Abstract
As more businesses expand their geographical footprints, they require effective methods to train employees located nationally and internationally. Online facilitators and event producers are meeting this training need in the virtual classroom. As an expert watching the field grow, Darlene Christopher, who has worked prominently in the virtual training field for the past decade, has writtenThe Successful Virtual Classroomto help new online instructors develop online training classes and help those already in the field polish their skills.The Successful Virtual Classroompresents a thorough introduction to the pedagogical, technical, and cultural aspects of online corporate training, while offering tips and learning activities that more experienced trainers can add to their toolkits.
The book delineates the process of building and delivering an online training course using a system Christopher developed called “The PREP Model.” PREP stands for plan, rehearse, execute, and postsession review. The PREP Model is a student-centered pedagogy that helps the instructor “think about every aspect of training from the participant’s perspective and then make the appropriate adjustments” (p. xi). By stressing planning and rehearsing material, the instructor maximizes training time by delivering content that has already been tailored for the session and its participants.
The text is divided into three sections with 10 chapters and 8 appendices. Interspersed throughout the three sections of the book are several “tips” for implementing the concepts. Each chapter concludes with real-world training scenarios from entities ranging from Oracle to the U.S. Army National Guard and a “Continuous Learning” section that helps readers apply concepts. The eight appendices contain helpful checklists, grids, and suggestions for virtual class engagement activities. Content is presented in a clear, concise, and professional tone. Christopher carefully explains acronyms and virtual classroom technologies in a way that introduces readers to their uses without encumbering them with technical minutiae.
The book’s first chapter orients readers to online training by introducing key terms and concepts. Chapter 2, “Key Features of a Virtual Classroom,” presents eight components typically found in virtual classrooms such as chat boxes, polls, and content sharing. Christopher provides a brief overview of how these elements work and how they are typically incorporated into the online learning environment. The chapter layout reinforces the pedagogical principles Christopher wants readers to take away; once she has made sure her audience is clear on key terms and concepts over the course of the first two chapters, she then moves to the “how to” of online training.
Chapter 3, “Getting Started,” stresses the need for trainers to hold practice sessions and offers a self-reflection checklist to ensure functionality of the course content and the technology that will be used to deliver it. The aims of practice and reflection are to ensure that the content included in the presentation is necessary and clear, the facilitator is clear and enthusiastic, and the facilitator paces the course in a way that is neither boring to participants nor so fast they cannot follow. This chapter is of particular importance because it focuses on the instructors’ learning by encouraging them to participate in an online learning course to observe positive and negative factors. Instructors are encouraged to learn all they can about their learning system to ensure that they are well versed in what the system has to offer, can utilize the most efficient tools for learning, and are prepared if something goes wrong during a learning session.
As readers move into Section II, “The PREP Model,” the author is careful to first discuss the need for a team-based approach to online learning. Chapter 4, “The Virtual Classroom Team and the Members’ Roles,” is one of the longer chapters in the book, containing a thorough review of the responsibilities for each member of the online training team. Balancing the ideal with the real, there is a section on being “A Team of One.” Chapter 5, “Developing Virtual Classroom Training,” focuses on the aspects of putting together a well-run virtual classroom and offers lesson planning tools. Chapter 6, “Facilitation Techniques,” covers course materials and offers tips for the actual running of the course, such as sustaining engagement and verbal and nonverbal communication. Since learning to facilitate a training session is a recursive process, the instructor should record and review sessions to identify opportunities to improve the quality of the course.
The last section of the book offers insight into working with global participants, gives ideas on culturally sensitive icebreakers and exercises, and then offers some perspective on other uses for the virtual classroom. As companies expand their footprints, more online classroom facilitators are asked to create and lead classes for learners from different countries and cultures. The author gives instructors many valuable insights to keep in mind as they encounter new, possibly unfamiliar scenarios. For example, while the majority of individuals facilitating classes would probably take something like differences in time zones into consideration, they may not consider or realize there could be differences in what is considered the “standard” workweek. In America, the workweek is engrained as Monday through Friday, so it is very conceivable that a virtual training could be set for a Friday. If a facilitator set that class up for learners in Saudi Arabia, then she has made a crucial misstep since the Saudi workweek is Sunday through Thursday.
While most people working in the business world have heard about the cultural differences in hand gestures, personal space, and the use of slang, not everyone might be culturally aware enough to realize the differences in workweeks or remember to take into account national holidays for other nations. In addition to making the instructor aware of these differences, Christopher thoughtfully provides several resources in a sectioned box to help users of this manual quickly access information to ensure that they do not inadvertently commit a faux pas in setting up their classes. Going beyond the basic cultural differences, the author spends some time briefly talking about power structures and how facilitators and instructors are viewed in various parts of the world. The chapter also provides guidance and considerations for working with learners using International English and gives advice on what to keep in mind when working with learners whose first language is not English, but they are trying to participate in an English-based, online classroom.
In the last two chapters, Christopher provides ideas for icebreakers, exercises, and other ways to make use of the virtual classroom. Many of these ideas translate across a variety of scenarios including the online classroom—both for training and collegiate purposes—and some even translate to face-to-face settings. In the last chapter, she talks briefly about the growing, but currently quite limited, use of mobile technology in the virtual classroom. Immediately following the last chapter are the appendices, which contain a glossary, virtual classroom vendors, a features checklist, classroom resources, a chart for converting in-person courses to online courses, tips for using a webcam, a rehearsal feedback form, and a comprehensive PREP Model Checklist.
InThe Successful Virtual Classroom, Christopher uses her business savvy and experience as a longtime virtual classroom facilitator to put together an easy-to-follow training manual for online facilitators. Her use of real-life examples, tips, questions for thought, checklists, and charts, combined with the many resources she shares, make this text ideal for anyone engaging in online classroom facilitation. While this text works best in business settings, it could be used in advanced business or technical writing courses for students who plan on teaching online. Many of the tips regarding the PREP Model, understanding the technology, and recommendations about cultural considerations are vital for all instructors to know. Even though the book is geared toward corporate settings, any instructor who plans to facilitate an online class should read this manual and utilize Christopher’s PREP Model when creating new classes or honing their already-established courses; using the PREP Model will help instructors make sure the content they are creating is beneficial to the learner and a good use of valuable time.