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Creating Webinars

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  2. Use Case Information
  3. Integrating with a Webinar Provider
  4. Creating a Webinar Content Type
  5. Creating a Webinar Content Item
  6. Event Based Courses
  7. Learner Experience
  8. Access Configuration Options
  9. Available Webinar Providers
  10. Reporting

Seamlessly integrate your virtual events (VILTs) into the learner experience by creating content based on the webinar template. This article covers everything you need to know about integrating with providers, creating content with webinars - standalone, with course content, or with sessions - and what the learner experience will be.

Use Case Information

You can connect Thought Industries with your webinar provider and easily add webinars for your learners to enroll in. This allows you to centralize all of your content in one system and offer on-demand content, webinar based content and a hybrid of both.

When configured you can control the following:

  • Natively create events in Thought Industries and sync to your preferred provider
  • Configure recurring sessions
  • Configure rescheduling options
  • Manage registration directly in the platform
  • Report on attendance and completion criteria with the Reporting Hub
  • Create hybrid event based courses with a combination of native authoring and the webinar

Tip

Creating the event in Thought Industries will trigger your provider to set it up on their system. While administrators for the event will launch it from the provider's interface, all learner activity from registration to launching the webinar will happen within Thought Industries.

Integrating with a Webinar Provider

  1. From your homepage, navigate to Events > Settings.
  2. Select Webinars Providers to be brought to the webinar settings page.
    CreatingVILT_WebinarProvider_AdminView.png
  3. Depending on the provider you are adding you will need to navigate to the correct location and select Add Account.
    CreatingVILT_AddAccount_AdminView.png

Note

Depending on the webinar provider of choice you will be prompted to either enter account information directly in the platform or you may be redirected to login on the providers page instead. Please see the section below, Available Webinar Providers, for a list of webinar providers available or visit this Help Center page for more specifics on your selected webinar provider.

All Webinars are behind a feature flag.

If you do not see your selected provider in your instance, navigate to Apps in your instance to request to have this feature enabled on your site. If you wish to inquire about enabling this feature flag, please contact your Account Team.

Creating a Webinar Content Type

Now that you have established a connection with your provider,  you can set up new content types based on the webinar structure. The purpose of setting up a content type in most cases is for marketing, learner experience purposes, or reporting. By default, the base content type is called VILT/Webinar which may not be pleasing for your learners so you can create new content types with different names. Once this is done, you will be able to select the Webinar content type in your content library to create webinars.

To create a new content type, you can follow these steps:

Tip

If you've already completed this step, skip ahead to creating a webinar!

  1. From your homepage, navigate to Courses > Settings.
  2. In the left menu, select Content Types.
  3. Click Add Content Type.
  4. Add a Name.
  5. Choose the VILT/Webinar base content type.
  6. Click Save.
  7. CreatingVILT_ChangingContentType_AdminView_GIF.gif

Tip

You can find out more about custom content types in the designated article create a custom content type. Custom content types help you accomplish a couple of things:
1. Displaying a different content name to learners (i.e. VILT or Virtual Training).
2. Reporting can be monitored by content type.

Because of this, you may have multiple content types built on the webinar base content type. You can choose any during the content creation flow because building out any webinar content type is the same functional experience from an admin perspective.

Creating a Webinar Content Item

  1. From your homepage, select Events > All Events.
  2. Click the plus icon in the top right corner > Add Event.
  3. From the content creation flow, click the Let's Go button on the Virtual tile option. 
  4. Select your Content Type and click Next. 
  5. Choose your Webinar Provider, Type, and Account (these options vary based on your Webinar provider). 
  6. Click Next.
  7. You can choose to enable Pre/Post Learning. This allows you to add content in a course template, usually referred to as an Event Based Course. In this scenario, we are choosing to keep Pre/Post Learning disabled.
  8. Next, name your event. Alternatively, if you have already created the webinar in your provider you can upload it using an Existing Webinar ID by checking the box I have a webinar ID.
  9. Click Next. 
  10. If multi-language is an option you have available, then you can also select a language for this content item.
  11. Choose the date and times for your virtual event. In the bottom right, you can also select the Timezone. (For more information about Timezones, see this article). Decide if this is a recurring event. 
  12. Click Create.

