Results from LearningWare's Webinar Experience Survey
Webinar Experience Survey Results
On November 12th, 2009, we sent a survey to over 15,000 people--mostly trainers--asking them about their webinar experiences. The following data is the result of that survey.
Some of the written responses include:
- Current trends/events/practices
- Professional development, wellness
- Prefessional growth
- Vendor information
- Association-sponsored events
- Trade customer training
- Monthly department meetings
- Project meetings
- Topic-specific meetings
- Client meetings
- Training for me!
Written responses include:
It can be for many people. However as a hard of hearing person, I have difficulty hearing what the other attendees are saying or asking. I depend a lot on reading lips and I can't see their lips. I am sure it is the same for other hard of hearing or deaf people. Not often is it captioned.
If the content is focused, well prepared and thought out
It’s effective but usually not as effective as face to face interactions.
I think webinars can provide a basic part of the staff development sessions we do here but the hands on, in person training is invaluable.
You have to make sure you incorporate activities to keep people engaged. If you know how to use the added features, it helps energize the participants.
Depending on the presenter, content, approach, etc.
I think it can be, if the moderator is engaging enough and if the content is appropriately targeted.
We will see a growth in webinar sessions in 2010. The challenge will be how to make them interactive.
According to the reason for the webinar and the motivation of the person attending to learn from it.
It CAN be, but usually isn't because the trainers don't fully use the power of the medium correctly.
It may be more efficient and the cost savings may result in additional training taking place over he span of a given year, but there is something lost in the interaction between facilitator and participant. Gauging participant interest and retention, along with maintaining their attention, is extremely difficult.
No, it’s too tempting to multi-task and not pay attention.
Does not have the teaching tools built into most Webinar software
Depends on the content. There are lousy classroom trainings, too.
In some cases it is, especially when there is sufficient opportunity for interaction or Q&A, but in some cases, you can actually hear conversations going on in the background that have nothing to do with the subject at hand. It's very easy for participants to become distracted.
Yes, especially for multi-national firms with stakeholders located around the world. The ability to post these sessions online afterwards is also important. With Share Desktop you can even let the students present to each other.
Classroom settings allow for important non-verbal feedback which sometimes can impact the direction a discussion will go.
It can be for many people. However as a hard of hearing person, I have difficulty hearing what the other attendees are saying or asking. I depend a lot on reading lips and I can't see their lips. I am sure it is the same for other hard of hearing or deaf people. Not often is it captioned.
If the content is focused, well prepared and thought out
It’s effective but usually not as effective as face to face interactions.
I think webinars can provide a basic part of the staff development sessions we do here but the hands on, in person training is invaluable.
You have to make sure you incorporate activities to keep people engaged. If you know how to use the added features, it helps energize the participants.
Depending on the presenter, content, approach, etc.
I think it can be, if the moderator is engaging enough and if the content is appropriately targeted.
We will see a growth in webinar sessions in 2010. The challenge will be how to make them interactive.
According to the reason for the webinar and the motivation of the person attending to learn from it.
It CAN be, but usually isn't because the trainers don't fully use the power of the medium correctly.
It may be more efficient and the cost savings may result in additional training taking place over he span of a given year, but there is something lost in the interaction between facilitator and participant. Gauging participant interest and retention, along with maintaining their attention, is extremely difficult.
No, it’s too tempting to multi-task and not pay attention.
Does not have the teaching tools built into most Webinar software
Depends on the content. There are lousy classroom trainings, too.
In some cases it is, especially when there is sufficient opportunity for interaction or Q&A, but in some cases, you can actually hear conversations going on in the background that have nothing to do with the subject at hand. It's very easy for participants to become distracted.
Yes, especially for multi-national firms with stakeholders located around the world. The ability to post these sessions online afterwards is also important. With Share Desktop you can even let the students present to each other.
Classroom settings allow for important non-verbal feedback which sometimes can impact the direction a discussion will go.
Written responses include:
- Having someone present to run things.
- Follow-up.
- Prizes for retention of content.
- Webinars are good now.
- Tools that support group collaboration and decision making.
- Better explanations of what the webinar is about, and less of a sales pitch.
- Facilitators practicing more and being totally prepared with both content and tools.
- Better training on how to use them.
- Small groups.
- Better control of sound issues.
- Employees just getting use to them.
- Training for webinar presenters.
- Easier setup.
- Closed captioning for the hard-of-hearing or deaf.