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Overcoming Employee Hybrid Learning Challenges

Claire Lloyd on February 12, 2024

Organizations have been transitioning to hybrid working now for several years, trying to reap the benefits it brings with a more engaged and productive workforce.

63% of high-growth companies have already adopted a “productive anywhere” workforce model where they are optimizing the resources to ensure a healthy and productive workforce regardless of physical location.

However, there are challenges that need to be overcome to be able to provide effective workplace environments, as well as support the “productive anywhere” initiatives to ensure employees working both from an office and remotely are performing and fulfilling their objectives.

For learning and development (L&D) teams, these workplace challenges can seem overwhelming, and understanding on how to approach and overcome them is becoming a top priority.

Hybrid learning challenges for Learning and Development teams

Stakeholder support
Stakeholder support goes beyond getting buy-in from other areas of the business to support you in delivering learning and development strategies. Hybrid learning has evolved, and L&D teams must ensure their business has the systems and capabilities in place to deliver hybrid learning programs at scale — something which was nice to have is now a necessity. The challenge is to provide business with plans to justify return on investment, and the investment to support ongoing development of those hybrid learning programmes. Successful hybrid learning needs upfront support to bring the systems online combined with continuous support to evangelize the use and growth of the program.
Coordination
Hosting a hybrid training session has added complexities over delivering an exclusively online or in-person session. Hybrid is hard as you juggle both sets of participants and coordination requires double the effort to make sure everyone has the same communication and expectations before a session.
Creativity
Most employees find organized creativity off-putting and, from a business perspective, it isn’t a productive use of time. Having people join a hybrid session and take part in a collective creative ideation session can work. But, to get the creative juices flowing and think outside of the box, consider the opportunity to kick around ideas as part of smaller groups, break-out sessions or even giving individuals time to think.
Engagement levels
The larger the session, the harder it is to manage engagement with all participants. For instance, facilitators can find it hard to engage with people who join remotely and have their cameras off. The training and course materials that once worked for in-person sessions does not keep remote learners engaged. Adapting a hybrid learning environment often will make people feel more engaged during a session and more likely to turn on their cameras.
Learner progress
Another challenge with hybrid learning is tracking learner progress and understanding if individuals have grasped the course outcomes and objectives of a session. Within a hybrid session, tracking remote learners’ progress becomes complex and relies on real-time assessment, but with the right technology polls and analytics data can be used to monitor engagement and participation levels.
Human connection
For most L&D professionals human connection is crucial to overcome for successful hybrid learning. Hybrid learning makes it significantly difficult to establish and maintain a human connection with learners, which in turn impacts engagement. How do you create the balance between those physically in front of you and those virtually in the room? Vital non-verbal cues help create engagement and drive participation levels in a session, but it’s a struggle for facilitators to manage the balance and pick up on those cues within a hybrid session.
Course materials
Long gone are the days where you can provide physical handouts to a team. Adapting course materials and course design to work in both a digital and hybrid space is a shift. It requires more time and effort to blend the pedagogy with the technology. Technology needs to enable your in-room learners to have their own individual experience of the session in the same fashion as the remote participant and be able to make their own unique notes.
Technical issues
Technical issues can take many different forms, and with hybrid learning this opportunity for something to go awry is doubled — you have both people in the room and those joining remotely, and any tech issues disrupt the learning and teaching. Hybrid learning creates a connection between virtual and in-room participants is great progress, but what happens when the technology fails? For hybrid learning to be effective it needs to work seamlessly.

A guide to overcoming hybrid learning challenges

Equality is paramount for hybrid learning. Everyone who joins a hybrid learning session needs to have an equal learning experience, whether they’re in the room or remote. How do you overcome the fundamental challenges to provide a productive learning environment and deliver a consistent learning experience?

A seat in the room
Whether it’s a physical chair or a virtual seat, each learner needs a dedicated place in the room to be given the best opportunity to participate and engage during a session. This makes it easy for everyone to see and speak to each other and it is important for the host that everyone has a consistent place in the room. Similar to an in-room attendee, the virtual participant’s screen should not move around. But rather, have a dedicated position so they can be addressed directly and called upon when needed to reinforce their understanding and humanize the learning experience. Training solutions where people move around based on who spoke last rarely consider this feature and don’t provide the same level of engagement and learning consistency.

Consistency is key
Learners — irrelevant of their location — should be given the same tasks and course materials for a session, be able to make their own individual notes and collaborate with their peers as needed. Functionality to record a session or access content after a session has finished is also valuable to ensure inclusivity. This is ideal for those who need to catch up or spend additional time on a specific area or task.

Cameras on
In a group setting connecting and communicating with eye contact helps to build trust and emotional connection. You can pick out non verbal cues such as a smile, a disagreeable face or an inquisitive pose. For hybrid learning it’s not about recreating the interactions as in person, rather it’s about creating other meaningful moments in the session that engage with everyone in the room, whether that’s virtual or physical.

A great example of how this doesn’t work is with a gallery view, where in most circumstances people turn their cameras off to avoid people seeing them when they’re not talking. Using technology in the right way can help with this – for example only showing the last four speakers helps reduce the tension so, while everyone has their cameras on they aren’t visible in a gallery view to everyone and allows facilitators and participants to see each other.

Learning spaces
Having a room that is set up in a way that works for both in-room and remote learners is vital to the success of your session and learning. You might need to move things around to create the optimal learning space, and consider moving screens with remote learners so they are behind the in-room learners. This will help the host see everyone participating in the session, and pick up on the critical non verbal cues.

