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

Digitalization is also advancing rapidly in the continuing education sector. This presents new challenges for you as a trainer or educational provider: Day workshops are becoming less in demand, while digital concepts are more sought after! You probably know how to hold a webinar. However, not every day workshop is suitable for a webinar. You don’t have to develop a completely new digital concept if you have a successful face-to-face 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 Face-to-Face Content for the Online Course

To start digitizing your day workshop, you only need two things: Your Content and a Platform for the Online Course. First, you should review and organize your content: What content belongs in which phase? And how should your digital workshop proceed?

1. Divide your face-to-face 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: What content and exercises should you as the course leader “present” alongside?

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

| Synchronous | Asynchronous || ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- || Getting to know and introducing the participants Group work and learning tandems Personal exchange and discussions Exercises & simulations: e.g., role plays, business games, … | Theoretical knowledge and definitions Preparation for synchronous exercises Quizzes, surveys, final exams Course prerequisites for the start (when?, what?, how?) |

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:

For example, start asynchronously with a short welcome video and a course overview, where you gather all necessary information and materials. Following that, a synchronous short introduction round via Zoom could take place to get to know your participants “in real life.” Then you start with the practical part of your workshop.

Guide: Creating Good Videos on a Smartphone

Do you want to shoot videos for your workshops yourself? In the free guide, we have gathered the best tips for you.

With these two steps, you already have most of the planning done. However, there are still a few points to consider during 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 poses the risk of appearing less binding compared to an in-person event. Therefore, the preparation of your participants is all the more important.

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

• have prepared content-wise,

• have checked their technology for the live session,

• know when and on which platform it takes place.

This way, you convey obligation. At the same time, you ensure that all participants come to the live part of your workshop without issues and well-prepared.

2. Provide your participants with a solid plan!

Especially for asynchronous learning units, many participants need a rough course plan to orient themselves. Provide them with time slots like in a timetable, during which they should work independently.

It’s best to also note your synchronous live sessions in this plan, especially if they require preparation. This ensures that each participant knows what to do and when.

3. Ensure variety in the learning units!

Pure digital formats drain your participants significantly more energy than traditional face-to-face 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 configurations, such as in different small groups and then back in the entire course, also help maintain your participants' attention.

4. Formulate tasks clearly and distinctly!

To avoid many follow-up questions, your instructions should be formulated as simply and logically as possible. Even in 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. Ideally, you should formulate your task in the sense of microlearning:

Guide: The Ultimate Microlearning Guide

Develop your own workshop in the microlearning style! In the free guide, you'll find a detailed guide with many examples and helpful expert tips!

5. Offer a platform for exchange for all course participants!

Learning largely consists of reflecting on what has been learned. This is particularly effective 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 end in chaos, as the course leader, you should form broad interest groups or channels. This way, other participants can quickly find answers to previously asked and answered questions.

6. Check your technology!

Before synchronous exercises, ensure that your technology as a course leader actually works. Therefore, 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 so: Perfect, you are technically well prepared!

7. Don’t use too many different tools!

To avoid overwhelming your participants with technical fundamentals, you should stick to a maximum of 1-2 tools even in 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 find their way around more quickly.

8. Plan enough breaks!

Plan enough time for reflection rounds so that your participants can truly internalize what they've learned. Even in a digital workshop, your participants need to breathe and take a coffee break or two. Give them this time and actively ask if attention is still present. If not: also take spontaneous breaks.

Two final secret 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. Regularly ask if there are any problems or uncertainties. You could, for example, offer a question chat or set up the opportunity for a personal conversation after your breaks. After all, you want your participants to take as much as possible away from your day workshop.

10. Establish small learning groups!

The exchange between participants is particularly crucial for a long-term learning effect. Digitally, groups don’t form easily on their own. Help them out. Especially when it comes to working in small groups, it facilitates things a lot if you simply set them up in a list beforehand. Ideally, the participants will exchange ideas there and may continue to work together after your day workshop.

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

Do you not only want to digitize existing workshops but also want to increasingly rely on E-Learning in the future? Then get an initial overview of the most popular E-Learning methods. In our free overview, you will find a detailed definition with examples, tips, and much more about the six best methods!

Free Overview

The Best E-Learning Methods for Companies

Do you know which E-Learning method is suitable for your company? We have summarized the six best methods in a free overview.

To the overview of E-Learning methods

Do you have questions about blink.it or this article?

Feel free to write to us if you have questions about the product or specifically about this article. Our marketing team is available to you via email or forwards your concerns to a suitable Blinkie 😊