What is virtual instructor-led training (VILT)? A complete guide

Organizations today face one big problem: how can we create an engaging instructor-led learning experience that can be delivered to employees worldwide? With hybrid and flexible work environments becoming commonplace, it might not always make sense to conduct training sessions in the conventional classroom setting. As of today, it is reported that 8 out of 10 employees (Jim Wigert. The Post-Pandemic Workplace: The Experiment Continues. Gallup. 2025) already have some form of flexibility regarding their work location (where possible for their job).

Virtual instructor-led training, as its name suggests, combines the strengths of in-person training sessions with the capabilities of digital platforms.

In this article, we will describe what VILT entails, how it operates, its popular formats, benefits, and drawbacks, as well as best practices for conducting VILT courses. 🤓

Summary

1. What is virtual instructor-led training (VILT)?
2. How VILT works
3. Benefits of VILT
4. VILT versus other training formats
   • VILT versus traditional instructor-led training (ILT)
   • VILT versus e-learning
   • VILT versus webinars
   • VILT versus blended learning
5. Common types of VILT
6. Challenges of VILT
7. Best practices for successful VILT programs
8. How to design an effective VILT program
   • Identify the learners’ needs and goals of the training
   • Choose the appropriate learning format
   • Design the learning experience
   • Develop facilitator and learner materials
   • Test, deliver, and improve the program
9. How Blue Carrot can help
10. Key takeaways

What is virtual instructor-led training (VILT)?

VILT is a live online training methodology in which an educator delivers instruction to a group of students in a virtual classroom. It uses video conferencing systems and various collaborative and learning tools to deliver training online. This solves various issues companies face when trying to implement a training program, such as:

• The presence of geographically dispersed teams that have difficulty meeting at one location;
• High costs incurred as a result of classroom training, due to travel costs and other expenses involved;
• The requirement for a standardized form of training among various branches or departments of an organization;
• Lack of flexibility in fixed-schedule, classroom-based training;
• Scaling instructor-led training programs beyond a few individuals.

It should be noted that VILT design differs from any other online training approach by enabling learners to interact with instructors and participate in real-time discussions.

How VILT works

Typically, VILT sessions follow a well-defined procedure that includes preparation, live facilitation, interaction, and post-training activities. Depending on the training goals, VILT can be used either as a standalone approach to training delivery or as part of larger blended e-learning solutions. The basic procedure can be divided into several distinguishable steps.

1. The facilitator prepares all necessary training materials, presentations, activities, and digital resources. In some cases, producers or technical support professionals may provide assistance in platform setup and management of the learning experience.
2. The learners enter the session via one of the available platforms, such as Zoom, MS Teams, Webex, or Adobe Connect.
3. The facilitator provides live guidance through the training content, explaining key concepts and demonstrating processes to learners.
4. The learners are engaged through discussion, group activities, testing (quizzes), polls, case study analysis, and collaboration.
5. Most VILT programs also include session recording, worksheets, job aids, or other assignments that will allow learners to review training content and continue learning after the session ends.

Based on our professional experience designing custom digital learning materials, technical means alone are not enough to create a successful VILT program. An experienced communicator or educator is also required to glue it all together, so do not underestimate the human factor, even in virtual training.

Benefits of VILT

The flexibility and real-time interaction VILT brings are the main benefits for organizations looking to deliver effective e-learning sessions. When designed correctly, it combines the accessibility of digital learning with the collaborative elements that make such sessions valuable.

VILT versus other training formats

VILT comes somewhere between traditional classroom learning and full-fledged digital training programs. To understand how it differs from other training formats or be able to combine them, you should know the specifics of each method.

📌 VILT versus traditional instructor-led training (ILT)

Both VILT and traditional instructor-led training use the same format — a trainer conducts the session, facilitates discussions, and gives feedback. However, while in ILT everything happens in a traditional classroom, in VILT all of the above-mentioned processes occur online.

📌 VILT versus e-learning

In general, VILT and e-learning are two similar forms of training. The major difference between them concerns learning speed and the presence or absence of a facilitator during the course. Thus, VILT is a synchronous learning approach, while e-learning is mostly asynchronous. Moreover, these two methods complement each other very well.

📌 VILT versus webinars

Both VILT and webinars are conducted online. However, these two methods serve different purposes. Webinars are typically designed for a large audience and aim to deliver information through presentations or demonstrations. In turn, VILT puts much emphasis on discussions, exercises, collaborative tasks, and giving feedback.

📌 VILT versus blended learning

Unlike e-learning or webinars, VILT is not an alternative to blended learning. The latter can include blended instructor-led learning (BILT) as one of its elements and use it alongside other approaches to achieve the best results.

Common types of VILT

Different learning situations have prompted organizations to use the VILT approach, depending on the complexity of the content and the expected levels of interaction.