Focus time
Communication of the session expectations is important for success, and all learners should be encouraged to be present and feel as though they’re in the room. Those joining remotely should be asked to close other browsers and software for their undivided attention. Those in the room should have their phones away and be ready to learn. To make this easier, interact with people as they enter the session, whether that’s in-room or virtual.

The technology in a hybrid learning environment should enable the host to know if a remote learner is being attentive. This way if someone is not paying attention they can draw them back into the conversation, just like they would with someone in the room.

Use breakout groups
Breakout sessions are a valuable way to allow participants to chat and exchange points of views and opinions in a more comfortable and intimate space. These sessions also require a defined learning objective. They are impactful if used correctly and can generate more ideas and contributions as people have the time and environment to speak freely. Creating breakout groups with hybrid participants can be complicated, and difficult to achieve, but is key to running a seamless session. The right technology can help bridge this gap by ensuring participants can communicate and collaborate together, and by giving the facilitator the opportunity to see each group’s work and share it back to the wider group.

Preparation is key
Tech issues will always be unpredictable but there are certain things that can be done to mitigate issues. This includes recommending that remote learners have a strong internet connection and checking the technology in the physical room works as expected. A good idea is to do a dry-run before each session to alleviate any issues and get comfortable with the technology. It helps to think of hybrid sessions as live broadcast environments like a tv show with a live audience. You wouldn’t just turn up and present, you would rehearse and be prepared. This doesn’t mean the technology needs to be complicated, but preparation is key to the success of your hybrid sessions.

A Hybrid Learning Software Helps Solve for Learning and Development Team Challenges

X2O OneRoom provides hybrid learning environments that give remote users an equal seat in the room with their own unique perspective and audio stream along with an intuitive UI for an immersive learning experience.

With an integrated whiteboard and content repository learners can contribute and annotate on assets together or individually. OneRoom includes content sharing capabilities that visually bring to life training for learners, whether that’s using external devices or using smart annotations that can be revisited in subsequent sessions are powerful and increase engagement. All session content should be accessible to everyone, regardless of where they are.

OneRoom enables you to deliver engaging sessions using interactive tools such as polls and breakout groups including creating smaller breakout groups with a blend of in-room and remote participants.With the support of the analytics dashboard instructors can also track learner engagement and see how learners have contributed.

At X2O Media we work and support you and your team to conceptualize and create the hybrid learning experience that is right for your organization. Talk to a representative about solving your hybrid learning challenges, or download our Engaging Hybrid Whitepaper which shares some of the best practices L&D Managers have learnt as they adapt to hybrid learning.

5 Ways to Engage in Hybrid Training Sessions

Claire Lloyd on February 12, 2024

In 2019, if you had polled businesses on whether they would use hybrid training, you would have received a chorus of noes. Three years later, in 2022, learning and development departments are singing a different tune.

A recent report uncovered that almost half of businesses (44%) intend to rely on hybrid training consistently from now on. Almost the same percentage (42%) plan to upgrade or purchase learning technology as a result of the pandemic (Brandon Hall Group, “The Hybrid Learning Revolution | Webinar”).

These findings suggest that there is a gap between where companies are and where they want to be with virtual employee engagement. The transition from in-person, Instructor Led Training (ILT) to virtual ILT (vILT) is not simple, and hybrid training adds a full range of unique challenges. However, the benefit of employee engagement tools has proven to be holding strong.

Here are 5 recommendations to help your business meet and exceed the challenges.

1. Think Outside the Room

Technology tools can help learning and development teams enhance experiences with capabilities such as repositories for shared digital files, digital white boards and collaboration software tools. These features make many elements of teaching easier than they would be in an exclusively physical setting. Hybrid is exciting because it can open up participation to employees from anywhere in the world. Additionally, it is also exciting because of these shared tools and communications, which can further drive productivity and engagement. There’s a reason that “The Hybrid Learning Revolution” report showed intent toward sustained usage and investment in hybrid training and learning — it’s important for effective employee engagement in physical and virtual classrooms alike. It is important to consider what hybrid training can add, not only what it can replace.

2. Facilitate Digital Tools with Dedicated Session Coordinators

Hybrid training courses benefit from a session coordinator who can help with the digital execution of the session; this is particularly true when technology is new to users and instructors.

The need to dive into administrative tasks related to technology can divert instructors from the purpose of hybrid training. Even the best instructors will need to take extra time away from facilitating so that they can turn up the volume, or help Elsa with granting her web browser access to her microphone. This role can be appointed informally, provided that the tools chosen are intuitive and nontechnical to use. Instructors can choose participants to help out if that is appropriate. The hybrid learning experience will run as seamlessly as an in-person session, while also delivering on added features of the hybrid training environment.

3. Educate Instructors on Digital Tools That Support Collaboration

Every topic is different, but Learning & Development teams should look at cloud tools that support many different types of collaboration, increasing productivity dramatically. Everything from collaborative word processing to virtual whiteboards and real-time communication and collaboration tools can lower the divide between in-room and virtual participants. Every teaching style is unique, and the technology is capable of supporting and even enhancing virtual learning. Instructors might be unaware of cloud tools that would be ideal for any class modality, so be sure to discuss the options available through your business’ tech stack.

4. Extra Resources for Hybrid Training

This piece of advice is more for the sanity of your Learning & Development department than your learners. Many L&D departments are accustomed to organizing ILT sessions through a motley of tools. These might be capable of supporting a hybrid mode, but at the very least the process and structure of administrative tools and processes will need to be shaped around hybrid capabilities. Take a deep dive with your IT department and develop a new blueprint. A solid, experienced technology partner can help guide L&D and IT through this discussion.

