Help me plan the new normal for training

Sorry if this gets long, but there are some smart cookies here and I would appreciate some help.

A large part of my job is a hands-on refresher course on properly performing a certain type of procedure.  Traditionally it consisted of a couple of hours of essentially classroom instruction and another couple of hours of practical performance, both with a *lot* of questions and answers back and forth.  The performance portion is more of a coaching session to make sure that the field guys are performing the process of following the procedure correctly.  More than actually getting anything done specifically it's about error reduction and mindset of how they do what they do.   The performance portion also takes place in a relatively cramped industrial environment, so class sizes were limited to @12 people and they sometimes don't all fit into the space where they can get close enough to follow along.

I teach the course to @350 people that get it every year and @1800 people who get it every 3 years. That's @100 classes a year.  Usually the "classroom" portion is wherever we can get enough chairs together for everyone to take a load off, and I travel with half a dozen folding chairs, a portable projector and screen, and a laptop with stand in addition to the training materials.  I have trained in auditoriums, conference rooms, break rooms, garages, and the occasional Pizza Ranch in some communities. 

The course is mandatory, and as you can imagine some of the people think it's a waste of their time, generally the ones who make the most mistakes and need it the most. Otherwise it is amazing industry professionals from a hundred different companies who seem to really want to embrace ideas that they can use.

Here's the thing: How am I going to conduct this training in a post-Covid world?

Class sizes are already small to promote two way communications, but new guidance is suggesting 6' minimum between people in a class setting.  That's a huge space commitment in some locations for the classroom part, though probably I can work with it, but for the performance portion it's just not possible.  Part of the time proven technique that saves lives is a second check process where two people both look at the same instructions, then at the component to be manipulated, then once they agree on everything then one of them performs the step.  That's utterly impossible with social distancing, and my job to coach and verify how they do it only makes it that much worse. 

I can make a video, and it would have some value, but it won't let me check how the guys are actually doing things. They have all been shown what and how they are expected to do it, this training is much more a check on how they actually do it. 

Short of buying 2000 body cams and radios, anyone have any ideas?

Film the classroom portion once requiring all people to take the classroom session first in a self-study manner.

This frees you up and generally you are no longer performing the classroom routine as part of your daily life.  Then, with that new found time, do the hands-on portion with less people per session and with masks.  You might need a second instructor to perform the hands-on portion due to the small sizes.  That additional person is another cost but the savings will also come from no longer performing the classroom live.  

^ on the first part.  

Make people watch the video on their own time, and get together afterwards for a live Zoom/Teams/WebEx/whatever Q&A meeting.   Call people out specifically to "discuss" (i.e., quiz) different parts, make sure you worked through everyone.   Anyone who can't discuss the parts you call them out on gets mandatory extra small-group training sessions via Zoom/Teams/WebEx/whatever.

But when you get together for a live review, perhaps a go-pro or other action camera streaming to a monitor would be better than trying to get two people into the same space at the same time?   Mount it to pair of safety glasses, a la Google Glass or a bike helmet.    Use the buddy system like the bomb squad, and project it to a screen a bit away with everyone watching on the big screen?

Hook it up with a intercom, and you only need the one person demonstrating in the room.

 Part of the time proven technique that saves lives is a second check process where two people both look at the same instructions, then at the component to be manipulated, then once they agree on everything then one of them performs the step. 

For this, I think the guys are onto something witht he remote viewing setup above. But....am I correct in thinking this is also field procedure?

If so..More important than your classroom, what are the plans to do this in the field where it really matters?

How is your budget?  AI and sims have been growing a lot.  Deep-sea oil exploration maintenance, for example, has been trained on land through sims for a while to make people competent before they go to the offshore platform.  Medical procedures are being taught more this way.  I don't know the companies but I would guess there is trickle-down as those AI companies look to grow and expand their $$ by making the tools more available.

Unfortunately there's enough of a tour guide element to the performance portion that anything purely passive or AI won't cut it. I have to be able to see them doing what they are doing and how they are going it real time or it's all a waste of time. 

For the folks that do it every day, the ones that get the training every year, there's an expectation that they are going to get a second verifier if possible but it's not strictly speaking required.  For the every 3 years group they are held to a more strict expectation of working in teams that can be flexed on occasion in an emergency.  Most of the routine work that second group would normally be doing right now is being deferred, so if they are doing anything it's probably close enough to an emergency that they are not going to be in trouble for working solo.  It's not sustainable, though, and I have piles of data that proves the error reduction associated with team work and eventually not doing it is going to put someone at risk. 

One challenge to any pre-recorded technique is that I have nearly a thousand work sites that have been built as long ago as the 40s and as recently as last week, and they feature technologies associated with a pretty wide spread of the last 80+ years.  Most employees are working at one or two sites and so my training is tailored to the hardware they are going to be using.  I don't think I could go to the depth they need on the specific equipment at one site for every site and finish in an 8 hour class. 

Think about a step to turn off your headlights and some folks are driving pre-war hot rods while others are driving new Cadillacs. The step and intent is the same, the thought process should be, which is the real focus of my training, but the actual work will be different. 

In reply to oldopelguy (Forum Supporter) :

For the live part, especially the 2-man review, I think you'll probably need masks, gloves(if possible) & face protection(I'm guessing they're already wearing safety glasses).

Maybe more importantly, you'll probably want/need to implement something to make sure no attendees are symptomatic. 

Sounds like you teach in a similar environment to where I requal.

We just started classes again last week. I have had one regarding type 2 asbestos (no practical lmao). The class was 1/3 occupancy than BC. Seats were reasonably far apart and there were rolls of paper at one end of the tables that are used so the paper is changed between classes. Face masks required. No more reusing handouts.

We have also implemented more "test out of qualification" than before. This is great for the SMEs and way better for the instructors. They just proctor a test for 4 or so safe distanced testers.