
What Mural is
How it can be used
Key advantages of using Mural to run your remote workshops or meetings - including engaging your remote audience and saving on costs of in person meetings.
** UPDATE: Please note that Mural now offer voice call facilities. You can have up to 20 participants, you can only have one ongoing call within the same Mural. Click the phone icon next to your photo in your Mural to start a call and ask your participants to do the same**
How to set up a Mural account
Different types of account in Mural and paying for memberships only when you need them (**Please note, the 'Mural for business' consultant membership was available when this lecture was originally published, but is no longer offered by Mural. Membership costs have also changed since this lecture was recorded**
Where to go for more information on the impact that using Mural can have (to support conversations around purchasing Mural memberships)
Note: Visitors no longer appear as an randomly assigned animal, and importantly, they can only 'view' the Mural (no edit access) on Mural's free plan.
Important distinctions between the different types of user in Mural and why this matters (including a connection to cost).
Be assured of data security within Mural
Learn how to easily add additional optional layers of protection
Find out where to go for more information on this topic
How to navigate within Mural
How to use basic Mural functionality such as editing, re-sizing and moving Post It notes as well as the different ways of adding shapes and images
Where to find an easy getting started guide for your participants to use
** UPDATE: Mural now allow facilitators to customise the toolbar, choosing which tools are available to participants. This is especially handy for new users and keeps their experience simple. From the main tool bar at the top of the Mural, select the checkbox icon to choose which features you want users to see. **
How to combine a short workshop or meeting icebreaker, with getting your participants familiar with using Mural -2 in 1 to save you time!
How to use facilitator 'super powers' (such as 'summon everyone' and the vote function) to run engaging workshops/meeting that deliver your desired outcomes
How visitors (anonymous users) appear in Mural and how participants can identify which animal they are
How the 'draw' function can be helpful to you
Helpful tips on tracking activity within Mural and identifying contributions from different participants
**UPDATE: Mural have introduced a 'take control' feature which locks participants' screens to the facilitators until released preventing users from navigating or editing content. When using 'summon everyone' see the 'take control' option in the black notification at the top of the screen.**
** UPDATE: Top toolbar hat and glasses icon: Mural have introduced 'private mode' which, when activated, hides other users content, meaning participants will only see their own. This avoids group think and allows people to focus. Facilitators can chose when to end private mode and whether they want content to remain anonymous post ending private mode. **
How to save time by using Mural templates and 'frameworks'
How to structure your Mural using 'areas' to allow for easy content manipulation and to support easy export post workshop/meeting
How to maximise use of the 'outline' to enable effective and professional workshop/meeting navigation and facilitation
**UPDATE: publication of this course Mural has introduced a helpful new feature allowing you to add content to your personal 'content library' to re-use in other Murals. This saves you time recreating Mural element layouts for exercises for example.
Best practice elements to include in every Mural (white board)
Add interest and professionalism to your Mural
Import files from other sources
The importance of the lock function
Best practice tips to support you in effective workshop or meeting planning
How long your workshop should run for and how many attendees you should invite
Avoid over running or losing time in your workshop or meeting
Avoid potential pitfalls and send the correct Mural link to your participants
Save time by using the downloadable pre-work email template - get users up to speed before they join
Best practice instructions to share with your participants before they join your Mural session
Best practice facilitation tips to support you from setting up your workshop or meeting for success, to ensuring that you meet your desired objectives
Maintain engagement throughout your Mural session
Build from individual to group work
Key things to remember on the day of your session - avoid getting caught out
Add a layer of professionalism to your workshop output with guidance on how to quickly tidying up workshop/meeting output
Save recipients of Mural exports time with a quick best practice tip
Save time when copying workshop/meeting output to other applications
New feature note (from Murals website): Now you can easily copy the formatting from one element, such as a sticky note or shape, and apply it to another element or group of elements (of the same type). Right click on any element and select the “copy [element] style” option. Then select any other elements, or group of elements (of the same type), right click, and select “paste [element] style” to apply the font size, font type, border colour, background colour, and border style.
Mural pointers to help ensure that everything runs smoothly on the day of your workshop or meeting
Short bonus lecture covering changes to the Mural interface since the course was originally recorded, new tools and features, and a brief look at using the content library to help save time for regular Mural users (not previously covered).
Course description
Remote working is here to stay!
Mural is a shared digital workspace, - a ‘giant digital whiteboard’ used for online collaboration. Engage your teams, customers or clients in virtual workshops wherever they are located, using this fun, online tool.
