Face-to-face training has long been a staple of education, and the digital age is opening up new avenues for it. Tools like Skype and Zoom may be familiar to you; they allow you to communicate with learners who are hundreds of kilometers apart. All in all, even though they own some typical distinctiveness, they both belong to a broader technology which is called virtual instructor-led training platforms. Are you in the process of transforming your learning content to a virtual format? If the answer is yes, it is time to decide which VILT (virtual instructor-led training) platform to employ to host your training. And once again, if you don’t know where to start, we hope that our below list of the best 5 VILT hosting platforms may be useful!
All about virtual instructor-led training platforms
But first, let’s review again this technology trend and why it is the best fit for your company overall other L&D tools.
The definition
Virtual instructor-led training is one of our top picks when talking about the technology transformation in eLearning with the aid of learning & development tools. It is provided in a virtual or simulated environment, or when the instructor and student are in different places, is referred to as virtual instructor-led training (VILT). The goal of virtual training settings is to replicate the traditional classroom or learning experience. VILT can be carried out in a synchronous or asynchronous mode. Virtual classroom training is another name for it (VCT).
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The classification
Virtual instructor-led training comes in so many variations, which are:
- Webinar — A webinar primarily includes one instructor and a number of participants. Polling, voting, or video conferencing may be required of students.
- Workshop — Attendees gather in a workshop to learn a new technology or activity through hands-on instruction. Learners can go away and practice independently, with additional homework or a follow-up session later.
- Lecture — is a big group of learners led by a single facilitator.
- Virtual Classroom — Learners are muted and merely watch the facilitator navigate through the exercise in a virtual classroom, similar to a lecture.
- Small-Group — A virtual classroom environment with 3-5 participants and one facilitator is commonly used to learn new procedures or activities.
- 1:1 — There is one instructor and one student, equivalent to peer-to-peer tutoring.
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The benefits
With the role of connecting the learners and the instructor in an online landscape, virtual instructor-led training platforms have been proven effective in leveraging the way individuals are taught new information and how they pursue new knowledge. The benefits of using this form of training boil down to 3 following factors:
1. Cost-Effectiveness in upskilling
This technique of paying for training might be pricey. Paying for one-time courses for each employee is a hidden cost that many businesses overlook. Investing in business-wide learning initiatives, such as high-quality Virtual Instructor-Led Training courses, guarantees that every employee has access to training for necessary CE credits and professional growth while also lowering overall company costs.
2. Convenience
People seldom participate in mandated training that is also disruptive to their schedules. It is not always possible to expect employees to carve out time to commute and engage in a physical classroom setting. Working people can benefit from VILT’s flexibility. Learners may participate anywhere and whenever they wish, whether at work, at home, or on a mobile device. Employees will feel more inclined to participate in training if flexible and easy choices are given.
3. Adaptability
There are several advantages to online Instructor-Led Training. These courses’ digital format allows students to pause or rewind lesson parts that they may not have completely comprehended. VILT’s adaptability is a key feature since it may be used by students of various ages and abilities.
Preparation Checklist to Power your Digital Transformation
Wondering if you miss anything in your preparation to digitize your training? This is just what you need.
5 most virtual instructor-led training platforms for 2022
Now, you understand all the basics about VILT. Let’s pick up where we’re left in the introduction. As promised, we now present you some of the best L&D tools that will assist you in doing webinars and interactive online training, including:
1. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams strives to replicate the sensation of being present in a physical meeting in a digital setting. Participants can also use emoticons to assist an instructor in understanding how they feel about eLearning content while using Microsoft Teams. It’s useful for huge gatherings since it allows up to 1,000 people to engage and 20,000 people to watch. Real-time transcription of video conferencing is possible, and a transcript can be downloaded later. Microsoft Teams also has a whiteboard where students may collaborate on projects, draw, and brainstorm. By the way, this application is integrated with iSpring Learn LMS; thus, the two of them might be a wonderful match for your L&D initiatives.
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2. Zoom
Zoom, the biggest competitor of Microsoft Team, is also striving to be one of the best virtual-led training platforms in the light of remote working and online training. A few of the capabilities that Zoom provides to instructors and participants are screen sharing, video recording, audio transcription, Zoom chat, digital whiteboard, interactive polling, use and learner activity analytics, and integrations. It is suggested that your Zoom account be linked to a learning management system. When you combine the strength of the two L&D systems, as well as all of their unique capabilities, you can almost eliminate any instructional limitations in both online and real-time learning.
3. Google Meet
In the same category, it is hard to talk about Team and Zoom without mentioning Google Meet, another cut-edging meeting platform that is favored among schools and companies. Google Meet, formerly known as Hangouts Meet, allows teams and organizations to hold secure video meetings. Participants may share their screen, raise their hand, join breakout rooms, and vote in surveys and Q&A sessions. Google Workspace Enterprise can accommodate up to 250 people in a large company.
4. WebEx
WebEx is a CISCO product that allows you to host various types of online meetings. With its noise reduction feature, WebEx ensures that everyone can hear what you’re saying. It engages students by allowing them to convey emojis using their body language: for example, raise your thumb, and the thumb-up emoji will display on your screen. It also makes the educational process more inclusive. WebEx can offer learners real-time translation in addition to automated meeting transcripts.
5. RecRoom
RecRoom was created with the intention of allowing people to construct and play games together. However, during the epidemic, Cass Coomber, a K-12 teacher, began teaching courses online using this program and a few additional games. RecRoom allows you and your students to pick a game area, create whatever you want, and hold lessons utilizing game elements such as a chalkboard to write down major concepts and demonstrate them if required. For instance, you might set up shop and conduct a fire safety course there, and You may also use this tool to help you form a team. It’s all up to you! The most crucial factor is that your students will be able to participate in online learning.
Conclusion
We’ve covered essential details regarding the top five most popular virtual instructor-led training platforms (VILT tools) in this post. We hope that as you move forward with your VILT, your company gains confidence in its decision and is able to discover the platform that best meets your needs.
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