Your online classroom: How can you get feedback when you can’t see them in person? You don’t want to just fly by the seat of your pants!

From Classroom to Online: Fraught with Challenges

Most instructors, especially in the real estate field, teach ‘live’. That is, we did teach live until the last few months! We’ve had to hustle to convert our live classroom courses to online offerings.

1. Inability to hold attendees’ attention
2. Unable to have attendees do any work to put the concepts in ‘real life’
3. No interaction with students
4. Not finding out student needs and student interactions

Today: First Step in Converting your Classroom to Online is to Find Out What They Want

When we’re ‘live’, we often start the course with ‘what do you want from today’? We hold a discussion or work with small groups to get that information to everyone. Then, we know how to proceed. During the course, we review that list and address concerns during the course. However, when we go online, we generally don’t find out what students needs are–and we just forge ahead with information. No wonder the attendees lose attention!

Why Finding Needs is Really Important when Teaching Online

You’re in a store. You hear your name called. You immediately look around to see who’s calling you. You then find out it’s another ‘Dave’. But, you paid attention, right? Same principle is true when you’re teaching online. I’m not suggesting you call out people’s names. But, find some way to determine your audience’s needs–what they want from the course–so you can directly address those needs as you teach.  And, let them know the important concerns and how you’re addressing them.

Do a Pre-Conference Survey  

For my Instructor Development Course (live), I send out a pre-conference survey. Take a look. Then, I address the concerns as I teach. (I also do a needs analysis at the beginning of the course). In my distance learning online course, Train the Trainer, I ask participants what they want from the course in the first section.  This helps focus attendees on the areas where they said they wanted to gain strategies.

A Survey with your Registration

Depending on the online platform you use, you may be able to create a  short survey  with your registration. I did that for my last few webinars (see the recording below of the webinar on taking your classroom online). From my survey, I found that 70% of the challenges expressed by the attendees was

how to hold the audience’s attention

So, I created several specific strategies for attendees to use to address that concern. 

How will you get attendees’ concerns so you can get their attention and create your online course with that in mind?

Let’s Work Together to Make your Online Course Awesome!

I’ve extended the registration period to June 30, so you can take advantage of the 2 for 1 registration. Don’t teach online until you have a tried and true ‘formula’ and have tested your results. You’ll have an opportunity to do both, with individual coaching from Carla Cross.