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In episode 140 of “The JoyPowered® Workspace Podcast,” JoDee and Susan discuss making virtual learning engaging with Diane Kubal, founder of Fulcrum Network.

In the past two years, a lot of training has shifted to a virtual environment. There are pros and cons to that. While it allows more flexibility, doesn’t require a commute, allows you to choose your preferred learning style, and costs less for the employer, you get less interaction, creates less accountability, leaves you open to a myriad of technology issues and challenges, and comes with the potential for more distractions.

Diane Kubal joins the show to share her expertise in converting training into engaging digital experiences. Learning and development professionals believe their virtual offerings are often less effective than their face-to-face versions, because it’s harder for learners to engage and interact. To make digital learning more engaging, create a “learning journey,” where you take the content and spread it out over a period of time instead of one live session.

“Flipped classrooms,” meaning participants do the reading, watch videos, etc. first and then come to the class to process and discuss in groups, can help keep people engaged. Another important thing for today’s learner is having things available in multiple formats, like audio, video, and written. This allows people to learn in the style that works for them, and touching the content several times helps it stick.

If you’re looking to take your virtual training to the next level, spread out the content, get a good system that’s easy for the learner to use, and break it down into micro-learning; don’t give them everything at once.

In this episode’s listener mail, a friend of JoDee’s asks about how important it is for American workers in the future to be bilingual. In the news, a nationwide survey showed that most remote workers are lagging behind in-office hygiene and cleanliness standards.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Purple Ink
• Powered by Purple Ink
• Susan Tinder White Consulting
• Blackboard Collaborate
• Microsoft Office 365
• Zoom
• Microsoft Teams
• Fulcrum Network
• The Ken Blanchard Companies 2022 L&D Trends Survey
• Fulcrum Network’s Transformed Learning program
• ”The most marketable second languages: a study of 600 job postings”
• ”Study: Remote Workers Have Developed Bad Hygiene Habits at Home”

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