Distance Learning Roundtable

July 14 2024

Distance Learning Roundtable: Meet John Chen, founder and author, “Engaging Virtual Meetings” — the US Distance Learning Association’s 2024 National Conference Engaging Producer

Distance Learning Roundtable
Distance Learning Roundtable
Distance Learning Roundtable: Meet John Chen, founder and author, "Engaging Virtual Meetings" — the US Distance Learning Association's 2024 National Conference Engaging Producer
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A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, communications director, US Distance Learning Association — Having been virtually meeting for more than 36 years, engaging virtual meetings producer John Chen can juggle 16 screens of information at a time.

He has planned the only 100% live virtual conference in the training industry for 1,200 people and produced a six-language virtual webinar. He is a recognized thought leader on engaging virtual meetings and the John Wiley and Sons author of “Engaging Virtual Meetings” and “50 Digital Team Building Games,” top-selling business books. John’s work has earned him multiple awards. John’s 300,000+ clients across the United States, Spain, France, and Taiwan have experienced breakthrough results.

Check out our Q&A with John to learn more about his firm and how he’s collaborating with USDLA.

USDLA: Tell us about your organization and the need it is filling in the distance learning marketplace.

John Chen: Engaging Virtual Meetings was founded during the pandemic. However, I have been experimenting with team building over virtual meetings for over 38 years—and nobody would buy it. During the pandemic, people suddenly became interested. The key word is engagement: How can we take the challenges of virtual distance learning and make it fun, energetic, and engaging? My company provides clients with the best practices to do it.

USDLA: Tell us about your background.

John: I have a computer science degree from UC Santa Barbara. I worked for a decade for Microsoft, that little software company in Seattle. I then created Playtime Incorporated based on my passion for building a technology adventure to create human change. It grew into Geoteaming, a team-building high-tech scavenger hunt using GPS to teach team and leadership skills. When Engaging Virtual Meetings was created over the pandemic, the entire company changed within a year. People were ready to do engaging virtual meetings.

USDLA: What have been your organization’s biggest wins?

John: I have run a meeting broadcast in 8 different languages simultaneously. I’ve also run the only 100% live conference in the training and development field for Training Magazine. We had 1,200 people at their first-ever conference, and we took all the best practices, and every trainer followed them. I also did the first program between the Young President’s Organization and the Entrepreneurs Organization, a 4,000-person virtual event, which was also a big win.

USDLA: What are your biggest challenges?

John: The biggest challenge is people wanting it to be better. I liken it to learning to drive. Initially, you learn to turn on the car and work the steering wheel, and you’re happy with that. Then, you get your audio and navigation system to work. But you’re ready to stop at that point, yet there is more. My biggest challenge is getting people to invest in wanting more for virtual meetings and not being happy with non-engaging or boring meetings. So, my biggest challenge is educating people.

USDLA: Who is your ideal customer?

John: My ideal customer is a repeat customer. They have regular events that need to be engaging. They want that energy. So, I am a virtual emcee. When clients see I can improve a hybrid meeting, they invite me back—some for 4 and 5 years. We have been so effective for these organizations that they have started charging the same dollar amount for in-person event as for the virtual.

USDLA: What does the future look like for your organization?

John: Well, just growing. The need is out there. Virtual is not going away; even if it does, we have demonstrated top practices for hybrid and in-person events. It’s funny. People thought magically that going back to work and conferences in person would enable us to be engaging. They are realizing it’s not the case. However, there is a collection of technologies and techniques you can use to make your programming engaging. We are helping more organizations create engaging meetings everywhere.

USDLA: How is USDLA helpful to you and your company?

John: I’m excited that I was able to bring something powerful to the June 2024 USDLA National Conference in St. Louis. Seeing the audience’s reaction is proof. Some of it is technology, which requires investing some dollars in technology and techniques. It was a team effort. I must give a big shout-out to USDLA’s tech-savvy board members, Rick Seely and John Copeland from WolfVision. They adopted me and embraced me as the new person. It’s those kinds of relationships that make all the difference. It’s like you say, “Come for the conference, stay for the community.” It’s really true!

Click here to meet John Chen and ask him how to make your next virtual meeting engaging.

About the Show: Join us to learn about the future of online education in this powerful podcast series hosted by the US Distance Learning Association.

About USDLA: The United States Distance Learning Association was the first nonprofit distance learning association in the United States to support distance learning research, development and praxis across the complete arena of education, training and communications. Founded in 1987, USDLA’s mission is to be a powerful alliance to meet the burgeoning education and training needs of learning communities via new concepts of the fusion of communication technologies with learning in broad multidiscipline applications. The learning communities that the USDLA addresses include pre K-12, higher education, continuing education, corporate training, military and government training, home schooling, and telehealth. USDLA also brings together distance learning organizations in the US and abroad. Learn more: USDLA.org.

Previous Episodes
Friday, October 18th, 2024

USDLA Webinar: “Creating Meaningful Online Learning Communities: It’s more than a platform!”