Note

Depending on the Webinar Provider, once you select a connection you will be prompted with different options. Some options allow for alternative hosts, recurring webinars, and notification options. However, these options are all dependent on the provider you choose. Please see the section below, Available Webinar Providers, for more specifics on your selected webinar provider.

Note

Once saved, your event will be created on both Thought Industries and your webinar provider. From here, you can complete additional settings to build out the detail page on Thought Industries, such as adding pricing information, event descriptions, etc.

Event Based Courses

Event Based Courses are a hybrid of our native course template and the webinar connection. Event Based Courses are sometimes also referred to as "Pre/Post Courses" or "Pre/Post Learning".

  1. From your homepage, select Events > All Events.
  2. Click the plus icon in the top right corner > Add Event.
  3. From the content creation flow, click the Let's Go button on the Virtual tile. 
  4. Select your Content Type and click Next. 
  5. Choose your Webinar Provider, Type, and Account (these options vary based on your Webinar provider). 
  6. Click Next.
  7. Select Yes for the next prompt, Would you like to add Pre and/or Post learning?
  8. Next, name your event. Alternatively, if you have already created the webinar in your provider you can upload it using an Existing Webinar ID by checking the box I have a webinar ID.
  9. Complete VILT setup as indicated in the instructions above, then click Save.
    CreatingVILT_PrePost_AdminView_GIF.gif
  10. You will land on a course outline and can subsequently build your course.
  11. To ensure that learners have access to your meeting information, including time, date, place, and other relevant instructions, be sure to add the meeting page to your course outline. To do this, Click the plus sign in your course outline > hover over the Add Page icon and click.
    AddPageElement_GIF.gif
  12. Select the Meeting Page from the Other page type options. 
    CreatingILT_AddMeetingPage_AdminView.png
  13. Add a title to the Meeting page, then click the Meeting dropdown, select the desired meeting information you want to display, then click Save.
    CreatingVILT_MeetingsPage_AdminVIew.png

Tip

With pre/post learning enabled, make sure to add a Meeting page to the course so learners can access the webinar at the appropriate time. If all you add to the course outline is one Meeting page, the webinar will behave like a standalone VILT for learners. The learner will click to jump into the course, but they will be dropped straight into the meeting. If you'd like the learner to be dropped into the course outline first, you can add another page before the Meeting page in the course, like a Text Introductory page for example.

Note

When using event Based Courses and Learner Notification for Webinars/VILT's you need to understand how End dates work. The option for "Send after Content End Date" may not trigger as Event based treats the end date as if it was a course. Therefore it is recommended to add an end date or to modify the notification options.

Learner Experience

The Learner Experience is completely controlled within Thought Industries from registration to joining the webinar on the day of the meeting. Depending on whether or not you enabled Pre/Post Learning, the overall experience may differ. Another factor that may change the experience is the configuration of enrollment dates, access dates, and end dates.

Note

When using Learner Notifications, learners can save the event to their Google or Microsoft Calendar or download an ICS file directly from the email. If Learner Notifications are not utilized, the webinar provider will typically include a save-to-calendar feature in the registration confirmation notification.

01

Standard Learner Experience

The Standard Learner Experience is when you have allowed a learner to enroll via basic enrollment, including self registration, purchase, registration codes, or admin registration. In this case, Pre/Post Learning is disabled.