5. Hybrid-Native Communications Technology

Currently about one in every three businesses plan on implementing new communications hardware to support hybrid upskilling. But, we believe this number will continue to grow as more businesses face hybrid training and learning head-on. There are certain facets to hybrid communication that traditionally tend to discourage collaboration. The lack of eye contact, the lack of spatial awareness, seeing yourself on camera — these are critical differences that, without the right technology, make communications a bit more challenging and prone to “Zoom Fatigue.” There are communications technologies out there that address these difficulties, like X2O Media’s OneRoom. These comprehensive solutions can be more costly to implement, but they are an investment in the best quality hybrid training experience possible, making an appreciable difference in the quality of every session.

Where Zoom Falls Short for Education & Deep Learning

Claire Lloyd on January 11, 2024

In the past years, higher education institutions have merged traditional and virtual classrooms, a process that has been met with challenges and successes.

Traditional web conferencing has played an integral role during this transitional period. While instructors have acknowledged the platform’s failings, platforms like Zoom and Teams are not going away anytime soon.

Still, more instructors are choosing to offer their courses pass-fail as it is simply more difficult to teach on web conferencing platforms like Zoom, Teams and Google Meet. Students cannot be expected to maintain the same level of retention, motivation and ability to learn on a deep level.

These platforms limit learning in several ways.

__“….having to engage in a “constant gaze” makes us uncomfortable — and tired. In person, we are able to use our peripheral vision to glance out the window or look at others in the room. On a video call, because we are all sitting in different homes, if we turn to look out the window, we worry it might seem like we’re not paying attention.” __ — Harvard Business Review, “How to Combat Zoom Fatigue”

But where exactly does traditional web conferencing fall short in terms of demonstrable outcomes?

Dynamic tasks — like group discussions, collaborative problem solving, and debate — experience significant productivity loss when conducted over a flat communications platform. These deep learning activities have always relied on kinesthetic experiences to give new shape to minds, mentalities, and drive behavioral change.

Retention almost doubles when we provide an environment that facilitates discussion as opposed to demonstration.

Kinesthetic experiences rely on give-and-take interactions that are afforded in traditional classrooms, where eye movements and non-verbal cues — including individual facial expressions, gestures, and personal attention — are naturally present.

Traditional web conferencing solutions cannot easily replicate these more natural, kinesthetic behaviors, which explains why they are ineffective.

Higher education institutions are able to accommodate the kinesthetic challenge with two interventions.

Organize class sessions with specific intent to communicate material audio-visually or kinesthetically
Invest in a sophisticated virtual or hybrid classroom platform specifically designed to create an immersive and interactive experience for both in-room and remote students wherever they are located.

Read about how OneRoom technology offers a better approach to learning to support student success with an interactive, hybrid learning experience for both in-room and remote students wherever they are located.

Preparing For The Transition To Hybrid Education

Claire Lloyd on January 11, 2024

Global drivers are placing higher education at a critical juncture. Moving forward, universities must decide how they will deliver education services. The pandemic has not been the only driver of change; demographic changes, rising costs, evolving consumer expectations and rapidly changing technology all play important roles in bringing this decision to a head. More and more educational institutions are undergoing digital transformations to adapt to hybrid education models.

Faculty, leadership, students and parents are all trying to envision what education will look like over the next four years.

This article will examine how higher education organizations can prepare for the transition to hybrid education, cover the benefits of a hybrid education model and break down what to consider as we transform. We’ll answer key questions, such as:

What are the components of hybrid learning education?
How does higher education make the transition?
What are the benefits, tools, and other factors to consider?

What exactly is hybrid education?

Hybrid education is simply defined as an education approach that combines online education interaction/materials with traditional place-based classroom methods. Hybrid learning means having students part time at home and part time in class.

When the global pandemic impacted educational institutions, classes were initially held entirely online – for both students and teachers. The hybrid education model shifts away from the entirely online approach to a combination of in-person classes and virtual classes.

Features of hybrid learning

Hybrid learning is typically comprised of distinct features that include:

Time (synchronous) – Synchronous learning is defined as a scheduled class held in real-time with a group of students and a teacher. The students can be in attendance remotely or in a classroom. Higher education may use online video conferencing technology to engage with students in real-time.

Space – This refers to the hybrid learning space; for example, a student setting up a hybrid learning space at home or a teacher dedicating an in-person class room space. Hybrid learning in the classroom is dependent on what technology is deployed such as interactive video hardware, display, software, assistive technology, and whiteboards.

Interaction – Hybrid learning interaction is based on how the student and teacher will interact – online, in-person, and a combination of both. It’s critical that higher education organizations deploy technology that will drive engagement with students; for example, deploying immersive virtual classrooms to enhance remote student learning.

Get more insights on how X2O Media and Emory University partnered to deploy innovative collaborative interactive technology.

Resources – Resources refer to components that make hybrid learning possible. This includes Wi-Fi/Internet connection, computers, Audiovisual hardware and the software that drives hybrid learning. Educational collaboration tools, such as conferencing software, Learning Management Systems are Resources, as well.

Responsibility – This includes self-learning, digital interactive tools, tracking of attendance or class work, etc. Responsibility is also placed on the teachers who may need to present, record, upload, monitor, and track students and lessons.

Overall, these are just a sampling of hybrid learning that may have some similar features of traditional in-person learning. However, by its nature hybrid learning is a combination of using digital technologies with in-person education.

