My reflection about Webinars will take a different point of view this time. I have attended about 10 webinars and have decided to make some observations about things that might improve the experience if I ever have the privilege to host my own.
First, let me say that overall webinars are a very good way to gather a great number of people to together online to disseminate information and answer individual questions. It is also a good tool to find others with similar problems or interests. The ability to record and archive a webinar is very useful for those who attend as well as those who may not be able to attend. Secondly, let me acknowledge that I have only participated as an attendee and not a facilitator so many of my observations can only be improved by facilitating my own one day.
When and if I ever facilitate a webinar I will suggest to all involved to repeat what they said if at any time the audio goes out (if those attending the webinar note that they cannot hear in the chat box). Many times the audio goes out and much of what the person is saying is never repeated. Sometimes the recorded version of the webinar has the missing audio, but in many cases the recording only reveals that they had audio issues. Another issue I have seen is that some questions are overlooked in the chat box. I watch as the facilitator is looking at the screen but wonder why they miss the question. I wonder to myself if they are getting more chat questions than I am seeing. If this is the case there may be a way to identify questions when you type them into the chat line, such as beginning with the word QUESTION. I hope that one day I will be able to facilitate a webinar and try out some of my ideas.
