Hello Everyone,

I am in search of a good book that gives great tips on designing training courses for web exs or webinars. I have a lot of experience in designing live and e-learning courses, but rarely give Web Exs. I am losing a lot of group activity that works in live seminars but cant achieve elearning either. Anyone know any books that could help me get creative to keep learners engaged?
Thanks
Sarah

Sarah-

I can't think of any books, but here are some things that have worked for me.

Use more graphics to keep your audience engaged
Use different intonations - watch out for monotone
Enunciate
Be physical, try standing up
Smile while you talk, it comes through
Frequent check ins
Keep key messages even more simple
Have fun
Direct questions to specific audience members
Do a pop quiz
Take a poll
Invite Q & A - don't wait until the end
Repeat audience questions for everyone to hear
Use the chat function in Webex

Webex, Adobe Breeze and others have great tools for whiteboarding, file sharing, quizzes and polls. If you take the time to test them out you can create some pretty engaging sessions.

quote:

Originally posted by weepinwilo:
Hello Everyone,

I am in search of a good book that gives great tips on designing training courses for web exs or webinars. I have a lot of experience in designing live and e-learning courses, but rarely give Web Exs. I am losing a lot of group activity that works in live seminars but cant achieve elearning either. Anyone know any books that could help me get creative to keep learners engaged?
Thanks
Sarah

The books by Jennifer Hoffman are very good, and seem to be what you are looking for:

Live and Online!: Tips, Techniques, and Ready-to-Use Activities for the Virtual Classroom

The Synchronous Trainer's Survival Guide

Her company, InSync Training, offers classes (I've attended and they are very good) and they also have many live and previously recorded free webinars that I suggest you take. They have a lot of great ideas in their free sessions (under Calendar of Events):

http://www.insynctraining.com/

Ruth Clark's book The New Virtual Classroom is good, too, but it's more "learning theory" based.

If you could get all three books, I would.

Not so much books but you might check the Webex site and GoToMeeting site for white papers and past online seminars on how to do on line live training.

Ben brings up a good point about WebEx...

WebEx has "WebEx University" and they have classes on how to use the tools and also how to make the classes interactive.

They are free for copmanies who have WebEx accounts. So, take advantage of them too.

They are only 90 minute sessions, though, so it's not as comprehensive as a class you pay for. And, the Hoffman book on desigining (Live and Online) has a ton of ideas in it.