Benefits of a hybrid education model

Students have high expectations of technology because of the technology they use every day — from social applications like Instagram and Tik Tok, to iOS and Android messaging. These platforms allow them to build a customized communications interface, and they bring that experience (and all the expectations it creates) with them into education.

Digital transformation can help higher education organizations meet students where they are, not only reducing friction but also increasing retention of material, satisfaction, and results.

Benefits of adopting a hybrid education model include:

Self-efficacy – Students can learn in class at their own time and pace, depending on the class/teacher lesson plan. In the comfort of their own home or at another convenient location, students can go online to engage with all the class resources. This is particularly beneficial to students who may have busy schedules.
Synchronous and asynchronous learning – Some students may be able to attend class in-person, while others may need to rely on purely online learning. The hybrid learning approach may choose to have a combination of synchronous learning (real-time) and asynchronous learning – where some of the class materials are online, available as a recording.
Real-time engagement and feedback – The global pandemic increased the use of video conferencing in higher education. However, traditional video conferencing tools were not intended to be used by educators or students. In the educational use case, video conferencing tools are more effective when they can support more dynamic discussions and active participation by all participants. This often leads to the acquisition of purpose-built tools.
Hybrid learning – depending on the technology deployed – can deliver more effective use of video, collaboration, and ultimately engagement.
Performance and tracking – Hybrid learning technology can help with tracking the attendance, performance, and feedback of students. The digital technology deployed can help obviate the need for manual tracking and analysis. Overall, measuring the metrics that matter can help instructors while improving the hybrid learning experience for students.

Key considerations for hybrid learning technology

When approaching the transition to hybrid, higher education is familiar with elements, such as IT hardware and software. But there are missing pieces of the puzzle that complete the hybrid picture: The audio/video (AV) components and infrastructure.

Considerations include:

Hybrid Learning Software – Some higher education institutions may try to use standard video conferencing software, combine various disparate solutions, or even try to create their own. Higher education organizations should avoid these approaches and deploy software that is specifically designed for the needs of hybrid education.
Computer hardware – Higher education must determine if the computers used (for students and teachers) are the organization’s or that of the students and staff.
Audio/video — Additional cameras, microphones, displays and speakers to accommodate a larger hybrid audience.
Wi-Fi availability – Do all the students and teachers have reliable, high-speed Wi-Fi to access resources? Some areas may lack adequate Hi-Fi or Internet connection so that must be taken into consideration if there is an option to attend class in-person rather than solely be online.
Network Infrastructure — Wi-Fi can also be bottlenecked by an outmoded Internet connection. Campuses might need to reconsider their network as we approach the widespread use of real-time video feeds.

Questions to ask software vendors:

Does the software have robust features that accommodate 100+ participants?
Is the software easy to deploy, adopt, and manage?
Is the solution designed to replace face-to-face learning, or to integrate with it?
What is the process for support, and how long does it take to resolve issues on average?
Is the vendor actively developing new features?
Is the software tested and proven, or is it more of a proof of concept?
Are there multiple camera views, virtual room settings, online interactivity, etc?
What hardware is required?
Are there minimum technical requirements for participants? For networks?
What kind of setup is necessary for end-users? For staff?

Partnering with the right hybrid learning platform provider

Taking steps to transform your higher education organization to hybrid learning doesn’t have to be complex and challenging if you plan strategically. It is critical you partner with a hybrid learning technology provider with the expertise and experience of working with education organizations. Partnering with a solution that is specifically designed for hybrid education needs will transform and optimize your school for an enhanced student learning experience.

Learn more about X2O OneRoom.

Fulfilling The Need To Reskill And Upskill

Claire Lloyd on January 11, 2024

The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation and the importance of Learning and Development in all organizations. The prevalence of remote workers, as well as the digital aptitude of employees, has delivered new needs and opportunities for digital learning solutions. Not only are virtual platforms more necessary to unite employees across distance, they are also more commonly used and understood. These changes have enabled employers to experiment with new communication technologies and processes to support a wider variety of course modalities than ever before.

The experimentation phase is not over. According to a People Management survey, more than 50% of the Learning & Development of organizations worldwide have implemented digital solutions as temporary patches rather than long-term strategic transformations. This wait-and-see approach has resulted in solutions that are “good enough,” or that “show promise” but which either produce lackluster results, or make other sacrifices in productivity, learning and security while a better solution is identified.

L&D leaders understand that these initial tools must give way, at some point, to more specific solutions designed for class sessions, collaboration and deep learning. For one, there is more pressure on organizations to adapt, reskill, and upskill their workforces. According to LinkedIn’s 2022 Workplace Learning Report, the skills reported within occupations changed by 25% in 2021, a rate of change that, if continued, will rise to 40% in only three years. That will mean that the skills required for an occupation will only last for between 2 and 3 years, moving forward.

Even if the rate of change tops out at 25%, a 4-year skills cycle would still imply the need to prioritize L&D. That is exactly what many businesses are doing. Most L&D leaders agree that their job function is becoming more strategic. They are receiving more promotions, and demand has risen faster than other positions in HR. In mid-2021, LinkedIn reported almost double (94%) the demand for L&D specialists than in the year prior (LinkedIn, 2022).

But with added rewards comes equal responsibility. There is a new trend amongst more exacting corporate executives who demand a clear learning ROI from L&Ds before they allocate budgets. These requests mandate not only that proper metrics be established, more importantly, they require valuable learning to occur in the first place.

The short-term solutions that were “good-enough” during the pandemic will not work under these new strategic demands.

