Communication Strategies for a Virtual Age from Coursera

Communication has changed! The traditional rules for speaking and presenting, meeting coordination, influencing people, negotiating and selling ideas no longer apply in a world of skype, messenger, video and teleconference. This course will act as an overview on several concepts each of which could be a course of their own and our goal is to give you tools that you can practice and perfect on your own.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Apply communication principles and techniques for in-person and virtual teams

• Use a science based approach to create impactful presentations

• Refine your communication style to better persuade and influence others

• Run more effective and impactful meetings

• Incorporate strategies to have positive difficult conversations and make people feel valued and listened to

*** This course will require you to record yourself speaking. Therefore you must have a phone/computer with a functional camera and microphone.***

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE?

Anyone looking for professional and/or leadership development. This class mainly uses examples from the professional, business environment. If you are looking to advance at your current organization or to enhancing your personal value for potential employers this course is for you.

WHAT MAKES THIS COURSE EFFECTIVE?

Many educational experiences describe and explain, but in this course we will apply and demonstrate. We teach practical and proven concepts, show you how to apply them and give you opportunities to practice them in a safe and supportive environment. This course is full of opportunities to put the ideas presented into practice and test their effectiveness for yourself.

WHY SHOULD YOU TAKE THIS COURSE?

We will challenge the preconceived ideas about what it means to be part of a virtual team, and support you to be a dynamic team contributor no matter where you work. In this course you can expect to be both energized and uncomfortable – like in most experiences that result in positive growth and change!

This course is offered through the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies (https://learn.utoronto.ca/).

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction to Virtual Teams and Virtual Communication

This module is intended to create a foundation for the course by challenging your ideas of not just what virtual communication means, but also communication as a whole. This module will also introduce the foundational ideas of the whole course.

Virtual Meetings: Boring to Awesome

In this module we cover meetings both in person and virtually. We will discuss how to make meetings dramatically more efficient and effective. We will also introduce strategies to make the meetings more interactive and to keep an audiences attention especially when they are looking at a screen.

Influence, Power and Questioning Strategies in Virtual Collaboration

In this module we move from presenting to convincing and persuading. These ideas can be applied to to presentations and also one-on-one communication both in-person and virtually. We will cover how recognize peoples communication styles and motivations and how strategically communicate in a way that will resonate with them.

Speaking and Presenting in a virtual context

This module focuses on presenting and public speaking. Each lesson will cover a communication strategy for in-person presenting and then show you how to use that same strategy in a virtual presentation.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Provides a comprehensive overview of communication strategies for virtual teams

Incorporates hands-on application and practice opportunities

Teaches science-based approaches to creating impactful presentations

Covers strategies for having productive and positive difficult conversations

Taught by instructors with extensive experience in communication and presentation

Requires students to have access to a computer with a functional camera and microphone

Reviews summary

Virtual communication strategies

learners say the "Communication Strategies for a Virtual Age" course is largely positive. According to students, the course is well received for the following attributes: * Engaging assignments that enforce real-world application of the course concepts. * An effective blend of theoretical knowledge and practical examples that resonate with real-world communication scenarios. * Videos, readings, and downloadable resources are helpful for further learning and reinforcement. * Practical strategies and tools for managing virtual teams, conducting effective meetings, and delivering impactful presentations. The course also receives praise for its instructor, Ivan Wanis Ruiz, who is described as: * A charismatic and engaging presenter who effectively demonstrates the concepts he teaches. * Knowledgeable and passionate about the subject matter, making the lectures informative and enjoyable. * Responsive to student questions and provides valuable feedback, fostering a supportive learning environment. While students found the course largely beneficial, some have expressed concerns regarding: * Technical difficulties and broken links in course materials, which can be frustrating and hinder the learning process. * A lack of diversity in the examples and case studies used, which may not fully represent the experiences and perspectives of all learners. * The reliance on peer feedback for final assignments, which can sometimes lead to delays or inconsistent grading standards. Despite these minor concerns, the overall sentiment towards the "Communication Strategies for a Virtual Age" course is highly positive. Students appreciate the practical and applicable nature of the content, the expertise and engagement of the instructor, and the opportunities for real-world application through assignments and projects.

Ivan Wanis Ruiz is responsive to student questions and provides valuable feedback, fostering a supportive learning environment.

