On Friday, March 20, ATD hosted a Twitter chat (#ATDvirtualtraining) with experts and novices alike in virtual training. We asked these experts and you, our audience, to chime in around different topics surrounding virtual training.

Here are some top tweets with important insights for ways to improve your virtual training:

What is your definition of virtual training?

A2: Perhaps it's best to think of it by what it's not. It's not a webinar where it's just kowledge dump. There are still learning outcomes, but hosted virtually. #ATDvirtualtraining

— Shannon Tipton #Microlearning #LSCON (@stipton) March 20, 2020

#ATDvirtualtraining A2: a synchronous learning environment between and instructor and learners that teaches new skill and knowledge in an interactive, motivational, and engaging way!

— Beth Brashear (@beth\_brash) March 20, 2020

A2) Any opportunity to practice skills in a virtual or digital environment. Synchronous or asynchronous. Could be an engaging live online classroom or a compact virtual reality session.#ATDvirtualtraining

— Jenda @ Home (@allthingsnoisy) March 20, 2020

How can you convert classroom training to virtual training?

A3: This week's @ATD Ask a Trainer has some additional tips for converting in-person training for #VirtualTraining. #ATDvirtualtraining https://t.co/MpVuARbuH3

— Tim Slade (@sladetim) March 20, 2020

That's the question on everyone's mind these days! Here's an article I wrote for @atd TD Magazine last year that outlines the steps to convert ILT to vILT: https://t.co/RIuzTO0Ncb #ATDvirtualtraining

— Cindy Huggett (@cindyhugg) March 20, 2020

#ATDvirtualtraining

A3 - very carefully lol. A great deal of attention has to be on interaction to keep the learner engaged and involved, espescially in larger sized classes. In addition, ensuring the technical capabilities is huge.

— Jordan Calbow (@JordanCalbow) March 20, 2020

What are some strategies for engaging learners in a virtual environment?

Get participants to do things regularly. Use polls, breakout rooms, annotation tools on a regular basis. Don't let the session run too long you will lose interest. #Atdvirtualtraining

— Laura (@LauritaS) March 20, 2020

#ATDvirtualtraining

A4: Change the activity every 3-5 minutes!

— Beth Brashear (@beth\_brash) March 20, 2020

#ATDvirtualtraining Q4 Allow participants the opportunity to share their personal experiences...also a little friendly competition works wonders

— Coachel (@Coachele) March 20, 2020

What are some tips you have for first-time virtual trainers?

A5) Test, Test, and Test

Technical errors will happen, that's part of the gig...but testing and preparing helps you when you are live#ATDvirtualtraining

— Randy Matusky (@Randy\_Matusky) March 20, 2020

Tips for 1st time virtual trainers? My answer is different today than it would have been a few weeks ago. If you're being forced to make the switch, do it, iterate, do it again, repeat, repeat, repeat. Let's not be sacred, but get going and work on improving. #ATDvirtualtraining

— Matthew Pierce (@piercemr) March 20, 2020

#ATDvirtualtraining

A5: Practice everything! Back up computer(murphy!) Have a Facilitator & a Producer. Be yourself! Don't be afraid to engage!

— Beth Brashear (@beth\_brash) March 20, 2020

What are some virtual training best practices?

recalling inside jokes and shared moments of laughter brings a sense of together-ness and community; such an underrated tactic that can keep folks feeling valued and engaged

— Niranjani Chidamber Papavaritis (@ATDHealthcare) March 20, 2020

Tip #1 - Know your learner, just as well as you know your tool#ATDvirtualtraining

— Randy Matusky (@Randy\_Matusky) March 20, 2020

A6: Know that things will not be perfect. It's not a matter of IF something goes funky, it's WHEN. Don't panic. Remember, participants don't know if something goes wrong. (most times). #ATDvirtualtraining

— Shannon Tipton #Microlearning #LSCON (@stipton) March 20, 2020

What's your biggest piece of advice to talent development professionals right now?

Share and collaborate reach into sectors and industry totally different to your own, we all do and need learning #ATDvirtualtraining

— Rich Neasom (@RAFResilience) March 20, 2020

A7: It's simple: our jobs are to help folks do their jobs better. #ATDVirtualTraining

— Tim Slade (@sladetim) March 20, 2020

Biggest advice right now? Think about your learners & participants. What do they really need to know & do at this time. What's really important. Equip them with those things instead of worrying too much about the rest. #ATDvirtualtraining

— Cindy Huggett (@cindyhugg) March 20, 2020

For more resources on virtual training, check out this page: Resources for Virtual Training Design and Facilitation.

Join ATD for another Twitter chat on Friday, March 27 at 12 p.m. ET using #ATDremoteworking to discuss working remotely and virtual management.