Here are a few considerations for requesting and evaluating long-term tools that will replace what your organization currently has in place.

L&D Solutions: Core capabilities to drive sustained skills development

‘Combining the latest learning methods with the right technology provides organizations an exceptional opportunity to improve their strategic capabilities. With the right tools, organizations can prepare themselves for the future way of working.’ — David Wilson, CEO of Fosway Group

We all know that learning technology must improve, but what does that look like? What capabilities does your organization’s next generation learning tools support?

Individual Learning Journeys

Employees rank “Opportunities to Learn and Grow” as the #1 Top Driver of a Great Work Culture (LinkedIn, 2022). That response has risen 8 places in the last three years, from #9 to #1.

In a disruptive world with custom technology and cross-functional skills, individual learning journeys are the best way to ensure your L&D program can address employees’ skilling needs. Transforming your learning programs to include individual learning journeys is a true game changer. This method not only secures a successful adoption and retention by the employees but also largely prevents employee’s turnover. This one organizational capability not only drives satisfaction and productivity, it also saves the cost of searching and acquiring new employees.

Blended Learning

The use of blended learning and blended delivery is tightly related to individual learning journeys, but it also comes from the rise of remote work and a distributed workforce. Blended learning makes use of synchronous and asynchronous, formal, and informal content and learning events from e-Learning, social, peer-to-peer and on-the job learning. L&D leaders that can support blended learning will have a much easier time deploying individualized learning journeys, as well as supporting the current workforce.

Hybrid Courses that Support Deep Learning

Delivering accessible educational content is important, but as many L&D leaders are discovering, comprehension is critical. Actual learning is the cornerstone of the organizational strategies outlined above, and without comprehension, employees do not feel empowered, and the organization does not adapt and re-skill in any meaningful way.

As a final note, both of the capabilities above will probably rely upon hybrid and virtual learning to succeed. Without the convenience of hybrid, individual learning journeys are impractical, and blended learning is a crutch, as opposed to a tool.

The temporary online conferencing solutions that many corporations still use are considered temporary precisely because they fail the comprehension test.

During a live session, comprehension is high thanks to:

Level of attentiveness and engagement
One-on-one interactivity and breakout group discussions
Being able to hear and see the trainer, the content and other speakers clearly
Accessing the content before and after the session

These aspects of live courses reinforce the material through repetition and play. Unfortunately, many of the online conferencing tools that corporations use today do not replicate these critical elements, having an adverse effect on interactivity, immersion, and ultimately learning and retention. That is why many of these tools are considered temporary.

Businesses need to deploy long-term hybrid and virtual learning solutions that are better at supporting nonverbal cues, collaboration and immersive learning. The ability to facilitate deep learning across hybrid and virtual environments is a necessity for any organization that wants to retain and engage a productive workforce. What many L&D functions have now is “shallow hybrid.” What they need is technology to create a “deep hybrid” environment for successful and engaging learning. That technology will become critical to attaining better learning outcomes and driving organizational agility and adaptiveness.

5 Steps To Creating A Collaboration Room

Claire Lloyd on January 11, 2024

As the workforce evolves and becomes more hybrid, the need for better tools to facilitate effective collaboration becomes even more important. To enable productive collaboration in a hybrid working environment, companies need to provide their employees with access to collaboration rooms.

What Are Collaboration Rooms And Why Are They Important?

Collaboration rooms are hybrid spaces where employees can come together to work on projects, share files and communicate effectively.

Effectiveness of these collaboration rooms is critical. Without these rooms, employees can find themselves struggling to navigate the new way of working and producing less than they otherwise could with the right tools. Workplaces that do not provide the right tools also tend to see employees adapting their own solutions, bringing their own applications and devices, and applying brand standards inconsistently across their efforts, both internally and externally. This not only reduces efficiency but also erodes brand reputation, morale and engagement.

That said, acknowledging that a change must be does not mean the change will be successful or optimal. Building a collaboration room is not as easy as throwing a laptop or a wall screen into each conference room and calling it a day. Choosing the right technology, from hardware to software, is critical for employees to actually use the room and get the most benefits from the investment.

The Need for Productive Hybrid Spaces

In a study by Frost & Sullivan, 98% of employees believe future meetings will include remote participants. A lot of people need effective hybrid environments.

Businesses are also listening, adapting to better meet the communications needs of their workforce. According to Knight & Franklin, 55% of businesses surveyed believe they will increase the proportion of collaborative space in their offices over the next three years. (Knight & Franklin). Considering the cost in both the money and time that these collaborative projects entail, the fact that MOST businesses express willingness to pursue these tools says a lot.

Collaboration Rooms Are a Cross-Functional Investment with Multiple KPIs

Fundamentally, any project must start with a data-centric motivation that can be verified and analyzed. Start by understanding why collaboration rooms are important to your organization.

Are you looking to improve team productivity? Drive innovation? Retain employees? Enhance customer satisfaction? Once you’ve identified the key performance indicators (KPIs) that are most important to your organization, you can begin to track the impact of your collaboration room. For example, if one of your KPIs is team productivity, you can track metrics — the number of meetings held in the collaboration room, the average length of meetings, and the applications that were used during the session.

There are many ways to gauge effectiveness. The difficulty is choosing metrics that are both meaningful and measurable. Here are five activities that help guide the right design and goals for your project.

5 Steps to Creating a Collaboration Room

1. Understand the ambition
The most important part of the process is to determine the purpose of the collaborative space you are looking to create, and to understand how the space will be used — not just by the key stakeholders on the project but the end users and employees or visitors who will be using it. Work through and define the scenarios of how the space will be used. What are the applications and outputs of those circumstances? Create some personas and use cases to understand what you are trying to achieve.

