Creating a dynamic learning experience online is important to have a clear understanding of the learning environment you wish to create and to be skilled in use of online technologies and their application.

There are some suggestions to help you get started. Just consider techniques, to promote learner engagement in a traditional classroom, can also be used in a virtual classroom, but not all transfer easily. When you turn out to be experienced using virtual classroom technology and working with participants, you will develop your own method and style of leading a session, in the same way you have in traditional classrooms.

Tips for Using Online Classrooms

Pre-Lesson Procedure
1. Develop your presentation offline using tools familiar to you.
2. Test the presentation online in advance of your scheduled lesson.
3. As participants join the virtual classroom have an opening activity ready. Do an audio check while others are engaged in the activity.   
4. Before beginning, provide an overview of the session, including tools that will be used, format, etc. Begin and end at agreed time.

In-Session Procedure
5. Use available tools to assist you in the delivery of your presentation. Make sure dynamic engagement is prepared by using multiple modalities for greatest effect. For this, use highlighters to call attention to specific regions on the screen, polling feedback options, pose questions in text messaging, etc.
6. Encourage participants to post text questions or use audio to make comment to the whole class.
7. Create whiteboard screens in advance for participants to work on.
8. At the conclusion of your presentation and session, save or print the slides. Support participants to do the same.