Earmark the right content for the webinar and web meeting

15. oktober 2018

When learning and new knowledge is a major objective for your webinar or web meeting, you should plan it as a real-time event, that is embedded in a series of activities before and after: Information and preparation before and reflection, application, implementation and perhaps sharing afterwards.

A bit of content and a lot of interaction at the webinar and webmeeting

In the series of activities, the webinar or web meeting should be earmarked for the learning content and objectives, that are best achieved by synchronous, live interaction between participants and experts.

As the webinar or web meeting should last max 60 minutes, you can save costly webinar time with the right pre- and post activities. Activities that at the same time are critical  to establish an interactive and engaging experience during the webinar and web meeting, and to maximize the learning output and results.

Divide your learning content into three types

To get an overview of what activities you can use before and after the webinar or web meeting, start by splitting your learning or knowledge content and objectives into three types (see below). Please note that some of them can be categorised as multiple types:

1. General content and information about the theme of the webinar or web meeting that the participants can acquire and learn by themselves in their own speed. For example by reading, watching and listening to videos, articles, screen casts and podcasts.
2. Knowledge and information that is so complex or confidential, that it must be communicated synchronously by the expert while the participants can actively relate to it and ask questions and interact with the expert about it. It could be selected paragraphs or passages that are especially complex or can be understood in different ways. Or it could be vital terms and definitions that everybody needs to understand.
3. Common and experience-based knowledge that will improve when participants share and cooperate on it. For example how a template is used in different parts of the organisation due to local conditions, traditions etc.

Distribute the three kinds of content to make a strong learning experience

Type 1 content the participants can work with before the webinar or web meeting (alone or together with a peer) to:

• Relate it to their own knowledge and experience and apply to their case, tasks and challenges
• Prepare questions and prioritise themes that they would like to process and discus during the webinar or web meeting
• Choose a real life case they can apply the new knowledge on.

During the interactive webinar or web meeting it is most relevant to work with type 2 and 3 content.

After the webinar or web meeting the participants can work with all three types of content by:

• Applying methods that they learned at the webinar or web meeting on their own cases, tasks and challenges = implementation
• Testing and evaluating their own knowledge / competencies and perhaps share it with peers

Once you have an overview of your content and overall objectives of the webinar or web meeting, you are ready to design them as a series of different virtual and perhaps also analogue learning activities, that can take place before, during and after the webinar or web meeting in a series of interrelated learning activities that all together provides for a strong learning experience.