2. One size doesn’t fit all
Each collaboration room and workspace is unique, depending on people and the physical space of the room/s. You can’t replicate spaces that might work for other organizations. The physical space is an important factor in choosing the right environments, as is lighting and accessibility. It’s worth taking time on this step to ensure all the key considerations have been documented and discussed to ensure the best possible use of the space.

3. Pictures speak a thousand words
Animation is a powerful way to bring an idea or design into the physical world. By using imagery, drawings and other artistic techniques we can visualize what our workspace will look like before it’s even built, which helps us identify any nuances that may need adjusting to create atmospheres that will make the tools easy to use.

4. Money, money, money
It all comes back to money and the budget and investment needed to support these projects, whether it’s a small huddle space or a larger meeting room. The return on investment is crucial and stakeholders need to make an informed decision about the investment of their money. It’s important to develop a solid business case in association with your technology partners to understand the cost benefit of the collaboration space and to maximize the opportunity.

5. Life after Installation
Congratulations! The collaboration space was installed to specifications! Even better, it works. Now the hard work really starts. To maximize ROI, we need to establish ways of working and supporting stakeholders, so that everyone gets the most from this new way of working. Some people are advocates for change; others never want anything to change. Facilitating that learning process is absolutely critical. To do that, track KPIs and usage, and keep talking about how to use new tools.

At X2O Media we partner with you and your team and work together to fully conceptualize the collaboration room experience that you are looking for. From there, we will guide you through the design phase, site inspection, installation and user training to ensure that you get the best out of your new collaboration space.

The Metaverse: Challenges and Opportunities for Training

Claire Lloyd on January 11, 2024

Article published by Training Industry on December 2, 2022

The metaverse, a virtual shared space comprised of virtually enhanced physical and digital reality, has opened many opportunities for learning and development (L&D) to discover innovative ways to leverage digital learning solutions within the greater virtual ecosystem. As the metaverse continues to dominate the news cycles, we need to pay close attention to how it impacts and challenges employee learning and collaboration.*

But why does the metaverse matter? As a product manager of a hybrid live collaboration and training solution, I am keen and curious to understand the benefits and challenges of training in the metaverse and if it can be embraced to elevate hybrid meeting and training. After extensive technology reviews and discussions with gurus, I have reached the conclusion that the metaverse in its current technology state is a smokescreen.

It may sound like I am resistant to change, but let’s dive into the three biggest challenges for hybrid training in the metaverse ecosystem so that you can decide for yourself whether the metaverse will open up new opportunities for your programs.

Main Limitations of the Metaverse

Limitations in Virtual Training and Collaboration

An expensive 3D headset and reliable internet are a must-have to partake in an immersive metaverse experience, which makes accessibility an issue. Additionally, a study found that the headsets can induce stress, anxiety, nausea and eye strain. The same study found that virtual headsets are also creating fatigue and reducing productivity — except in some very limited industrial applications. So, the use of this device should be limited in time and used only for specific use cases where the benefit is clearly understood. Furthermore, when working in person, the headset serves as a barrier to the important human connection between colleagues who are working or studying together.

Limitations in Learning

Examining a typical instructor-led classroom where all learners are participating in-person, the key differentiating attribute for an in-person, instructor-led course is the human connection. During such a course, the instructor can interact directly with participants in many ways through eye-to-eye contact with them or by analyzing their facial expressions to better discern the student’s understanding. They can also leverage their body language to show empathy and emphasize fundamental concepts, adjusting as needed to help them to better absorb the subject matter.

In the metaverse, people are replaced with their avatar. This puts a stop to the natural direct and non-verbal cues mentioned. The art of communication considers that people need context to better communicate. Contextual learning is a crucial input to help learners connect the abstract elements with a concrete example.

To be as good as an in-person learning event, digital technologies must recreate the one-on-one interaction between all students the instructor and therefore, reproducing the hyperpresence that encourages the participants to be engaged.

Limitations in Collaborative Meetings

Digital hyperpresence is also highly recommended in collaborative meetings, aimed at inducing a debate discussion or to brainstorm. The technology should recreate an immersive experience for collaborative meeting with fully engaged participants. When the video is off or replaced by a still or animated avatar it is hard to get people to fully pay attention, especially when people are not in the same room.

Other Methods to Engage Participants Effectively

Mature technology already exists that has been developed and deployed, creating a truly immersive learning and collaboration experience. It is a space where participants, regardless of whether they are in-room or remote, are guaranteed to experience learning or collaboration in an equitable, engaging and inclusive manner. When the intrinsic human need to be acknowledged and to connect with others is fulfilled, everyone thrives.

Unlike the metaverse, participants in an immersive solution feel a collective presence as if they are all sitting in the room next to each other whether they are in-room or remote. Yet, they do not feel the screen fatigue which characterizes typical video conferencing solutions. Web conferencing, or collaboration technology provides strategically positioned cameras and speakers that allow for both the in-person and the remote participants along with the presenter to be aware of each other’s verbal and non-verbal communication, creating an experience which is as good as being there.

In the Realm of Virtual Worlds, Augmented Reality Stands Out

Augmented reality (AR) is about adding to the real world instead of replacing it with a totally virtual world. AR enhances both the virtual and real world, while virtual reality (VR) only enhances a fictional reality.

By superimposing sound, video, and graphics onto an existing environment, AR technology increases participant engagement and interest. AR is seen as contributing to a better understanding of the content as well.

