 This micro-learning module on webinars is intended to supplement the four general modules on presentations. We strongly suggest completing all four of the core presenting skills micro-learning modules before doing this webinar skills module. As a thought experiment, think of the webinars you have attended and write down which webinar was the least effective or useful. Why do you think so? Pause the video here to write down your response. What did you write down? Based on surveys from EDUCAUSE and other organizations, most webinars that miss the mark do so because of technology issues, lack of interaction, or poor pacing. In addition to the core presentation skills of time management, visual design, detail level, and interaction, expert webinar presenters are skilled at speaking, listening, and responding to participants whom they often cannot see or hear. The most common source of participant frustration with webinars is technical challenges. Do a dry run using the same computer, headset, and connection that you will use on the day of the event. Work with your hosts to walk through the software and tools that you will employ. Decide who will monitor side channels such as chat and Twitter and who will drive the presentation slides, polls, and other interactive elements. This series already has a primary micro-learning module called Interaction. It is doubly important in webinars. In addition to all of the strategies from the main module, adopt two more for webinar hosting. Include process and insight interactions. Tell participants at the beginning how they can interact via audio, text chat, or other channels. Then provide process interactions, quizzes to check understanding, recall questions to review structure, and prediction questions to keep everyone on track. Also give participants insight interactions, ask them to summarize their learning so far, write down one takeaway, or say one thing they could teach someone else now. Anything but are there any questions? We've covered technology and interactions and there is one skill area left. Do you remember from the start of this micro-learning module what it is? And see what we just did there. Our last webinar specific skill area has to do with understanding and clarity. Use a headset and microphone so your own audio does not bleed over into your microphone and cause feedback. Use the highest quality headphones and microphone you can get. Speak slowly and enunciate clearly, be yourself, but a slower, more deliberative version. And finally know how to handle delays and silences. Chances are there is at least a three second delay between when you speak and when your webinar audience hears you, sometimes more. When you ask for interaction, key the same request into the chat which is instantaneous. Then fill the wait time by encouraging participants. Tell them what previous participants said, walk them through the thought process or just rephrase the request in different language. Slowing down and describing your processes make for a more enjoyable webinar experience for everyone. Now it's time to build it. Take a few minutes to draft an outline for a webinar that includes frequent pauses for interaction with both open and closed-ended feedback from participants. Then set up time to test the technology and remember to slow down, enunciate, and be prepared to handle signal delays. Pause this video here and come back once you have your outline drafted. Webinars are a great way to interact with colleagues and share ideas. To learn more, check out Scott Skibell's Five Tips in only two and a half minutes. Now that you have completed this micro-learning module on webinars, where will you go next? We hope that you completed the module after the four main topics, but if not, head over and experience them. Thank you for working on this micro-learning module.