The aim of a training course is to teach the participants something that they will then apply. During a meeting, a trainer transfers knowledge and allows the participants to practice skills. In remote training, a trainer faces additional challenges.

Important for training

• Trust
  For a good transfer of knowledge, a relationship of trust between the trainer and the participants is important. Participants should feel free to express criticism.
• Good interaction
  In order to teach the participants knowledge and skills, good interaction between the trainer and participants is important. A good trainer adapts training to the level and learning style of the participants.
• Communication
  Both verbal and non-verbal communication are essential in the transfer of knowledge. Non-verbal communication gives the trainer additional information about how the participant feels and whether he/she understands the material.

Distance training challenges

When training at a distance, a trainer has to deal with some extra difficulties because of that distance:

• the trainer and participants know each other less well because they work at a distance
• Distance can make participants feel less involved
• participants may be distracted and at the same time engaged in other things
• participants may have a different mindset because they are in a different environment or time zone
• connection quality may vary
• technical problems encountered by participants

Remote training solutions

A trainer can respond to the extra challenges:

• increasing involvement by having a video and audio connection with all participants
• involve participants who are distracted in the training through questions
• possibly motivate the individual participants via private messages
• use good equipment:
  • modern computer
  • fast network connection (use a fixed Ethernet cable instead of WiFi or 4G)
  • fast internet connection
• Use good online video conference software:
  • which offers good video and audio
  • where a presentation can be shown within the environment
  • where private messages can be sent
  • where a trainer can temporarily turn off the audio of individual participants 
  • which has the possibility of splitting up into groups
  • be able to work together on shared documents, e.g. to take notes together
  • a shared whiteboard 

BigBlueButton

Trainers need to be good at their job and at communicating their knowledge and skills. Training at a distance can be difficult.
That is why we offer BigBlueButton support to organisations.

BigBlueButton is open source software which means that it does not impose any restrictions on users: Open source software is free to use, modify and distribute.

BigBlueButton is extremely suitable for remote training:

• the video and audio quality is excellent
• the trainer can show a presentation within the environment
• participants can send private messages to each other
• the trainer can temporarily turn off the audio of individual participants 
• the participants can be divided into groups and come together in breakout rooms
• participants can work together on shared documents
• The software has a shared whiteboard function on which participants can draw to make their story clear.

Possibilities of BigBlueButton

• A 1-on-1 training or for several people, you are always well prepared.
• You can upload your own presentation and show it without sharing your screen. You can also work interactively by, for example, underlining or surrounding important points.
• You can also "point out" things to your participants.
• You can easily switch to another presentation, or show a video.
• Or you can record your session for later presentation elsewhere.
• You are always in full control, but you can also have another presentation made.

View all possibilities of BigBlueButton