"Highly recommend this course for everyone! Strategies and techniques are not solely just for virtual age, there can be commonly applied into our daily lives!"

"The course is very effective for me to keep on working through covid-19 ages that require tens of online meetings, webinars, online presentation, interviews, and so force."

"Course is well equipped with easy doing strategiesI enjoyed course very much and learnt new rules about communication in Virtual ageThis is on going journey to each of us. Happy Learning !"

Videos, readings, and downloadable resources provided in the course are useful for further learning and reinforcement.

"The course was very instructive and interesting for me."

"Communication Strategies transformation is going to be the backbone of all organizations and the pandemic has simply accelerated this shift."

"I feel this course must and should be done by every professional in the world."

The course provides practical strategies and tools for managing virtual teams, conducting effective meetings, and delivering impactful presentations.

"This is a good course as it helps me to communicate well in my work as well as the learning of presentation."

"too long and the peer is very hard , i don't know why would i have to make such peer in order to get my certificate , however i finished the course , i will not mke the peer . Certificate can remain .. :)"

"A relevant course for its time. Ivan is an engaging instructor making the material more interesting and enjoyable."

Ivan Wanis Ruiz is knowledgeable and passionate about the subject matter, making the lectures informative and enjoyable.

"The course is good."

"The instructor made use of a lot of real life examples and scenarios which made the subject matter easy to understand."

"Really good! Who will benefit? Anyone who: makes phone or video calls, holds presentations or works with other people (online or offline)."

The course provides a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical examples, which helps students understand and apply the concepts in real-world scenarios.

"The concepts and techniques discussed by the professor were very interesting and helpful."

"This incredible course will enhance what you already know and will elevate all styles of your communication."

"This course helps me to learn the communication strategies by sir Ivan Wanis Ruiz an expert in teaching and fantastic knowledge."

Ivan Wanis Ruiz is described as a charismatic and engaging presenter who effectively demonstrates the concepts he teaches.

"Ivan is one of the best trainers; I came across ever!"

"Fantastic & terrific course."

"I am very happy with this course. and all the learnings are very valuable."

Students value the opportunity to apply course concepts through practical assignments, such as creating presentations and facilitating virtual meetings.

"Great course, it helped a lot to apply new techniques in presentations."

"This course helped me realize many traps that I fall into when I try to make presentations."

"I was able to use the lessons I learned from here in the workplace/virtual space."

Some students encountered technical difficulties and broken links in course materials, which could be frustrating and hinder the learning process.

"I believed in more active involvement given the initial presentation."

"It was great doing this course and I really like the way presenter presents his ideas."

"Highly recommend this course for everyone! Strategies and techniques are not solely just for virtual age, there can be commonly applied into our daily lives!"

The course materials may lack diversity in the examples and case studies used, which could limit the applicability and relevance for some learners.

"I did not expect to like this course this much."

"Great course! Valuable and enjoyable at the same time."

"Amazing! I really liked it, and the Final Evaluation method was very nice as we really had to apply the tools we learnt in real life."

The reliance on peer feedback for final assignments can sometimes lead to delays or inconsistent grading standards.

"The instructor was informative and engaging."

"This course really supported my efforts in ensuring i'm using effective communication strategies and skills to stay relevant in the digital/virtual workforce."

"The lecturer made use of a lot of real life examples and scenarios which made the subject matter easy to understand."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Communication Strategies for a Virtual Age with these activities:

Review foundational information

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Refresh your understanding of basic communication principles to strengthen your foundation for this course.

Browse courses on Effective Communication

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Review notes or textbooks on communication theory and models.
Summarize key concepts in your own words to improve recall.
Complete practice exercises or quizzes to test your understanding.

Explore online tutorials on virtual team collaboration

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Expand your knowledge of strategies and best practices for collaborating effectively in virtual team settings.

Browse courses on Communication Skills

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Search for online tutorials on virtual team collaboration.
Select and watch tutorials that align with your learning goals.
Take notes and summarize key takeaways.
Apply the strategies and techniques learned in your own virtual team interactions.

Practice active listening skills

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Enhance your ability to actively listen and demonstrate empathy in virtual and in-person communication settings.

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Engage in role-playing exercises to practice listening and responding.
Provide feedback to others on their listening skills.
Use active listening techniques in daily conversations.