The course is a distillation of hundreds of hours of real life experience running workshops for high profile international clients. Save your valuable time and energy by using this comprehensive course to learn how to run impactful virtual workshops and meetings using Mural, or improve your skills in this area.
· Rapidly get up grips with using the Mural tool
· Leverage best practice tips on workshop facilitation to build or develop your skills
· Engage and impress your attendees!
>>In this course you’ll find everything you need to know to enable you to run effective online remote collaboration sessions, broken down into easily digestible segments, from an experienced professional facilitator.<<
Key course content
1. Discover what Mural is, some of the different ways in which it can be used, and the key advantages of using it to collaborate with your colleagues, clients or customers
2. Learn how to use Mural to run effective, action oriented virtual workshops, collaboration sessions or meetings
3. Discover how to use key facilitator tools (such as the 'summon everyone' and voting tools)
4. Learn facilitation tips to ensure that you reach your desired outcomes and to maintain the engagement of your audience
5. Understand the key distinction between the different types of users in Mural and why this matters (link to cost)
6. Discover how to design appealing professional Mural work spaces
7. Find practical support, tips and advice on planning and running workshops or meetings, and on exporting content post workshop (end to end guidance for before, during, and after your sessions)
8. Learn how to avoid potential pitfalls so that your Mural sessions run smoothly
Who is this course for?
People who are either completely new to using Mural, existing Mural users, or those who simply wish to bolster their workshop, meeting design and facilitation skills. Whilst the focus of the course is on using the Mural tool, there is rich content on remote facilitation best practice, which can be translated for use with the tool of your choosing.
What do I get?
· 17 bite sized lectures (including bonus content) - with no filler!
· 9 downloadable resources - including handy checklists and best practice reference guides to support you in planning and delivering your workshops or meetings
Why take THIS PARTICULAR course? What makes it different?
· Comprehensive no-nonsense content is designed to cover everything you could need to know, in the order in which you need to know it , with practical expert advice on workshop facilitation applicable in any setting (whether you are using Mural or not)
· The course provides support for planning, designing and delivering workshops or meetings, and includes helpful downloadable content such as 'on the day' checklists and quick reference guides. It even includes handy email templates to send to your participants!
· The course is the result of hundreds of hours of real life experience running workshops for high profile international clients. I share my mistakes with you, so that you can avoid them.
· Discover how to create a positive and professional impact by designing and running collaboration workshops and meetings that your colleagues, customers or clients will enjoy!
How is the course structured?
The course is designed to deliver everything you need to know to get to grips with Mural quickly. Content is structured in an intuitive way without filler, providing you with everything you need to know, in the order in which you need to know it.
Learning is broken down into bite-sized lectures and topics, and clearly structured to allow users to build their knowledge of the tool in a sequential order, or simply jump straight to relevant content.
Key course content
· Discover what Mural is, some of the different ways in which it can be used, and the key advantages of using it to collaborate with your colleagues, clients or customers
· Learn how to use Mural to run effective virtual workshops, collaboration sessions or meetings
· Understand the key distinction between the different types of users in Mural and why this matters (link to cost)
· Discover pointers on designing an effective and appealing Mural workspace (workshop/session design)
· Practical support, tips and advice on planning and running your workshops or meetings, as well as on exporting content (before, during, and after guidance)
· Discover how to use key facilitator tools ('super powers') and learn facilitation tips to maintain the engagement of your audience
· Learn how to avoid key potential pitfalls so that your Mural sessions run smoothly
What makes me qualified to deliver this course?
The course has been developed by an experienced professional facilitator who has been using Mural in a professional capacity for several years. I have used Mural with international clients from many different backgrounds and industries, on projects from operations model redesign, to delivering process improvements to release capacity.
I have a professional background in learning and development with experience in both designing and delivering engaging face to face and remote training. I’ve learned through practice what works and what doesn’t, and have designed this course in a way that will help ensure your Mural sessions always run as smoothly as possible.
I have developed this comprehensive course for you building on my professional skills and experience, and using my hands-on practical experience of using the tool.
Through in person sessions and this Udemy course I've now trained thousands of users in how to use Mural effectively, and I look forward to welcoming you to this Udemy course!
**I have no affiliation with Mural, I simply have extensive experience of using the tool in a professional capacity and find it to be an impactful, cost effective way of delivering engaging collaborative workshops.**
Example collaboration opportunities
Engaging remote colleagues, clients or customers in:
· Problem solving,
· Running brainstorming and ideation sessions ideas for, or obtaining feedback on, new product or services,
· Training or education delivery,
· Reviewing and improving organisational processes,
· Engaging and motivating your remote team members in a fun and different way
· …and much more!