  1. Learner enrolls for Webinar via provided registration options.
  2. Upon registration, learner is notified of registration.
  3. Learner is then redirected back to dashboard.
  4. On the dashboard, the learner will now see the webinar added to the Access Widget under the Events tab.
  5. On the Events tab, the start webinar button may be inactive. The button will become active on the day of the webinar.Screenshot_2023-01-05_at_16.59.14.png
  6. Once the start button is active and after it is clicked by the learner, it will launch the webinar for the learner to join.
02

Event Based Learner Experience

The Event Based Learner Experience is when you have enabled the Pre/Post Learning toggle when you created the webinar.

  1. Learner enrolls for Webinar via provided registration options.
  2. Upon registration, learner is notified of registration.
  3. As this is an Event Based course, Learner is then directed to the first page of the content.
  4. To access the webinar, the learner will navigate to to the Meeting Page.
  5. On the Meeting Page, the start webinar button may be inactive. The button will become active on the day of the webinar.
    Screenshot_2023-01-05_at_17.01.57.png
  6. Once the start button is active and after it is clicked by the learner, it will launch the webinar for the learner to join.

Tip

Don't forget to add the Meeting Page to your course after creation so the learner can join your event!

Access Configuration Options

Depending on your set up of Pre/Post, Enrollment Dates, Access Dates, and Sessions your configuration may dynamically impact the user experience. This impact is mostly noticed in the Purchase Widget on the detail page, but may also impact the Access Widget on the learner dashboard.

01

Single Webinar with Free Registration

The webinar is available to enroll in as long as you are registered. The Purchase Widget will display the Date/Time with a Register Now button. Screenshot_2023-01-05_at_13.10.23.jpeg

02

Purchasable Single Webinar

The webinar is available to enroll through a checkout flow. The Purchase Widget will display the Date/Time, the price to purchase, and an Enroll Now button. Screenshot_2023-01-05_at_13.22.45.jpeg

03

Recurring Webinar

The webinar is recurring on multiple dates and learners are expected to attend all or multiple dates in the series. The Purchase Widget will display all recurring Dates/Times and an Enroll Now (paid) or Register Now (free with registration) button. Screenshot_2023-01-05_at_13.21.31.jpeg

Note

Not all Webinar Providers have the ability to support recurring webinars. Recurring options are limited to monthly, weekly, or daily. Please note, that recurring webinars that occur on separate times or days in a non-sequential pattern will need to be arranged in the provider and uploaded to Thought Industries to facilitate.

04

Webinar with Sessions

The webinar has multiple dates and learners are expected to choose one from the list. The Purchase Widget will display all Session Dates/Times and an Enroll Now (paid) or Register Now (free with registration) button. Screenshot_2023-01-05_at_13.30.11.jpeg

05

Webinar with Enrollment Dates in the Past

The webinar enrollment has lapsed and access is closed. The Purchase Widget will display all session Dates/Times and an open field for learners to place their email. Emails submitted will be placed in a report for you to notify learners when a new version is available for enrollment. Screenshot_2023-01-05_at_13.23.12.jpeg

06

Event Based Course

The webinar has the toggle for Pre/Post Learning turned on. In this scenario, the content is Free with Registration and the learner is already registered. The Purchase Widget will display a Start Webinar button. Upon selecting the button, the user will be directed to the educational content and must navigate to a Meeting Page to access the webinar. Screenshot_2023-01-05_at_13.44.18.jpeg

Available Webinar Providers

Thought Industries has a number of natively integrated webinar providers which will allow you to connect to your current provider or give you options to choose from if you are yet to decide. Each provider has its own unique options based on its capabilities and should be considered based on your overall use case.

Available Webinar Providers:

  1. Adobe Connect: Adobe Connect allows you to deliver virtual training, webinars, and meetings that stand out. You can learn more at Adobe Connect.

    Tip

    For more information on Adobe Connect, please view this related article: Adobe Connect Article

  2. GoTo Suite: GoTo, formerly LogMeIn Inc, has a range of options in its full suite including Goto Webinar, Goto Meeting, Goto Room, and Goto Training. However, our current native integration only includes GoTo Training and Goto Webinar. You can learn more at GoTo Suite.

