With the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in its second month of lockdowns in the United States, people aren’t venturing out for non-essentials like we did at the beginning of 2020. Now, because of the pandemic, more people are using video conferencing tools, such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Skype to stay connected. These are the same tools that have been used for Virtual Instructor Led-Training (VILT) and online schools for years. In our new normal, how do we overcome the feeling of overusing video conferencing tools and still engage the learner?

In our daily lives, we are getting slammed with the need to be on video, both professionally and personally. At my job, I bounce from a one-on-one meeting to a team meeting, to a corporate update, to a regional update, to a quarterly meeting, to a project meeting, all on video in one day. Then the barrage of video conferencing continues the next day and the day after that. Now that many of us are working from home, some for the first time, our work life and our personal life have blurred into one setting. Because of this blurred line, there have been times when I have been on calls where babies are crying, dogs are barking, or other life noises can be heard in the background. I have been on video calls with multiple people where I don’t know who or what I should look at. I am using the same sensory mode to see the person or people on the screen, and the content they are presenting, all the while being introduced to new auditory sounds that I’m not used to hearing in a professional setting. It all can be overwhelming. When we are involved in face-to-face interactions, our minds can focus on multiple things – what the person is saying, their non-verbal cues, the environment, and even other people in the room. But, when I can only look at someone in a small, square box on my computer, I am forced to appear like a deer in headlights, I see you and I can’t look away! The Brady Bunch-style display of multiple people on a video conference call challenges the brain’s central vision. This makes everyone come through as meaningless, not even the person speaking. Even when there is a call with only one person, I often struggle with where I should look. Should I look in the camera so that it looks like I am looking at the person I am talking to? Should I look at the screen, so they know that I am looking at them?

VILT courses are by nature, training that has an instructor and participant view each other on-screen. Historically, these courses were specifically designed for video. But with the pandemic, training that was previously reserved for in-classroom, now has to be adjusted to fit the structure of a VILT format. These same courses that may have a PowerPoint and an instructor, now have both the presentation and instructor on screen at the same time. This can create sensory overload for the learner as they are using their eyes to view both on a small screen. So now the question is, how do I take training regardless of whether it was intended to be a VILT course or not and make it engaging without overusing the video conferencing aspect? The answer I have is in multiple parts.

1. Break-up longer training into smaller chunks through microlearning.

By reformatting a training that might have taken a couple of 8 hour days, now takes several days for 30 to 60 minutes per session. The increased frequency of sharing smaller learning bytes keeps the learner engaged.

2. No video course material. 

Using video is impactful to any training, but too much of a good thing can be overwhelming. By allowing the class to break out into smaller groups that use audio-only, gives the learners a break from visual stimulation.

3. Let the student be the teacher.

Allowing the learner to teach a portion of the class gives them the ability to use other areas of their brain. Although this may be done using video conferencing tools, it allows the learner the opportunity to focus on what they are teaching rather than on the people on the screen. It allows the learner to reiterate what they have learned by having them demonstrate and teach others this new information.

4. Gamification can enhance sticky learning.

Using the gamification modality allows learners various ways to ensure they understand the training. By developing games and simulations in VILT’s during a time when learners are inundated with excessive video conferring allows learners to explore a different visual format that stimulates learning in a more positive and less intimidating way.

As a whole, video conferencing tools provide the necessary ways for people to communicate and put a face to who they are speaking with. These tools not only provide connections to work, family, and friends, but they also provide a sense of togetherness during these uncertain times.  Although Zoom fatigue is an issue that impacts many of us during this time, it is important to balance our time on and off camera, making learners more likely to want to learn and retain the information they receive.