Planning classes and sessions: trainings, live sessions and the role of the teacher

The teacher is an administrator of the learning journey

In CoVince a teacher is not a separate role. A teacher is simply an administrator of a learning journey, like any other administrator. Whoever manages a learning journey sees the classes, the runs, the scenario game sessions and the results of that learning journey. That keeps the permissions simple: one model for who may see what.

Planning trainings

A training has scheduled dates with enrolment, a number of places, a calendar invitation (ics) and notification mails. People enrol, get a confirmation and an invitation in their calendar. There are also appointments, an appointment planner and a calendar in the platform.

Use this for live moments: a kick-off session, a joint exercise, a follow-up day. The online learning journey in between does the rest.

A live session with a scenario game

A live scenario game is a session: a host and participants who join on their phones, with the story on a central screen. In the teacher view you see players and scores and can step in. The results are kept, so you can discuss or compare them later. See scenario games for decisions.

A blended set-up

The strongest set-up combines what works together and what works alone. An example in three layers:

1. Before: learners do short swipeslides at their own pace, so the basics are in place.
2. During: a live session with a scenario game or a conversation where the knowledge is applied.
3. After: short repetitions and an assignment at work, with the chat as a place to ask.

That way live time does not have to be about explanation, but about applying and discussing. See also the role of the trainer.

Honest about the limit

There is no separate timetable screen for classes, with rooms and hours in a weekly overview. You plan with training dates, appointments and the calendar. For organisations that need a timetable, that remains an existing scheduling system; you link the learning journey and the sessions to it through the calendar invitations.

A run sheet for a live session

A live session runs better with a fixed run sheet. An example for a ninety-minute session with a scenario game:

1. Opening (10 minutes). Purpose of the session, agreements and division of roles.
2. The game (30 minutes). Participants play on their phones, the story runs on the central screen. The facilitator watches along in the teacher view and steps in when someone gets stuck.
3. The debrief (30 minutes). Who knew what when, where did it go wrong, what do we do differently?
4. Closing (20 minutes). One agreement per participant for the work of the coming week.

The times are an example; the proportion is what counts: at least as much time for discussion as for the game itself.

Communication around a session

A session starts before the date. Use the notification mails and the calendar invitation for the practical side, and the learning journey’s chat for the content: send a short preparation assignment or a swipeslide that lays the basis beforehand. Ask for a short response afterwards, for example with a scale question and an open question.

That way the session becomes part of a learning journey instead of a separate event, and the facilitator has data to do better next time.

Working with groups and runs

A learning journey that you run several times, for example for each new intake, benefits from a fixed structure. Per group you keep track of who is in it, when they start and how far along they are. That lets you compare groups and see whether a change to the learning journey makes a difference.

Keep groups small enough for attention. For a scenario game four to six players per team works well, because everyone has a role and is still heard. For conversation training smaller groups are better, so there is time to discuss reports. And plan aftercare: a short repetition and a conversation with the manager.

Checklist for the facilitator

• Has the learning goal been clearly communicated to participants and managers?
• Have participants done the preparation (short swipeslides)?
• Does the technology work: phones, the central screen, the connection?
• Is the debrief scheduled, and has the facilitator prepared questions?
• Does everyone know what is expected of them afterwards?
• Is the look-back planned, with the reports at hand?

Hybrid and remote

Not everyone can be in the same place. Because participants of a scenario game play on their own phone and the story runs on a central screen, a session can also be held hybrid or fully online, for example with a video call alongside. A learning journey itself has a calendar, a call and a chat.

For online sessions keep the groups small and give clear roles. Agree how people ask for the floor and who watches the time. And plan the debrief a little longer than you would for a physical session, because conversations start more slowly online.

Looking back and steering

Afterwards there are results per learner and statistics per learning journey. See whether the session did what it should: did the questions fit, where did it go wrong, who needs extra attention? A personal AI report per learner is available as material for a conversation. See measuring learning.