Our solution to the challenge of participants who were not tech-savvy or who called in was to send out Virtual Meeting Guides to them prior to the workshops. In addition, we held “drop-in hours” where participants could ask questions and get Zoom tips. In this way, we ensured that participants felt comfortable using the technology, and were ready to participate fully in the workshops. In particular, we focused on explaining how to use the “raise hand” and “chat” functions to keep the workshops engaging and interactive for participants. During the events, we provided technical support to make sure that everyone was able to connect and participate fully.
We also assisted the facilitator in advance of the workshop with email communications surrounding the technology being used, and answered any questions from participants who may not have been able to make the office hours due to conflicting schedules.
Finally, we also worked with the client to create contingency plans “in case of emergency” to ensure that, given any scenario of the technology backfiring, the workshop would be able to go on as planned.