August 2020

Tips for NVTI Learners to be Successful in the Virtual Environment

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During the Spring of 2020, the National Veterans’ Training Institute (NVTI) team watched with concern the impact of the COVID-19 crisis across our nation. Government employees at federal and state levels were being called upon to maintain their essential support of our veterans, while personally experiencing challenges to service delivery, and drastic changes to their workplace and home settings. As agencies continued to onboard new personnel, was training at NVTI going to be suspended due to the pandemic? No, because we identified two key goals that would enable the program to sustain this effort and move forward: (1) Convert live classroom to virtual instruction, and (2) Provide NVTI participants with best practices to be successful in this changing environment.

To effectively transition to virtual learning, the NVTI team incorporated best practices from the training industry to:

  • ensure the learning objectives and topics were the most relevant and timely.
  • deliver eLearning technology on the dynamic Adobe Connect platform for consistency.
  • translate classroom exercises into virtual break-out rooms.
  • utilize messaging and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications for live interaction.
  • train instructors to make the human connection by establishing their online presence and,
  • streamline the http://www.nvti.org website to be more user-friendly and accessible.

For NVTI learners, we recommend these best practices to be successful in the virtual environment:

  • How can I prepare for my NVTI class? 
    • Check registration and points of contact  
    • Organize your space, get comfortable
    • Reduce distractions, plan your day 
    • Test your connections and consider technology requirements 
  • What can I do during class that will strengthen my learning experience? 
    • Tap into your experience and share with colleagues 
    • Engage in exercises, break-out rooms and chats
    • Take regular breaks  
    • Ask questions, be curious 
    • Collect useful resources, notes and tools 
    • Show you know, provide feedback 
  • Are there after class recommendations for my continued learning? 
    • Organize your resources and tools for easy access 
    • Check training plan and transcript to ensure your professional development is on track 
    • Keep your goals in focus

NVTI remains committed to its partnership with those supporting our veterans and stands ready to deliver the specialized training required for the service provider workforce.

Use of the links on this page to find training information, resources, and a multitude of other information to assist you with your important mission. This project is funded by Department of Labor Veterans' Employment & Training Service (DOL-VETS) contract number DOL-OPS-16-D-0022. It does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner. Contact Management Concepts at [email protected] for information on re-use permission.