How to facilitate virtually?

 

 

This blog is one of a series of Facilitation Thoughts which look at various aspects of facilitation. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has made it necessary to conduct different kinds of meetings online. I facilitated my first virtual session in April 2020 . 

I continued to learn with each subsequent 'online' session - as a participant and as a facilitator.  

These are some additional points to the Facilitation Thoughts to enhance the virtual facilitation experience.

Learn/Adapt

The virtual environment means that facilitators have to adapt and be creative. Working virtually means thinking of how to achieve the facilitation objectives in a  different space. 

 

It does not mean transferring the face to face, to the computer/tablet/smart phone. For example, presenters have to check the legibility of text on their presentations. In face to face , the presentations are magnified through projectors on to a wall - in this virtual environment, the viewers might be viewing on smart phones and smaller screens. So presentations have to be designed differently.

Take some time to learn the platform which you are going to use. Check on the increasing number of tools and learn how to use them. Be open to suggestions and ideas as to how to improve the interaction in the online session. 

 

Planning

I follow the recommendations that virtual sessions should be 75 to 90 minutes, with encouragement for participants to stand up and stretch. There should be breaks away from the screen and headsets in between sessions in a longer day.  In the agenda, include time to check that users will be familiar with the interface and the tools you will use.If you plan to record the session, ensure you have the consent of all participants. 

 

Check on the tools available for accessibility - e.g captioning for the hearing impaired

These are two plans I have used for virtual sessions on the prevention of domestic violence. Please feel free to adapt and use.

•  Two sessions for young people
• One session for faith based leaders
  

 

Getting ready for the session 

Get your tools ready. Make sure you are comfortable and that the lighting is good. Start the session 15 minutes or so earlier than the scheduled start time and test that everything is working. 

I tend to use a headset to improve the clarity of audio.

 

If your environment might have some distractions - eg people passing behind in the video, or loud noises, then let the participants know and be prepared to mute the audio or turn off video as you see fit.

 

There are enough funny experiences the people who wear formal shirts/tops and casual(or no !) pants/skirts/bottoms - you decide what you need to wear and what you don't mind people seeing in case you stand up in front of the video.

Getting to know people

Use the software to put the names to the persons if the names are not appearing. Some people use accounts from their families etc . I tend to make the edit on my interface rather than insist that people put their name up - especially if people are not familiar with the software. 

 

I tend to call on the persons to introduce themselves since it is not so convenient for random interventions. You can encourage persons to switch on the video during the introductions and then switch off. Let the participants know they can use the chat window if they prefer.  Do not insist on the use of the video.

Make a note if there are more than one persons using one sign in account, so that you can check on their involvement as well through the session.

Some people might have their children with them. Acknowledge the presence of the child or the children, encourage them to say hello. 

Let people know how to access additional support if they need it during or after the sessions. This includes phone numbers of helplines, etc.

Encouraging people to talk; and to stop talking

Encourage people to indicate when they would like to make a contribution. There are 'raise hand' features which should be monitored

I have found in many virtual sessions, that people prefer to wait until their names are called to make their contributions. Be open to reaching out and checking with people if they are hearing the content and if they want to talk. Some persons might prefer to use the chat window.  Ask questions related to the experiences of participants to get their views.

Hopefully, you will never have to use the 'mute' button to stop persons from talking. Remind people of the time limits, and to make sure their contributions are short and to the point. The good thing about the chat window is that people can share additional information there.

 Listening in a virtual session 

I have had to be more mindful when listening in a virtual session than in a face to face to session.  I cannot use my body language to show presence.  I cannot observe body language and other cues. 

I tend to leave my video on so participants can see me when talking and to keep my eyes on the screen.

It is good to summarise points made by the participant who is talking, repeating key points and ask questions to seek clarification. Use the chat window to type in any key points and confirm any additional resources - e.g. if the participant makes reference to a book, find the title and author and post the link.  

Check with the participant that you and the others in the group have understood the points correctly

Managing boredom, encouraging interaction

Participants can find a lot of other things to do if they are bored during the session. The facilitators would not know if people are falling asleep or what they are doing outside of the session.

 

I read that it is good for any presenter in a virtual session to engage with the participants every 4 or 5 minutes.

 

Encourage any presenters to pause, ask questions, change the tempo, by showing a video, or taking a poll. 'Talking heads' for more than 10 minutes can be tedious for some people.

Evaluating the session

The participants could respond in the chat or verbally to quick evaluation questions. Use the tools like Google Forms to design forms which could be filled out online. Share the link and ask participants for their feedback before the sign off from the session. The response rate might be higher if this is set as agenda item before the closing and next steps. 

Salima Bacchus-Hinds shared "Some things I've learnt: use a plug in headset. Bluetooth sometimes fails or battery goes for wireless devices. Use free, or invest in subscription, tools that can make a session interactive. I like Kahoot. There's also Jamboard Not all virtual platforms are created equal. Choose one that is accessible, doesnt suck up bandwidth, and fit for purpose. Look at the webcam not necessary the screen! "

 

Have a look at the other Facilitation blogs   and let me know what other points should be considered when facilitating virtual sessions. 

Author : Vidyaratha Kissoon  contact : vidyak1 (at) gmail (dot) com