Five other activities

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Show all eight activities

Create a communication plan

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Develop a comprehensive communication plan to apply the strategies and techniques learned in this course.

Browse courses on Communication Strategy

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Identify your communication goals and objectives.
Analyze your target audience and their communication preferences.
Select appropriate communication channels and methods.
Create a content calendar and schedule.
Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of your communication plan.

Compile a toolkit of resources on virtual communication

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Enhance your learning experience by gathering and organizing valuable resources on virtual communication.

Browse courses on Virtual Communication

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Search for and identify articles, videos, and other resources on virtual communication.
Organize the resources into a comprehensive toolkit.
Share your toolkit with classmates or colleagues for mutual benefit.

Attend a virtual communication workshop

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Participate in a workshop to gain practical tips and strategies for effective communication in virtual environments.

Browse courses on Virtual Communication

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Research and identify relevant virtual communication workshops.
Register and attend the workshop.
Actively participate and engage with the trainers and attendees.
Implement the strategies learned in your own communication practices.

Attend industry networking events

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Expand your professional network and learn from industry experts by participating in relevant networking events.

Browse courses on Networking

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Identify and attend industry networking events that align with your interests.
Prepare an elevator pitch to introduce yourself and your work.
Actively engage with attendees and exchange ideas.
Follow up with individuals you connect with after the event.

Provide mentorship to junior colleagues or students

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Strengthen your communication and leadership skills by guiding and supporting others in their professional development.

Browse courses on Mentorship

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Identify individuals who could benefit from your guidance and expertise.
Offer your mentorship and establish clear expectations.
Provide regular feedback and support to your mentees.
Share your experiences and knowledge to help them grow professionally.

Career center

Learners who complete Communication Strategies for a Virtual Age will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Project Manager

Project Managers plan and execute projects to achieve goals. This role would benefit from the course's focus on using a science-based approach to create impactful presentations.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

Sales Manager

Sales Managers lead and motivate sales teams to achieve sales goals. This role would benefit from the course's focus on refining communication styles to better persuade and influence.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Manager

Business Analyst

Business Analysts analyze business processes to identify areas for improvement. This role would benefit from the course's focus on using a science-based approach to create impactful presentations.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Software Engineer

Software Engineers design and develop software applications. This role would benefit from the course's focus on using a science-based approach to create impactful presentations.

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Data Analyst

Data Analysts collect and analyze data to identify trends and patterns. This role would benefit from the course's focus on using a science-based approach to create impactful presentations.

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Web Developer

Web Developers design and develop websites. This role would benefit from the course's focus on using a science-based approach to create impactful presentations.

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Operations Manager

Operations Managers plan and execute operations to achieve goals. This role would benefit from the course's focus on applying communication principles and techniques for in-person and virtual teams.

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Instructional Designer

Instructional Designers develop and deliver training materials for employees and customers. This role would benefit from the course's focus on using a science-based approach to create impactful presentations.

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Customer Success Manager

Customer Success Managers build and maintain relationships with customers to ensure their satisfaction. This role would benefit from the course's emphasis on applying communication principles and techniques for in-person and virtual teams.

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Public relations manager

Public Relations Managers develop and manage public relations campaigns for organizations. This role would benefit from the course's focus on refining communication styles to better persuade and influence.

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Digital Marketing Manager

Digital Marketing Managers plan and execute marketing campaigns that use digital channels. This role would benefit from the course's focus on using a science-based approach to create impactful presentations.

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Team Leader

Team Leaders lead and motivate teams to achieve goals. This role would benefit from the course's focus on applying communication principles and techniques for in-person and virtual teams.

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Communication Manager

Communication Managers develop and implement communication strategies for organizations. This role would benefit from the course's overview of communication concepts, as well as its emphasis on refining communication styles to better persuade and influence.

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Virtual Collaboration Specialist

Virtual Collaboration Specialists facilitate and manage virtual teams and projects. They ensure that team members have the tools and resources they need to communicate and collaborate effectively. This role would benefit from the course's emphasis on applying communication principles and techniques for in-person and virtual teams.

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Virtual Event Manager

Virtual Event Managers plan, promote, and produce events that take place virtually. This role would benefit from the course's overview of communication concepts, as well as its emphasis on creating impactful presentations. The course's focus on refining communication styles to better persuade and influence would also be helpful for Virtual Event Managers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Virtual Event Manager