1. Virtual workshops. Interactive learning sessions intended to build learner engagement and skills through discussions, case studies, simulations, and teamwork.
2. Onboarding and product training. Live online training intended to help newly recruited staff or customers understand company policies and procedures.
3. Compliance and regulatory training. Learning sessions that explain regulations, policies, and procedures, with a chance for the learner to ask questions and receive answers based on real-life scenarios.
4. Leadership and professional development. A multi-session training program intended to develop skills such as communication and decision-making.
5. Software training. Interactive learning sessions intended to guide participants through using the software.

The choice of VILT type is determined by the nature of the session, the number of attendees, and the session’s interactivity.

Challenges of VILT

Despite its benefits, VILT poses challenges that organizations need to address when designing the program to achieve significant results.

We would say that designing a VILT session from scratch is a much more effective approach than transferring a classroom session to an online format. It will minimize or completely eliminate the effect of the listed challenges.

Best practices for successful VILT programs

An important point to note is that creating a successful VILT program is not solely about using modern online learning technologies. Things get much deeper here. Class format, appropriate facilitation, interactivity, the correct choice of means, and additional resources all contribute equally to the course’s success and are key elements. 

For anyone who is wondering how to develop online courses and successful VILT programs, here are the basic recommendations:

• Inform students of the learning objectives and desired results in advance so they know what to expect and how to evaluate the course’s impact at the end.
• Design sessions in brief and comprehensive pieces, dividing complex subjects into several chapters, if possible.
• Change the types of activities used regularly to match students’ attention spans and prevent them from switching to scrolling Facebook or TikTok, which is a common problem in remote training.
• Reduce the duration of your presentations and use interactive visual materials and exercises that promote critical thinking instead.
• Provide ongoing training for facilitators to familiarize them with modern technologies and equip them with all the tools needed to keep students’ attention on the subject.
• Constantly gather feedback from the students to understand the areas you need to improve and the direction you need to move in.

While this may sound trivial, the best VILT courses are those focused on learners and activities rather than on the mere delivery of dry material. That is why the facilitator gets the key role in the whole process — their task is to create a bridge between people and knowledge.

How to design an effective VILT program

Creating a solid and high-quality VILT program requires a combination of instructional design services and technical expertise, with the learning objectives in mind. That is why the overall process can be divided into several key stages.

👉 Identify the learners’ needs and goals of the training

Much earlier than “What is VILT?” comes the question of who it is aimed at. It is essential that any training is aimed at people first; it should provide certain knowledge or address certain problems. Thus, before the course design process even starts, such points should be identified and added to the agenda.

👉 Choose the appropriate learning format

The right format for the training course should be chosen as the next step. There are several factors to consider when choosing the format, such as training objectives, audience, and the complexity of the material to be covered. The corporate training course, for instance, may use a blended learning approach that combines VILT and e-learning, while other training programs might require a different approach.

👉 Design the learning experience

The next step is to design a course that aligns with the training goals. Virtual instructor-led training must be explicitly designed for online delivery, with a logical structure, interactive elements, and practice. The discussion, exercises, knowledge testing, and supplementary resources should be planned at this stage.

👉 Develop facilitator and learner materials

Now it is time to prepare the materials for the future VILT. Those can be presentations, participant files, facilitator guides, assessment forms, etc. Good materials will assist facilitators in managing the session and participants in understanding what to do.

👉 Test, deliver, and improve the program

The final stage involves testing the VILT program, providing training, and collecting feedback from trainees and trainers. Their reviews and impressions can help improve both the content and the activities of the learning process.

How Blue Carrot can help

At Blue Carrot, we provide custom development and production of VILT programs to help our customers deliver engaging, effective learning through learning management systems. We take care of all aspects of developing a VILT program, ranging from analyzing learning needs, creating an instructional strategy, designing visual learning elements, and preparing facilitators. In short, VILT services provided by us include:

• Instructional design of the VILT program; 
• Conversion of classroom-based courses into a virtual format;
• Detailed facilitator guides and session plans;
• Custom slides, visuals, and other learning graphics;
• Interactive activities, exercises, scenarios, and assessments;
• Supporting videos and other digital assets for blended learning programs;
• Production support for global and multilingual training programs.

Having created custom learning solutions for more than 300 organizations worldwide, including Fortune 500 companies and top-ranked universities, we help our customers develop effective, scalable, and measurable training programs while keeping e-learning development costs within realistic limits.

Key takeaways

So, what is virtual instructor-led training? It is an approach that blends the advantages of traditional instructor-led training with those of a virtual one. VILT allows organizations to train their staff and foster collaborative learning through a virtual medium, regardless of location. Yet it is not just a transfer of classroom training into an online format. An effective virtual program requires proper instructional design, activities, facilitation, and high-quality content.

Regardless of whether you want to deliver a single virtual workshop or create a broader blended learning solution, Blue Carrot will be glad to assist you in developing VILT programs that meet your learners’ needs, business objectives, and organizational requirements.