Pros and Cons of Webinars

1
Pros and Cons of Webinars

• My Observations
• Ann Dillon
• EDIT602 Fall 2006

2
My Training/Technology Background

• 20 years of experience as a corporate trainer and
  instructional designer
  
• 7 years of experience developing asynchronous
  e-learning
  
• Total Knowledge Management (LCMS)
• Captivate, On Demand (Simulation Tools)
• 7 years of experience designing and presenting
  synchronous training programs on
  
• Software applications, Business procedures, New
  employee initiatives, SOPs,
  
• Interactive Meeting and Training Tools
• Webex Meeting Center, MS Live Meeting
• Webex Training Center, Interwise

3
Advantages of Webinar Tools

• Can relate to a geographically dispersed
  audience
  
• Convenient time travel saver
• Can easily present slide shows and software
  demonstrations
  
• Flexibility of tools allow for variety of
  activities to provide interest and interactivity,
  such as
  
• Breakout groups, discussion boards, webcams,
  live chat, polling, assessments, and
  over-the-shoulder options for instructors to
  coach students.

4
Drawbacks of Webinar Tools

• Cons
• Cannot see your audience and may miss non-verbal
  cues
  
• Technical glitches may interrupt or distract from
  the presentation
  
• Takes more effort to design training well Allow
  for lots of feedback immediate response features
  (such as live chat, VOIP or teleconference)
  
• Not the best tool for live demonstrations (video
  limited by user bandwidth)
  
• Need to invest in a robust tool with a variety of
  interactive features
  

5
Appropriate Webinar Topics

• Informational presentations
• With/without QA
• Computer demonstrations
• Interactive discussions/meetings that are working
  toward a goal
  
• Brainstorming on a whiteboard
• Developing concepts on PPT slides
• Breakout meetings shared findings

6
Topics Not Webinar-Friendly

• Live demonstrations, such as the use of certain
  equipment
  
• Long, complex software training sessions
• Mentoring or motivational training
• Hands-on computer training
• Unless the tool includes robust bandwidth and
  over-the-shoulder option for instructors to
  coach students.
  
• Users must DO it, not just see it done, and have
  the chance to receive JIT assistance from an
  instructor who can see what they are doing.
  

7
Observations on Elluminate

• VOIP didnt always work smoothly, which made it
  difficult to communicate. (I prefer
  teleconference, which is more dependable, with
  less interference.
• Must have a Plan B in case there are technical
  difficulties.
  
• I liked the webcam and polling features.

8
Observations Class Webinars

• For the most part
• The presentations were well organized and easy to
  follow.
  
• The presenters chose different communication
  tools, but each person used several types.
  
• The presenters made efforts to ensure that all
  learners were following along, and were prompt to
  answer questions, regardless of how they were
  posed.
• Some presenters were more skilled than others at
  awareness of audience need.
  
• Motivators used Encouragement, topic relevant to
  audience, polling, examples, and feedback.
  
• Synchronous training is a learned skill. It takes
  practice to get good at juggling all of the
  functions while considering the experience of the
  learner.