Navigating the Metaverse

So, where can the metaverse be leveraged in the learning process? The answer lies in the learning process itself. At the beginning of every learning process the instructor needs to share the content in the most interactive and contextual manner. Then comes the experimentation stage that allows learners to complete the process and reproduce the obtained knowledge.

Consider a traditional class where the course content is made part of lectures, discussions, breakout groups and quizzes. Adding individual gamification experience in a virtual universe is like one of the quizzes. The objective is to stimulate the learner with a full spectrum of kinesthetic approaches for learning success.

Humans have always relied on immersive learning to master skills. By offering learners a higher level of human engagement, a realistic learning experience and the opportunity to practice and apply skills, we see that learning goals are achieved. This is easier than ever to achieve through new technologies that evolve learning experiences to take place in any virtual environment with a high level of realism and human interaction. To embrace a digital approach to learning that is equitable, engaging and inclusive for all means embracing solutions that are designed to heighten and facilitate the key to successful learning: the human experience.

Versatile Employee Communication Platform for Engagement

Claire Lloyd on January 11, 2024

In an increasingly digital workplace, it is more important than ever for businesses to have effective ways to facilitate communication with their employees, whether they are working in-office or remotely. Integrating an employee communication platform as a central hub for all workplace communication is an ideal and easy for employees to stay connected, engaged and informed.

What is Employee Communication, and Why Is It So Important?

Effective employee communication is crucial for the success of any organization. It involves the exchange of information and ideas among employees to levels of the company that take place through various forms of communication, including verbal, written, and electronic.

Good employee communication is essential for building trust and fostering a positive work culture. When employees feel informed and connected to the goals and mission of the company, they are likely to be more motivated and engaged in their work. This in turn, can lead to increased productivity, morale and job satisfaction.

Effective employee communication is also important for reducing conflict and turnover within the organization. When employees see that their concerns and ideas are being heard and valued, there is a greater sense of belonging and commitment to the company.

Communication is a big part of what makes business so challenging in 2023. The expectations, needs and technology used as infrastructure for employee communications has changed the landscape drastically. These considerations are key for consideration as we analyze any potential communications tool that we may want to introduce to the organization.

Diverse communication styles: Employees have different communication styles, preferences and needs. It’s important for employers to be aware of these differences and find ways to communicate effectively with all employees, regardless of their communication style.
Hybrid work: With employees in the office and working from home it is essential to foster a culture of productive communication. Employees can feel isolated from the business and disconnected when they work remotely. This may lead to boredom and dissatisfaction, neither of which are particularly good for staff retention
Language barriers: If employees speak different languages, employers need to provide translation services or find other ways to ensure that all employees understand important information and communicate effectively with one another.
Technology: The use of technology, such as email, messaging and video conferencing, can greatly enhance communication in the workplace. However, employers need to ensure that all employees have access to and are comfortable using these tools.
Cultural differences: With culturally diverse employees it is important for employers to be sensitive to and respect these cultural differences. This can include being mindful of language, customs, and communication styles that may differ from their own.
Legal considerations: There are laws and regulations that pertain to communication in the workplace which include those related to confidentiality, security and handling of Personal Identifiable Information, as well as harassment and discrimination. Employers need to be aware of these laws and take steps to ensure compliance.

The right process for changing communications technology

The selection process of the right communications technology is a group effort where feedback from managers and employees can help organizations select the right tools. This may involve conducting surveys or focus groups to gather input, or working with a team to identify the best options for the organization. By taking a consultative approach, businesses can ensure that they are using the most effective and appropriate communication tools to support their goals and objectives, while enabling employees to do what they already do, rather than creating unnecessary work or change.

Communications for a hybrid workplace

Hybrid work models are important in today’s workforce. Ultimately, the ability to work in a hybrid environment is beneficial for both the organization and its employees.

X2O Media provides unified visual communication and collaboration solutions for higher education and corporations across the globe. Our award-winning X2O Platform helps businesses engage teams with relevant and consistent workplace communications by delivering broadcast quality multimedia across any channel, to interactive display screens including video walls, laptops, desktops, tablets and smartphones and is scalable to thousands of devices or digital screens.

X2O Platform is designed to integrate with internal or external sources targeting information based on location, departments and users can take this information and data to create channels of dynamic content to share with anyone, anywhere.

Contact Us or talk to a representative about solving your communication challenges and see how the X2O Platform can impact your organization.

Steps to Define Virtual Corporate Training

Claire Lloyd on January 11, 2024

The virtual corporate training landscape is growing more sophisticated every day, and according to a report by Global Analysts the global e-learning market is set to reach $457.8 billion by 2026. Virtual training courses are increasingly popular as a result of the many advantages they offer over traditional classroom-based training, and according to Oxford College is the fastest-growing market in the education industry with a 900% growth rate globally since the year 2000.

4 Key Benefits of Virtual Training

Can be a more cost effective option especially when compared to traditional classroom-based training.
Customizable to meet the learning journey and the specific needs of a company or individual.
Delivered on a schedule that is convenient for both the trainer and the trainee.
Improve retention, productivity and understanding.

When it comes to virtual training, there are more options available than ever before. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) offer new and immersive ways to learn, while advanced Audio/Video (AV) training rooms provide a more traditional learning environment.

When transitioning to virtual ways of working and learning, here are some of the key questions that need to be addressed.

Questions to explore about Virtual Training

What are the direct benefits of virtual training for our organization?
How does virtual training compare and improve outcomes versus traditional training methods?
Are there any downsides to using virtual corporate training?
How can VR be incorporated as a tool in corporate training?