Presenters: Dr. Michelle Dennis, Dr. Eric Roe, Katia Nyysti, Matthew Bruce, Katie Gordon In this webinar: Members of the National University academic and student support leadership teams will unpack their unified strategy for cultivating student engagement. A team of presenters (Dean, faculty member, academic support services, student experience, and virtual community architect) will provide their unique viewpoints and insights on how they foster a sense of belonging and community among students through their various roles. A sense of belonging means aClick here to listen to the podcast!

Friday, August 2nd, 2024

USDLA First Friday Webinar: Learn about “The Transformative Role of Digital Technology,” with DelMarVa Distance Learning Association founder Dr. Alexandra Salas

August 2, 2024—The US Distance Learning Association is thrilled to launch a new tradition: Each First Friday of the month, we will spotlight one of our state chapters. To get us started: USDLA welcomes its newest state chapter, the Delmarva Digital Learning Association, and its founder, Dr. Alexandra Salas. She joins forces with two leaders from Wilmington, DE-based Goldey-Beacom College — Deanna M. Merritt, Ph.D. SHRM-CP, Faculty, Management & Marketing Director, Center for Professional Development & Partnerships and Russell Michalak,Click here to listen to the podcast!

Sunday, July 28th, 2024

USDLA Webinar: “Creating engaging adventures” with international gamification expert Bernardo Letayf

July 28, 2024 — Learn the three elements that will help you design experiences and motivational learning environments. Dive into gamification design, focusing on the creation of engaging challenges and relatable characters that drive explicit engagement. About our presenter: Bernardo Letayf is an international gamification expert, trainer, and speaker specializing in education, Web, and UX design/development with over 21 years in the industry. Formerly a teacher, he created BLUERABBIT to gamify education and remove the stress and attention from grades.Click here to listen to the podcast!

Friday, July 19th, 2024

“Portable Microcredentials: Applications of Blockchain to the Disaggregation of a Degree Program”

June 19, 2024 — This USDLA Free Friday Webinar focuses on ways that blockchain technology can improve the portability of micro-credentials. Blockchain, a tool that originated in the financial sector, has recently supported enhanced documentation and information sharing in education. The pilot presented here involved disaggregating the three specialization courses of a degree program to create micro-credentials. One key goal was to develop micro-credentials that aligned with the degree program. A second goal was to ensure that the credentials existed asClick here to listen to the podcast!

Sunday, July 14th, 2024

Distance Learning Roundtable: Meet John Chen, founder and author, “Engaging Virtual Meetings” — the US Distance Learning Association’s 2024 National Conference Engaging Producer

A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, communications director, US Distance Learning Association — Having been virtually meeting for more than 36 years, engaging virtual meetings producer John Chen can juggle 16 screens of information at a time. He has planned the only 100% live virtual conference in the training industry for 1,200 people and produced a six-language virtual webinar. He is a recognized thought leader on engaging virtual meetings and the John Wiley and Sons author of “Engaging Virtual Meetings” andClick here to listen to the podcast!

Friday, June 28th, 2024

Passing the Baton: USDLA 2023-2024 President Chuck Sengstock to 2024-2025 President Valary Oleinik

July 1, 2024: A Note from Hope, executive producer, Inkandescent Radio — It is a great honor and pleasure to be the communications director of the US Distance Learning Association, usdla.org. Each July, we welcome a new president to lead us for the year and today the baton is passed from our 2023-2024 president Chuck Sengstock to incoming president Valary Oleinik. Chuck says: As the outgoing president of the United Distance Learning Association, I am very proud of our accomplishmentsClick here to listen to the podcast!

Wednesday, May 15th, 2024

USDLA Free Friday Webinar: Is Anyone There? 7 Ways to Increase Instructor Presence in Online Courses

About this webinar: Students enroll in online courses for a variety of reasons. However, while asynchronous online courses may be ideal for many due to the flexibility offered, they can be extremely isolating for students. Research shows that instructor presence can help create a sense of community within an online course, can build trust between students and the instructor, and can increase student engagement while also increasing academic achievement. Every stakeholder involved in the course creation or facilitation of onlineClick here to listen to the podcast!

Wednesday, April 24th, 2024

Distance Learning Roundtable Webinar: “Implementing Telemedicine in Libraries: Barriers and Strategies for Success,” with Dr. Pam DeGuzman

April 2024: A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, communications director, US Distance Learning Association (USDLA) — Please join us for this month’s episode of our new USDLA Free Friday Webinar hosted by USDLA president-elect Valary Oleinik. Meet our guest: Dr. Pam DeGuzman, Nurse Scientist at UVA Health and an Associate Professor of Nursing at the University of Virginia School of Nursing Today’s Topic: Implementing Telemedicine in Libraries: Barriers and Strategies for Success About the webinar: Public libraries offering telemedicine provide aClick here to listen to the podcast!

Wednesday, January 10th, 2024

Join us for this month’s episode of the Distance Learning Roundtable featuring Dr. Heather F. Perfetti, president of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and Nicole Biever, the organization’s Chief of Staff

January 2024: A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, communications director, US Distance Learning Association (USDLA) — Please join us for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, when, for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guests: Dr. Heather F. Perfetti, president of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), and Nicole Biever, the organization’s Chief of Staff Today’s Topic: The importance of credentialing for US colleges — and what the futureClick here to listen to the podcast!

