In every classroom, there are different kinds of minds. Some are quiet and reserved; others are outgoing and ready to contribute at any given moment. You cannot expect all kids to participate in class discussions.
It is your responsibility as a teacher to find ways in which you can be able to determine other ways in which you will be able to keep the attention of students who would rather daydream than participate in group discussions.
This has become more challenging during remote learning, as it gets harder for teachers to know when students have something important to say since they aren’t physically present in the classroom.
While remote learning does in fact make it simple for teachers to reach more people, it can be hard for them to get through to most of their pupils due to concerns about technology and privacy.
The lack of constant communication between peers can also have negative effects on one’s education as it eliminates that sense of personal attention provided by face-to-face contact.
This could also cause problems when communicating with instructors because it might leave too much room for misinterpretation which could lead to poor understanding on the pupil’s end.
8 Tips For Online Teachers To Boost Student Engagement
When it comes to getting students involved and active learners, there are many things that can be done to make classroom time more engaging and keep students engaged online.
1. Train To Teach Online
Many instructors have a wealth of knowledge to share with others. They know the in’s and out’s of their subject like the back of their hand. However, what they don’t know is how to put everything together for an online course. The course has to be designed in such a way that is appealing for people who do not have access to the instructor physically on an everyday basis.
When making your own online course, it is essential for one to understand not only what makes a person eager enough to study but also how technology can help make taking in and retaining information easier.
Trainers can make creative slideshows with the help of a slideshow maker as these are more interesting and can increase student engagement.
Though being themselves may seem daunting when speaking on camera-for example; holding students’ attention, and keeping them engaged while still being expertly knowledgeable.
Instructors have much more time than they would in a traditional setting which is one thing they should take into consideration when speaking on camera.
2. Give Students A Feeling Of Importance
Students deserve to be treated and regarded as responsible members, not just passive learners.
Giving them some say in assignments doesn’t mean you’re giving up control – but the fact that they can suggest how they would like to approach a topic might inspire some creativity and innovation in your class. And giving them an opportunity to learn and assess themselves gives them another confidence boost.
They need to know that their opinions count – so make sure you ask for feedback on what they learned as well as any adjustments you might need to make along the way.
3. Do A Storytelling
Storytelling is always one of your best tools. It is successful because of the tactic’s effectiveness. The stories we hear or read are ones that have the potential to connect with us on some level.
Why did movies ever become famous? Because we love stories!!! And we especially can relate to them if there’s some humour involved! Videos prove much more interesting than simply reading words on a page; therefore, utilize videos if you have them at your disposal.
4. Prepare In Advance
Engage your students’ minds by trying new ways to share your content – video, audio, slideshow, and graphics/presentations.
Invite guest speakers into the classroom and bring in professionals who work in the same field because it enriches the learning experience and thus makes students better thinkers who see a greater variety of perspectives.
Mix up when you teach from lesson to lesson so that students don’t fall at the risk of getting bored.
5. Prepare A Comprehensive Introduction For Each Module
While the content you create and deliver to students is undeniably important, there is an equally valuable part of what makes a really great course that you should also take care of is short introductions about the topics at hand as well as brief explanations about what will be done in class can aid students in better understanding content.
6. Use Active Learning Strategies
As a teacher, it’s your job to help students reflect critically on what you teach them – you want them to connect the course material with the practical application! You have to be proactive about your online course because students need your guidance and insight. Deliver micro-lectures to assist individuals in summarizing important topics in the course materials and ask questions and lead conversations.
7. Provide Regular Feedback
Make sure that students have a way to keep track of their progress and have an easy way to address their mistakes and improve on them.
Grades should be given in a timely fashion, if feasible, a paper should be graded within one week of being submitted in order for students to feel confident about their progress.
Otherwise, students will begin to feel uncertain about how they did and may forget what was particularly good or bad about the piece overall.
8. Encourage Responsibility
If you aren’t using the student notification feature on your learning management system, you should be!
For example, when students do not check in for a specific number of days or do not finish an assignment on time, you can send them automatic emails.
Alternatively, schedule it so that the instructor receives notification, allowing them to individually contact students to inquire about their progress and what’s going on with them in general!
Conclusion
One of the biggest challenges teachers face is keeping their students engaged in the class.
And, while there are a number of strategies one could employ, one of the most effective is to incorporate interactive elements.
In this blog post, we looked at how teachers can use interactive elements to increase student engagement in online classes.
Thanks for Reading
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