Getting the best out of online trainings

We are 33% into the Generation 3 PCW 12 month training and I’ve been reflecting on the best structures for online learning in terms of times and content.

Covid 19 was a game changer in moving a lot of trainings online, but the online environment is very different and its smart to factor in such differences.

Best time structures for online training

I’ve discovered that the absolute best maximum time for online trainings is 4.5 hours, This gives enough time to cover a good range of material, but also allows for breaks in between slots. Any more time in one session tends to result in lost concentration for attendees.

Its also useful to remember the time of the month and time of day for running trainings. With the current PCW Gen 3 training we have up to 30 people live at any time across many different time zones. This means figuring out what will work best in sequencing material and that means careful planning. In a live in person training I’d normally run four 90 minute sessions, but that’s not a good plan for the online medium. The environment online is 2D as opposed to 3D, but amazingly some trainers don’t pay attention to this factor and simply roll out the exact same material in the exact same manner! The time of year is also important. Most people don’t want to invest in trainings in January, as they are traditionally broke after X Mas, so unless its an onling monthly training, March onwards is a better option. Similarly Easter is to be avoided and August and December are not recommended for one off events.

The sequencing of material and 1 – 1 support

I’m keen to ensure that amy online session has a combination of live demos, break out exercises and deconstruction of video footage. This means a lot of strategic planning and really paying attention to what works best with the group. In recent times I’ve also added in a 1-1 option for anyone attending the group trainings. This means a much bigger time investment, but it makes for a much higher quality of attendee on the events. To date for the last 3 years, I’ve been running international monthly trainings each and every month as well as additional bespoke trainings for Japan and Spain. For the 4.5 hour slots 10 – 2.30pm works best and running these on a Saturday proves most effective. In my experience most people do not want to give up an entire weekend to any online training!

All of this means a lot of work and strategic planning and paying attention to feedback from attendees. Its certainly a whole new world and I’m grateful for all those attending these events as it helps further develop the PCW model.