Shifting from in-person to online training

Many businesses point to the Covid pandemic as their impetus for virtual training. Having learners be geographically separated never existed before but now virtual training continues to accelerate in adoption.

A more pressing motivation is simply the need for more learning. According to the LinkedIn Learning 2022 Workplace Learning Report, 74% of L&D Leaders agree that their function has become more influential in the past year, and 72% agree that it has become more strategic. That is because the Covid pandemic changed the world — not only how we work, but who is working, and the skills and platforms that are used to produce value. Organizations the world over are playing catch-up as employees retool and approach traditional tasks with a new mindset.

Virtual corporate learning tools enable organizations to reach more people. Considering the need for more upskilling and reskilling, that scaling is exactly what businesses need.

For the same reason, we do not want to sacrifice efficacy in our attempt to reach for scale. That is why the standard “Zoom experience” was a stepping stone, more than a long-term solution. It is clear that we need to invest in the platforms we use for learning, so that we can achieve the needed scale while also maintaining (and in many cases increasing) effectiveness.

Steps To Defining Virtual Corporate Training For Your Organization

At some point, virtual corporate training will become more than a buzzword for your workplace; it will be a reality. And how can you gauge whether that “virtual reality” will fit the workforce it is designed to support?

First, consider your use case. What type of training are you looking to provide? VR and AR based training are building a clear case for their value in hands-on learning, but they may not be the best option if you’re looking to deliver traditional classroom-style instruction, as you would for learning a business tool like Excel, or CRM Administration. AV training rooms, on the other hand, can provide a more familiar learning environment while still incorporating modern technology. Perhaps a mix of the approaches suits your workforce better?

Once you’ve determined your use case, it’s time to think about your audience. Who will be attending the training? VR and AR based training can be popular with the explorers, but AV training rooms may be a better fit for a broader audience.

By taking the time to understand your use case, audience, and budget you will be able to sort through the options and choose the best solution for your organization. This naturally leads into the question, “What are businesses achieving with virtual training?”

Types of Virtual Training and Use Cases

What are the use cases for virtual training? Where can this type of training be applied and how can it be synced with other tools?

VR Training
VR training programs are incredibly diverse at this stage as more and more businesses are adopting them for specifically using VR and AR in specified programs. Topics are typically selected out of a need for simulation. If it is a topic where knowledge is more like a foundation than it is the end result, there is probably a case for VR/AR courses.

Think about learning to drive, would you ever give a driver’s license to a student who had never driven a car, first-hand? There are an incredible amount of business skills like this, where learners need to actively participate in the subject in order to master them. Think training modules for management training, empathy training, operational skills, and many more practice-oriented skills.

(See how Bank of America, Workday, and MGM Resorts are using VR/AR training to onboard, reskill and upskill workforces.)

Live Virtual Workshops
Collaborative meetings, working meetings, and workshop-like seminars are some of the hardest courses to translate to virtual. The technology is all there, but very few organizations know how to put it all together into a solution that is both hybrid and seamless.

Live virtual workshops range from small, cross-functional teams to large corporate events. And the right solution depends on the scale of the workshop. If you plan on hosting hundreds of attendees, then you might need event planning. Smaller and more iterative virtual workshops like you would need to supplement courses will require more permanent solutions, like a virtual classroom.

Virtual Training Rooms
Virtual training rooms give your Learning and Development team a dedicated resource for hybrid and virtual courses. Virtual training rooms focus on delivering the experience of a traditional training center but across distributed environments. Think breakout groups, guest speakers, virtual and real participants, all supported by the same training room-based platform.

How Does X2O Media Know So Much about Virtual Corporate Training?
X2O Media has developed hybrid training rooms since way before they became popular. X2O OneRoom is used by higher education institutions and global corporations globally to turn traditional classrooms and meeting rooms into hybrid native experience centers.

Accredited by the Learning Performance Institute (LPI), X2O OneRoom helps teams, businesses and organizations deliver immersive and dynamic training bringing learners together in the same space regardless of where they are in the world.

X2O Media Looks Forward to Enterprise Connect 2023

Claire Lloyd on January 11, 2024

We’re looking forward to being back in Orlando and welcome you to our booth 2314. A key industry event, Enterprise Connect is the leading AV and unified communications exhibition where the world’s leading innovators and solutions providers showcase their latest technology. It is shaping up to be an exciting and busy show.

If you’re planning your visit, come by and say hello. You will find the X2O Media team located at booth 2314 showcasing our digital workplace solutions — leading hybrid learning and meeting solution, X2O OneRoom along with our X2O Platform which enables corporate enterprises to communicate effectively with their teams.

During Enterprise Connect, our main focus is on OneRoom, which is a hybrid collaboration solution that our global customers are using to create immersive and engaging remote or hybrid collaboration spaces. No matter what industry you’re focused on, our digital workplace solutions improve training and meeting for today’s ever-growing remote or hybrid work teams.

While on the other side of the booth, you can see for yourself the power of X2O Platform and learn how organizations can use it to connect and engage with their employees, especially in the dispersed hybrid workplace. We’ll be showing how the platform works, as well as how you can build channels of content with real-time information and data and share it across any digital device — anywhere in the world.

We can’t wait to share our latest developments. We’re happy to give you a tour and you can request a date and time that suits you here.

If you can’t make it to Orlando keep an eye on our social media channels as we’ll be posting during the event — or contact us directly to find out more about the X2O Media digital workplace solutions.