You are a trainer or educational provider and are currently facing the challenge of digitizing your day workshops? In this article, we share 10 concrete tips from practice that will help you achieve this quickly and successfully:

Digitalization is also advancing in the adult education sector at a rapid pace. This presents new challenges for you as a trainer or educational provider: Day workshops are becoming increasingly less in demand, while digital concepts are in much higher demand! You probably know how to conduct a webinar. However, not every day workshop is suitable for a webinar. You don't need to develop a completely new digital concept if you already have a successful in-person concept! We will show you how to implement your day workshops completely digitally:

Part 1: Basics and practical tips (here)
Part 2: Practical implementation

Preparing in-person content for the online course

To start digitizing your day workshop, you need only two things: Your content, and a platform for the online course. First, you should go through and sort your content: Which content belongs in which phase? And how should your digital workshop proceed?

1. Divide your in-person content into synchronous and asynchronous exercises:

In the first step, many trainers ask themselves: Where do I actually start? Take your existing content and try to categorize it into synchronous and asynchronous content:

• Synchronous: Which content and exercises should you as the course leader “present” in person?

• Asynchronous: Which learning content can your participants work on independently?

2. Develop a schedule for the online phase of your workshop

In the next step, you can sort your synchronous and asynchronous exercises and create a schedule for your online course:

Start, for example, asynchronously with a short welcome video and a course overview in which you collect all the necessary information and materials. Afterward, a synchronous short introduction round via Zoom could follow to get to know your participants “in real life.” Then, you start with the practical part of your workshop.

With these two steps, you have already completed a large part of the planning. However, you should also consider a few points during the implementation. With the following ten tips, the digitalization of your day workshop will be more successful:

10 Tips for the Digitalization of Day Workshops

1. Make the asynchronous learning units mandatory!

Digital continuing education carries the risk of appearing less binding compared to an on-site event. Therefore, the preparation of your participants is even more important.

To remind your participants of your live online session and the preparation, we recommend a short quiz: Playfully check if all participants

• have prepared themselves content-wise,

• have checked their technology for the live session,

• know when and on which platform it takes place.

This creates binding. At the same time, you ensure that all participants come to the live part of your workshop easily and well-prepared.

2. Give your participants a solid plan!

Especially for the asynchronous learning units, many participants need a rough course plan to orient themselves. For example, provide them with time slots akin to a class schedule in which they should work independently.

It's best to note your synchronous live sessions in this plan as well, especially if they require preparation. This way, you ensure that every participant knows what to do and when.

3. Ensure variety in the learning units!

Purely digital training formats require significantly more energy from your participants than traditional in-person courses. Therefore, varied content is particularly important! Design your digital day workshop with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning units.

Try to engage your participants and avoid monologues. Variable group compositions, e.g., in different small groups and then back with the entire course, also help maintain your participants' attention.

4. Formulate the tasks clearly and distinctly!

To avoid many follow-up questions, your instructions should be as simple and logical as possible. In the asynchronous learning units, you should ensure that your language is as simple as possible and that your participants can work with the content without issues.

Preferably focus on few content with a core message and avoid overwhelming your participants with too much input.

5. Provide a platform for exchange for all participants!

Learning is largely about reflecting on what has been learned. This works particularly well in a group! If you provide your participants with an appropriate platform, they can help each other and solve problems independently.

To ensure that communication, especially in large groups, does not descend into chaos, you as the course leader should form rough interest groups or channels. This way, other participants can also quickly find answers to already asked and answered questions.

6. Check your technology!

Before the synchronous exercises, make sure that your technology as a course leader actually works. Ask yourself:

• Do all links in my online course work?

• Does my microphone and headset work for the live sessions?

• Is my internet connection stable?

• Do I have good audio and video quality?

If yes: Perfect, you are technically well prepared!

7. Do not use too many different tools!

To avoid overwhelming your participants with technical basics, you should also stick to a maximum of 1-2 tools for purely digital day workshops. For example, use a simple learning platform like blink.it and an additional online meeting tool like Zoom. This avoids potential compatibility issues with devices. Your participants will also navigate more quickly.

8. Plan enough breaks!

Plan sufficient time for reflection rounds so that your participants can truly internalize what they have learned. Even in a digital workshop, your participants need to breathe and take a coffee break here and there. Give them this time and actively ask if their attention is still there. If not: Also include spontaneous breather breaks.

Two final insider tips from our blended learning expert Dennis:

9. Set up regular office hours!

As a course leader, you should always be available for questions, even online. Therefore, regularly ask if there are any problems or uncertainties. You can, for example, offer a question chat or set up an opportunity for a personal conversation after your breaks. After all, you want your participants to take as much as possible from your day workshop.

10. Establish small learning groups!

The exchange between participants is particularly crucial for lasting learning effects. Groups find it difficult to form digitally on their own. Help them with that. Especially when it comes to working out content in small groups, it makes things easier if you simply list them in advance. Ideally, participants exchange ideas there and may also continue working together after your day workshop.

Theory, nice and good. But do you want to know how to implement the tips in practice? Next week, we will show you here on the blog with a concrete example how to transfer your day workshop easily into an online course.