Although today’s communication runs on emails and instant messaging, when it comes to education and business, people are still more likely to rely on face-to-face contact. This is where web conferencing tools come effective as a more personal way to communicate, especially if participants are all over the globe.

Read on for we are going to list how it can benefit online classrooms and eLearning courses.

  1. What one of the greatest advantages web conferencing software can bring to an eLearning course is a higher level of engagement.  Web conferencing is a more interactive component of eLearning courses since it’s real time and allows for more spontaneous and dynamic discussions. Furthermore, by giving students the ability to comment on displayed content as it happens, web conferencing  encourages active learning.
  2. Considering learning styles, web conferencing is a form of multisensory interaction – it can engage both auditory and visual learners. Learning sessions  can be recorded for later review, so it’s available for students in case they have difficulties understanding the material and have to go through it again. Another advantage of recording sessions is their accessibility and thus their ability to replace class notes and copies that students with disabilities may need.
  3. You can forget about paying for on-site tutors, site rental, travel, accommodation and printed material as well. When you choose to host webinars, business meetings or online training events through web conferencing,  all you will need is a reliable internet connection. But you must figure out all of the costs when purchasing a web conferencing software, especially if your eLearning budget is tight. Look for user reviews, you can save big with just a little research. Many of these solutions such as Join.me, Microsoft Skype for Business or GoToWebinar offer a free trial that gives you a chance to try and see how it fits your needs before purchasing.
  4. Regardless of where your eLearning team attendees are located on the map, they have the ability to stay connected to their peers and work together to create incredible online results.
  5. So it removes the cost and geographical limitations, but can it help solve the biggest drawback of online courses – the lack of human connection? Human connection happens to be the vital part of every learning experience. Due to the prevalence of nonverbal communication in online courses, learners usually feel detached. This is where the web conferencing comes in helpful for an online community of learners since it brings the essence of verbal expression. What’s more, being able to express content in such format is very inviting for collaboration purposes, and it results in improved eLearning experience. Along with collaboration development, the online community grows much stronger.

E-learning Development Tools (75%), Web Conferencing Tools (71%), Project Management Tools (55%), Assessment & Testing and Content Development (53%) top the list of tools and solutions in current use. This is the first time Content Development reached the top usage list.  (Source:  Elearning! Magazine Group)

  1. When designing your online course, your focus should be set on enhancing your learners’ knowledge retention. But sometimes it’s necessary to provide a little support and web conferencing tools give a more personal touch to this segment of training as well. You can schedule a web conferencing consultation for your struggling learners, where they can ask questions and get the individualized assistance they need to overcome course issues. Before clicking on that buy button for a web conferencing tool consider its support service features as well.
  2. Lastly, web conferencing smoothes out the client review process as it allows eLearning professionals to reach out and schedule an appointment with the client in virtual meeting spaces, and all that at a cost of the time it takes to share ideas. Being able to reach out to clients all throughout online course development process and gather their eLearning feedback, can reduce checkup at the end of the whole project.

Regarding how they can help advance collaboration, engagement and communication in virtual classrooms and webinars, web conferencing tools are indeed the game changers in eLearning industry. Since they have improved improves overall user experience as well as the training outcomes, web conferencing availability is now considered a must.

Luckily, today’s corporate trainers, educators and event managers have a wide range of web conferencing options at hand, which allow them to create, assemble and deliver courses on-demand, in real time, anywhere and on any device.