Running trainings on Zoom

What makes online training different?

In a room, you can see who is lost. On Zoom, you cannot. Attention drops faster, connections fail, and people multitask. A training that works face to face will often fail online if you only move the slides to a screen.

Good online training is shorter, more interactive and better prepared. The sections below show what to do before, during and after each session.

How should you plan the sessions?

A facilitation guide from the Humanitarian Advisory Group recommends modules of a maximum of 2.5 hours with a 10-minute break, and a maximum of two sessions a week. Focus is harder to keep behind a computer. The same guide suggests running a course over two or four weeks, so participants can complete short assignments between modules.

A Cochrane guide on webinars and virtual workshops suggests that a presentation should not run longer than 15 to 20 minutes in one stretch, and that polls or questions can break up longer parts. A guide from the Conservation Planning Specialist Group suggests even shorter presentation blocks of 10 to 15 minutes.

A simple plan for a two-hour session:

What should you do before the training?

1. Choose the platform with your participants in mind. The Humanitarian Advisory Group guide asks you to check who owns the platform, whether it is safe, and whether all participants can access it with their connection.
2. Run a short platform tutorial. The guide suggests 30 to 40 minutes, up to a week before, including a practice with breakout rooms. This removes most technical problems on day one.
3. Share materials early. Send the agenda, how to log in, and handouts by email or a shared folder.
4. Arrange technical support. Ask a colleague to handle IT questions separately, so the facilitator can teach.
5. Secure the meeting. Use passwords, share login details only with registered participants, and send them a day or two before.

How do you keep people engaged?

• Give clear instructions twice: say them, and write them in the chat or on a shared slide.
• Use quiet feedback tools: hand raising and reactions let people take part while others speak. See live polls and quizzes in trainings for ideas.
• Use small groups: the Humanitarian Advisory Group guide suggests keeping in-depth discussions to a maximum of 10 participants, with 5 to 7 active participants ideal.
• Start and end with a participatory activity: a one-word check-in or a short energizer. Our guide on energizers for trainings has options.
• Check in often: ask "Can everyone hear me?" and invite short chat replies.

For more general advice, read how to run engaging online training.

How do you handle connectivity problems in Myanmar?

Power cuts and weak mobile data are real limits for many participants. Plan for them:

• Keep sessions short so a dropped connection costs less.
• Record every session, and share the recording the same day.
• Allow participants to answer in the chat when voice fails.
• Avoid heavy features such as many videos and large file sharing.
• Have a back-up facilitator ready. The Conservation Planning Specialist Group guide calls this essential, because connections are never fully reliable.
• Ask participants to tell you early if they will miss a session, and offer a catch-up task.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Reading slides for 40 minutes without a question.
• Skipping the platform test, then losing 20 minutes to audio problems.
• Forcing cameras on, which can exclude people with weak connections or private home settings.
• Posting the meeting link publicly.
• Ending without clear tasks before the next session.

How EMPO can help

EMPO is a reliable, Yangon-based training and consultancy provider and one of Myanmar's leading names in practical NGO training, with 1,200+ people trained and 15 partner organisations. Our online courses run live over Zoom in English and Burmese, with daily recordings, and we also deliver in-person training across Myanmar. See our training services or contact us to plan a session for your team.

Sources

• Safeguarding Focal Point Training Facilitation Guide — Humanitarian Advisory Group, 2020
• Good practice guidance for webinars and virtual workshops — Cochrane, 2020
• A Guide to Facilitating Virtual Workshops — IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group, 2020