Our instructor about Virtual Classroom: 'It's like teaching in the actual classroom'

Global Knowledge instructor Michiel Broekhuijsen recently gave his training course via Virtual Classroom. In this article, you'll read what he and the participants thought of the Virtual Classroom.

It's Monday morning March 16th 2020. This is the first day of the training course I'm teaching. It's going to be a special day, because today's course will take place in the Virtual Classroom. Because of the spread of the Coronavirus throughout Belgium, Global Knowledge courses will only be offered in the Virtual Classroom for the time being.

'Keep your webcam on'

At 8:30, I turn my computer on an log onto the virtual environment of Global Knowledge. After I've tested the speakers, microphone and webcam, I run through the course material for this day. Around 9:00, the first participants enter the Virtual Classroom. After a short introduction and instruction, we start the training course.

The audio and video-quality does not disappoint. I encourage students to keep their webcam on: we can keep eye contact that way. The first thirty minutes we're still getting used to things, but after a while the class is running smoothly.

The Breakout-Rooms

The students make their assessments in the 'Breakout-Rooms'. In these rooms, the participants only communicate with the people that are present in that room.

In these Breakout-Rooms, students share their screen with each other. That way, they can do the assessment together. After a certain time, the rooms are closed and the students meet back in the room they had the training course in.

Not a flipover, but a whiteboard

I explain different topics on a virtual whiteboard instead of a flipover. Making drawings with the computer mouse isn't a good idea - so I use a Wacom pen and tablet instead. I share files using the chat - this way, I make sure I don't flood my students with e-mails.

Like an actual classroom

The course runs smoothly, because the infrastructure is very stable. You almost forget you're working in a virtual classroom - it almost feels like an actual classroom. The participants still discuss training course topics and exchange their experiences. On the last day, people still feel content with the Virtual Classroom. The participants tell me they'd like to follow a training course lik this again.

Ready for Virtual Classroom?

Being forced to work from home doesn't have to limit your ability to gain knowledge. With Virtual Classroom, Global Knowledge takes the classroom to your living room. The training course has the quality you're used to. If you book a Virtual Classroom training course that runs for three or more days now, you'll get a 25% discount or a Apple Watch or Garmin Venu Smartwatch. Learn more via the button below.