How can a virtual classroom be transformed into a truly participative and engaging experience? CAFOC Bordeaux, a renowned public organisation specialising in trainer training, found the answer with Glowbl. During a recent Masterclass, Isabelle Alibert, Head of Distance Learning Programmes, shared her feedback.
Traditional tools hamper participative learning experiences
For CAFOC, active pedagogy is at the core of their practices, whether in person or remotely. Isabelle explains:
“Delivering one-way training remotely is a disaster. Cameras are quickly turned off, participants disengage… We must completely rethink the trainer’s role in a remote setting.”
However, traditional tools like Big Blue Button or Teams proved inadequate for recreating the richness of collaborative exchanges remotely.
“Facilitating participative training isn’t new. What’s new is being able to do it remotely in a way that is seamless for the trainer and enjoyable for participants.”
Isabelle confided: “These tools lacked flexibility: moving between breakout groups was rigid, trainers had to juggle multiple links, and participants’ experiences were often frustrating.”
She even tried an innovative American solution that allowed free movement between virtual spaces. While promising, issues with GDPR compliance and a lack of features tailored for training prompted CAFOC to seek an alternative.
Glowbl: a successful experiment
The breakthrough came with Glowbl, a platform that reinvents the dynamics of virtual classrooms through its interface, acting as a true simulator of in-person interaction. After an initial testing phase, Isabelle convinced her team and CAFOC management:
Here’s what impressed CAFOC:
- A fluid and intuitive virtual space: Participants can move freely between tables, find their workgroups, and interact naturally, as they would in person.
- Simplified management for trainers: “With the pedagogical roadmap, everything is prepared in advance: documents, timers, polls. During the session, I can focus on facilitation and my trainees.”
- A friendly and engaging experience for trainees: They benefit from collaborative tools (whiteboards, brainstorming) that are directly accessible without needing to copy links or switch platforms.
“One of the first pieces of feedback from trainees was: we feel much less infantilised. The ability to move freely within the space changes everything. It’s more fluid, more convivial.”
CAFOC also uses Glowbl for long-term training programmes. The virtual space becomes a persistent hub where trainees can return to exchange and collaborate, even outside synchronous sessions. Glowbl feels like a real classroom space.
Compelling feedback from trainees
To ensure the tool’s relevance, Isabelle collected feedback from her trainees. Even among those less comfortable with digital tools, adoption was quick. The only important instruction: reminding them they could zoom in and out for better navigation within the space.
A trainee summarised the experience in one sentence:
“It feels like we’re together in a real room, with the same freedom to interact and work collaboratively.”
A vision for the future
As Director, responsible for a budget and well aware that video conferencing tools are already available in public organisations, Camille Biancini, Head of CAFOC, had to challenge Isabelle and her team’s request. Today, she sees even greater potential:
“The enthusiasm among trainers is palpable, and we plan to roll out Glowbl for our long-term training programmes. It’s a tool that supports our active pedagogy ambitions and strengthens the collaborative dynamic between trainees and trainers.”
CAFOC even envisions creating dedicated collaborative spaces where trainees can work autonomously and extend their learning beyond virtual classes.
Conclusion: Glowbl, a tool to transform your virtual classrooms
The testimony from CAFOC Bordeaux illustrates how Glowbl surpasses traditional video conferencing tools by combining pedagogical innovation, user-friendliness, and regulatory compliance.
If you are a public organisation or institution seeking high-performing solutions for your virtual classrooms, Glowbl could be the answer.