,
and management of technology-delivered education and instruc-
tional content. It’s a member-driven online information center that
equips members with the resources needed to ensure that their
organization’s projects are successful, engages members in a
professional peer network, and focuses members on expanding
their own professional skills, knowledge, and expertise.
“Attending The eLearning Guild’s Annual
Gathering helped me realize the Guild’s honesty The Guild offers four levels of membership. Starting at the FREE
and commitment to what e-Learning is all about — Associate level, the benefits you can gain from each level of mem-
improving performance. Great conference, but bership will enhance your professional experience. At the higher
even more — great Community of Practice!” levels, you’ll discover The eLearning Guild can serve as the core
DAVID BRAUN, TRAINING & PERFORMANCE SUPPORT SUPERVISOR, SASKPOWER of your entire professional development program. Check it out!

Associate Member Member Plus Premium Member

■ Learning Solutions Everything Associates Everything Members Everything Members Plus
e-Magazine receive, and... receive, and... receive, and...
■ Annual Salary & ■ Comprehensive Guild ■ Online Forum Participation ■ One Full Conference
Compensation Report Research 360˚ Reports (11 Online Forums in 2008, Registration (The
■ Community Connections ■ 20% Event Discounts offering 110 sessions) eLearning Guild Annual
Online Discussion Board ■ Online Events Archive Gathering or DevLearn
■ Enhanced Job Board Conference & Expo)
■ The Guild Job Board Access (more than 382 sessions
in all) ■ One Pre-conference
■ Resource Directory Workshop or a
■ Conference Proceedings Colloquium Upgrade

Check it Out! Visit www.eLearningGuild.com or call 707.566.8990