“Is anybody out there?!” – Well connected, and yet cut off – that’s how online training feels.
– By Sabriye Tenberken
“Hello? Can you hear us? Is there anybody out there?”
Nowadays, we are all well acquainted with the mutual assurances of being heard or seen; it has almost become a beloved ritual at the beginning of every online training session. And despite the regular inconveniences of poorly or non-functioning internet, power outages, or sudden software updates that bring everything to a halt, Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet have become indispensable in our daily work since COVID.
Also, kanthari has dedicated six weeks of its one-year impact leadership program to virtual training. This, as summarized by our catalysts, Chacko and Riya, has several advantages, especially in our case:
They see online training as a sort of buffer zone between the initial intake process, the selection of participants, and the actual start of the on-campus part of the course. We get to know them a little in advance, so we can anticipate what will come our way in the next seven months when we live together in close quarters. Besides, there are hardly any alternatives to bringing participants from 12 or more different countries together for a few sessions.
And then: online creates relationships.
Therefore, we put in every effort during these six weeks to come across in a friendly and lively way to convey a bit of what kanthari is about.
To ensure interactivity, we work with small groups of four to six participants. Each group goes through the same program, consisting of two to three weekly training units. Interactivity, however, mainly means dialogue or even discussions within the group. But how can we have meaningful discussions when the limited internet connection often means only one person can speak at a time? Quite simply, the others are muted.
Well, that’s something you sometimes wish for in physical interactions too. No more aimless interruptions. And if someone tries anyway, their microphone is turned off.
But that’s not really a democratic process. Because the “host,” the one who invites to the online training, has absolute power over who can speak and who cannot. Thus, online training reverts to frontal teaching with a main focus on the teachers.
But wait a minute! Do I really mean focus? The question is, how much focus can we expect from online learners? Although we try with all means to keep the participants engaged through questions, a bit of humour, stimulating topics, or games, we are often not so sure whether the video is turned off due to poor network connections or simply because someone doesn’t want to be disturbed during their afternoon nap. What’s missing is eye contact, the confirming social grounding like “aha!”, “Oh no!” oh “really?!””, and simply the “vibe,” the atmosphere that is crucial for impactful learning.
Despite all this, perhaps they are just being polite :-), we generally receive quite good evaluations for our online sessions.
Caren from Kenya: “The greenroom experience was great, in as much as it was virtual it almost felt like a physical class, and it was great to connect with everyone during the session. I can’t wait to finally meet everyone!”
Gabriela from Bolivia: “At least for me, it has allowed me to gradually adapt to the teaching-learning methodology and also, get to know the new participants. In my case, I still have difficulties expressing myself fluently in English, but this time has helped me improve my listening, writing, and reading skills.”
In conclusion, the online course is an important phase to get to know each other. Although keeping 20 to 25 participants from all over the world, with the most diverse backgrounds, focal points, and temperaments engaged and interested over seven months is no easy task, we very much look forward to welcoming the fifteenth generation here on the kanthari campus in person! We will keep you updated and will resume our regular blog posts.
Til then, we wish you a great start to the summer season!