    Tip

    For more information on GoTo, please view this related article: GoTo Webinars Article

  3. Webex by Cisco: Webex is Cisco's cloud-based web and video conferencing service that enables global and virtual teams to collaborate on mobile devices and standards-based video systems in real time. Our current native integration allows connection to Webex Meetings and Webex Trainings with Labs. You can learn more at Webex by Cisco.

    Tip

    For more information on Webex, please view this related article: Webex Article

  4. Zoom: Zoom is a video conferencing platform that can be used through a computer desktop or mobile app, and allows users to connect online for video conference meetings, webinars and live chat. Our current native integration allows connections to Zoom Webinars and Zoom Meetings which includes the breakout rooms functionality. You can learn more at Zoom.

    Tip

    For more information on Zoom, please view this related article: Zoom Article

  5. Microsoft Teams:

    Microsoft Teams is integrated with Thought Industries in order to provide the options to use three different types of webinars: meetings, recurring meetings, and live events. For information about producing a live event using Teams, review this Microsoft Teams article. 

    You can learn more at Microsoft Teams.

    Tip

    For more information on Microsoft Teams, please view this related article: Microsoft Teams Article

Reporting

Let's explore how you can effectively report on webinars, utilizing the available features to gather valuable insights, track participant engagement, and measure the overall success of your events. Due to our integration with third-party webinar providers, their API limits some of our reporting capabilities. While you can always access detailed reports directly from the webinar provider, there are inherent reporting options available within your platform.

 

01

Reporting on Standalone Webinars

Learners who join your webinars for as little as three seconds are automatically marked as complete in Thought Industries. This is not a value that is configurable in Thought Industries due to API restrictions from the third-party webinar providers. To access reports for standalone webinars, follow the below steps:

  1. From your homepage, select Events > All Events.
  2. Click on the title of your event.
    • If your event has sessions, click on the course group name to expose the related sessions.
  3. Click on the Release step.
  4. In the left sidebar, select Reporting. 
  5. Select the Overview tab to have visibility into registrant info.
  6. Select the Enrollment tab to see enrollment trends and activity, as well as seats used vs seats available.
02

Reporting on Webinars with Pre/Post Learning

Creating event based content effectively addresses the challenge of third-party webinars not passing stricter completion criteria through their API. With event-based courses, you now have the flexibility to set more rigorous completion criteria based on the outline you create for pre- and post-learning activities. For example, you could add a post-webinar quiz to measure understanding and then add the quiz to completion criteria for the event based course. To access event based reports, follow these steps:

  1. From your homepage, select Events > All Events.
  2. Click on the title of your event.
    • If your event has sessions, click on the course group name to expose the related sessions.
  3. Click on the Release step.
  4. In the left menu, select Reporting. 
  5. Decide what data you are looking to pull from your event and select from the following tabs:
    • Overview
    • Engagement
    • Assignments
    • Learners
    • Enrollment
03

Global Base Reports

Tracking webinar data at the content level is one method of retrieving webinar data for each event, but you can also retrieve reports from the global reporting section of your platform. The global reporting section will allow you to see data across your events. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. From your homepage, select Reporting > Reports. 
  2. In the Learner Actions section, select Meetings Overview.

Here you can access a list of all scheduled VILT meetings in one place. This dashboard will make it easier for you to see upcoming meetings for a particular course or instructor, double-check that meetings data has been entered correctly, etc.

04

Global Custom Reports

When customizing reports, you can include webinars as a data field and filter, enabling deeper insights and streamlined report generation.

  1. From your homepage, select Reporting > Create.
  2. You will land on the Start Building tab. This tab has reporting categories with prompts (or questions) to help you find the right base configuration to build from. Click on one of the prompts to begin.

Content Actions could be a good place to start. In these explore questions, you'll find queries related to meetings and events, like "Learner Attended Meetings" and "Meetings".

Note

For more information on how to customize a report, see this article.

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