Training remote employees can be just as effective and interactive as in-person sessions. And with advanced elearning solutions and software available for conducting instructor-led sessions remotely, there are plenty of tools out there to conduct an effective distance learning program.
So, with that in mind, we’ve rounded up some of the best tools and software around for deploying training to remote employees.
Virtual Classrooms
Some training requires a lot more interactivity than a webinar session. A virtual classroom is often much more suitable for smaller groups or sessions highly specific to the learners’ day-to-day roles.
Lots of virtual classrooms allow you to:
- Present material
- Upload activities and exercises
- Leverage gamification features
- Use interactive whiteboards to share ideas
- Provide and monitor takeaway assessment pieces
Some of the most popular virtual classroom software for training remote employees includes:
Adobe Connect
This Adobe product helps you deliver immersive experiences for learners and is highly customizable. Plus, it includes interactivity features such as multiple chat pods, polls, quizzes, simulations, breakout rooms, games and more.
LearnCube
Host private tutorials or virtual classes, use a live interactive whiteboard, record sessions, track attendance, assign and manage personalized assessments, and more with LearnCube. This software is also used by a variety of education professionals and corporate trainers.
WizIQ
WizIQ doesn’t require any downloading for you or your students as it can be accessed from any internet browser. It’s popular for its high integration capabilities and also for allowing students to “learn on the go” by attending lectures and classes straight from their phone or tablet.
BigBlueButton
With BigBlueButton, instructors can share your audio, slides, chat, video, and desktop with learners. Built-in polling makes it easy to engage learners and a live real-time displaying whiteboard helps keep learners on track during sessions.
Webinar Software
Webinars are a great way to transfer seminars and in-person presentations to a remote setting. Trainers can present slides, run demonstrations, and play videos to the participants the same way they would while standing in front of them.
Other benefits include reducing training expenses such as travel costs. But without that in-person presence, ensuring the presentation is engaging is even more important.
There are lots of webinar tools and software out there, but here are a few of our favorites for using in a training scenario:
Zoom
Webinars on Zoom can host up to 10,000 non-participating attendees depending on which plan you select. Learners can register for the webinar or be manually registered by instructors. Attendees can also raise their hands virtually, use the Q&A function, answer polls, and use the live chat to interact with instructors and each other.
GoToWebinar
This software has a highly intuitive interface and excellent product guidance if you’re new to setting up and running webinars. And the best part about GoToWebinar is the ability to use and create webinar templates, so you don’t have to go through the same setup process every time.
WebinarJam
WebinarJam is a cloud-based broadcasting technology that allows you to reach up to 5,000 learners per webinar. You can also have up to 6 presenters if you wanted to host a roundtable of expert SMEs on a particular topic for your learning audience.
WebinarNinja
If you hate a long and complicated setup process, check out WebinarNinja where setting up your webinar takes mere seconds. One of the most exciting features for instructors is the ability to set up and run a series of webinars (like a multi-day course), create automated recorded webinars, or use the typical webinar screen + host format for live broadcasts.
Gamification Tools
Effective distance learning doesn’t always have to be about long instructor-led sessions or webinars. Gamification tools are a great way to run shorter, fun sessions to keep your learners engaged.
Kahoot!
Kahoot is a distance elearning software that features a fun quiz functionality that is fully customizable. Create your questions and share the quiz code with your learners. Once everyone joins, you can run your Kahoot virtually question by question as learners race to answer the questions correctly and quickly to win.
Quizizz
While similar to Kahoot!, this tool allows learners to compete in the quiz at their own pace. Meanwhile, fun Quizizz avatars and memes keep the process highly engaging and fun for learners.
Social Learning
Lots of LMS’s and LEP’s come with built-in social learning capabilities, allowing learners to interact virtually with their peers and learn from others’ experience and expertise, as well as sharing valuable resources with each other.
However, rather than name each individual LMS or LEP that incorporates social learning, here are some features to look out for when searching for an effective social learning platform:
- Newsfeed
- Q&A
- User-generated content
- Chat
- Ability to follow discussion threads or specific topics
- File sharing
- Best practice centres
- “Find the expert” profiles and search functionality
- Polling
At a time when people in a newly dispersed workforce might be feeling isolated or struggling to connect, social learning can also help bridge the gap.
Remote training doesn’t have to mean taking one particular strategy or tool on board. It’s an opportunity to rethink much of your existing tech stack and which tools or software can help you explore new corners of your training program. Whichever tools you use for training remote employees, it’s essential to focus on connection and meaningful, engaging interaction between instructors and learners.
Want more resources for training remote employees? Check out these articles. before you go:
How to Manage Training Projects and Work With SMEs Remotely
How to Keep Employees Engaged With Distance Learning
Virtual Training: The Do’s and Don’ts
Moving Training Online: 6 Tips for a Speedy Transition
