Gathering people virtually is easy. Keeping them engaged is not. In this month’s “In Case You Missed It,” updated from an article written by Andy Goodman in 2017, we share the lessons we learned in the early days teaching remotely which still apply today.
Conceptually speaking, convening meetings and conducting classes over the Internet is a model of efficiency. It cuts down on travel, saves time and money, and lets people learn in the comfort and convenience of their homes and offices. If only we lived in a conceptual world.
Back on Earth, virtual meetings and distance learning classes are frequently exercises in futility for all concerned. Session leaders are often left wondering if participants are paying attention or playing Sudoku. And said participants are often required to stare at static PowerPoint slides while far-off voices drone endlessly in their earpieces.
Last year, I launched Storytelling iSchool — my first chance to design and run an online gathering. Since students pay to participate, I knew attention levels would be higher than normal. What I did not know, however, was how much the online format can alter the dynamic between teacher and student. So inside this month: what one teacher learned from his class, and how you can apply those lessons to your next virtual gathering.
Lesson #1: Do not underestimate the loss of eye contac
t.
In his book, Lend Me Your Ears, speech and presentation coach Max Atkinson writes, “the more you look at the audience, the greater the pressure is on them to pay attention.” Eliminate eye contact and down goes the pressure.
Consequently, when an email, text message, or phone call pops up, the temptation to briefly duck out of the meeting can be irresistible. So, to help students follow their better angels…
Lesson #2: Call on people.
In a virtual meeting or classroom, calling on participants by name is the moral equivalent of eye contact. It compels attention and sends a signal to others that their participation may be required at any moment. And when participants start speaking up, their voices break up the monotony of one person droning on and on.
A word of caution, though: since many participants in online meetings are used to being ignored, this technique may come as a bit of a shock. So tell them up front what’s coming and explain that your intent is to keep the session as lively and interactive as possible (as opposed to embarrassing somebody who’s been catching up on their crossword puzzle).
Lesson #3: Put their faces on the screen.
You’ve already seen this technique in practice on CNN. When a reporter calls in with news so hot that CNN didn’t have time to set up a video feed, the network will put the reporter’s picture on the screen, usually accompanied with text such as “Anderson Cooper reporting from Tikrit.” The slide is a small touch, but it can help viewers feel more of a connection to the person covering the story.
To achieve a similar effect, request that participants keep their cameras on during the class or meeting. This provides yet another way to compel attention (“yikes, that’s me up there!”), and it also allows students to see their classmates despite the limitations of the technology.
Lesson #4: Change the visuals frequently.
In an online environment, turning away from the screen means tuning out the meeting. So look for ways to keep the visuals changing, whether that means having graphs or charts build gradually over successive slides (as opposed to presenting one slide with all the pieces in place), breaking up lists or data into several slides, or integrating compelling video content throughout your presentation that supports the point you are aiming to make.
Lesson 6: Respect the butt-in-place limit.
When people are asked to sit and stare at a computer screen — and no matter how fascinating your class or meeting may be, that’s basically what they’re doing — always remember that brevity is your friend.
Each Storytelling iSchool class runs for one hour, and even with plenty of interaction throughout, it’s still a minute-by-minute struggle to keep all 20-25 students engaged.
If you have more than an hour’s worth of material to cover, break the meeting or class into shorter sessions. It may require more work on your part, but your colleagues will be more attentive as a result.
For more ways to host effective meetings, sign up for The Goodman Center’s workshop Meetings for People Who Hate Meetings on February 10 and 12.