Tuesday, August 1st, 2023

August 2023: Join us for this month’s episode of the Distance Learning Roundtable and meet our guest — Gamification Guru Monica Cornetti, Founder and President, Sententia, Inc.

August 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Monica Cornetti, Founder and President of Sententia Gamification Today’s Topic: The Art of Game-Based Learning Pat and Dean have 10 Questions for Monica: How has gamified and game-based learning evolved inClick here to listen to the podcast!

Saturday, July 1st, 2023

July 2023: Episode 10 of the Distance Learning Roundtable stars Freedom Writers Founder Erin Gruwell

July 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Freedom Writers Founder Erin Gruwell Today’s Topic: The Power and Impact of Freedom Writers About our Guest: ​Freedom Writers Founder Erin Gruwell — A teacher, author, and activist fighting for socialClick here to listen to the podcast!

Thursday, June 1st, 2023

June 2023: Episode 9 of the Distance Learning Roundtable features a Q&A with Dr. Robert A. Alsop of Waldorf University

June 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Dr. Robert A. Alsop, president of Waldorf University Today’s Topic: Waldorf University’s Master of Education in Social-Emotional Learning About this episode: Waldorf has become a pioneer in online education for educators,Click here to listen to the podcast!

Tuesday, April 18th, 2023

May 2023: Episode 8 of the Distance Learning Roundtable stars Amrit Ahluwalia, editor-in-chief at The EvoLLLution: A Modern Campus Illumination

May 1, 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Amrit Ahluwalia, editor-in-chief at The EvoLLLution: A Modern Campus Illumination Today’s Topic: Bucking Enrollment Trends to Grow in a Challenging Environment About this episode: The higher education space has experienced significantClick here to listen to the podcast!

Wednesday, March 1st, 2023

April 2023: Episode 7 of the Distance Learning Roundtable features Jennifer Williams, Executive Director, Take Action Global and Transformational Leader in Education

April 1, 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for episode 7 of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Jennifer Williams, Executive Director, Take Action Global and Transformational Leader in Education Today’s Topic: Get Ready for Change – Instructional Design Practices Through Meaningful Uses of Technology About this episode: At the heart of innovationClick here to listen to the podcast!

Wednesday, March 1st, 2023

March 2023: Join us for episode 6 of the Distance Learning Roundtable — Meet Kate Colbert and Joe Sallustio, authors of the hottest book to hit higher ed, Commencement

March 1, 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for episode 6 of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet this month’s guests — Kate Colbert and Joe Sallustio, authors of the hottest book to hit higher ed, Commencement Today’s Topic: The New Era of Education Dean and Pat ask the authors:  Dean: Let’s startClick here to listen to the podcast!

Tuesday, January 24th, 2023

February 2023: Dr. Peter Noonan, superintendent Falls Church City Public Schools, VA, stars in Episode 5 of the Distance Learning Roundtable

A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke— We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, industry experts come together to discuss the future of online education. Today’s Topic: How K-12 educators dealt with the pandemic and what the future of learning looks like for America’s superintendents Dean and Pat ask Peter:  Dean: Tell our viewers and listeners about theClick here to listen to the podcast!

Sunday, January 1st, 2023

Happy New Year! January 2023: In Episode 4 of the Distance Learning Roundtable meet our truly amazing guest — Lee Gambol, Distance Learning Coordinator at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History

January 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Lee Gambol, Distance Learning Coordinator at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History Today’s Topic: How Lee is embracing the idea of “Backslash Forward” by celebrating the past and embracing the future of distanceClick here to listen to the podcast!

Thursday, December 1st, 2022

December 2022: Don’t miss Episode 3 of the Distance Learning Roundtable starring Dr. Jennie Sanders, Vice President of Faculty Experience and Academic Services at Western Governors University

December 2022: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Dr. Jennie Sanders, Vice President of Faculty Experience and Academic Services at Western Governors University based in Salt Lake City, Utah Today’s Topic: How Western Governors University was ahead of the PandemicClick here to listen to the podcast!

Tuesday, November 1st, 2022

November 2022: On Episode 2 of the Distance Learning Roundtable meet Elliott Masie, the man who coined the phrase e-Learning

November 2022: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Hello and welcome to the November episode of our monthly podcast and video show starring Elliott Masie, the founder of MASIE Innovations. Based in Saratoga Springs, NY, Elliott focused on how organizations can support learning and knowledgeClick here to listen to the podcast!

Saturday, October 1st, 2022

October 2022: Check out Episode 1 of the newest Inkandescent Radio Show — Distance Learning Roundtable, where experts gather to discuss the future of online education

October 2022: A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, producer, Inkandescent Radio — Hello and welcome to the first episode of the Distance Learning Roundtable show on the Inkandescent Radio Network. As the show’s producer, I am thrilled to introduce you to the hosts of our newest program — Distance Learning Roundtable, the podcast and video show where experts gather to discuss the future of online education. Today you will meet the show’s hosts: Pat Cassella, the executive director of the United StatesClick here to listen to the podcast!