A webinar is a seminar or presentation conducted online with specific learning objectives and significant opportunities for interaction. It is different from a webcast (an online video broadcast of an event, often with limited opportunities for interaction) and from an ordinary web meeting/ web conference (a meeting held online to allow persons in different locations to participate, and conducted for planning/management purposes).
A webinar can be useful when presenting new research findings, or organizational updates, and getting quick feedback; when you want to share country-specific experiences with a large audience or provide training or online demonstrations of new platforms or tools. Webinars can be recorded and shared after an event.
WHEN TO USE THEM AND WHY
Webinars are not difficult to prepare, and help you reach a very wide audience (which can be even wider if the recordings are stored and shared). They provide a convenient alternative when convening a large group (or even a small group) is not possible. They are cheap to prepare and to organize; they also do not require participants (or students) to invest time and resources.
Another advantage is that many platforms are nowadays available, providing the necessary tools (such, as for example, Adobe Connect, GoToMeeting / GoToWebinar, etc.).
Another advantage is that many platforms are nowadays available, providing the necessary tools (such, as for example, Adobe Connect, GoToMeeting / GoToWebinar, etc.).
HOW TO?
- Know your platform. Undertake training, study or practice if you are not fully confident. Be prepared to offer quick technical guidance during the webinar to participants on all basic functions of the platform;
- Together with your presenters, map out a timeline, including when invitations go out and publicity begins, up to the date(s) and time(s) of the webinar. Ensure presenters have enough time to prepare presentations and to complete a script with you. Give enough advance notice so that your audience can reserve the time;
- With the presenters, formulate a draft agenda for the webinar, and give them some clear guidance: How much time they will have, perhaps a suggested number of slides, and how much time is set aside for Q&A. If you have specific ideas on presentation style, share them with presenters so they can accommodate them in their material;
- Publicize the webinar to attract your target audience. For large webinars (100 or more people expected), this should be done a month in advance. For smaller webinars, a week or two is sufficient;
- Once presenters have their material mostly ready, have a preparatory meeting to finalize the agenda, prepare a webinar script and go over the roles;
- Conduct practice sessions with the presenter(s), especially if you and/or the presenters are new to webinars, or if the material is being presented for the first time;
- Ensure that you know in advance how to get technical support in case of problems (You may need to inform IT staff).
When you are ready to start:
- Isolate yourself from distractions (phones, alarms, noisy places) as much as possible. If you are inexperienced, you may need an IT support person available during set-up and the early part of the webinar. Even if you are experienced, know where to turn for help if something technical goes wrong;
- Log in early (at least 30 minutes) and ask your presenters to do so as well if possible, being ready to greet participant;
- When it is time to begin, turn on recording,5 announce the start, and introduce yourself and the presenter(s);
- Mute the microphones of all audience members apart from the presenters, and have your first presenter begin their presentation;
- Be sure to allow time for questions and interaction, as planned out in your webinar script;
- Close the webinar. Turn off recording at the end of the webinar, but leave your computer connected and the software running until the recording has been processed and is ready to save/share; and
- Thank participants via email and do an evaluation. An easy way to evaluate impact is to run a short online survey.
WHAT DO YOU NEED?
- People: Facilitator (preferably two facilitators for webinars of 30+ participants); presenter(s); 10 – 50 participants
- Technical: Webinar platform (e.g., Skype for Business, Adobe Connect, GoToMeeting); broadband internet connection, computer, and headset (or microphone) for all;
- IT support during event
- Time: 2 weeks advance notice (for preparation of materials and promotion); 60 – 90 minutes (webinar duration)
MORE INFORMATION / SOURCES
- UNICEF, 2019. Knowledge Exchange Toolbox. A collection of tools "for anyone who needs to make effective decisions, facilitate or guide effective decision-making processes, or manage or coordinate group work in development that requires the knowledge of multiple persons to succeed."